| 1. |
- Fritz, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of Implementing an Information and Communication Technology Tool for Social Interaction Among Older People : Qualitative Content Analysis of Social Services Personnel Perspectives
- 2024
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Ingår i: JMIR Aging. - : JMIR Publications Inc.. - 2561-7605. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Older people are particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness, which can lead to ill-health, both mentally and physically. Information and communication technology (ICT) can supplement health and social care and improve health among the vulnerable, older adult population. When ICT is used specifically for communication with others, it is associated with reduced loneliness in older populations. Research is sparse on how the implementation of ICT, used specifically for communication among older people in social services, can be performed. It is recommended to consider the determinants of implementation, that is, barriers to and facilitators of implementation. Determinants related to older people using ICT tools are reported in several studies. To the best of our knowledge, studies investigating the determinants related to the social services perspective are lacking. Objective: This study aims to explore the determinants of implementing the Fik@ room, a new, co-designed, and research-based ICT tool for social interaction among older people, from a social services personnel perspective. Methods: This study used an exploratory, qualitative design. An ICT tool called the Fik@ room was tested in an intervention study conducted in 2021 in 2 medium-sized municipalities in Sweden. Informants in this study were municipal social services personnel with experience of implementing this specific ICT tool in social services. We conducted a participatory workshop consisting of 2 parts, with 9 informants divided into 2 groups. We analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. Results: The results included 7 categories of determinants for implementing the ICT tool. Being able to introduce the ICT tool in an appropriate manner concerns the personnel’s options for introducing and supporting the ICT tool, including their competencies in using digital equipment. Organizational structure concerns a structure for communication within the organization. Leadership concerns engagement and enthusiasm as driving forces for implementation. The digital maturity of the social services personnel concerns the personnel’s skills and attitudes toward using digital equipment. Resources concern time and money. IT support concerns accessibility, and legal liability concerns possibilities to fulfill legal responsibilities. Conclusions: The results show that implementation involves an entire organization at varying degrees. Regardless of how much each level within the organization comes into direct contact with the ICT tool, all levels need to be involved to create the necessary conditions for successful implementation. The prerequisites for the implementation of an ICT tool will probably change depending on the digital maturity of future generations. As this study only included 9 informants, the results should be handled with care. The study was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has probably affected the results.
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| 2. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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District nurses' use for an assessment tool in their daily work with elderly patients' medication management
- 2011
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 39:4, s. 354-360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: To explore the capability of the Safe Medication Assessment (SMA) tool in identifying factors highly related to unsafe medication management among elderly patients and to investigate the district nurses' (DNs) opinions of the SMA's usefulness as a tool in their daily primary healthcare practice. Introduction: Elderly patients who experience many medical conditions often use multiple drugs. As well as the combined decline in physical and cognitive functions, the elderly are at high risk for medication-related problems. It is essential to develop a screening procedure to distinguish elderly at risk of an unsafe medication management.METHODS: An explorative study. During a 3-6-month period, 25 voluntary DNs used SMA with 160 patients (consecutively chosen and meeting four specified criteria) in their daily practice. Furthermore, DNs responded to questions regarding SMA's usefulness.RESULTS: The result showed that SMA had the capability to identify factors highly related to unsafe medication management among the elderly included in the study. In 64% of assessments DNs identified areas of new information and in 23% of the assessments DNs intervened. They found SMA to be satisfactory regarding its level of simplicity, relevance, completeness, intelligibility, and time for implementation.CONCLUSIONS: SMA alerted the DNs to patients' attitudes about medication and empowered them in identifying elderly patients who had unsafe medication management. SMA was also perceived as a useful assessment tool by the DNs.
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| 3. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-
(författare)
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Family caregiving for persons with heart failure : Perspectives of family caregivers, persons with heart failure and registered nurses
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Heart failure is a growing public health problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Family support positively affects outcomes for the person with heart failure while also leading to caregiver burden. Registered nurses have a key role in supporting and meeting the needs of family caregivers.The overall aim was to explore the situation and needs of family caregivers to a person with heart failure, and explore requisites and ways of supporting and involving family caregivers in heart failure nursing care.Two interview studies, one web survey study and one intervention study were conducted between 2012 and 2017. A total of 22 family caregivers, eight persons with heart failure and 331 registered nurses participated in the studies.Family caregivers' daily life was characterized by worry, uncertainty and relational incongruence but salutogenic behaviours restored new strength and motivation to care. Family caregivers experienced that their caregiving was taken for granted by health care professionals. Family caregivers expressed a need for a permanent health care contact and more involvement in the planning and implementation of their near one’s health care together with health care professionals. Registered nurses acknowledged family caregivers’ burden, lack of knowledge and relational incongruence. A registered nurse was suggested as a permanent health care contact to improve continuity and security. Registered nurses neither acknowledged family caregivers as a resource nor their need for involvement. Registered nurses working in primary health care centres, in nurse-led heart failure clinics, with district nurse specialization, with education in cardiac nursing care held the most supportive attitudes toward family involvement in heart failure nursing care. Family health conversations via telephone in nurse-led heart failure clinics were found to successfully support and involve families. The conversations enhanced nurse-family relationship and relations within the family. They also provided registered nurses with new, relevant knowledge and understanding about the family as a whole. Family health conversations via telephone were feasible to both families and registered nurses, although fewer and shorter conversations were preferred by registered nurses.This thesis highlights the divergence between family caregivers’ experiences and needs, and registered nurses’ perceptions about family caregivers’ situation and attitudes toward the importance of family involvement. It adds to the knowledge on the importance to acknowledge family caregivers as a resource and to support and involve them in heart failure nursing care. One feasible and successful way is to conduct Family health conversations via telephone in nurse-led heart failure clinics.
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| 4. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Family Health Conversations Conductedby Telephone in Heart Failure Nursing Care : A Feasibility Study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Sage Open Nursing. - : SAGE Open. - 2377-9608. ; 4, s. 1-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Registered nurses (RNs) in heart failure (HF) nursing care have a key role in providing family support, which positively affectsthe outcome for the patient. Telephone interventions conducted by RNs have been reported to be successful in HF nursingcare, but Family Health Conversations (FamHCs) involving the patient and the family, have not previously been tested. Thepurpose of the current study was to explore the experiences and feasibility of nurse-led FamHCs conducted by telephonewith patients and their family caregivers. A single-group intervention study with a pretest–posttest design was conducted inthree regional hospitals that had a nurse-led HF clinic. Five RNs, eight patients, and eight family caregivers participated. ThreeFamHCs were conducted by telephone with each family every 2 weeks. Qualitative and quantitative data were collectedthrough semistructured interviews and questionnaires. FamHCs improved the nurse–family relationships and relationshipswithin the families and provided RNs with new knowledge about the families. FamHCs conducted by telephone wereconsidered to be feasible for both families and RNs, although RNs preferred fewer and shorter FamHCs. The RNs preferredmeeting face-to-face with the families as nonverbal communication between the family members could be missed because oflack of visual input. On the other hand, RNs appreciated to focus entirely on the conversation without the need to performillness-related routine checks. In conclusion, the advantages of FamHCs conducted by telephone outweighed the disadvantages.Visual contact, provided by video telephony, and a shorter version of the tested FamHC would facilitate the use in HFnursing care.
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| 5. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Healthcare and social care professionals’ experiences of respite care: a critical incident study
- 2024
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Ingår i: International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being. - 1748-2623 .- 1748-2631. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionAging in place is favoured among older persons and supported by research in Sweden, although it poses challenges for overburdened informal caregivers. While respite care can offer support, its accessibility is hindered by organizational challenges and informal caregivers' delays in using it. The experiences of informal caregivers are well-studied, but the professionals' experiences of respite care quality and critical incident management are underexplored.AimTo explore professionals' experiences of critical incidents in respite care, consequences for the persons being cared for, and strategies to manage critical incidents.Materials and methodsA qualitative, critical incident technique was used, and three group interviews with a total of 16 professionals were conducted.ResultsBarriers to quality respite care included communication gaps during care transitions, environmental shortcomings in respite care facilities, lack of support for informal caregivers, and inadequacies in respite care decisions. Strategies to manage critical incidents included individualized care, continuity and communication in care transitions, a conducive environment, support for informal caregivers, and care professionals' positive approach.ConclusionsThe study emphasizes the need for focused efforts on communication, continuity, and a supportive environment. Addressing identified challenges and applying suggested strategies will be key to maximizing the potential of respite care as a vital support for care recipients and their informal caregivers.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Informal caregivers’ experiences and needs when caring for a relative with heart failure: An interview study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0889-4655 .- 1550-5049. ; 31:4, s. 1-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AbstractBackground: Informal caregivers play an important role for persons with heart failure in strengthening medication adherence, encouraging self-care, and identifying deterioration in health status. Caring for a relative with heart failure can affect informal caregivers' well-being and cause caregiver burden.Objective: The objective of this study was to explore informal caregivers' experiences and needs when caring for a relative with heart failure living in their own home.Methods: The study has a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Interviews were conducted with 14 informal caregivers. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Results: Two themes emerged: "living in a changed existence" and "struggling and sharing with healthcare." The first theme describes informal caregivers' experiences, needs, and ways of moving forward when living in a changed existence with their relative. Informal caregivers were responsible for the functioning of everyday life, which challenged earlier established roles and lifestyle. They experienced an ever-present uncertainty related to the relative's impending sudden deterioration and to lack of knowledge about the condition. Incongruence was expressed between their own and their relative's understanding and acceptance of the heart failure condition. They also expressed being at peace with their relative and managed to restore new strength and motivation to care. The second theme describes informal caregivers' experiences, needs, and ways in which they handled the healthcare. They felt counted upon but not accounted for, as their care was taken for granted while their need to be seen and acknowledged by healthcare professionals was not met. Informal caregivers experienced an ever-present uncertainty regarding their lack of involvement with healthcare. The lack of involvement with healthcare had a negative impact on the relationship between informal caregivers and their relative due to the mutual loss of important information about changes in medication regimens and the relative's symptoms and well-being. Another cause of negative impact was the lack of opportunity to talk with healthcare professionals about the emotional and relational consequences of heart failure. Healthcare professionals had provided them neither with knowledge on heart failure nor with information on support groups in the municipality. Informal caregivers captured their own mandate through acting as deputies for their relative and claiming their rights of involvement in their relative's healthcare. They also felt confident despite difficult circumstances. The direct access to the medical clinic was a source of relief and they appreciated the contacts with the registered nurses specialized in heart failure. Informal caregivers' own initiatives to participate in meetings were positively received by healthcare professionals.Conclusions: Informal caregivers' daily life involves decisive changes that are experienced as burdensome. They handled their new situations using different strategies to preserve a sense of "self" and of "us." Informal caregivers express a need for more involvement with healthcare professionals, which may facilitate informal caregivers' situation and improve the dyadic congruence in the relation with their relative.
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| 8. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Older Adults’ Use of a Research-Based Web Platform for Social Interaction
- 2023
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Ingår i: Healthcare. - : MDPI AG. - 2227-9032. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Loneliness and social isolation are triggers for unfavorable changes in older adults’ health and well-being. Information and communication technology (ICT) can be used by older adults to mitigate the negative effects of loneliness and social isolation. However, ICT needs to be customized to the specific needs and conditions of older adults. The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ use of a new, co-designed and research-based web platform for social interaction from the perspectives of older adults, researchers, and social services personnel. The study is an intervention study with a multimethod approach in which 20 older adults used the web platform for social interaction “the Fik@ room” for eight weeks. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected pretest, during the test, and posttest. The Fik@ room met the expectations of those older adults who completed the study. It enabled them to expand their social network and develop new friendships, but their experiences of loneliness were not reduced. The involvement of social services personnel in recruitment and support was important in facilitating older adults’ use of the Fik@ room. Our study contributes knowledge about a new, co-designed and research-based web platform, customized specifically for older adults, which is valuable in guiding the design and delivery of future web platforms for social interaction among older adults.
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| 9. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Peer counselors' role in supporting patients' adherence to ART in Ethiopia and Uganda
- 2011
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Ingår i: AIDS Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0954-0121 .- 1360-0451. ; 23:6, s. 657-662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our aim was to explore peer counselors' work and their role in supporting patients' adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) in resource-limited settings in Ethiopia and Uganda. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 79 patients, 17 peer counselors, and 22 providers in ART facilities in urban and rural areas of Ethiopia and Uganda. Two main categories with related subcategories emerged from the analysis. The first main category, peer counselors as facilitators of adherence, describes how peer counselors played an important role by acting as role models, raising awareness, and being visible in the community. They were also recognized for being close to the patients while acting as a bridge to the health system. They provided patients with an opportunity to individually talk to someone who was also living with HIV, who had a positive and life-affirming attitude about their situation, and were willing to share personal stories of hope when educating and counseling their patients. The second main category, benefits and challenges of peer counseling, deals with how peer counselors found reward in helping others while at the same time acknowledging their limitations and need of support and remuneration. Their role and function were not clearly defined within the health system and they received negligible financial and organizational support. While peer counseling is acknowledged as an essential vehicle for treatment success in ART support in sub-Saharan Africa, a formal recognition and regulation of their role should be defined. The issue of strategies for disclosure to support adherence, while avoiding or reducing stigma, also requires specific attention. We argue that the development and implementation of support to peer counselors are crucial in existing and future ART programs, but more research is needed to further explore factors that are important to sustain and strengthen the work of peer counselors.
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| 10. |
- Gusdal, Annelie K, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Prerequisites for a healthy and independent life among older people : a Delphi study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ageing & Society. - : Cambridge University Press. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 41:9, s. 2171-2187
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The number of older people (aged 65+) will more than double by 2050 in Sweden. The ageing population is an increasing concern due to rising health-care costs and a shortage of health professionals. Older people generally prefer ageing in place, as long as they feel confident and comfortable. However, preventive and supportive measures are needed to maintain older people's independence and active participation in society. The aim of this study is to explore the prerequisites for a healthy and independent life among older people in Sweden. A Delphi study was conducted in three rounds. In round 1, seven focus group interviews were performed with older persons aged 65-79, older persons aged >= 80, next of kin of older persons, health professionals in primary and home health care, assistant nurses in home care, care managers and local politicians. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, resulting in 35 statements of the prerequisites needed for a healthy and independent life. These statements were sent to the participants from round 1, who were asked to evaluate the degree to which they agreed with each statement in round 2, and again in round 3. There was an agreement of at least 80 per cent for 31 of the 35 statements. When asked to identify the three prerequisites of most importance for a healthy and independent life, most participants stated: to have a social life, to have freedom of choice and power over one's own situation, and to have the possibility to choose independently one's type of housing. There was an overall high group agreement on the prerequisites needed for a healthy and independent life among older people. The main areas of importance were to have a social life, several dimensions of feeling safe and to retain one's personal control.
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