| 1. |
- Klarare, Anna
(författare)
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Specialized palliative home care teams : Complementary perspectives of team functions and influences on patients and families
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Persons with life-threatening illness are increasingly being cared for and dying at home. Palliative care strives to cater to multiple dimensions such as physical, psychosocial and spiritual or existential, and meeting these needs in patients and families requires multiple competencies. Palliative care organizations propose organization and delivery of care in teamwork models; however, teamwork is complex and can be approached from various perspectives. Previous research has identified gaps in palliative care regarding which components of teamwork are most effective. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore perspectives of team function in specialized palliative care teams, among health care professionals, families and patients. Study I entailed translation and cultural adaptation of a research questionnaire. Study II entailed qualitative interviews with health care professionals (n=15) working in specialized palliative home care and Study III interviews with patients (n=6) and family members (n=7). In Study IV, an exploratory design was used. Initially team leaders (n=77) in palliative care reported team function. Next, health care professionals (n=61) reported team development in the group development questionnaire, patients (n=43) reported symptoms in the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System and family members (n=45) reported satisfaction with care in the translated and culturally adapted FAMCARE-2 questionnaire. Results of the studies are: (I) a translated culturally adapted and initially tested Swedish language version of the FAMCARE-2 scale, (II) health care professionals report that competence, communication and organization are crucial components of teamwork in specialized palliative homecare, (III) patients and families report that they experience security and continuity of care due to 24/7 care, sensitivity to changing needs and demonstrating caring, and (IV) specialized palliative home care teams have a core of registered nurses, physicians and social workers. Positive associations were found between team maturity and team effectiveness.
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| 2. |
- Siouta, Eleni
(författare)
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Communication in Patient Involvement in Decision making : Examples from consultations on atrial fibrillation
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- AbstractBackground: Further knowledge is needed regarding communication that occurs in practice between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and health professionals in consultations to understand the issue of patient involvement in treatment decisions.Overall aim: The overall aim of this thesis is to contribute knowledge on communication between patients and health professionals (cardiology nurses and cardiologists), focussing on how they create involvement in decision making in consultations.Specific aims: (1) To describe (i) the topics that patients with AF discuss with cardiology nurses and cardiologists; (ii) the use of discursive space in consultations between these participants; and (iii) the frequency at which patients, cardiology nurses, and cardiologists introduce identified topics. (2) To describe the different types of resistance by patients to treatment with warfarin and how cardiologists respond to such resistance. (3) To examine how patients describe involvement and communication in decision making regarding treatment in consultations with cardiology nurses and cardiologists. (4) To examine how cardiologists describe their views on patient involvement in AF treatment decisions, their perceptions regarding efforts to involve patients, and how they handle decisions.Methods: A qualitative design was used. In study I, the sample consisted of 23 videotaped consultations between patients with AF and cardiology nurses and cardiologists at six nurse-led cardiology outpatient clinics. Content analysis was used to obtain a description of topics that were discussed. The patterns of dominance for the various topics and participants were examined. In study II, the sample consisted of 11 videotaped consultations between patients with AF and cardiologists. Conversation analysis was used to describe interactions concerning resistance to treatment with warfarin. In study III, 22 patients with AF were interviewed directly after their consultations with cardiology nurses and cardiologists. Content analysis was used for the resulting data. In study IV, 10 cardiologists were interviewed in cardiology clinics at four Swedish hospitals and qualitative content analysis was used.Findings: In study I, a medically driven agenda dominated the patient-driven agenda. However, when the patients initiated conversations about their life with AF (the topic that received the least amount of space on the agenda), involvement was created. In study II, the patients’ resistance could be viewed as a source of knowledge about patients’ real-life situations and what motivates them. In study III, despite not being actively involved in the decision-making process, the patients experienced a sense of involvement when they felt understood and were listened to. In study IV, by taking into account the patients’ feelings in the consultations, and by actively encouraging the patients to be involved, the cardiologists contributed to patient involvement.Conclusions: Patients, cardiology nurses, and cardiologists create involvement in decision making in consultations as communicative projects. Patients strive for space and create involvement by showing resistance to the decisions suggested by health professionals. However, involvement is not only an issue about obtaining space in the consultations, but is also associated with obtaining clarification, building confidence, feeling understood, trusting cardiology nurses and cardiologists, and having confidence in receiving consistent care within an established relationship. On a theoretical level, this thesis sheds light on the interaction between the concepts of communication, involvement, and decision making.
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| 3. |
- Sterner, Eila
(författare)
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Pressure ulcers - role of the nurse to improve patient safety : prevalence, risk factors, classification and documentation in patients undergoing hip surgery
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Pressure ulcer is a common complication in hip fracture surgery and convalescence. Earlier prevalence studies have demonstrated a lower prevalence in Southern Europe than in Northern Europe. In patients with hip fractures, specific risk factors for developing pressure ulcers, apart from those included in standardised risk assessment are not fully understood. Correct classification of Category I pressure ulcers is a prerequisite for planning preventive measures. It is also mandatory for the reliability of prevalence studies. Until now subjective tests such as finger-press test and visual assessment have been utilised in clinical practice. An objective method has hitherto been lacking. Planning and delivering good nursing care to patients who are at risk of, or already have, manifest pressure ulcers should be built on proper documentation. Degree of documentation of pressure ulcer prevalence and risk factors in patients with hip fractures versus elective hip replacement surgery has hitherto not been investigated. Scrutiny of medical records for these diagnoses and identification of potential differences should therefore be of interest.Aim: - To investigate prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers upon arrival and at discharge from hospital, and to identify potential intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers in patients admitted for hip fracture surgery. To establish the inter-rater reliability between blanching and non-blanching erythema, assessed by two independent assessors. The secondary purpose was to investigate potential correlations between risk factors and pressure ulcers. - To explore if a non-invasive objective method could differentiate between blanching/nonblanching erythema in the sacral area of patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. - To investigate the degree of documentation regarding risk assessment, preventive measures taken, prevalence and severity of pressure ulcers, in patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures or elective hip replacements at admission and during hospital care at an orthopaedic unit.Results: The prevalence of pressure ulcers in Southern Europe was lower compared to Northern Europe. Specific risk factors such as dehydration (p=.005), moist skin (p=.004), pulmonary disease (p=.006) and diabetes (p=.005) were identified. The finger-press test and visual assessment of Category I pressure ulcers were both unreliable methods with low interrater reliability. The proportion of patients with persistent discoloration differed significantly between the assessors from Day 1 to Day 5 (p = .013). Reflectance spectrophotometer used was proven to deliver high precision regarding classification of non-blanchable erythema (Category I pressure ulcers). Documentation of pressure ulcers, risk assessment, body mass index and prevention at admittance was unsatisfactory in patients undergoing hip surgery.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Helene
(författare)
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MRSA and other resistant bacteria : prevalence, patient and staff experiences, wounds and infection control
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Antibiotic resistance has become a major and serious global problem in healthcare. Limited treatment options for infections caused by these organisms can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Sweden has a low prevalence of antibiotic resistance compared to most other countries but this presents an increasing problem for society and healthcare even in Sweden. The overall aim of this thesis was to illuminate potential problems related to antibiotic resistance from different perspectives: assessing the prevalence of resistant bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) or other resistant bacteria, and associated wound types, patient and health staff experiences when confronted with resistant bacteria infection, and the occurrence of such infections in the nursing home environment. In the first study a total of 2172 patients admitted to hospital or as out-patient visit at a University hospital during one day were examined with the purpose to identify all wounds, wound types and wound characteristics, and to identify bacteria in all wounds, particularly MRSA, VRE and multi-resistant Gramnegative rods. Four hundred and eight (19%) patients had a total of 668 wounds. Of these, 248 wounds, from 216 patients were cultured. Two unknown MRSA-patients were identified. No patient with VRE was found and there was a low prevalence of other multi-resistant bacteria. In the second study fifteen patients with MRSA infected wounds were interviewed. The aim was to ascertain and describe patients’ knowledge, perceptions and experiences of being MRSA-positive. The interviews were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. From the analysis three categories and one overall theme were identified. Results showed that information about the MRSA diagnosis often caused a shock-like reaction. The patients’ perception of being MRSA-positive was that it was stigmatizing like the plague or leprosy; they felt dirty and a severe threat to their environment. Fears of infecting someone else and being rejected were commonly expressed. Knowledge and empathy from staff involved in their care was crucial to optimise patients’ experiences. Staff’s needs of education to meet patients’ demands for information, and to prevent spread of antibiotic contamination was essential. In the third study eight nurses and seven assistant nurses from different hospital wards and nursing homes were interviewed regarding their experiences of caring for MRSA-positive patients. Qualitative content analysis was carried out when analysing the data and three themes were identified during the process. Stress and too high workload were factors which were described to cause concerns in the caring situation. A major concern was that nurses felt at risk of becoming infected themselves and then transmitting the infection to other patients and to family members. Knowledge and ignorance about MRSA affected the nurses’ caring; ignorance made them afraid and insecure while knowledge and understanding shaped confidence in their role as caregivers. In the fourth study 560 residents in a total of 67 wards, in nine nursing homes were investigated for prevalence of MRSA, VRE and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) - producing Enterobacteriaceae and if carriage of resistant bacteria was related to antibiotic treatment, other risk factors and/or staff´s adherence to guidelines for infection control. In all 296 staff members were interviewed and observed. No resident was positive for MRSA or VRE. Fifteen residents were found to be ESBL-positive. Usage of antibiotics was higher in wards where ESBL-positive residents were detected and there was an indication that there was transmission of ESBL between residents. Staff´s adherence to infection control guidelines sometimes revealed shortcomings but no significant difference regarding adherence to the guidelines could be found. In conclusion: Prevalence of MRSA appears low in both hospitalized patients, out-patients and nursing home residents. Adherence to infection control guidelines among healthcare staff, however, needs further improvement. MRSA colonized patients experienced psychological pressure and stigmatization. Knowledge and empathy from staff involved in their care is crucial to optimise patients’ experiences. Staff education to meet patients' demands for information and the prevention of contamination is essential
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| 5. |
- Ingadóttir, Brynja
(författare)
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Learning as a patient : What and how individuals want to learn when preparing for surgery, and the potential use of serious games in their education
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Surgical patients need knowledge to participate in their own care and to engage in self-care behaviour in the perioperative period which is important for their recovery. Patient education facilitates such knowledge acquisition and several methods can be used to facilitate it, for example, face-to-face education and brochures or using information technology such as website or computer games. Healthcare professionals have been slow to seize the possibilities that information technology has to offer within the field, including the use of serious games. To optimise patient education, the information is needed on the patients’ needs and preferences and what they think about the idea of using a serious game to learn about self-care.Aim: The overall aims of this thesis were to describe the knowledge expectations of surgical patients, to describe how surgical patients want to learn, and to explore the potential use of serious games in patient education.Methods: This thesis includes four studies that used both quantitative and qualitative data to describe aspects of patient learning in relation to surgery. Study I has a prospective and comparative design with survey data collected before surgery and before hospital discharge from 290 patients with osteoarthritis undergoing knee arthroplasty. Data was collected on fulfilment of knowledge expectations and related factors. Study II is a cross-‐sectional study in 104 patients with heart failure who had been scheduled for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) device implantation. Data was collected on knowledge expectations and related factors. In Study III the perceptions of 13 surgical patients towards novel and traditional methods to learn about post-operative pain management are explored in a qualitative interview study using content analysis. Study IV describes the development and evaluation of a serious game to learn about pain management with the participation of 20 persons recruited from the public. The game was developed by an interdisciplinary team following a structured approach. Data on the efficacy and usability of the game was collected in one session with questionnaires, observations and interviews.Results: Participants reported high knowledge expectations. Knowledge expectations were highest within the bio-physiological knowledge dimension on disease, treatment and complications and the functional dimension on how daily activities are affected, both of which include items on self-care. Most participants wanted to know about the possible complications related to the surgery procedure. In none of the knowledge dimensions the expectations of participants were fulfilled. Participants received most knowledge on the physical and functional issues and received least on the financial and social aspects of their illness. The main predictor of fulfilment of knowledge expectations was having access to knowledge in the hospital from doctors and nurses. Trust in the information source and own motivation to learn shaped how the participants thought about different learning methods. Although the participants were open to using novel learning methods such as websites or games they were also doubtful about their use and called for advice by healthcare professionals. To develop a serious game with the goal to learn about pain management, theories of self-care and adult learning, evidence on the educational needs of patients about pain management and principles of gamification were found useful. The game character is a surgical patient just discharged home from hospital who needs to attend to daily activities while simultaneously managing post-operative pain with different strategies. Participants who evaluated a first version of the serious game improved their knowledge and described usability of the game as high. They were positive towards this new learning method and found it suitable for learning about pain management after surgery in spite of some technical obstacles.Conclusions: Surgical patients have high knowledge expectations about all aspects of their upcoming surgery and although they prefer direct communication with healthcare professionals as a source for knowledge they might be open to try using more novel methods such as games. Preliminary short-‐term results demonstrate that a serious game can help individuals to learn about pain management, and has the potential to improve knowledge. A careful introduction, recommendation, and support from healthcare professionals is needed for implementation of such a novel method in patient education.
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| 6. |
- Sormunen, Taina
(författare)
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Communication, coping and social networking regarding infertility
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Infertility is a worldwide problem and is experienced as psychologically stressful. Communication about infertility varies depending on clinical aspects, personal relationships, and culture. The aim of this thesis was to explore and describe communication, coping and social networking among infertile women from a lifeworld perspective.Study I explored infertility-related communication and coping strategies among women affected by primary or secondary fertility problems. Structured self-administered questionnaires, administered between January and May 2012, yielded 199 responses. The questionnaire consisted of Likert scale items which were analysed with descriptive statistics and by using the Chi-square test for independence. Twice as many women with secondary infertility acknowledged that they never talked about the causes or results of tests and examinations with other persons, compared to women with primary infertility.In Study II the aim was to gain insight into which infertility-related issues are discussed on Swedish infertility blogs. A total of 4,508 postings from 25 infertility blogs were retrieved, from May to September 2017. An interactive quantitative-qualitative content analysis was performed using the automated text analysis tool, Gavagai Explorer, developed for analysis of large sets of textual data. A sentiment analysis was performed as the tool provides sentiment scores of the data indicating whether the bloggers were writing positively or negatively about a topic. All blogs were written by women and the analysis crystallized into the following topics: Emotions, Relations, Time and waiting, Body, Care and treatment, Food and diet and Exercise. The Body topic stood out by having more negative than positive sentiment.Study III explored infertile individuals’ experiences regarding the use and role of online social media, experiences from participating in online social media and experiences of infertility. A web-based questionnaire, linked to the bulletin boards of six closed online social media groups, during the fall of 2017, yielded 132 responses. A majority of the participants were female, and the questionnaire was answered mostly through Facebook. Of the participants, 60 percent participated in online social media focussed on infertility once a day or more, and 50 percent devoted from one to three hours weekly to these forums, with 40 percent making no postings.Study IV was a qualitative study based on seven telephone interviews describing women’s experiences of using social media focusing on infertility. The interviews were conducted between June 2020 and November 2020 and were analysed with thematic analysis. Two themes were devolved: Invaluable venue and Opportunity of choice. Different forums were used depending where in the treatment process the women were. Further, decisions about the choices of groups were also based on the targeted age groups and geographical locations of the participants.
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| 7. |
- Golsäter, Marie
(författare)
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Hälsosamtal som metod att främja barns och ungdomars hälsa : en utmanande uppgift
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to explore and describe health dialogues from pupils’ and nurses’ perspectives as well as the verbal interaction between them, in the context of a structured health and lifestyle tool.Seventy-four pupils and 23 school nurses participated in focus group interviews, and further 14 nurses participated in individual interviews. To explore the verbal interaction, 24 health dialogues with pupils and school nurses were recorded using a video camera. The data from the interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis and the verbal interactions were analysed using the paediatric version of the Roter Interaction Analysis System.Health dialogues based on the pupil’s own situation were described as a process that provided them opportunities to influence their own health. Prerequisites for a pupil-centered health dialogue were that the pupils were prepared, felt respected and like active participants, and that their own experiences were in focus. How the nurses acted was crucial to the pupils’ experience of and possibility to benefit from of the health dialogue based on their own needs and wishes. A health and lifestyle tool could support the dialogue by constituting a structure, open up for discussion and contribute to an understanding of the individual’s situation. The tool could also facilitate the transmittal of health information on an individual as well as a group level. In terms of utterances in the dialogues, the school nurses were the ones who talked the most. The pupils most frequently gave information about their lifestyle and agreed with the nurses. The nurses asked questions and provided information about lifestyle, and checked that they had understood the pupils. Just over a third of the nurses’ verbal interaction approaches were aimed to make the pupil more active and participatory in the dialogues.In conclusion, the health dialogues were described as an opportunity to gain knowledge about and insight into health and lifestyle, but a pupil-centered dialogue was considered crucial. The challenge is to adapt the health dialogue based on each pupil’s needs and wishes, and a health and lifestyle tool could contribute structure and support the dialogue.
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| 8. |
- Höglander, Jessica
(författare)
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Home care communication : moving beyond the surface
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Communication is an essential part of care and human interaction. While communication within care entails both task-focused and socio-emotional elements, nurses are sometimes perceived as too task-focused. When in need of care, older persons want to be perceived and treated as individuals – to feel involved. However, nurses might lack the prerequisites for establishing individualised home care, which is often based on daily tasks rather than on older persons’ needs and wishes. Despite the importance of communication in nurse-patient interactions, knowledge about daily communication within home care is scarce. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore the naturally occurring communication between nursing staff and older persons during home care visits, with a focus on emotional distress and from a person-centred perspective.This thesis is an observational, cross-sectional study of the communication in 188 audio-recorded home care visits, and is part of the international COMHOME project. In Study I, older persons’ expressions of emotional distress were coded and analysed using the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences [VR-CoDES]. The results showed that older persons often express emotional distress in the form of hints at emotional concerns, which were defined as cues. Explicit expressions of emotional distress, which were defined as concerns, were uncommon. The responses of nursing staff to older persons’ cues and concerns were coded and analysed in Study II using VR-CoDES. Nursing staff often responded by providing space rather than reducing it for further disclosure of older persons’ emotional distress. In Study III, the communication of emotional distress and participants’ characteristics were analysed using generalised linear mixed model [GLMM]. The results revealed that most cues and concerns were expressed by older females and to female nursing staff. Furthermore, elicitations of expressions of emotional distress were influenced by native language and profession, and responses that provided space were more often given to older females and to older persons aged 65-84 years. Home care communication between registered nurses and older persons was coded and analysed in Study IV using the Roter Interaction Analysis System [RIAS]. The results revealed a high degree of person-centred communication, especially during visits lasting 8-9 minutes, and that socio-emotional communication was more frequent than task-oriented communication.Home care communication contains important aspects of person-centred communication, with nursing staff providing space for the older person’s narrative; however, there are also challenges in the form of vague and implicit expressions of emotional distress. Keywords: communication; home care services; nursing staff; older persons; person-centred care; RIAS; VR-CoDES
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