Application of theory to family-centered care: a role for social workers

Effects of Family Intervention on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children Aged 2.5-12 Years: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: To use a quantitative approach to examine the effects of family interventions on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in children aged 2. 5-12 years. Methods: PubMed, OVID, Web of Science, and others were searched from their inception to May 2020. Intervention studies that examined the effects of family interventions on PA among children aged 2.5-12 years were included in this meta-analysis. Lastly, subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the potential modifying effects of family intervention's characteristics and study quality. Results: Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Studies investigated a range of PA outcomes, including moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), total PA (TPA), daily steps, and SB levels. Meta-analysis showed that family intervention had a significant effect on PA [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.01-0.19], especially for daily steps [weight means difference (WMD) = 1,006; 95% CI = 209-1,803], but not for SB (WMD = -0.38; 95% CI = -7.21-6.46). Subgroup analyses indicated the improvements in PA occurred when children were 6-12 years old, intervention focused on PA only, intervention duration ≤ 10 weeks, and "low risk of bias" study performed. Conclusions: Family intervention may be a promising way to promote children's PA levels, especially for daily steps. Trial Registration: Meta-analysis protocol was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42020193667.

Families' Experiences Living with Acquired Brain Injury: "Thinking Family"-A Nursing Pathway for Family-Centered Care

The objective of this study was to examine families' experiences living with acquired brain injury (ABI) using a research approach that included both the affected individual family member and the family together as a family group. A narrative inquiry study, informed by the life-stage approach of Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and Zilber, was used to obtain family stories. Families experiencing an ABI event were purposefully selected from different regions in a western Canadian province. Centered on the life stages of before the ABI event, now living with the ABI, and the future, thematic findings included: Families, a grounding force; Losses, individual and family; Family adaptive capacities; Experiences with the healthcare system-hospital to home; and A patchwork future-entering the unknown. Themes affirmed the significant impacts of ABI on individual and family members and acknowledged ABI as an ambiguous loss event. The findings also illuminated families' strengths and resiliencies in coping with living with ABI. The study results suggest by “thinking family” nurses can contribute towards a healthcare model that focuses on “family” as the central unit of care.

Family-centeredness in dementia care: what is the evidence?

Over the last decade, person-centered practices in care for adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/RD) has received significant attention from the health care and social service literature, though less attention has been paid to family-centered care (FCC). Initially conceptualized for application in pediatric care, FCC is an approach where clinicians develop partnerships with care recipients' family members and views family members as having expertise to contribute to the clinical team. More recently, FCC has been extended to the literature on AD/RD care, though little is known about the extent to which family-centered interventions have been developed for use in AD/RD clinical practice, or the effectiveness of family-centered care for this population. To contribute to gaps in scholarship, this systematic review identified and evaluated intervention studies examining FCC in AD/RD clinical care. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Mindfulness-based interventions with social workers and the potential for enhanced patient-centered care: A systematic review of the literature

The use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) is well documented in the mental health, medical, and education literature. There is minimal research on the use of mindfulness with social workers. As demonstrated in other professional and helping fields, mindfulness may enhance clinical skills, reduce burnout, and increase job satisfaction among social workers. In the health care field mindfulness appears integral to patient and family relationships and personal resilience. The evolving and expanding role of hospital social workers may lead to increased work stress and greater demands from both the medical system and patients and families. Research with medical providers, such as physicians and nurses, suggests mindfulness may help in reducing stress, enhancing relationships, and fostering the self-reflection required to provide patient-centered care. We systematically reviewed the existing literature to begin understanding both mindfulness qualities and practices and the effectiveness of MBIs among social workers as well as the relationship of mindfulness to patient-centered care.

Social service counseling in cancer centers certified by the German Cancer Society

Social workers are an integral part of care provided in cancer centers that are certified according to the requirements of the German Cancer Society. This article reports on the tasks of social workers in German cancer care and on the proportion of patients that receives social service counseling (SSC) in breast, lung, colorectal, skin, gynecological, prostate, pancreas, neurological, and head and neck cancer centers based on data from 367,297 patients treated between 2009 and 2012. The highest proportions of patients (median >75%) are provided with SSC in breast and colorectal cancer centers, whereas the median is below 30% in skin cancer centers. Variation between centers and center types is high.