[Interprofessional weaning boards and weaning consults for long-term ventilated patients: A qualitative study of perceived potential for patient care].

Background: The PRiVENT project aims to improve the care of invasively ventilated patients and to reduce the number of out-of-hospital long-term ventilated patients. PRiVENT offers intensive care units the opportunity to exchange information with experts from specialized weaning centers in interprofessional weaning boards and weaning consults and to exploit the full weaning potential of the patients. In the context of the accompanying process evaluation, the PRiVENT intervention components will be examined for sustainability, scalability and effectiveness, and the interprofessional collaboration between intensive care units and the responsible weaning centers will be investigated in order to identify potentials for the care of invasively managed patients.

[Between New Responsibility and Daily Routines - The Role of the VERAH in GP Care: A Qualitative Secondary Data Case Study of the Introduction of Software-Based Case Management].

Background: The concept of Care Assistant in General Practice (VERAH) was developed in order to integrate non-medical staff more strongly into primary care and thus to meet the increasing demand for care and the simultaneous shortage of medical staff. VERAHs are increasingly responsible for software-supported case management and are thus confronted with new tasks. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the role of the VERAH in primary care practices.

Climate change mitigation: Qualitative analysis of environmental impact-reducing strategies in German primary care.

Background: The German healthcare system is responsible for 5,2% of the national emissions of greenhouse gases. Therefore, mitigation actions to reduce the carbon footprint are crucial. However, there have been few approaches to achieve this in German primary care.

Prevention of invasive ventilation (PRiVENT)-a prospective, mixed-methods interventional, multicentre study with a parallel comparison group: study protocol.

Background: Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is a standard therapy for intensive care patients with respiratory failure. With increasing population age and multimorbidity, the number of patients who cannot be weaned from IMV increases, resulting in impaired quality of life and high costs. In addition, human resources are tied up in the care of these patients.

Hospital Admission and Discharge: Lessons Learned from a Large Programme in Southwest Germany.

Introduction: In the context of a GP-based care programme, we implemented an admission, discharge and follow-up programme.

Description: The VESPEERA programme consists of three sets of components: pre-admission interventions, in-hospital interventions and post-discharge interventions. It was aimed at all patients with a hospital stay participating in the GP-based care programme and was implemented in 7 hospitals and 72 general practices in southwest Germany using a range of strategies.

Interprofessional weaning boards for invasively ventilated patients in intensive care units: Qualitative interview study with healthcare professionals in Germany.

Numbers of mechanically ventilated patients are increasing worldwide. Weaning Boards could support weaning from the ventilator by facilitating interprofessional consultations between Weaning Centers and nonpneumological intensive care units. This study, which is linked to the project Prevention of invasive Ventilation, aimed to explore the design and implementation of future Weaning Boards.

How to fall into a new routine: factors influencing the implementation of an admission and discharge programme in hospitals and general practices.

Introduction: The VESPEERA programme is a multifaceted programme to enhance information transfer between general practice and hospital across the process of hospital admission, stay and discharge. It was implemented in 7 hospitals and 72 general practices in Southern Germany. Uptake was heterogeneous and overall low.

Building resilience in German primary care practices: a qualitative study.

Background: In recent years, healthcare has faced many different crises around the world such as HIV-, Ebola- or H1N1-outbrakes, opioid addiction, natural disasters and terrorism attacks). In particular, the current pandemic of Covid-19 has challenged the resilience of health systems. In many healthcare systems, primary care practices play a crucial role in the management of crises as they are often the first point of contact and main health care provider for patients.

Effects and Processes of an mHealth Intervention for the Management of Chronic Diseases: Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) interventions for self-management are a promising way to meet the needs of patients with chronic diseases in primary care practices. Therefore, an mHealth intervention, TelePraCMan, was developed and evaluated for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high blood pressure, or heart failure in a German primary care setting. TelePraCMan entails a symptom diary, an appointment manager, a manager to document goals, and a warning system.

Risk Factors for Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation and Weaning Failure: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) and weaning failure are factors associated with prolonged hospital length of stay and increased morbidity and mortality. In addition to the burden these places on patients and their families, it also imposes high costs on the public health system. The aim of this systematic review was to identify risk factors for PMV and weaning failure.

[An exploratory cross-sectional study on technical affinity and smartphone use among practice staff and patients: development of an app for multimorbid patients in general practice].

Introduction: Due to individual care needs, the provision of care to patients with two or more chronic diseases (multimorbidity) is described as complex. In addition, the number of chronically ill people is increasing, due in part to demographic changes which pose a challenge, especially for outpatient primary care. In order to fulfil patients' needs and to promote self-management as a central care element of chronically ill patients, the use of eHealth applications increases.

The role of personalised professional relations across care sectors in achieving high continuity of care.

Background: High continuity of care has a positive impact on health outcomes, but insight into the mechanisms underlying this impact is limited. Information continuity, on which our study focuses, is especially important when relational continuity is not given, which is often the case at hospital admission or hospital discharge. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the information flows between general practices and hospitals in Germany, and to identify factors associated with these flows of information.

A New Method for Structured Integration of User Needs in Two Health Technology Development Projects: Action Sheets.

An early integration of users and stakeholders is needed for a successful innovation process. Nonetheless, the integration of users is often hard to realize - especially when dealing with persons with chronic diseases. In addition, patients or users in general often are not able to formulate the requirements in a technical manner.

Caregivers' role in using a personal electronic health record: a qualitative study of cancer patients and caregivers in Germany.

Background: Particularly in the context of severe diseases like cancer, many patients wish to include caregivers in the planning of treatment and care. Many caregivers like to be involved but feel insufficiently enabled. This study aimed at providing insight into patients' and caregivers' perspectives on caregivers' roles in managing the patient portal of an electronic personal health record (PHR).

An Electronic Medication Module to Improve Health Literacy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In primary care, patients play a crucial role in managing care processes and handling drug treatment. A decisive factor for success is their health literacy, and several interventions have been introduced to support patients in fulfilling their responsibility.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the influence of such an intervention (ie, a medication module) within a patient-led electronic health record on patients' health literacy.