Clinical management of cancer-related fatigue in hospitalized adult patients: a best practice implementation project

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Foreign Innovations in Organization and Management of Health Service Delivery in China: A Systematic Review

Background: China has been encouraged to learn from international innovations in the organization and management of health service delivery to achieve the national health reform objectives. However, the success and effectiveness of implementing innovations is affected by the interactions of innovations with the Chinese context. Our aim is to synthesize evidence on factors influencing the implementation of non-Chinese innovations in organization and management of health service delivery in mainland China. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched seven databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2020. Data were analyzed and combined to generate a list of factors influencing the implementation of foreign innovations in China. The factors were classified in the categories context, system, organization, innovation, users, resources, and implementation process. Results: The 110 studies meeting the inclusion criteria revealed 33 factors. Most supported by evidence is the factor integration in organizational policies, followed by the factors motivation & incentives and human resources. Some factors (e.g., governmental policies & regulations) were mentioned in multiple studies with little or no evidence. Conclusion: Evidence on factors influencing the implementation of foreign innovations in organization and management of health service delivery is scarce and of limited quality. Although many factors identified in this review have also been reported in reviews primarily considering Western literature, this review suggests that extrinsic motivation, financial incentives, governmental and organizational policies & regulations are more important while decentralization was found to be less important in China compare to Western countries. In addition, introducing innovations in rural China seems more challenging than in urban China, because of a lack of human resources and the more traditional rural culture.

Cancer-related fatigue in hospitalised patients treated for lymphoma and its burden on family caregivers

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with lymphoma and to explore the burden of CRF on the family caregivers (FCs).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in China. Patients with lymphoma who received treatment in the in-patient ward of the Haematology Department were consecutively recruited. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather information related to the patients' sociodemographic characteristics and perceived CRF and its burden on the FCs. Cochran-Armitage trend analysis and Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to determine the association between CRF and the FCs' burden.

RESULTS

Of the 116 cancer patient-FC dyads, about 70% of patients experienced some level of fatigue, while 51% of unpaid family members suffered some degree of depression. The Cochran-Armitage trend analysis showed that the FCs' burden significantly increased with the severity of CRF. Logistic regression indicated that the FCs of the patients reporting fatigue experienced a higher burden in both the unadjusted and adjusted models.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CRF appeared to be high among patients with lymphoma. It might be important to design innovative health-promoting practices for ameliorating or preventing the impact of fatigue.

Bridging the research to practice gap: a systematic scoping review of implementation of interventions for cancer-related fatigue management

BACKGROUND

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common and distressing symptoms in people with cancer. Although efficacy of interventions for CRF have been extensively investigated, less has been done to ensure successful translation into routine clinical practice. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to synthesise knowledge surrounding the implementation of CRF interventions, summarise the processes and outcomes of implementation strategies used, and identify opportunities for further research.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE and CINAHL databases were searched (up to December 2020). The Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group taxonomy and the RE-AIM Framework were used to guide the evaluation of implementation strategies and outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

Six studies were included. Three used an implementation framework (PARIHS, KTA, Cullens & Adams' Implementation Guide) to guide implementation. Overall, the implementation strategies used across all studies were reported to have directly resulted in immediate changes at the clinician level (e.g., increased clinician behaviours, self-efficacy, attitudes, knowledge of CRF management). No clear relationship was found between the use of implementation models and the number or type of implementation strategies used. For outcomes, Effectiveness and Implementation were the most highly reported RE-AIM measures followed by Reach then Maintenance. Adoption was the least reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the high prevalence of CRF and evidence-based interventions for managing CRF, there is limited evidence informing the sustainable implementation of these interventions. This systematic scoping review emphasises the lack of quality CRF implementation studies presently available in the literature leading to a disconnect between effective CRF interventions, routine clinical care, and cancer survivors at present. This review highlights the need for robust study designs guided by established frameworks to methodically design and evaluate the implementation of CRF management interventions in the future.

Pain relief during wound care for patients with a deep open wound in an orthopedic trauma department: a best practice implementation project

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this project was to implement best practice in pain relief during wound care for patients with deep open wounds in the orthopedic trauma department of a tertiary teaching hospital in China.

INTRODUCTION

Patients with deep open wounds often suffer from severe pain during wound care. Inadequate pain relief for these patients calls for evidence-based changes to close the gap between current and best practice.

METHODS

The current quality improvement project was carried out over six months using the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (JBI PACES). A baseline and two follow-up audits of wound pain management practice were conducted to identify practice gaps and post implementation compliance in pain management in wound care. The sample comprised 20 patients and two dressing nurses. The Getting Research into Practice tool identified barriers to and strategies for improvement in practice. The patients' pain experiences were measured following the implementation of changes.

RESULTS

The baseline audit identified poor compliance with best practice. Following implementation of the recommended changes, some significant improvements in practice were made by the dressing nurses; however, these were inadequately maintained at the second post implementation audit. Patients' pain scores improved following the nurses' practice changes (t = 2.272, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The implementation of best practice in pain relief during wound care for patients with deep open wounds has led to significant improvement in nurses' performance in the orthopedic trauma department. The most challenging barriers involved interdisciplinary collaborations and organizational structure.

Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Levels and Cancer-related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects of an Exercise Adherence Program

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the effect of an exercise intervention on subjective cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods

BCS with greater than moderate CRF (≥ 4) were recruited and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group participated in a 12-week exercise adherence program (Better Life after Cancer - Energy, Strength, and Support; BLESS). Interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were determined at 3 time points (M1: baseline, M2: post-intervention, and M4: 6 months after intervention). Subjective fatigue was measured using the Korean version of the revised Piper Fatigue Scale.

Results

In this analysis of participants with physiological fatigue measures available (19 experimental, 21 control), there were no statistically significant differences in IL-6 (F = 1.157, p = 0.341), TNF-α levels (F = 0.878, p = 0.436), and level of fatigue (F = 2.067, p = 0.118) between the 2 groups at baseline. Fatigue in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement compared to the control only at M2 (p = 0.022). There was no significant relationship between subjective and physiological fatigue at the 3 measurement points.

Conclusion

The BLESS intervention improved CRF in BCS immediately at post-intervention, and this study presents clinical feasibility for the management of CRF in BCS in the early survivorship phase who are already experiencing fatigue.