The use of health information technology to improve care and outcomes for older adults

The application of health information technology for the elderly care in the emergency department: a conceptual model

INTRODUCTION

In the emergency departments (EDs), usually the longest waiting time for treatment and discharge belongs to the elderly patients. Moreover, the number of the ED admissions for the elderly increases every year. It seems that the use of health information technology in geriatric emergency departments can help to reduce the burden of the healthcare services for this group of patients. This research aimed to develop a conceptual model for using health information technology in the geriatric emergency department.

METHODS

This study was conducted in 2021. The initial conceptual model was designed based on the findings derived from the previous research phases (literature review and interview with the experts). Then, the model was examined by an expert panel (n = 7). Finally, using the Delphi technique (two rounds), the components of the conceptual model were reviewed and finalized. To collect data, a questionnaire was used, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

The common information technologies appropriate for the elderly care in the emergency departments included emergency department information system, clinical decision support system, electronic health records, telemedicine, personal health records, electronic questionnaires for screening, and other technologies such as picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), electronic vital sign monitoring systems, etc. The participants approved all of the proposed systems and their applications in the geriatric emergency departments.

CONCLUSION

The proposed model can help to design and implement the most useful information systems in the geriatric emergency departments. As the application of technology accelerates care processes, investing in this field would help to support the care plans for the elderly and improve quality of care services. Further research is recommended to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of using these technologies in the EDs.

Long-Term Adoption or Abandonment of Smart Technology in the Chinese Elderly Home Care Environment: A Qualitative Research Study

China's rapidly aging population and shortage of care resources have made it difficult for its traditional model to meet the home care needs of the elderly. On this premise, China is implementing home digital health interventions based on smart technology. During implementation, instead of the expected explosion in long-term adoption, there has been a large amount of abandonment. But so far, the relationship between service experience and these behaviors has been ignored. This study aims to explore the reasons for the long-term adoption or abandonment behaviors of technology by elders in the home care environment. A qualitative study was conducted based on Golant's framework of smart technology adoption behaviors among elders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 elders who are long-term or former users of smart technology in a home care environment, and data from the interviews were analyzed using directed content analysis. This study identified three themes that influence elders' adoption behaviors of smart technology in the home care environment, including immediate effectiveness, long-term usability, and possible collateral damage. The findings indicated that the experience of the elders is the key point that affects long-term adoption behavior. For more elders to use smart technology in the home care environment, it is necessary for the government, technology developers, and nursing institutions to further reform the existing system.

Healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitude and its associated factors toward electronic personal health record system in a resource-limited setting: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

Electronic personal health record (e-PHR) system enables individuals to access their health information and manage it themselves. It helps patient engagement management of health information that is accessed and shared with their healthcare providers using the platform. This improves individual healthcare through the exchange of health information between patients and healthcare providers. However, less is known about e-PHRs among healthcare professionals.

Objective

Therefore, this study aimed to assess Health professionals' Knowledge and attitude and its associated factors toward e-PHR at the teaching hospital in northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used to determine healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitude and their associated factors toward e-PHR systems in teaching hospitals of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, from 20 July to 20 August 2022. Pretested structured self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistic was computed based on sociodemographic and other variables presented in the form of table graphs and texts. Bivariable and multivariable logistic analyses were performed with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% CI to identify predictor variables.

Result

Of the total study participants, 57% were males and nearly half of the respondents had a bachelor's degree. Out of 402 participants, ~65.7% [61–70%] and 55.5% [50–60%] had good knowledge and favorable attitude toward e-PHR systems, respectively. Having a social media account 4.3 [AOR = 4.3, 95% CI (2.3–7.9)], having a smartphone 4.4 [AOR = 4.4, 95% CI (2.2–8.6)], digital literacy 8.8 [(AOR = 8.8, 95% CI (4.6–15.9)], being male 2.7 [AOR = 2.7, 95% CI (1.4–5.0)], and perceived usefulness 4.5 [(AOR = 4.5, 95% CI (2.5–8.5)] were positively associated with knowledge toward e-PHR systems. Similarly, having a personal computer 1.9 [AOR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.1–3.5)], computer training 3.9 [AOR = 3.9, 95% CI (1.8–8.3)], computer skill 19.8 [AOR = 19.8, 95% CI (10.7–36.9)], and Internet access 6.0 [AOR = 6.0, 95% CI (3.0–12.0)] were predictors for attitude toward e-PHR systems.

Conclusion

The findings from the study showed that healthcare professionals have good knowledge and a favorable attitude toward e-PHRs. Providing comprehensive basic computer training to improve healthcare professionals' expectation on the usefulness of e-PHR systems has a paramount contribution to the advancement of their knowledge and attitude toward successfully implementing e-PHRs.

Patient-level and organizational-level factors influencing in-hospital falls

AIM

In-hospital fall is one key safety issue in a healthcare setting. Although healthcare providers apply several strategies for preventing falls, falls still occur in hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate patient-level and organizational-level factors influencing in-hospital falls.

DESIGN

A multicentre retrospective observational study.

METHODS

This study used the national healthcare database and supplemented with organizational data obtained through a survey. Data extraction and survey were conducted between July and August 2020. A mixed-effect logistic regression model was used to analyse factors influencing in in-hospital falls.

RESULTS

A total of 43,286 patients admitted in 86 hospitals were included in this study. Fall rate was 0.85 per 1000 days. Length of stay was significantly longer for fall patients than for no-fall patients. Patient-level factors (including age, mobility impairment and surgery) and organizational-level factors (including nurse staffing and proportion of new nurses) were significant factors influencing in-hospital falls.

CONCLUSION

Since in-hospital falls increase economic burden to patients, we should consider various fall prevention strategies to reduce falls. For a strategy to be applied stably to patients, organizational factors must be supported.

IMPACT

Proactive fall management in acute settings is essential to ensure patient safety. Considering that the number of patients with fall risk is increasing due to ageing, organizational factors should be supported to provide quality nursing care for fall risk patients. Therefore, nurse leaders should primarily ensure an appropriate level of nurse staffing. They also need to make efforts to strengthen clinical competency of nurses.

Documentation Burden in Nursing and Its Role in Clinician Burnout Syndrome

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between documentation burden and clinician burnout syndrome in nurses working in direct patient care. The Office of the National Coordinator considers documentation burden a high priority problem. However, the presence of documentation burden in nurses working in direct patient care is not well known. Furthermore, the presence of documentation burden has not been linked to the development of clinician burnout syndrome.

METHODS

This paper reports that the results of a cross-sectional survey study comprised of three tools: (1) The burden of documentation for nurses and mid-wives survey, (2) the system usability scale, and (3) Maslach's burnout inventory for medical professionals.

RESULTS

Documentation burden has a weak to moderate correlation to clinician burnout syndrome. Furthermore, poor usability of the electronic health record (EHR) is also associated with documentation burden and clinician burnout syndrome.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that there is a relationship between documentation burden and clinician burnout syndrome. The correlation of poor usability and domains of clinician burnout syndrome implies the need for more work on improving the usability of EHR for nursing documentation. Further study regarding the presence of documentation burden and its correlation to clinician burnout syndrome should focus on specific areas of nursing to understand the drivers of documentation burden variation within and across specialty domains.

Nurses' Experience and Perception of Technology Use in Practice: A Qualitative Study Using an Extended Technology Acceptance Model

The purposes of this study are to provide insight into the factors identified as benefits and drawbacks of technology use by nurses and obtain suggestions on improving technology, based on challenges identified to improve patient outcomes. Holden's extended technology acceptance model was used to describe nurses' perception of technology use in practice. A descriptive design and thematic analysis were used to evaluate participants' logged reflections of their experiences and suggestions for improvements of health information technology. Findings indicate that nurses' experiences and perceptions regarding the use of various types of technology (electronic health records, large databases, crowdsourcing, bio-surveillance) were positive. New subdomains emerged for job performance and efficiency, usefulness for public health, contribution to nursing science, and better communication. Identified challenges were insufficient training and support, lack of interoperability, risk of low-quality care from reliance on technology, increased cost, glitches, and alarm fatigue. Understanding nurses' perceptions of technology is anticipated to enhance care quality and possibly lead to improved outcomes. Nurses' perceptions of the use and acceptance of technology are important as their view is associated with performance and may directly influence clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Thematic findings include recommendations from participants to improve patient outcomes and patient care.

How Do Different Health Record Systems Affect Home Health Care? A Cross-Sectional Study of Electronic- versus Manual Documentation System

Objective

To investigate electronic health record (EHR) systems compared to manual systems (MS) in home health care and how documentation and reporting activities are impacted regarding time use, variation, and accuracy.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study of two municipalities (M1 and M2) that use statistical process control charts and interview with caregivers to discuss the issue. Regarding reporting, 309 observations were used for the control charts in M1 and 572 for those in M2. Concerning documentation, 831 observations were used for M1 and 572 for M2. In addition, interviews were conducted with four caregivers from each municipality.

Results

The municipality with EHR system use 3% of their total time for documentation and 7% for reporting. The municipality with the MS uses 7% of their total time in documentation and 12% for reporting. There is less variation in the charts for the municipality with the EHR system, than for the municipality using an MS.

Conclusion

The municipality using the EHR system uses less time for documentation and reporting than the other municipality. This is probably due to the standardization of information in M1, and that M2 needs to record documentation twice. The standardization arising from EHR use system may cause less variation in the process than the MS, but less variation might also negatively affect information accuracy. Reduced time for oral reporting also affects information accuracy.

Who Is Doing What in Home Care Services?

(1) Background: This paper investigates the distribution of work hours by activity, for the main staff categories in home care services in three rural Norwegian municipalities. In Norway these categories are registered nurses, assistant nurses and assistant health workers. (2) Methods: The three categories of home care staff recorded 20,964 eligible observations over 8 weeks. We identified 19 activities, which were recorded. The majority of staff used a smartphone application for the time measuring, while some staff used a manual form for reporting purposes. (3) Results: The registered nurses (RNs) spent 32% of their time on direct patient work, while driving accounted for 18%. Direct patient work and driving accounted for the majority of activities performed by assistant nurses (48% and 29%, respectively) and assistant health workers (70% and 17%, respectively). (4) Conclusions: The demand for home care services is increasing in terms of both size and complexity. Simultaneously, there is a growing shortage of skilled staff. RNs is the group with the least face-to-face time with patients. To meet the patients' needs, it is necessary to discuss and modify existing home care service systems in order to use resources appropriately and effectively.

Prehospital Emergency Medical Services: Paper Versus Technology

Digital technology has an essential role in the development and application of innovations within the health care system. Its application is not limited to the hospital environment but extends to the emergency medical services system. The experimental phase of the shift to electronic emergency medical services documentation was performed within the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale of Udine (Italy), a local health authority covering about 533 000 inhabitants. Considering the results of this study, we believe it is important to continue to update the methods of data collection and analysis in correlation with the management and outcomes of the patients.

Nursing Technologies Creativity as an Expression of Caring: A Grounded Theory Study

Caring expression in nursing is rapidly changing to include the use of sophisticated healthcare technologies. Unfortunately, few nurses participate in developing healthcare technologies. The current study aimed to generate a theory of nursing grounded in the phenomenon of nursing technologies creativity in nursing practice. The study design used a constructivist grounded theory. Sixteen Indonesian nurses selected by purposive sampling were interviewed in-depth. Data analysis used constant comparative analysis through Charmaz's coding process. This study generated two core conceptual categories that included technological creativity and drivers for technological development. Five theoretical statements were developed leading to the Technological Creativity as Caring in Nursing Theory. This theory is a middle-range theory that focuses on technological creativity to express caring for patients, nurses, and management in nursing practice.

Design and Usability Evaluation of Mobile Voice-Added Food Reporting for Elderly People: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Advances in voice technology have raised new possibilities for apps related to daily health maintenance. However, the usability of such technologies for older users remains unclear and requires further investigation.

OBJECTIVE

We designed and evaluated two innovative mobile voice-added apps for food intake reporting, namely voice-only reporting (VOR) and voice-button reporting (VBR). Each app features a unique interactive procedure for reporting food intake. With VOR, users verbally report the main contents of each dish, while VBR provides both voice and existing touch screen inputs for food intake reporting. The relative usability of the two apps was assessed through the metrics of accuracy, efficiency, and user perception.

METHODS

The two mobile apps were compared in a head-to-head parallel randomized trial evaluation. A group of 57 adults aged 60-90 years (12 male and 45 female participants) was recruited from a retirement community and randomized into two experimental groups, that is, VOR (n=30) and VBR (n=27) groups. Both groups were tested using the same set of 17 food items including dishes and beverages selected and allocated to present distinct breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. All participants used a 7-inch tablet computer for the test. The resulting data were analyzed to evaluate reporting accuracy and time efficiency, and the system usability scale (SUS) was used to measure user perception.

RESULTS

For eight error types identified in the experiment, the VBR group participants were significantly (P<.001) more error prone owing to the required use of button-tapping actions. The highest error rates in the VOR group were related to incomprehensible reporting speech (28/420, 6.7%), while the highest error rates in the VBR group were related to failure to make required button taps (39/378, 10.3%). The VOR group required significantly (P<.001) less time to complete food reporting. The overall subjective reactions of the two groups based on the SUS surpassed the benchmark and were not significantly different (P=.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Experimental results showed that VOR outperformed VBR, suggesting that voice-only food input reporting is preferable for elderly users. Voice-added apps offer a potential mechanism for the self-management of dietary intake by elderly users. Our study contributes an evidence-based evaluation of prototype design and selection under a user-centered design model. The results provide a useful reference for selecting optimal user interaction design.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Registry ISRCTN17335889; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17335889.

Improving the informatics competency of critical care nurses: results of an interventional study in the southeast of Iran

BACKGROUND

Nursing informatics (NI) along with growth and development of health information technology (HIT) is becoming a fundamental part of all domains of nursing practice especially in critical care settings. Nurses are expected to equip with NI competency for providing patient-centered evidence-based care. Therefore, it is important and necessary to improve nurses' NI competency through educational programs for effective using of HIT. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a training program on NI competency of critical care nurses.

METHODS

This interventional study was conducted in 2019. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 60 nurses working in critical care units of three hospitals affiliated with a large University of Medical Sciences in the southeast of Iran. These nurses were assigned randomly and equally to the control and intervention groups. NI competency was trained to the intervention group in a three-day workshop. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire and the adapted Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (NICAT) before and 1 month after the intervention. Rahman in the US (2015) developed and validated the original NICAT to assess self-reported NI competency of nurses with 30 items and three dimensions (Computer literacy, Informatics literacy Information management skills). The NICAT is scored on a five-point Likert scale and the overall score ranges from 30 to150. Two medical informatics specialists and eight nursing faculty members approved the validity of the adapted version of NICAT and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (95%).

RESULTS

All 60 participants completed the educational program and returned the completed questionnaire. Majority of participants in the intervention and control groups were female (83.30%), married nurses (70.90, 73.30%) aged 30-40 years (51.6, 35.5%). In the pretest stage, both intervention and control groups were competent in terms of the NI competency and its dimensions, and no significant difference was observed between them (p = 0.65). However, in the posttest, the NI competency and its dimensions in the intervention group significantly increased with a large effect size compared with the control group (p = 0.001). This difference showed that the intervention group was proficient in the posttest stage. The highest mean difference in the intervention group was associated with the informatics literacy dimension and the lowest mean difference was associated with the informatics management skills dimension.

CONCLUSIONS

The improved scores of NI competency and its dimensions after using the training program implied the effectiveness of this method in enhancing the NI competency of nurses working in the critical care units. The application of the training program in diverse domains of nursing practice shows its high efficiency. The project is fundamental for improving nurses' NI competency through continuous educational programs in Iran, other cultures and contexts.

Information technology and Baumol's cost disease in healthcare services: a research agenda

Purpose

This paper advances a research agenda for service researchers at the intersection of healthcare and information technologies to improve access to quality healthcare at affordable prices. The article reviews key trends to provide an agenda for research focusing on strategies, governance and management of key service processes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper synthesizes literature in information systems, service management, marketing and healthcare operations to suggest a research agenda. The authors draw on frameworks such as the interpretive model of technology, technology acceptance model, assemblage theories and Baumol's cost disease to develop their arguments.

Findings

The paper situates strategy-related service management questions that service providers and consumers face in the context of emerging healthcare and technology trends. It also derives implications for governance choices and questions related to that.

Research limitations/implications

The paper discusses service management challenges and concludes with an agenda for future research that touches on governance and service management issues.

Practical implications

This paper provides implications for healthcare service providers and policymakers to understand new trends in healthcare delivery, technologies and facilities management to meet evolving customer needs.

Social implications

This paper provides implications for managing healthcare services that touch on many social and societal concerns.

Originality/value

This conceptual paper provides background and review of the work at the intersections of information systems, marketing and healthcare operations to draw implications for future research.

Nurses' Attitudes Toward Electronic Clinical Quality Measures: A Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) are a method that automatically extract data from electronic health records (EHRs) and compute and generate the results to report and track the quality of care and patient outcomes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' attitudes toward eCQMs and the factors influencing this attitude.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a closed-ended questions survey of 92 nurses in a teaching hospital.

RESULTS

The average score for nurses' attitudes toward eCQMs was 3.47 out of 4. Participants with a master's degree had more positive attitudes than those with a baccalaureate degree. Head nurses had more positive attitudes than staff nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

The nurses in the study hospital have a positive attitude toward eCQMs. Health care organizations should strengthen the attitudes of nurses toward eCQMs.

Assessing How Well Electronic Nursing Records Reflect Changes in the Nursing Profession's Scope of Practice in Korea

Electronic health records, a source of key administrative data for patient care, have been used in Korea for the past 13 years. In recent years, there have been significant changes in the Korean hospital nursing care delivery system. "Comprehensive nursing service," in which nurses provide direct care to patients, including activities of daily living without a family member, is one of the changes in the nursing profession's scope of practice. Accordingly, this study attempts to determine how well the electronic nursing record reveals nursing services that are being used differently. This study analyzed 19 372 nursing records of a total of 200 patients using the random sampling method in two comprehensive nursing service wards and two noncomprehensive nursing service wards. The number of nursing activity records for all items in the comprehensive nursing service ward was higher; only three items showed significant differences. Five nursing diagnoses including "anxiety" and "pain" were more significantly used in the records of the comprehensive nursing service ward. This study found that there were significant differences in nursing records based on the nursing services provided and that the current electronic nursing recording system adequately reflects changes in nursing practice.

A Qualitative Content Analysis of Nurses' Comfort and Employment of Workarounds With Electronic Documentation Systems in Home Care Practice

Background

Electronic documentation systems have the potential to assist registered nurses with timely access to patient health- and care-related information. Registered nurses are the largest users of electronic documentation systems; however, limited evidence exists about their comfort with electronic documentation system usage and the types of workarounds developed within the context of home care.

Aim

To explore home care registered nurses’ comfort with electronic documentation system usage and identify the types and reasons for the development and implementation of workarounds.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 217 home care registered nurses participated in the survey. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Findings: Individual (e.g., registered nurses’ technology-related experience), technological (e.g., electronic documentation system design) and organizational (e.g. training) characteristics influenced registered nurses’ comfort with electronic documentation system usage. Furthermore, workarounds stemmed from the technological characteristics of the electronic documentation system.

Conclusion

Findings highlight the need for assessing registered nurses’ level of comfort with electronic documentation system usage to inform training initiatives. Including registered nurses in the system design is advocated to ensure electronic documentation systems fit with the complexity of nursing practice, potentially enhancing registered nurses’ level of comfort and mitigating the development and employment of workarounds during system usage.

Diabetes, Care Homes, and the Influence of Technology on Practice and Care Delivery in Care Homes: Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is increasing in prevalence and complexity in the care home setting, affecting up to a quarter of care home residents. Health outcomes for these residents are impacted by management of the disease, health care professionals (HCPs)' decision-making skills within the care home setting, and access to specialist services. The use of technology has the potential to recognize opportunities for early intervention that enables efficient responsive care, taking a fundamental role in linking the care home community to wider multidisciplinary teams for support.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to identify evidence that explores factors relevant to the use of technology in and around the care home setting to aid in the management of diabetes.

METHODS

Databases searched using a structured prespecified approach included: PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), OVID Nursing database, Scopus, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the King's Fund from 2012 to 2017: handsearching was undertaken additionally for any gray literature. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocol was used as protocol with Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews a tool to assess the risk of bias across studies. Studies had to include interventions that combined technology to or from the care home setting to support residents living with diabetes.

RESULTS

The combined search strategy identified a total of 493 electronic records. Of these, 171 papers were screened for eligibility, 66 full papers were accessed, and 13 have been included in this study. Qualitative synthesis has identified different strands of research evidence in what and how technology is currently being used in and around care homes to enhance diabetes management. New initiatives and implementations of technology and emerging models of care that included the use of technology have also been included.

CONCLUSIONS

By triangulating the perspectives of HCPs, practitioners, specialists, and members of the care home community, the authors anticipate that this review will represent an up-to-date, evidence-based overview of the potential for using technology within the care home setting for diabetes management as well as stimulate research in this area.

Integration of an in-home monitoring system into home care nurses' workflow: A case study

BACKGROUND

The healthcare system faces a major challenge in caring for an increasingly ageing population as this task requires more resources than are currently available. Adopting monitoring technologies could enable more efficient care practices and support ageing in place.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate how the use of an in-home motion monitoring system can be integrated into home care nurses' workflows and to uncover the factors behind system adoption.

DESIGN

A single case study adopting a qualitative approach.

SETTING

A home care unit serving older adults living in independent living residences within an apartment complex.

METHOD

Multiple data collection methods were used including individual and group interviews, a questionnaire with open-ended questions, evaluation probes, and system log data. The qualitative material was analysed using a stepwise-deductive inductive approach.

RESULTS

A central factor behind system adoption was the perceived usefulness of gaining information about older adults' night-time activities. In particular, monitoring older adults suffering from memory disorders was considered advantageous. The information that the system provided supported nurses in health assessments and assisted in adjusting care decisions. Previous negative experiences with similar technologies initially influenced the time for adoption. Further, although nurses were closely involved in the system design process, they took some time to get acquainted with the system and to integrate its use into daily practice. System reliability and accuracy issues influenced nurses' trust in the sensory data.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggests that in a home care setting, focusing on motion pattern monitoring for older adults with memory disorders can provide significant benefits and therefore also facilitate system adoption among nurses. Involving nurses in the design of the technology and providing opportunities to trial the system in real practice also appear to be important in achieving system adoption.

A prospective investigation of direct and indirect home care activities in three rural Norwegian municipalities

BACKGROUND

Home care providers struggle to manage their day-to-day work, which is increasing in volume and complexity. In general, they are expected to achieve more with the same planning methods, resources, and capacity. To meet emerging needs and use the available resources more effectively and efficiently, evidence and strategies are needed to inform planning methods for home care services. However, limited data are available to inform this change. This paper investigated the amount of time used to carry out direct activities and six indirect activities across three rural Norwegian municipalities (M1, M2 and M3).

METHODS

Home care staff recorded data over 8 weeks in 2016; the majority of the staff used a smartphone application and some staff used a manual form to report the durations of the activities.

RESULTS

The median time spent on direct activities was 11-13 min, and this work constituted less than 50% of the total work in the three municipalities. The median driving time was 5-7 min, which accounted for 43-54% of the total indirect work. Administration, particularly reporting and documentation, displayed greater differences across the municipalities, together accounting for 38-50% of the total indirect time. M2 and M3 used substantially more time for documentation, including 20 min in M2 and M3, in contrast to only 1 min in M1. Similarly, the median reporting times were 30 min (M2) and 28 min (M3), compared with only 17 min in M1.

CONCLUSIONS

Home care staff spent less time on direct activities than on indirect activities, of which several activities have the potential for change. These results may help managers utilize resources effectively and plan appropriately, and they may also serve as a basis for future research to identify areas with improvement opportunities and, in turn, make more time available for direct patient care.

Registered nurses' use of computerised decision support in medication reviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of registered nurses' (RNs) use of a computerized decision support system (CDSS) in medication reviews. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test design with three- and six-month follow-ups subsequent to the introduction of a CDSS. In total, 11 RNs initiated and prepared a total of 54 medication reviews. The outcome measures were the number of drug-related problems (DRPs) as reported by the CDSS and the RNs, respectively, the RNs' views on the CDSS, and changes in the quality of drug treatment. Findings The CDSS significantly indicated more DRPs than the RNs did, such as potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The RNs detected additional problems, outside the scope of the CDSS, such as lack of adherence. They considered the CDSS beneficial and wanted to continue using it. Only minor changes were found in the quality of drug treatments, with no significant changes in the drug-specific quality indicators (e.g. inappropriate drugs). However, the use of renally excreted drugs in reduced renal function decreased. Practical implications The RNs' use of a CDSS in medication reviews is of value in detecting potential ADRs and interactions. Yet, in order to have an impact on outcomes in the quality of drug treatment, further measures are needed. These may involve development of inter-professional collaboration, such as established procedures for the implementation of medication reviews, including the use of CDSS. Originality/value This is, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first study to explore the implications of medication reviews, initiated and prepared by RNs who use a CDSS. The paper adds further insight into the RNs' role in relation to quality of drug treatments.

A Smartphone App and Personalized Text Messaging Framework (InDEx) to Monitor and Reduce Alcohol Use in Ex-Serving Personnel: Development and Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

Self-reported alcohol misuse remains high in armed forces personnel even after they have left service. More than 50% of ex-serving personnel meet the criteria for hazardous alcohol use; however, many fail to acknowledge that they have a problem. Previous research indicates that interventions delivered via smartphone apps are suitable in promoting self-monitoring of alcohol use, have a broad reach, and may be more cost-effective than other types of brief interventions. There is currently no such intervention specifically designed for the armed forces.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to describe the development of a tailored smartphone app and personalized text messaging (short message service, SMS) framework and to test the usability and feasibility (measured and reported as user engagement) of this app in a hard-to-engage ex-serving population.

METHODS

App development used Agile methodology (an incremental, iterative approach used in software development) and was informed by behavior change theory, participant feedback, and focus groups. Participants were recruited between May 2017 and June 2017 from an existing United Kingdom longitudinal military health and well-being cohort study, prescreened for eligibility, and directed to download either Android or iOS versions of the "Information about Drinking for Ex-serving personnel" (InDEx) app. Through the app, participants were asked to record alcohol consumption, complete a range of self-report measures, and set goals using implementation intentions (if-then plans). Alongside the app, participants received daily automated personalized text messages (SMS) corresponding to specific behavior change techniques with content informed by the health action process approach with the intended purpose of promoting the use of the drinks diary, suggesting alternative behaviors, and providing feedback on goals setting.

RESULTS

Invitations to take part in the study were sent to ex-serving personnel, 22.6% (31/137) of whom accepted and downloaded the app. Participants opened the InDEx app a median of 15.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 8.5-19.0) times during the 4 week period (28 days), received an average of 36.1 (SD 3.2) text messages (SMS), consumed alcohol on a median of 13.0 (IQR 11.0-15.0) days, and consumed a median of 5.6 (IQR 3.3-11.8) units per drinking day in the first week, which decreased to 4.7 (IQR 2.0-6.9) units by the last week and remained active for 4.0 (IQR 3.0-4.0) weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Personnel engaged and used the app regularly as demonstrated by the number of initializations, interactions, and time spent using InDEx. Future research is needed to evaluate the engagement with and efficacy of InDEx for the reduction of alcohol consumption and binge drinking in an armed forces population.

Helping Older Adults Improve Their Medication Experience (HOME) by Addressing Medication Regimen Complexity in Home Healthcare

In skilled home healthcare (SHHC), communication between nurses and physicians is often inadequate for medication reconciliation and needed changes to the medication regimens are rarely made. Fragmentation of electronic health record (EHR) systems, transitions of care, lack of physician-nurse in-person contact, and poor understanding of medications by patients and their families put patients at risk for serious adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop and test the HOME tool, an informatics tool to improve communication about medication regimens, share the insights of home care nurses with physicians, and highlight to physicians and nurses the complexity of medication schedules. We used human computer interaction design and evaluation principles, automated extraction from standardized forms, and modification of existing EHR fields to highlight key medication-related insights that had arisen during the SHHC visit. Separate versions of the tool were developed for physicians/nurses and patients/caregivers. A pilot of the tool was conducted using 20 SHHC encounters. Home care nurses and physicians found the tool useful for communication. Home care nurses were able to implement the HOME tool into their clinical workflow and reported improved communication with physicians about medications. This simple and largely automated tool improves understanding and communication around medications in SHHC.

Status of observance of structural standards in rehabilitation centers and nursing homes

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of observance of structural standards in rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 12 centers of the nursing homes of Isfahan city during 2016-2017. The tool was a check. To complete the checklist, the direct observation of the environment and the review of existing documents were used. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and frequency distribution.

RESULTS

The findings of this study shows that of 11 standards ofworkforce standards regarding to health expert presence, nurse presence, therapist and extracurricular instructor presence, have been observed innone of the centers, and the presence of social worker/psychologist in 50% of the centers. Of the 21 standards relating to the physical environment, eight standards have not been met in any of the centers. Of the 25 standards relating to the general conditions of building, 4 standards have not been met in any of the centers. Of the 10 standard relating to the equipment and supplies which are needed, 3 were not observed in any of the centers. Of the 10 standards relating to the required services, except one, standards have been met in all centers. Of the 10 standards relating to the general provisions, 7 are met in all centers of both types.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings, a significant percentage of standards have not been met in any of the aging centers or just met in some of these centers. It is hoped that the results of this study will enable authorities to promote standardization of nursing homes and rehabilitation centers.

Estimating the association between burnout and electronic health record-related stress among advanced practice registered nurses

BACKGROUND

Health information technology (HIT), such as electronic health records (EHRs), is a growing part of the clinical landscape. Recent studies among physicians suggest that HIT is associated with a higher prevalence of burnout. Few studies have investigated the workflow and practice-level predictors of burnout among advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

AIM

Characterize HIT use and measure associations between EHR-related stress and burnout among APRNs.

METHODS

An electronic survey was administered to all APRNs licensed in Rhode Island, United States (N = 1197) in May-June 2017. The dependent variable was burnout, measured with the validated Mini z burnout survey. The main independent variables were three EHR-related stress measures: time spent on the EHR at home, daily frustration with the EHR, and time for documentation. Logistic regression was used to measure the association between EHR-related stress and burnout before and after adjusting for demographics, practice-level characteristics, and the other EHR-related stress measures.

RESULTS

Of the 371 participants, 73 (19.8%) reported at least one symptom of burnout. Among participants with an EHR (N = 333), 165 (50.3%) agreed or strongly agreed that the EHR added to their daily frustration and 97 (32.8%) reported an insufficient amount of time for documentation. After adjustment, insufficient time for documentation (AOR = 3.72 (1.78-7.80)) and the EHR adding to daily frustration (AOR = 2.17 (1.02-4.65)) remained predictors of burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from the present study revealed several EHR-related environmental factors are associated with burnout among APRNs. Future studies may explore the impact of addressing these EHR-related factors to mitigate burnout among this population.

Understanding patients' oral health information needs: Findings of a survey on use of patient portals in dentistry

BACKGROUND

Patient engagement through web-based patient health portals (PHP) can offer important benefits to patients and provider organizations by improving both quality and access to care. The authors studied the most relevant, patient-identified, oral health information available in the PHP to inform their assessment of patient-centered care.

METHODS

The authors distributed a 17-question, paper-based survey to patients aged 18 through 80 years in the waiting rooms of 8 dental centers in Wisconsin. Descriptive statistics, along with differences in percentages by sex, age group, and metropolitan status were reported using the χ² and Wilcoxon rank sum test.

RESULTS

A 75% (813 of 1,090) response rate was achieved. More than one-third of patients selected access to previous dental procedures, dental history, routine dental appointment reminders, date of last dental visit, tooth chart, date of last full-mouth radiograph, and dental problem list via the PHP.

CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Patients identified and recommended incorporation of different types of oral health data for access via the PHP as vital to strengthening the communication between patients and dental professionals. Incorporating patient-identified oral health information in the PHP will inform strategies for improving patient engagement, strengthen patient-provider communication, and offer a venue for increasing oral health literacy and awareness.

Can Nursing Drive Technological Advances in Healthcare in the Asia-Pacific?

The Asia-Pacific healthcare industry is expected to grow at 11.1% in 2018. This has been considered one of the fastest growing regions in the world. The positive growth occurring in the Asia-Pacific region is due to the increasing adoption of technology. While it is understood that technology drives advances in nursing and the health sciences, would it be possible that nursing can or will also drive technological advancements in human caring? All too often, nurses are employed in health care as simply the end-users of technologies. It is the purpose of this paper to engage a discourse towards advancing nursing as driving technological improvements aimed for human caring. How can nursing facilitate this powerful dynamic, and what will it take for nursing as a discipline and a profession to occupy a primary role in this all too often unrecognized view, that nursing can and will drive technological advancements for human caring?

Implementation of Electronic Health Records in US Nursing Homes

While electronic health records have emerged as promising tools to help improve quality of care, nursing homes have lagged behind in implementation. This study assessed electronic health records implementation, associated facility characteristics, and potential impact on quality indicators in nursing homes. Using national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and survey data for nursing homes, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted to identify variations between nursing homes that had and had not implemented electronic health records. A difference-in-differences analysis was used to estimate the longitudinal effect of electronic health records on commonly used quality indicators. Data from 927 nursing homes were examined, 49.1% of which had implemented electronic health records. Nursing homes with electronic health records were more likely to be nonprofit/government owned (P = .04) and had a lower percentage of Medicaid residents (P = .02) and higher certified nursing assistant and registered nurse staffing levels (P = .002 and .02, respectively). Difference-in-differences analysis showed greater quality improvements after implementation for five long-stay and two short-stay quality measures (P = .001 and .01, respectively) compared with those who did not implement electronic health records. Implementation rates in nursing homes are low compared with other settings, and better-resourced facilities are more likely to have implemented electronic health records. Consistent with other settings, electronic health records implementation improves quality in nursing homes, but further research is needed to better understand the mechanism for improvement and how it can best be supported.

Tele-health-care in the elderly living in nursing home: the first Sicilian multimodal approach

BACKGROUND

The continued aging of the population is affecting the health of the industrialized countries, with an increasing burden for the healthcare system. Thus, during the last decade, we assisted to relevant progress in the medical treatment and rehabilitation techniques and devices, including the development of telemedicine for geriatric care.

AIM

To demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel tele-health-care model allowing a better management of elderly living in nursing homes.

METHODS

Fifty-nine elderly patients (19 males and 40 females; mean age 79.1 (±9.2), were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group that performed a proper telemonitoring with a multimodal approach (including monitoring of the vital signs and neurological/psychological counseling), and the control group, which underwent standard in-home nursing care. Neurobehavioral symptoms and quality of life were assessed in both the groups at baseline, and after the telecare protocol's end.

RESULTS

The experimental group had a statistically significant reduction in Geriatric Depression Scale (p < 0.01) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (p < 0.05) scores, and an improvement in their quality of life. Moreover, mean blood pressure and heart rate were lower in the experimental than in the control group (p < 0.05), and admission to health care services was higher in the control than in the experimental group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine can be considered as an important tool in improving health and quality of life in the elderly living in nursing homes, and potentially reducing healthcare service access, hospitalization, and costs.

Leveraging Health Information Technology for Fall-Risk Management in Home Care

Falls have a detrimental impact on home care outcomes. This study investigated home care clinicians’ perspectives on (1) how the currently adopted health information technology (IT) solutions supported fall-risk management activities, (2) various shortcomings of these solutions, and (3) ways to improve upon them. Within a case study design, qualitative data were collected through interviews and focus groups at one suburban home health agency in the United States. The clinicians mainly used the electronic health record but experienced substantial difficulties with documenting and accessing fall-related information. Improvement opportunities include providing better workflow support and usability, implementing medication alerts, facilitating fall-related information exchange, and leveraging the IT capabilities at patients’ homes. Additional IT solutions can improve the awareness, assessment, and intervention dimensions of fall-risk management.

Mobile health solutions for the aging population: A systematic narrative analysis

Introduction The ubiquitous nature of mobile technology coupled with the acceptance of mobile health (mHealth) among the elderly offers an opportunity to augment the existing medical workforce in long-term care. The objective of this review and narrative analysis is to identify and analyse facilitators and barriers to adoption of mHealth for the elderly. Methods Studies over the last year were identified in multiple database indices, and three reviewers examined abstracts ( k = 0.82) and analysed articles for themes which were tallied in affinity diagrams to identify frequency of occurrence in the literature (n = 36). Results The three facilitators mentioned most often were independence (18%), understanding (13%), and visibility (13%). The three barriers mentioned most often were complexity (21%), limited by users (12%) and ineffective (12%). Discussion and conclusions The reviewers concluded that the work done so far illustrates that mHealth enables a perception of independence. Future research should focus on the barriers of complexity of technology and improving existing medical literacy in order to facilitate further adoption.

Using Telehealth to Reduce All-Cause 30-Day Hospital Readmissions among Heart Failure Patients Receiving Skilled Home Health Services

BACKGROUND

The reduction of all-cause hospital readmission among heart failure (HF) patients is a national priority. Telehealth is one strategy employed to impact this sought-after patient outcome. Prior research indicates varied results on all-cause hospital readmission highlighting the need to understand telehealth processes and optimal strategies in improving patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this paper is to describe how one Medicare-certified home health agency launched and maintains a telehealth program intended to reduce all-cause 30-day hospital readmissions among HF patients receiving skilled home health and report its impact on patient outcomes.

METHODS

Using the Transitional Care Model as a guide, the telehealth program employs a 4G wireless tablet-based system that collects patient vital signs (weight, heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygenation) via wireless peripherals, and is preloaded with subjective questions related to HF and symptoms and instructional videos.

RESULTS

Year one all-cause 30-day readmission rate was 19.3%. Fiscal year 2015 ended with an all-cause 30-day readmission rate of 5.2%, a reduction by 14 percentage points (a 73% relative reduction) in three years. Telehealth is now an integral part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System's readmission reduction program.

CONCLUSIONS

Telehealth was associated with a reduction in all-cause 30-day readmission for one mid-sized Medicare-certified home health agency. A description of the program is presented as well as lessons learned that have significantly contributed to this program's success. Future expansion of the program is planned. Telehealth is a promising approach to caring for a chronically ill population while improving a patient's ability for self-care.

Modeling a Nursing Guideline with Standard Terminology and Unified Modeling Language for a Nursing Decision Support System: A Case Study

In recent years, Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been developed and used to achieve "meaningful use". One approach to developing DSSs is to translate clinical guidelines into a computer-interpretable format. However, there is no specific guideline modeling approach to translate nursing guidelines to computer-interpretable guidelines. This results in limited use of DSSs in nursing. Unified modeling language (UML) is a software writing language known to accurately represent the end-users' perspective, due to its expressive characteristics. Furthermore, standard terminology enabled DSSs have been shown to smoothly integrate into existing health information systems. In order to facilitate development of nursing DSSs, the UML was used to represent a guideline for medication management for older adults encode with the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®). The UML was found to be a useful and sufficient tool to model a nursing guideline for a DSS.

Feasibility Testing of a Protocol to Stop Ineffective Drug and Nondrug Treatments

Ineffective treatments continue to be given to nursing home residents with dementia, and many more treatments are started than stopped. The Track and Trigger Treatment (T(3)) Protocol assists nurses to track responses to new treatments and get ineffective treatments stopped or altered. This preliminary study determined feasibility for end users and examined differences between two randomized groups in assessments, treatment changes, nurse time, and drug costs over 8 weeks. Controlling for number of medical diagnoses, 41 residents in the T(3) group had significantly more treatments stopped than 37 residents in the usual care group. Treatments were most commonly stopped because of ineffectiveness (33%), followed by the problem being resolved (29%), side effects (18%), and a change in goals of care (20%). Assessment quality was a statistically significant mediator, and drug costs were significantly less for the T(3) group. The T(3) processes were rated as useful and easy, with one caveat.