Understanding effective care management implementation in primary care: a macrocognition perspective analysis

Connecting pathogen transmission and healthcare worker cognition: a cognitive task analysis of infection prevention and control practices during simulated patient care

BACKGROUND

Relatively little is known about the cognitive processes of healthcare workers that mediate between performance-shaping factors (eg, workload, time pressure) and adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. We taxonomised the cognitive work involved in IPC practices and assessed its role in how pathogens spread.

METHODS

Forty-two registered nurses performed patient care tasks in a standardised high-fidelity simulation. Afterwards, participants watched a video of their simulation and described what they were thinking, which we analysed to obtain frequencies of macrocognitive functions (MCFs) in the context of different IPC practices. Performance in the simulation was the frequency at which participants spread harmless surrogates for pathogens (bacteriophages). Using a tertiary split, participants were categorised into a performance group: high, medium or low. To identify associations between the three variables-performance groups, MCFs and IPC practices-we used multiblock discriminant correspondence analysis (MUDICA).

RESULTS

MUDICA extracted two factors discriminating between performance groups. Factor 1 captured differences between high and medium performers. High performers monitored the situation for contamination events and mitigated risks by applying formal and informal rules or managing their uncertainty, particularly for sterile technique and cleaning. Medium performers engaged more in future-oriented cognition, anticipating contamination events and planning their workflow, across many IPC practices. Factor 2 distinguished the low performers from the medium and high performers who mitigated risks with informal rules and sacrificed IPC practices when managing tradeoffs, all in the context of minimising cross-contamination from physical touch.

CONCLUSIONS

To reduce pathogen transmission, new approaches to training IPC (eg, cognitive skills training) and system design are needed. Interventions should help nurses apply their knowledge of IPC fluidly during patient care, prioritising and monitoring situations for risks and deciding how to mitigate risks. Planning IPC into one's workflow is beneficial but may not account for the unpredictability of patient care.

Beyond the Individual: A Multidisciplinary Model for Critical Thinking in the Intensive Care Unit

Health profession educators readily identify with the goal of fostering healthcare providers who are critical thinkers focused on quality patient care. In the following paper, we aim to delve into critical thinking at the team level and help educators begin the process of creating a shared mental model focusing on cognition to identify gaps and opportunities for growth in their trainees. We will distinguish between microcognition (an individual's own critical thinking process in a controlled environment), macrocognition (critical thinking process in a real-world environment), and team cognition (the interaction and relationship among team members to augment macrocognition). A common case example will be used to guide the discussion as well as provide a model framework to be used for clinician educators in the future.

The Role of Care Coordination: A Qualitative Study of Care Coordinator Perceptions

BACKGROUND

Care coordination is important for patients with complex needs; yet, little is known about the factors impacting implementation from the care coordinator perspective.

PURPOSE

To understand how care coordination implementation differs across clinics and what care coordinators perceive as barriers and facilitators of effective coordination.

METHODS

Nineteen care coordinators from primary care clinics in Minnesota participated in interviews about their perceptions of care coordination. A team of analysts coded interviews using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged: variety in care coordination implementation; importance of social needs; necessity for leader buy-in; and importance of communication skills.

CONCLUSIONS

Described differences in care coordination implementation were often logistical, but the implications of these differences were foundational to care coordinator perceived effectiveness.

Lived Experiences of Diabetes Team and Patients about Diabetes Care System after Redesigning Delivery System and Supporting Self-Management in Iran: A Qualitative Research

Background

Diabetes as a chronic disease requires a change in the paradigm of treatment and health care system based on acute illnesses to chronic conditions. Chronic Care Model has been designed to address this need. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of the diabetes team and diabetic patients regarding the health care system after redesigning delivery system and supporting self-management based on the Chronic Care Model in Iran.

Methods

Research was conducted with a qualitative descriptive approach in one of the Isfahan city clinics in 2018. The participants were diabetes team (composed of diabetes physician, nurse, assistant nurse and dean of the clinic) and 17 type- 2 diabetic patients who were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews and then were analyzed using content analysis with an inductive approach.

Results

The findings of this study were composed of the following two main categories: (1) educational function change, including the sub-categories of evidence-based nurse education and patients' demand to ongoing participation in the training classes; and (2) treatment and care method upgrade, including the sub-categories of nurse's role change in a team approach, continuity in cares and upgrading patients' self-care behaviors.

Conclusions

Delivery system redesign and diabetes self-management support based on Chronic Care Model changed organizational structure and performance of the diabetes care system. It also reformed the structure of treatment providers from a vertical and hierarchical form to a team arrangement. Nurse's educational function became evidence-based and patients' self-care behaviors upgraded.

Understanding Clinician Macrocognition to Inform the Design of a Congenital Heart Disease Clinical Decision Support System

Background and Objectives

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk of deterioration in the face of common childhood illnesses, and their resuscitation and acute treatment requires guidance of CHD experts. Many children with CHD, however, present to their local emergency departments (ED) with gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms that closely mimic symptoms of CHD related heart failure. This can lead to incorrect or delayed diagnosis and treatment where CHD expertise is limited. An understanding of the differences in cognitive decision-making processes between CHD experts and ED physicians can inform how best to support ED physicians when treating CHD patients.

Methods

Cardiac intensivists (CHD experts) and pediatric emergency department physicians (ED physicians) in a major academic cardiac center were interviewed using the critical decision method. Interview transcripts were coded deductively based on Schubert and Klein's macrocognitive frameworks and inductively to allow for new or modified characterization of dimensions.

Results

In total, 6 CHD experts and 7 ED physicians were interviewed for this study. Although both CHD experts and ED physicians spent a lot of time sensemaking, their approaches to sensemaking differed. CHD experts reported readily recognizing the physiology of complex congenital heart disease and focused primarily on ruling out cardiac causes for the presenting illness. ED physicians reported a delay in attributing the signs and symptoms of the presenting illness to congenital heart disease, because these clinical findings were often non-specific, and thus explored different diagnoses. CHD experts moved quickly to treatment and more time anticipating potential problems and making specific contingency plans, while ED physicians spent more time gathering a range of data prior to arriving at a diagnosis. These findings were then applied to develop a prototype web-based decision support application for patients with CHD.

Conclusion

There are differences in the cognitive processes used by CHD experts and ED physicians when managing CHD patients. An understanding of differences in the cognitive processes used by CHD experts and ED physicians can inform the development of potential interventions, such as clinical decision support systems and training pathways, to support decision making pertaining to the acute treatment of pediatric CHD patients.

The CMS State Innovation Models Initiative and Improved Health Information Technology and Care Management Capabilities of Physician Practices

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) State Innovation Models (SIMs) initiative funded 17 states to implement health care payment and delivery system reforms to improve health system performance. Whether SIM improved health information technology (HIT) and care management capabilities of physician practices, however, remains unclear. National surveys of physician practices (N = 2,722) from 2012 to 2013 and 2017 to 2018 were linked. Multivariable regression estimated differential adoption of 10 HIT functions and chronic care management processes (CMPs) based on SIM award status (SIM Round 1, SIM Round 2, or non-SIM). HIT and CMP capabilities improved equally for practices in SIM Round 1 (5.3 vs. 6.8 capabilities, p < .001), SIM Round 2 (4.7 vs. 7.0 capabilities, p < .001), and non-SIM (4.2 vs. 6.3 capabilities, p < .001) states. The CMS SIM Initiative did not accelerate the adoption of ten foundational physician practice capabilities beyond national trends.

Analysis of the national hearing health care policy implementation in a Brazilian State

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to analyze the degree of implementation of the national health care policy at the state level.

METHODS

This qualitative evaluation study was carried out in two stages. Firstly, the policy was modelled by means of document analysis and the application of the Delphi technique for consensus among experts. In the second stage, a qualitative, exploratory evaluative research was conducted, designed as a single case study in a Brazilian state through semi-structured interviews with health managers.

RESULTS

The experts reached a consensus for a logical model and an evaluation matrix of the policy implementation. The results at the state level evinced an incipient degree of implementation, as the level of government characteristics achieved 45% of the maximum score; management, 41%; and system organization, 33%.

CONCLUSION

The degree of implementation in the state evaluated was classified as incipient. Barriers were identified in the management and organization levels of the system, as well as in the political context.

Technology-mediated macrocognition: Investigating how physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists make critical decisions

PURPOSE

Although intensive care clinicians are expected to make data-driven critical decisions using the technologies available to them, the effect of those technologies on decision-making are not well understood. Using the macrocognitive framework, we studied critical decision-making and technology use to understand how different specialists within teams make decisions and guide the development of decision-making support technologies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Critical Decision Method was used to understand the macrocognitive processes used during critical decision-making of twelve critical care clinicians. Deductive (based on the macrocognition framework) and inductive coding were used to analyze the macrocognitive processes, their interrelationships, and their relation to technologies.

RESULTS

Over 60% of critical decision-making macrocognition was devoted to Sensemaking, Anticipation, and Communication. The most technology-mediated process was Sensemaking. Of particular note, physicians and respiratory therapists extracted information for their own use, while nurses extracted information to communicate to others. Physicians switched between ten macrocognitive processes, whereas nurses and respiratory therapists switched between five processes.

CONCLUSIONS

This exploratory study provides much needed details about the different ways in which specialists use technologies to support decision-making tasks, particularly those involving sensemaking, which are essential to the design and development of decision-support technologies.

Cancer Center Clinic and Research Team Perceptions of Identity and Interactions

PURPOSE

Conduct of cancer clinical trials requires coordination and cooperation among research and clinic teams. Diffusion of and confusion about responsibility may occur if team members' perceptions of roles and objectives do not align. These factors are critical to the success of cancer centers but are poorly studied.

METHODS

We developed a survey adapting components of the Adapted Team Climate Inventory, Measure of Team Identification, and Measure of In-Group Bias. Surveys were administered to research and clinic staff at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, and analyses of variance.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 105 staff (clinic, n = 55; research, n = 50; 61% response rate). Compared with clinic staff, research staff identified more strongly with their own group ( P < .01) but less strongly with the overall cancer center ( P = .02). Both clinic staff and research staff viewed their own group's goals as clearer than those of the other group ( P < .01) and felt that members of their groups interacted and shared information within ( P < .01) and across ( P < .01) groups more than the other group did. Research staff perceived daily outcomes as more important than did clinic staff ( P = .05), specifically research-related outcomes ( P = .07).

CONCLUSION

Although there are many similarities between clinic and research teams, we also identified key differences, including perceptions of goal clarity and sharing, understanding and alignment with cancer center goals, and importance of outcomes. Future studies should examine how variation in perceptions and group dynamics between clinic and research teams may impact function and processes of cancer care.

Measures of fidelity of delivery of, and engagement with, complex, face-to-face health behaviour change interventions: A systematic review of measure quality

PURPOSE

Understanding the effectiveness of complex, face-to-face health behaviour change interventions requires high-quality measures to assess fidelity of delivery and engagement. This systematic review aimed to (1) identify the types of measures used to monitor fidelity of delivery of, and engagement with, complex, face-to-face health behaviour change interventions and (2) describe the reporting of psychometric and implementation qualities.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched, systematic reviews and reference lists were hand-searched, and 21 experts were contacted to identify articles. Studies that quantitatively measured fidelity of delivery of, and/or engagement with, a complex, face-to-face health behaviour change intervention for adults were included. Data on interventions, measures, and psychometric and implementation qualities were extracted and synthesized using narrative analysis.

RESULTS

Sixty-six studies were included: 24 measured both fidelity of delivery and engagement, 20 measured fidelity of delivery, and 22 measured engagement. Measures of fidelity of delivery included observation (n = 17; 38.6%), self-report (n = 15; 34%), quantitatively rated qualitative interviews (n = 1; 2.3%), or multiple measures (n = 11; 25%). Measures of engagement included self-report (n = 18; 39.1%), intervention records (n = 11; 24%), or multiple measures (n = 17; 37%). Fifty-one studies (77%) reported at least one psychometric or implementation quality; 49 studies (74.2%) reported at least one psychometric quality, and 17 studies (25.8%) reported at least one implementation quality.

CONCLUSION

Fewer than half of the reviewed studies measured both fidelity of delivery of, and engagement with complex, face-to-face health behaviour change interventions. More studies reported psychometric qualities than implementation qualities. Interpretation of intervention outcomes from fidelity of delivery and engagement measurements may be limited due to a lack of reporting of psychometric and implementation qualities. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Evidence of fidelity and engagement is needed to understand effectiveness of complex interventions Evidence of fidelity and engagement are rarely reported High-quality measures are needed to measure fidelity and engagement What does this study add? Evidence that indicators of quality of measures are reported in some studies Evidence that psychometric qualities are reported more frequently than implementation qualities A recommendation for intervention evaluations to report indicators of quality of fidelity and engagement measures.

Diabetic and Obese Patient Clinical Outcomes Improve During a Care Management Implementation in Primary Care

Background: To address the increasing burden of chronic disease, many primary care practices are turning to care management and the hiring of care managers to help patients coordinate their care and self-manage their conditions. Care management is often, but not always, proving effective at improving patient outcomes, but more evidence is needed. Methods: In this pair-matched cluster randomized trial, 5 practices implemented care management and were compared with 5 comparison practices within the same practice organization. Targeted patients included diabetic patients with a hemoglobin A1c >9% and nondiabetic obese patients. Clinical values tracked were A1c, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, microalbumin, and weight. Results: Clinically important improvements were demonstrated in the intervention versus comparison practices, with diabetic patients improving A1c control and obese patients experiencing weight loss. There was a 12% relative increase in the proportion of patients meeting the clinical target of A1c <7% (95% CI, 3%-20%), and 26% of obese nondiabetic patients in chronic care management practices lost 5% or more of their body weight as compared with 10% of comparison patients (adjusted relative improvement, 15%; CI, 2%-28%). Conclusions: These findings add to the growing evidence-base for the effectiveness of care management as an effective clinical practice with regard to improving diabetes- and obesity-related outcomes.

Understanding the experience of care managers and relationship with patient outcomes: the COMPASS initiative

OBJECTIVE

To understand how care managers implemented COMPASS and if this was related to patient health outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 96 COMPASS care managers were approached to participate in the online survey and 93 (97%) provided responses. Correlations were generated between key survey responses and the average number of care management contacts, patient depression, blood pressure and glycosylated hemoglobin outcomes.

RESULTS

Patients of care managers who reported spending more time on COMPASS-related tasks had higher rates of depression improvement (r=0.34; P=.002) and remission (r=0.27; P=.02) as well as higher rates of blood pressure control (r=0.29; P=.03).

CONCLUSIONS

To improve the effectiveness of care management in collaborative care models, particularly for patients with comorbid conditions and complex nonmedical needs, care managers need the support of social work and administrative support staff. Care managers for this patient population would also benefit from more intensive training in nonpharmacological depression treatment, such as motivational interviewing and behavioral activation. Additionally, systems support is needed such as education for primary care teams and psychiatry on the value of collaborative care models and integration of population management tools into electronic medical records.

Obstacles Experienced by Care Managers in Managing Information for the Care of Chronically Ill Patients

Care managers play a key role in coordinating care, especially for patients with chronic conditions. They use multiple health information technology application in order to access, process and communicate patient-related information. Using the work system model and its extension, the SEIPS model (Carayon et al., 2006a; Smith and Carayon-Sainfort, 1989), we describe obstacles experienced by care manager in managing patient-related information. A web-based questionnaire was used to collect data from 80 care managers (61% response rate) located in clinics, hospitals and a call center. Care managers were more likely to consider 'inefficiencies in access to patient-related information' and 'having to use multiple information systems' as major obstacles than 'lack of computer training and support' and 'inefficient use of case management software.' Care managers who reported inefficient use of software as an obstacle were more likely to report high workload. Future research should explore strategies used by care managers' to address obstacles, and efforts should be targeted at improving the health information technologies used by care managers.

A Comparison of Health Plan- and Provider-Delivered Chronic Care Management Models on Patient Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The real world implementation of chronic care management model varies greatly. One aspect of this variation is the delivery mode. Two contrasting strategies include provider-delivered care management (PDCM) and health plan-delivered care management (HPDCM).

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to compare the effectiveness of PDCM vs. HPDCM on improving clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.

DESIGN

We used a quasi-experimental two-group pre-post design using the difference-in-differences method.

PATIENTS

Commercially insured patients, with any of the five chronic diseases-congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or asthma, who were outreached to and engaged in either PDCM or HPDCM were included in the study.

MAIN MEASURES

Outreached patients were those who received an attempted or actual contact for enrollment in care management; and engaged patients were those who had one or more care management sessions/encounters with a care manager. Effectiveness measures included blood pressure, low density lipoprotein (LDL), weight loss, and hemoglobin A1c (for diabetic patients only). Primary endpoints were evaluated in the first year of follow-up.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 4,000 patients were clustered in 165 practices (31 in PDCM and 134 in HPDCM). The PDCM approach demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the proportion of outreached patients whose LDL was under control: the proportion of patients with LDL < 100 mg/dL increased by 3 % for the PDCM group (95 % CI: 1 % to 6 %) and 1 % for the HPDCM group (95 % CI: -2 % to 5 %). However, the 2 % difference in these improvements was not statistically significant (95 % CI: -2 % to 6 %). The HPDCM approach showed 3 % [95 % CI: 2 % to 6 %] improvement in overall diabetes care among outreached patients and significant reduction in obesity rates compared to PDCM (4 %, 95 % CI: 0.3 % to 8 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Both care management delivery modes may be viable options for improving care for patients with chronic diseases. In this commercially insured population, neither PDCM nor HPDCM resulted in substantial improvement in patients' clinical indicators in the first year. Different care management strategies within the provider-delivered programs need further investigation.

Macrocognition: From Theory to Toolbox

We trace several trajectories-the evolution of field-based decision making models in the mid-1980s to the formation of the Naturalistic Decision Making movement in 1989, then the further broadening of NDM into Macrocognition in 2003, and finally the transition from macrocognitive models into a set of methods and tools to boost cognitive performance.