1.
Liljeroos, Maria
(författare)
Caring needs in patient-partner dyads affected by heart failure : An evaluation of the long-term effects of a dyadic psycho-educational intervention
2017
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Introduction: As medical treatment has improved, patients with heart failure (HF) now live longer and care mostly takes place at home with partners providing the main assistance. Taking care of an ill or disabled individual imposes a well-documented burden on the partner’s healthrelated quality of life. The awareness of partners’ burdensome situation is increasing, but few interventions have targeted the needs of patientpartner dyads with HF. The results have been inconclusive and give no clear guidance on how interventional programmes should be designed to improve both patient and partner outcomes.Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of a psychoeducational intervention delivered to patient-partner dyads with HF during long-term follow-up, and to explore the dyads’ perceived caring needs.Methods: The thesis is based on four papers that used both quantitative and qualitative data. Study I and II used a randomized controlled design with a follow-up assessment after 24 months including 155 patientpartner dyads. The control group received care as usual. The intervention group received care as usual, and in addition they participated in the nurse-led psycho-educational intervention. Data was collected using questionnaires before and 24 months after the intervention, in order to determine the long-term effects on patients and partners regarding health related quality of life, perceived control, symptoms of depression and partners’ caregiver burden (I, II). A conceptual health promotion model inspired the intervention. To describe how the model was applied, a qualitative approach analysing nurses’ documentation of the sessions with 71 dyads in the intervention group (III) was used. Study IV has an explorative design. To further explore the dyads’ perceived caring needs, focus groups interviews with 19 patient-partner dyads with heart failure (IV) were performed.Results: The intervention did not have any significant effect on physical or mental health- related quality of life, depressive symptoms, or perceived control over the heart failure among the dyads (I) or caregiver burden in the partners (II) after 24 months. Furthermore, time to first event did not differ significantly between the dyads in the intervention group and the control group (I, II). As for the partners, both the intervention and control group reported decreased physical health between the baseline assessment and the 24-month follow-up (I). The intervention was composed of three components; 1) cognitive 2) supportive, and 3) behavioural component. The analysis of the nurses’ documentation confirmed the coverage of all the components and the analysis revealed a vide range of caring needs among the dyads (III). The dyads described a need to learn about HF to be able to manage everyday life. Regular outpatient clinic visits and access to telephone support were vital and both the patient and the partner need to be present at the clinic visits. Meeting others who are in the same situation and sharing the burden in nurse-led group sessions was proposed as an opportunity to support each other and others (IV).Conclusions: Over the 24-month follow-up period, the intervention had a neutral effect on health- related quality of life, depressive symptoms and perceived control over the HF among the dyads, and on partners’ caregiver burden. Considering the fact that partners serve as a critical extension of the formal healthcare system, and that both patients and partners ask for more support, it will become crucial to find new ways to support dyads affected by heart failure. This thesis may be viewed as a first step in trying to understand dyads’ perceived caring needs, and it can serve as a guide in clinical work and when designing new dyadic interventions.
2.
Rosén, Helena, et al.
(författare)
Being the next of kin of an older person living in a nursing home : an interview study about quality of life
2019
Ingår i: BMC Geriatrics. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2318. ; 19:1, s. 1-12
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background The length of stay in nursing homes before death in Sweden has significantly decreased, and nearly one-third of people die within 6 weeks of entering a nursing home. Support for the next of kin is one of the cornerstones of palliative care, but the principles are not always adhered to as recommended when caring for the elderly, which can affect the quality of life of their next of kin. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of quality of life among the next of kin of older persons who live in nursing homes before an educational intervention of palliative care. Methods This is an explorative qualitative interview study with 40 next of kin using qualitative content analysis performed at baseline before the implementation of the principles of palliative care in nursing homes. Results The next of kin's experiences of quality of life were expressed in three themes: Orientation to the new life situation, Challenges in their relationship and the Significance of the quality of care in the nursing home. The next of kin experienced a sense of relief, although the older person was constantly on their minds, and they could feel lonely. The difference in the couple'slife situations was experienced as burdensome by the next of kin. The challenges in the relationship were described as stressful, related to a guilty conscience and the older person's vulnerability. The nursing home could be a context facilitating good relations. The perceptions of quality of care in terms of person-centredness affected the quality of life of the next of kin. Conclusions The findings show that four factors are decisive for the quality of life of next of kin: the relationships within the family, the degree of relief that nursing home care entails as compared to home care, the older person's health status and whether the care is person-centred. Increased knowledge and education regarding palliative care in nursing homes are needed to better meet the needs of next of kin. Implementation of palliative care should take into account the need for support for next of kin.
3.
Magnusson, Lina, et al.
(författare)
Mobility and satisfaction with lower-limb prostheses and orthoses among users in Sierra Leone: A cross-sectional study
2014
Ingår i: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1651-2081 .- 1650-1977. ; 46:5, s. 438-446
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Objectives: To investigate patients' mobility and satisfaction with their lower-limb prosthetic or orthotic device and related service delivery in Sierra Leone; to compare groups of patients regarding type and level of assistive device, gender, area of residence, income; and to identify factors associated with satisfaction with the assistive device and service. Methods: A total of 139 patients answered questionnaires, including the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology questionnaire (QUEST 2.0). Results: Eighty-six percent of assistive devices were in use, but half needed repair. Thirty-three percent of patients reported pain when using their assistive device. Patients had difficulties or could not walk at all on: uneven ground (65%); hills (75%); and stairs (66%). Patients were quite satisfied with their assistive device and the service (mean 3.7 out of 5 in QUEST), but reported 886 problems. Approximately half of the patients could not access services. In relation to mobility and service delivery, women, orthotic patients and patients using above-knee assistive devices had the poorest results. The general condition of the assistive device and patients' ability to walk on uneven ground were associated with satisfaction with the assistive devices and service. Conclusion: Patients reported high levels of mobility while using their device although they experienced pain and difficulties walking on challenging surfaces. Limitations in the effectiveness of assistive devices and limited access to follow-up services and repairs were issues desired to be addressed.
4.
Nilsen, Per, et al.
(författare)
Towards evidence-based palliative care in nursing homes in Sweden : a qualitative study informed by the organizational readiness to change theory
2018
Ingår i: Implementation Science. - : BioMed Central. - 1748-5908. ; 13
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background: Sweden has a policy of supporting older people to live a normal life at home for as long as possible. Therefore, it is often the oldest, most frail people who move into nursing homes. Nursing home staff are expected to meet the existential needs of the residents, yet conversations about death and dying tend to cause emotional strain. This study explores organizational readiness to implement palliative care based on evidence-based guidelines in nursing homes in Sweden. The aim was to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based palliative care in nursing homes. Methods: Interviews were carried out with 20 managers from 20 nursing homes in two municipalities who had participated along with staff members in seminars aimed at conveying knowledge and skills of relevance for providing evidence-based palliative care. Two managers responsible for all elderly care in each municipality were also interviewed. The questions were informed by the theory of Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC). ORC was also used as a framework to analyze the data by means of categorizing barriers and facilitators for implementing evidence-based palliative care. Results: Analysis of the data yielded ten factors (i.e., sub-categories) acting as facilitators and/or barriers. Four factors constituted barriers: the staff's beliefs in their capabilities to face dying residents, their attitudes to changes at work as well as the resources and time required. Five factors functioned as either facilitators or barriers because there was considerable variation with regard to the staff's competence and confidence, motivation, and attitudes to work in general, as well as the managers' plans and decisional latitude concerning efforts to develop evidence-based palliative care. Leadership was a facilitator to implementing evidence-based palliative care. Conclusions: There is a limited organizational readiness to develop evidence-based palliative care as a result of variation in the nursing home staff's change efficacy and change commitment as well as restrictions in many contextual conditions. There are considerable individual-and organizational-level challenges to achieving evidence-based palliative care in this setting. The educational intervention represents one of many steps towards developing a culture conducive to evidence-based nursing home palliative care.
5.
Ahlström, Gerd
(författare)
Integrating improvement learning into health professional educational curricula
2008
Ingår i: International Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare. - France, April 24 2008 : International Forum on QI. ; , s. 1-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
We all need to start where we are and also wanting to go further all the time. This is the essence in quality improvement. The leader and the teachers must own this attitude themselves in order to have the ability to be trustworthy for the students. There is evidence in the literature about the impact of education on the professional attitude and role. This means that it is important to work with better professional development for better outcomes in the faculty. One starting point for us in the planning of our different programs are that improvement knowledge will be a streak through the whole education in order to establish a professional attitude of daily inspiration to produce the best practise. We have applied all curricula to Boologna declaration and in this system progression in learning is a key point. We have four levels in the basic education (3-years education which lead to Bachelor degree) where we start to introduce 1) Concepts and models in health improvement. Then let our students make a 2) Personal improvement in their everyday life. Later in the education we teach about 3) Evidence practise and systematic literature reviews. Finally the students are 4) Making health improvements in collaboration with the staff during one clinical education. All educational programmes on basic level since 2007 include aim descriptions about quality improvement. The aim of the learning is to have the competence to initiate and participate in work about health care improvements. Finally, besides the mentions aspects in improvement education there are some other factors that needs for better system performance.
6.
Magnusson, Lina, et al.
(författare)
Graduates' perceptions of prosthetic and orthotic education and clinical practice in Tanzania and Malawi
2016
Ingår i: African Journal of Disability. - : AOSIS. - 2223-9170 .- 2226-7220. ; 5:1
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
BACKGROUND: Maintaining and improving the quality of prosthetics and orthotics education at the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologists is essential for the provision of appropriate prosthetics and orthotics services in African countries.OBJECTIVES: To describe how Tanzanian and Malawian graduates' of the Diploma in Orthopaedic Technology perceive their education and how it could be improved or supplemented to facilitate clinical practice of graduates.METHODS: Nineteen graduates from the diploma course in orthopaedic technology were interviewed and phenomenographic analysis was applied to the data.RESULTS: Seven descriptive categories emerged, namely varied awareness of the profession before starting education, well-equipped teaching facilities, aspects lacking in the learning context, need for changes in the curriculum, enabling people to walk is motivating, obstacles in working conditions and the need for continuous professional development. All participants perceived possible improvements to the content and learning environment.CONCLUSIONS: Prosthetic and orthotic education can be better provided by modifying the content of the diploma programme by dedicating more time to the clinical management of different patient groups and applied biomechanics as well as reducing the programme content focusing on technical aspects of prosthetic and orthotic practice. Graduates were not prepared for the rural working conditions and the graduates desired continued training.
7.
Ahlström, Gerd, et al.
(författare)
Collaboration and guidelines for the coordination of health care for frail older persons with intellectual disability : A national survey of nurses working in municipal care
2021
Ingår i: Nursing Open. - : Wiley. - 2054-1058. ; 8:3, s. 1369-1379
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Aims: To describe and compare perceptions of collaboration between care providers on the part of three groups of Registered Nurses working in municipal care and having particular responsibility concerning the care of frail older people with intellectual disability (ID); and, furthermore, to investigate the presence of and compliance with guidelines for the coordination of care. Design: National survey study with cross-sectional design. Methods: Nurses (N = 110) with key positions concerning people with ID answered a national questionnaire about collaboration, guidelines and coordinated individual plans. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were applied. Results: The meetings on cooperation and coordination of interventions were attended most frequently by nurses, and least frequently by social workers. The nurses were overall satisfied with the collaboration but perceived shortcomings in the case of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care. Only in about half of the meetings for making care plans participated the people with intellectual disability and next of kin.
8.
Ahlström, Gerd, et al.
(författare)
Implementation of knowledge-based palliative care in nursing homes and pre-post post evaluation by cross-over design : a study protocol
2018
Ingår i: BMC Palliative Care. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-684X. ; 17
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background: The demography of the world is changing as the population is ageing. Because of this change to a higher proportion of older people, the WHO has called for improved palliative care for older persons. A large number of all deaths in the industrialised world occur while older people are living in nursing homes and therefore a key question becomes how the principles of palliative care can be implemented in that context. The aims of this study are: a) to describe a model of an educational intervention with the goal of implementing knowledge-based palliative care in nursing homes, and b) to describe the design of the evaluation of the effectiveness regarding the implementation of knowledge-based palliative care. Methods/design: A complex intervention is evaluated by means of a cross-over design. An educational intervention concerning palliative care consisting of five seminars during 6 months for staff and managers has been developed and conducted in 20 nursing homes in two counties. Before the intervention started, the feasibility was tested in a pilot study conducted in nursing homes not included in the main study. The intervention is evaluated through a non-randomized experimental design with intervention and control groups and pre- and post-assessments. The evaluation includes older persons living in nursing homes, next-of-kin, staff and managers. Data collection consists of quantitative methods such as questionnaires and register data and qualitative methods in the form of individual interviews, focus-group interviews and participant observations. Discussion: The research will contribute to new knowledge about how to implement knowledge-based palliative care in a nursing home setting. A strength of this project is that the Medical Research Council framework of complex intervention is applied. The four recommended stages, Development, Feasibility and piloting, Evaluation and Implementation, are combined for the educational intervention, which functions as a strategy to achieve knowledge-based palliative care in the nursing homes. Implementation is always a question of change and a good theoretical understanding is needed for drawing valid conclusions about the causal mechanisms of change. The topic is highly relevant considering the world's ageing population. The data collection is completed and the analysis is ongoing.
9.
Bökberg, Christina, et al.
(författare)
Best practice and needs for improvement in the chain of care for persons with dementia in Sweden: a qualitative study based on focus group interviews
2014
Ingår i: BMC Health Services Research. - London : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1472-6963. ; 14
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Background: Persons with dementia receive health care and social services from a wide range of professional care providers during the disease trajectory, presenting risks of miscommunication, duplication and/or missed nursing interventions. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate professional care providers' views on conditions for best practice in terms of collaboration and improvement needs in the chain of care from early to end-of-life stage for persons with dementia in Sweden. Methods: The study had a qualitative design based on three focus group interviews. A strategic sample of 23 professional care providers was included. Data were subjected to content analysis based on the three stages of dementia (early, moderate, end-of-life). Results: The results were divided into five categories: Diagnosis is a prerequisite for specialized dementia care, Creating routines in the chain of care, Competent staff a prerequisite for high-quality care, Day care facilitates transition in the chain of care and Next-of-kin participation is a prerequisite for continuity in the chain of care. It was clear that, according to the participants, best practice in dementia care in Sweden is not achieved in every respect. It appeared that transitions of care between different organizations are critical events which need to be improved. The further the disease progresses, the less collaboration there seems to be among professional care providers, which is when the next of kin are usually called upon to maintain continuity in the chain of care. Conclusions: The results indicate that, according to the care providers, best practice in terms of collaboration is achieved to a higher degree during the early stage of dementia compared with the moderate and end-of-life stages. Lack of best practice strategies during these stages makes it difficult to meet the needs of persons with dementia and reduce the burden for next of kin. These are experiences to be taken into account to improve the quality of dementia care. Implementation research is needed to develop strategies for best practice on the basis of national knowledge-based guidelines and to apply these strategies in the moderate and end-of-life stages.
10.
Lidskog, Marie, et al.
(författare)
Learning through participating on an interprofessional training ward
2009
Ingår i: Journal of Interprofessional Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1356-1820 .- 1469-9567. ; 23:5, s. 486-497
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Learning in clinical education can be understood as a process of becoming a legitimate participant in the relevant context. Interprofessional training wards (IPTWs) are designed to give students from educational programmes in health and social care a realistic experience of collaboration for the purpose of developing teamwork skills. IPTWs have been found to be appreciated by the students and to influence students' understanding of each other's professions. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the students' learning on an interprofessional training ward in care for older persons through focusing on the students' ways of participating in the communities of practice on the ward. A case study design was chosen. Multiple data sources were used. The findings show that the students engaged as active participants in the care. At the same time there was sometimes a discrepancy between on the one hand expectations and goals, on the other hand actual participation. There were difficulties in making the training relevant for all the student groups involved. The findings indicate that in the planning of interprofessional education the choice of setting and learning situations is crucial with regard to the learning that will occur.
