| 1. |
- Levin, Sara, 1974-
(författare)
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The challenges of using structured risk assessment instruments in forensic psychiatric care
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The purpose of psychiatric forensic care is to provide treatment for mentally ill offenders and to prevent future acts of violence and other adverse events. During care, the type of restrictions of freedom, the patient’s continuous need for involuntary treatment and readiness for discharge, are continuously evaluated based on the assessment of risk the patient pose to themselves and others as well as the progress achieved with treatment. The use of structured risk assessment instruments is recommended in clinical guidelines to assess such risks. However, unstructured clinical assessments, considered to be less valid, are often used in clinical practice. There is insufficient research evidence concerning several aspects related to the clinical use of structured risk assessment instruments in terms of guiding the planning and realization of care and risk management interventions. There is also a lack of knowledge about what patients themselves perceive to be mediating factors for their use of violence. Overall aim: The overarching aim of this thesis was to investigate the implementation and use of structured risk assessment instruments to prevent violence and other adverse events in forensic settings and to improve understanding of the factors that influence such events among forensic patients.Methods: Several methods were used for data collection and data were analysed by different types of content analysis. In the first paper, a systematic review of previous research studies on implementation determinants for structured risk assessment instruments in forensic settings was conducted to investigate implementation determinants for such instruments. The second paper evaluates a pilot project of the implementation of a structured risk assessment instrument at a forensic clinic in Östergötland using focus group interviews with staff members who had used the instrument. Their perceptions of the instrument and barriers and facilitators to its implementation and clinical use were investigated. The third paper investigated the actual clinical use of structured risk assessments to guide the planning and realization of care and risk management interventions documented in forensic patients’ records. In the fourth paper, patient perspectives of factors increasing and decreasing the risk for violence were investigated by individual semi-structured interviews with forensic patients.Results: There is a wide variety of determinants for the implementation and clinical use of structured risk assessment instruments, which make such missions complicated. The determinants relate to the characteristics of the implementation object, characteristics of users, the inner setting in which the implementation occurs and the implementation process. Limiting the need to change current routines, and hence the strain on the organization by reducing complexity, and the need for resource allocation seem especially important. Most of the planned risk management interventions in structured risk assessments were realized according to patient records. However, structured risk assessments largely overlap with unstructured risk assessments in terms of planned care and risk management interventions. Noteworthy, most of the interventions realized were not documented as planned. Forensic patients described several risk factors that increased and decreased their use of violence. These factors related to themselves, external influences, social and relational aspects and situational factors. Most patient accounts of mediating factors overlapped with those listed in commonly used risk assessment instruments and previous research. Additional factors identified by patients related to the outer context and interpersonal aspects.Conclusions: There are many barriers and facilitators to the implementation and use of structured risk assessment instruments, implying the need for a multifaceted approach to address determinants at several system levels. Considering the clinical context is important when selecting a structured risk assessment instrument to be implemented, but also the complexity of the instrument, the required change of routines and the provision of continuous resources and interventions to achieve and maintain clinical use. Despite the many barriers, there is evidence of clinical use of both unstructured clinical and structured risk assessments in terms of informing and guiding care and risk management interventions. The large overlap, however, makes it difficult to draw definite conclusion about which type of assessment actually influenced the interventions that were realized. Realized care and risk management interventions are most often not documented as planned. This increases the risk of subjective decisions and provision of interventions, which also make such interventions difficult to evaluate. Forensic patients are actively managing their risk of violence and are capable of identifying and communicating many different mediating factors for their violence risk. They are knowledgeable and important stakeholders and should be involved in their own risk assessments, as well as in research.
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| 2. |
- Danielsson, Marita, 1972-
(författare)
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Patient Safety - Cultural Perspectives
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Shared values, norms and beliefs of relevance for safety in health care can be described in terms of patient safety culture. This concept overlaps with patient safety climate, but culture represents the deeprooted values, norms and beliefs, whereas climate refers to attitudes and more superficial manifestations of culture. There may be numerous subcultures within an organization, including different professional cultures. In recent years, increased attention has been paid to patient safety culture in Sweden, and the patient safety culture/climate in health care is regularly measured based on the assumption that patient safety culture/climate can influence various patient safety outcomes. Aim: The overall aim of the thesis is to contribute to an improved understanding of patient safety culture and subcultures in Swedish health care. Design and methods: The thesis is based on four studies applying different methods. Study 1 was a survey that included 23,781 respondents. Data were analysed with quantitative methods, with primarily descriptive results. Studies 2 and 3 were qualitative studies, involving interviews with a total of 28 registered nurses, 24 nurse assistants and 28 physicians. Interview data were analysed using content analysis. Study 4 evaluated an intervention intended to influence patient safety culture and included data from a questionnaire with both fixed and open-ended questions, which was answered by 200 respondents. Results: A key result from Study 1 was that professional groups differed in terms of their views and statements about patient safety culture/ climate. Registered nurses and nurse assistants in Study 2 were found to have partially overlapping norms, values and beliefs concerning patient safety, which were identified at individual, interpersonal and organizational level. Study 3 found four categories of values and norms among physicians of potential relevance for patient safety. Predominantly positive perceptions were found in Study 4 concerning the Walk Rounds intervention among frontline staff members, local managers and top-level managers who participated in the intervention. However, there were also reflections on disadvantages and some suggestions for improvement. Conclusions: According to the results of the patient safety culture/ climate questionnaire, perceptions about safety culture/climate dimensions contribute more to the rating of overall patient safety than background characteristics (e.g. profession and years of experience). There are differences in the patient safety culture between registered nurses and nurse assistants, which imply that efforts for improved patient safety must be tailored to their respective values, norms and beliefs. Several aspects of physicians’ professional culture may have relevance for patient safety. Expectations of being infallible reduce their willingness to talk about errors they make, thus limiting opportunities for learning from errors. Walk Rounds are perceived to contribute to increased learning concerning patient safety and could potentially have a positive influence on patient safety culture.
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| 3. |
- Hammarström, Sofia, 1984-
(författare)
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Identification of young people at risk of sexual ill health : implementing a new tool in youth clinics
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Young people are at increased risk of sexual ill health in terms of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and sexual violence. There is limited knowledge of evidence-based preventive practices for identification of young people at risk of sexual ill health when in contact with health care. Aims: The overall aim of this thesis was to generate new knowledge concerning how Swedish youth clinics can work systematically to identify young people at risk of sexual ill health or who have negative sexual experiences. Specific objectives were to develop a risk-assessment model for the identification of youth at risk of contracting chlamydia; to develop and pilot-implement an evidence-informed tool for identifying young people at risk of sexual ill health in terms of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, and sexual violence at Swedish youth clinics; and to explore youth clinic visitors’ and staff’s experiences of using that tool. Methods: The thesis takes a mixed methods approach and includes four studies. First, data from a national sample of sexually active young people, aged 15–24 years (n=6544), were used to develop a risk-assessment model for chlamydia infection. Second, a risk-assessment tool (SEXual health Identification Tool; SEXIT) was developed and pilot-implemented at three youth clinics for 1 month. The tool includes three components: (1) staff training; (2) a questionnaire for youth clinic visitors; and (3) a written guide for staff to support the subsequent dialogue and risk assessment based on the questionnaire. Questionnaire data from visitors (n=268) and staff (n=18) were analysed. Third, youth clinic visitors’ experiences were explored in 20 interviews with visitors (15–24 years) from the participating youth clinics. Fourth, staff’s experiences of working with SEXIT were investigated in four focus group discussions (n=16). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analyses. Results: The risk-assessment model demonstrated that the distribution of chlamydia is skewed; 38% of cases were estimated to occur among a tenth of the population. Women most at risk of chlamydia were best identified using the variables age, number of sexual partners in the past year, and experience of sex for reimbursement. The corresponding variables for men were age, number of sexual partners, and alcohol use. SEXIT was validated and pilot-implemented at three youth clinics (response rate 86%). Before implementation, all staff perceived a need for more systematic screening for sexual risk-taking and sexual ill health at youth clinics. Youth clinic visitors demonstrated between 0 and 7 parallel risk factors. Staff experienced that using SEXIT systematically increased the consistency and quality of the clinics’ work, and youth clinic visitors reported that the questions were important and not uncomfortable or difficult. The visitors explained that questions in a written format followed by a dialogue initiated by the youth clinic staff enabled disclosure of negative experiences. Conclusions: The risk-assessment model demonstrates that the number of partners during the past year is the most important risk factor for chlamydia regardless of gender. SEXIT is an acceptable, appropriate, and feasible tool from the perspective of youth clinic staff, youth clinic visitors, and from an implementation point of view. Using the tool systematically may help raise important questions on sexual risk-taking and sexual ill health with youth clinic visitors and identify visitors with multiple risk factors. Being asked the sensitive yet important questions in SEXIT, followed by a respectful and non-judgemental conversation led by the youth clinic staff, has the potential to open up a more in depth and broader dialogue about the visitors’ sexual health. The systematic procedure helps youths feel that they are taken seriously and instils a feeling of trust that enables disclosure of sensitive experiences. From the staff perspective, SEXIT facilitates identification of young people exposed to or at risk of sexual ill health by simplifying and ensuring consistency and quality in their work.
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| 4. |
- Andersen, Pia, 1958-
(författare)
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Physical activity on prescription with access to counsellor support implemented in routine care : Healthcare and patient perspectives
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The Swedish PAP (physical activity on prescription) programme FaR®, introduced in 2001, has been adopted by all Swedish regions, which are responsible for provision of healthcare in Sweden. Several studies have shown positive outcomes of the Swedish PAP on patients’ physical activity and other health-related outcomes. There are no guidelines for best practises of the Swedish PAP, which has led to the development of different organizational structures for its delivery. This thesis project was developed with the ambition of providing knowledge for further development of PAP in clinical practise.Aim: The overall aim was to investigate and generate improved understanding of a structure for physical activity on prescription with access to physical activity counsellors, implemented in routine healthcare.Methods: To address the overall aim, four real-world studies with different design and analysis methods were carried out. The study population consisted of patients 18 years or older prescribed PAP in primary and secondary care in Region Kronoberg’s healthcare organization. Study I investigated characteristics of healthcare delivery of PAP over a four-year period, including all patients prescribed PAP in these years. Study II explored factors that influenced patient’s long-term engagement in physical activity after prescription. Study III investigated differences in physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at one-year follow-up between patients who used versus patients who did not use counsellor support after prescription. Study IV investigated factors associated with patients increase in physical activity at one-year follow-up. Data sources for the studies were electronic medical records (Studies I, II, III and IV), individual interviews (Study II) and a baseline and a follow-up questionnaire (Studies III and IV). Different statistical analyses were performed in Studies I, III and IV. Study II used qualitative content analysis based on an approach including both inductive and deductive analysis. The final study samples of PAP recipients were N = 4,879 (Study I), n = 13 (Study II), n = 400 (Study = III) and n = 355 (Study IV).Results: Study I: 4,879 PAP recipients were identified, one-third had used the offer of counsellor support. PAP recipients had a high frequency of diagnosis and healthcare consumption prior to PAP. Counsellor users had higher frequency of multiple diagnoses and healthcare visits than non-counsellor users. The main prescriber of PAP was physicians and the main prescribing setting was primary care. Study II: PAP recipients’ long-term engagement with physical activity was influenced by the determinants of capability, opportunity, and motivation. Receiving a prescription of physical activity, and professional counselling and follow up from a physical activity counsellor, and adaption of PAP to the individual’s capacity were important for patients change of physical activity. Study III: Counsellor users had better outcomes in both physical activity and HRQoL than non-users of this support. Study IV: Nearly half of the PAP recipients had increased physical activity one year after prescription. Increased physical activity was positively associated with lower baseline activity, counsellor use, and positive perception of given support after PAP.Conclusions: Patients who were prescribed PAP had a high frequency of diagnoses and high healthcare consumption in the year prior to the prescription. Due to the positive findings regarding patient outcomes on physical activity, and patient experiences of counsellor support, it could be suggested that individualized counselling and follow up by a physical activity counsellor is of importance for patients’ engagement in physical activity, especially for patients with lower baseline activity. Since increased activity was also seen among nonusers of counsellor support, a general recommendation for physical activity counsellor support for all PAP recipients could not be suggested.
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| 5. |
- Nilsen, Per, 1960-
(författare)
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Opening the Black Box of Community-Based Injury Prevention Programmes : Towards Improved Understanding of Factors that Influence Programme Effectiveness
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Despite wide application of community-based programmes to prevent injuries and promote health over the last 25 years, there is a paucity of evaluations from which to obtain evidence regarding the effectiveness and critical factors contributing to achieving effectiveness of these programmes. Research on community-based injury prevention programmes thus far has been driven by the question “does it work?” However, merely establishing whether a programme works or not provides insufficient information to generate new knowledge about these programmes. Many programme evaluations have been characterised as “black box” evaluations, with inadequate information about the intervening and contextual factors that mediate the relationship between the programme and its effects. Opening the black box is essential to developing the best evidence in relation to community-based programmes.Keeping the question “does it work?” in mind as a departure point, the seven studies of this thesis address different aspects of the questions “why does it work?” and “how does it work?” The aim is to aid in the understanding of factors that influence the operation and effectiveness of community-based injury prevention programmes.The findings from the studies support a number of conclusions with regard to the three research questions posed. There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of communitybased injury prevention programmes. Some of the problems of providing convincing evidence are due to the methodological difficulties of evaluating these programs.Contextual conditions and the amount of financial resources available to a programme are key factors associated with the effectiveness of community-based injury prevention programmes. There is inconclusive evidence regarding the importance of some of the socalled success factors described in the scientific literature for achieving effectiveness. While many programmes have access to locally collected injury data, they devote limited time to the analysis of this ssembled data. When selecting interventions, many programmes rely upon tuitive and subjective methods, e.g. discussions in networks, feedback from the general public, and experiences gained in their own work. This style of decision making is “experience-based” rather than evidence-based.The theoretical underpinning of the community-based approach has certain shortcomings, which could explain some of the difficulties in demonstrating effectiveness seen with many of these programmes. Programmes overwhelmingly define geographical units as communities. However, these entities can be highly heterogeneous and characterised by a weak sense of community, which can yield insufficient community member participation and intersectoral collaboration, as well as inadequate reach for many programmes. At the same time, none of the most plausible assumptions of the community-based approach appears to be fully or widely applied in programme practice. The implication is that many community-based programmes do not function at an optimum level.
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| 6. |
- Seing, Ida, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Social Distancing Policies in the Coronavirus Battle : A Comparison of Denmark and Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social distancing measures have been a key component in government strategies to mitigate COVID-19 globally. Based on official documents, this study aimed to identify, compare and analyse public social distancing policy measures adopted in Denmark and Sweden regarding the coronavirus from 1 March 2020 until 1 October 2020. A key difference was the greater emphasis on laws and executive orders (sticks) in Denmark, which allowed the country to adopt many stricter policy measures than Sweden, which relied mostly on general guidelines and recommendations (sermons). The main policy adopters in Denmark were the government and the Danish Parliament, whereas the Public Health Agency issued most policies in Sweden, reflecting a difference in political governance and administrative structure in the two countries. During the study period, Sweden had noticeably higher rates of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations per 100,000 population than Denmark, yet it is difficult to determine the impact or relative effectiveness of sermons and sticks, particularly with regard to broader and longer-term health, economic and societal effects.
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