An empowerment health education program for children undergoing surgery for congenital heart diseases

Development and psychometric analysis of care needs scale for mothers of children with congenital heart disease

PURPOSE

This cross-sectional study aimed to create and evaluate a care needs scale for mothers of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to determine its psychometric properties.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This methodological research was conducted with 155 mothers whose children were diagnosed with CHD and were treated at a university hospital. The study's methodology included scale development, specialist opinions, and a pilot test. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability assessments.

RESULTS

The 11-item scale was created using component analysis, expert comments, and pilot testing. It was divided into two categories: Information Needs Regarding Disease and Treatment and Needs Regarding Care. The Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a 2-factor structure, explaining 41.5% of the variance. Reliability analysis showed reliable dimensions, and Tukey's scalability test indicated the scale requires separate dimension evaluation. The model fit indices were obtained as CMIN/DF (72.751/41) = 1.774, GFI = 0.925, IFI = 0.923, TLI = 0.893, CFI = 0.920, RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.063. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for subdimension 1 was 0.758, and for subdimension 2 was 0.678, indicating reliable dimensions.

CONCLUSION

The developed scale provides a valuable tool for assessing the care needs of mothers of children with CHD, contributing to enhancing maternal support programs in pediatric cardiology clinics.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Assessment of the care needs of mothers who have children with CHD is promising for the development of educational programs on this subject and to ensure the competence of mothers for care.

Empowerment-based Teddy Bear Clinic for Pre-school Children: A Student-led Educational Project

Nurses are at the forefront of providing health education for the general public and are leaders in developing health education programs for all ages. Research has shown that the pediatric population often experience anxiety surrounding common medical procedures. However, evidence-based health education has been shown to enhance self-management, increase knowledge, and decrease anxiety in the pediatric population. One such successful evidence-based health education approach designed for the pediatric population is the Teddy Bear Clinic. The purpose of this article is to report on the efficacy of a nursing student-led Teddy Bear Clinic designed to increase the awareness of common medical equipment and procedures in the pre-school pediatric population. This quality improvement project used a program evaluation design to assess the children's knowledge of common medical procedures and equipment. Participants were a convenience sample of 16 children aged 3-5 years old, attending one daycare center in a large city in Atlantic Canada. Findings showed that after participation in the clinic, the pre-schoolers reported a high level of knowledge of common medical equipment and procedures. This project shows that a Teddy Bear Clinic run by senior nursing students can promote community partnerships and enhance health knowledge in pre-school children.

The effect of nursing care and follow-up for mothers of infants undergoing congenital heart surgery: a quasi-experimental study

Improvements in congenital heart surgery have resulted in an increasing number of infants surviving, but there remain concerns about home care and difficulties experienced by mothers. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of nursing care and follow-up for the mothers of infants undergoing congenital heart surgery on anxiety, care burden, and self-efficacy. The study was designed as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test control group design. The study included 40 mothers whose infants had undergone congenital heart surgery. Nursing care was provided to the mothers of the infants included in the study group through a total of six home follow-ups until the third month after surgery, guided by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association and Nursing Diagnosis System and Nursing Interventions Classification. Data were collected through Care Needs Identification Form, Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Zarit Burden Interview, and Parental Self-efficacy Scale. The mean State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Zarit Burden Interview scores for the mothers in the intervention group decreased, while the mean Parental Self-efficacy Scale scores increased as the follow-up progressed and it was determined that by the third month, the difference between the mothers in the intervention group and those in the control group in terms of post-test State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Zarit Burden Interview, and Parental Self-efficacy Scale had become statistically significant. Providing appropriate nursing care practices to the mothers of the infants had undergone congenital heart surgery in home setting has the potential to decrease the problems experienced by the mothers.

Effect of multidisciplinary collaborative empowerment education on psychological distress and quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effects of multidisciplinary collaborative empowerment education on psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study was conducted using repeated measures at pre- and post-intervention in the fourth chemotherapy cycle. Sixty patients with colorectal cancer aged 36-84 years were allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received multidisciplinary empowerment education, while the control group received routine health education. Psychological distress involving depression and anxiety symptoms was assessed using The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and QoL was measured using The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTCQLQ-C30). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine intervention effects. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software (version 26.0).

RESULTS

Psychological distress was considerably lower and QoL was considerably better in patients following multidisciplinary empowerment education in the intervention group than those in the control group. In addition, psychological distress significantly decreased and QoL improved in the intervention group compared to baseline.

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary collaborative empowerment education was effective in improving the psychological distress and QoL among patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy. These findings suggest that the establishment of multidisciplinary collaborative empowerment education might be considered as an innovative means of clinical patient education during combination chemotherapy to improve health outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. However, our results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size. Further validation in a larger sample or randomized controlled design is necessary in the future.

Using an App to monitor postoperative pain at home in pediatric patients

A prospective comparative study was conducted in 487 pediatric patients (69% male, mean age = 6.4 ± 4.0) to evaluate (a) the incidence, intensity, and characteristics of pain in pediatric patients at home during the first 24 hours and 5 days after surgery and (b) the factors associated with higher pain intensity, including the impact of an application (App) compared to the paper-and-pencil approach. Postoperative pain was assessed by patients or their parents at home using the 'Bambino Gesù' Children's Hospital (Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, OPBG) tool for participants aged 4-17 years or the Faces, Legs, Arms, Cry, and Consolability scale for participants less than four years old. Participants were assigned to two groups: those who used the paper-and-pencil version of the pain scale and those who used the App. Overall, 209 of the 472 (44%) participants reported pain during the first 24 hours, and 92 of the 420 (22%) reported pain between one and five days after surgery. Higher pain intensity scores were associated with being in the App group, directly assessing own pain, and using the OPBG tool. The App was effective in facilitating pain assessment. Health professionals could empower pediatric patients and their parents in assessing pain at home through a dedicated App.

Lifespan Perspective on Congenital Heart Disease Research: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

More than 90% of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are nowadays surviving to adulthood and adults account for over two-thirds of the contemporary CHD population in Western countries. Although outcomes are improved, surgery does not cure CHD. Decades of longitudinal observational data are currently motivating a paradigm shift toward a lifespan perspective and proactive approach to CHD care. The aim of this review is to operationalize these emerging concepts by presenting new constructs in CHD research. These concepts include long-term trajectories and a life course epidemiology framework. Focusing on a precision health, we propose to integrate our current knowledge on the genome, phenome, and environome across the CHD lifespan. We also summarize the potential of technology, especially machine learning, to facilitate longitudinal research by embracing big data and multicenter lifelong data collection.

Improvement in Quality of Life and Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis with the Use of Health Education and Patient Health Empowerment

BACKGROUND The management of quality of life (QoL) in patients with cirrhosis is important due to the chronic nature of compensated cirrhosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of health education using health empowerment theory in patients with liver cirrhosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between January 2014 and November 2014, 30 patients who were hospitalized with liver cirrhosis patients were recruited to the study, as the study group. Health education was conducted using the principles of health empowerment theory. Between January 2013 and November 2013, 30 hospitalized cirrhosis patients were recruited as the control group, who were given conventional health education. The QoL scores and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) scores were evaluated at hospital discharge and at two-month follow-up. The health knowledge awareness rate, activity of daily living (ADL), and health-promoting lifestyles were evaluated. RESULTS On discharge from the hospital, understanding of the major clinical symptoms, etiology, diet and nutrition, use of medication, treatment, and disease awareness rates were significantly higher in the study group compared with the control group (all P<0.05). There were significant differences in ADL scores between the two groups at two-month follow-up (81.5±15.5 vs. 68.5±15.4; P=0.006). All HPLP II scores were higher in the study group compared with the control group at hospital discharge and at two-month follow-up (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Patient health empowerment can improve the cognitive level and health behaviors of patients with liver cirrhosis, improve their ability to perform ADL, and improve their QoL.

Home care experience and nursing needs of caregivers of children undergoing congenital heart disease operations: A qualitative descriptive study

Aims and objectives

To explore the home care experiences of caregivers taking care of CHD children before and after cardiac surgery.

Background

Despite the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in childhood, little is known about the experiences and impacts on the children and their caregivers after CHD diagnosis and surgery. Such knowledge is needed for meaningful support.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study.

Methods

Twenty-two caregivers of CHD children undergoing cardiac surgery participated in semi-structured interviews at a University Children’s Hospital in China. Data were collected by an experienced and trained interviewer. Qualitative content analysis was chosen to describe the experiences of the caregivers.

Results

Caregivers of CHD children experienced significant demands. After the children underwent their CHD operations, the caregivers experienced complex psychological feelings and excessive stress impacting upon theirlives. In addition, caregivers constantly adapted their roles with self-fulfillment in caring activities.

Conclusions

CHD surgery has a major impact on the emotions and daily lives of children and their caregivers. This study offers a framework for understanding the importance of actively listening to caregivers so coping strategies can be implemented.

Relevance to clinical practice

Theexperiencesdescribed in this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs of caregivers whose children underwent CHD operations. They also provide valuable information to professional medical care staff that developfuture nursing assessments.

Ontology Development for Patient Education Documents Using a Professional- and Patient-Oriented Delphi Method

Written patient education materials are essential to motivate and help patients to participate in their own care, but the production and management of a large collection of high-quality and easily accessible patient education documents can be challenging. Ontologies can aid in these tasks, but the existing resources are not directly applicable to patient education. An ontology that models patient education documents and their readers was constructed. The Delphi method was used to identify a compact but sufficient set of entities with which the topics of documents may be described. The preferred terms of the entities were also considered to ensure their understandability. In the ontology, readers may be characterized by gender, age group, language, and role (patient or professional), whereas documents may be characterized by audience, topic(s), and content, as well as the time and place of use. The Delphi method yielded 265 unique document topics that are organized into seven hierarchies. Advantages and disadvantages of the ontology design, as well as possibilities for improvements, were identified. The patient education material ontology can enhance many applications, but further development is needed to reach its full potential.

Comparative Analysis: Implementation of a Pre-operative Educational Intervention to Decrease Anxiety Among Parents of Children With Congenital Heart Disease

PURPOSE

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a nursing educational intervention in alleviating the level of parental anxiety in the parents of children who required heart surgery for the first time.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A comparative study was used to explore the parents of children who had to undergo cardiac surgery. Parents of children were randomized into 2 groups: 1) control group and 2) experimental group or parents that received the educational intervention about PICU stay.

RESULT

The results of STAY-1 showed that the average anxiety score of group 1 was lower than that of group 2 (63.0 [SD=3.5] vs. 70.4 [SD=2.8]).

CONCLUSION

In order to decrease levels of parental anxiety and stress prior to paediatric surgery, parents should be adequately informed about planned therapeutic procedures.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

We speculate that pre-surgery parent education on what to expect before, during and after their child's cardiac surgery may improve parents' knowledge and satisfaction and decrease anxiety.