Supportive Transition Planning for Adolescents Transitioning From Psychiatric Hospitalization to School: A Systematic Literature Review and Framework of Practices.

School-aged youth with behavioral health needs often struggle in the academic environment. When admitted to acute psychiatric hospital settings, the student's difficulties and needs increase upon discharge and return to the school setting. While the literature describes systemic issues in transitioning from an acute psychiatric hospital to the school setting, limited resources exist for practitioners to plan for and support the successful reintegration of affected students.

The implementation of a novel patient symptom screening tool: The Odette Cancer Centre (OCC) experience.

Aim: In 2017, as part of a readiness plan for the launch of a novel symptom screening tool for prostate cancer patients, an interprofessional working group was assembled at Odette Cancer Centre (OCC). A provincial Phase II pilot for the tool had stated (based on stakeholder feedback) that there was a need to: "Develop training and resources for patients and clinicians that facilitate the interpretation of patient reported outcomes measures (PROMs) …." With this recommendation in mind, the working group aimed to develop and implement a training and education plan.

It Only Takes a Minute: The Development and Implementation of a Patient Experience Survey in Radiation Therapy.

Introduction: Health care services use surveys to assess patient satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. While it is important to assess patient satisfaction to ensure their needs are met, lengthy questionnaires with closed-ended questions often focus on areas that may be considered important by institutions rather than patients. Recently, focus has shifted toward patient and caregiver experience, which institutions address via appreciative inquiry.

A Pilot Project to Investigate Radiation Therapist Referrals to an Ad Hoc Supportive Care Oncology Clinic.

Purpose/aim: Approximately 400 patients are treated daily within the radiation therapy (XRT) department at the cancer centre where this project took place. As part of their clinical interactions during the treatment delivery process, radiation therapists (MRTs) may refer patients to a third party "RN Assessment Office" for non technical issues. These referrals can result in extended wait times for patients as well as disruptions to the scheduling of MRTs and other health care professionals.

Sexual Health Issues in Patients with Cancer-An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study of the Awareness Levels of Radiation Therapists.

Introduction: Patients with cancer report dissatisfaction with care they receive in relation to changes affecting intimacy and relationships. Health care professionals describe barriers in providing support in these areas due to lack of time, training, education, and privacy. Radiation therapists (RTs) play a key role in cancer care, but there is little evidence in the literature of their role in sexual health care.

Three Episodes of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy with Variant Ballooning Patterns in 2 Elderly Women.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can present with transient apical, midventricular, or basal left ventricular ballooning patterns. Reported recurrences of this cardiomyopathy are few. We present the cases of 2 elderly women who each had 3 episodes of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in various ballooning patterns.

'Bottom dog men': Disability, Social Welfare and Advocacy in the Scottish Coalfields in the Interwar Years, 1918-1939.

This article connects with and builds on recent research on workmen's compensation and disability focussing on the Scottish coalfields between the wars. It draws upon a range of primary sources including coal company accident books, court cases and trade union records to analyse efforts to define and redefine disability, examining the language deployed and the agency of workers and their advocates. It is argued here that the workmen's compensation system associated disability with restricted functionality relating to work tasks and work environments.

Sexual healthcare for cancer patients receiving palliative care: a narrative review.

Palliative care aims to improve quality of life (QoL) for patients and families and does so by addressing issues not limited to pathology, but other symptoms that may be debilitating to patient experience and QoL. Despite sexual health being an important aspect of life for many patients, it is often omitted in clinical practice. This review summarizes published primary studies to explore the prevalence and importance of incorporating sexual health in the symptom screening and assessments of palliative patients, to identify current interventions that are implemented to address sexual health issues, and identify the barriers that health care professionals (HCPs) and patients may encounter which may prevent sexual health discussions.

Efficacy of postoperative radiation treatment for bone metastases in the extremities.

Background And Purpose: Impending or pathological fractures due to bone metastases may require surgical fixation. Postoperative radiation is often recommended to reduce local progression and prevent prosthesis displacement, hence reducing the need for second surgery. The objectives of this study were to investigate the need for second surgery, and to report on rates of re-irradiation, tumor progression and prosthesis displacement following postoperative radiation.

Clinical presentations of below knee bone metastases: a case series.

Bone metastases are a common complication of advanced malignancy; however, presentation of below-the-knee metastases, particularly affecting the fibula and tibia, are infrequently observed in both the clinical setting and the literature, and present a therapeutic challenge to patients and physicians alike. Due to the weight-bearing capacity of bones below-the-knee, the disruption of the structural and functional integrity of these bones can reduce mobility and thus quality of life. Treatment options for these patients include surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy.

Adverse Health Outcomes Associated with Postdiagnosis Smoking in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Literature Review.

This literature review presents what is currently known about the association between postdiagnosis smoking and adverse health outcomes in prostate cancer. A literature search was conducted using Ovid Embase and Ovid MEDLINE. Information from 36 studies was summarized.

An Overview of Radiation-Induced Nausea and Vomiting.

Background: Radiation-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) is common occurrence in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. When radiation is prescribed to certain sites, it can lead to retching, vomiting, and nausea that can lead to impairments on quality of life and even effect adherence to treatment regimes. The present study reports select literature examining RINV phenomena and reviews mechanisms of RINV as well as current management strategies.

Factors Affecting Treatment Outcome in Elderly Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC), the fifth most common cancer worldwide, is a complicated category of diseases comprised of cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Management of HNC can be very complex, with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy often used in combination to achieve optimal results. The optimal combination of therapies to maximize patient survival and post-treatment quality of life is yet unclear.

Pelvic insufficiency fractures in women following radiation treatment: a case series.

Insufficiency fractures are stress fractures that occur from normal weight-bearing on weakened bone. Radiation treatment to malignancies in the prostate, rectum, anus, or cervix may increase the risk of insufficiency fractures in the pelvic region by damaging osteoblasts that are essential to bone formation. In elderly women with cancer, this risk is greater due to their susceptibility to developing osteoporosis.

Don't Listen With Your Mouth Full: The Role of Facial Motor Action in Visual Speech Perception.

Theories of speech perception agree that visual input enhances the understanding of speech but disagree on whether physically mimicking the speaker improves understanding. This study investigated whether facial motor mimicry facilitates visual speech perception by testing whether blocking facial motor action impairs speechreading performance. Thirty-five typically developing children (19 boys; 16 girls; M age = 7 years) completed the Revised Craig Lipreading Inventory under two conditions.

An Investigation of the Feasibility and Utility of a Low-dose Cone-beam Computed Tomography Scan Protocol for Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Introduction: Routine use of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan protocols as part of the image guidance process (image-guided radiation therapy) has become an integral part of the practice of radiation therapists (RTs). Concerns regarding imaging dose as well as increased in-room time for patients led to reluctance among site group members to adopt CBCT for all radical head and neck cancer (HNC) patients at our institution. This investigation set out to assess the feasibility and utility of a revised CBCT scan protocol with the aim of supporting daily CBCT for HNC patients receiving radiation therapy.

Evaluating the Impact of In Vivo EPID Dosimetry on Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Delivery Workflow: A Stakeholder Perspective.

Introduction: In vivo electronic portal imaging device (EPID) dosimetry is an advanced imaging technique that can obtain patient-specific dose data for quality assurance purposes. However, clinical integration of this technique remains a challenge. This study evaluates the impact of implementing an in vivo EPID technique into the treatment delivery workflow for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in a large cancer centre setting.

Role Development for Radiation Therapists: An Examination of the Computed Tomographic Simulation Procedure for Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer.

Purpose: This study investigated the role of radiation therapists (RTs) in the computed tomographic (CT) simulation procedure for patients receiving radiation therapy for breast cancer at a large comprehensive cancer clinic. RTs had developed a "hybrid role" whereby they practiced autonomously during a "therapist-led CT simulation." As well as CT scanning, RTs assessed the images, performed isocentre and field placement, and contoured the organs at risk in preparation for dosimetrists to optimize the dose distribution.

Implementing an Innovative Journal Club in the Workplace: A Beginners' Guide.

Journal clubs are an established method of reviewing literature for many different health care professionals. The purpose of this article is to provide practical advice on how to start a journal club for frontline medical radiation technologists (MRTs) working in a clinical environment, how to adapt that basic design to meet departmental needs, and how to determine if the journal club is successful. Because of a lack of MRT-specific information, these recommendations have been supported by evidence from other health care professions.

An Investigation into the Variability of Breast Tangent Setups Using the Portal Imaging Process.

This study set out to examine the imaging schedule for a specific group of patients, that is, those receiving the two-field tangent technique for breast cancer treatment at our centre. This group makes up a large percentage of our workload. The departmental policy on imaging for breast tangent patients at the time the study was conducted stated that one image be taken on either the medial or lateral tangent field on the first day of treatment.

Results of a Radiation Therapist Opinion Survey Identifying, Measuring and Addressing Radiation Therapy Patient Supportive Care Needs.

Background: At Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre, a multidisciplinary research team with expertise in radiation therapy and supportive care embarked on a comprehensive, evidence-based three-phase study, "Identifying, Measuring and Addressing Radiation Therapy Patient Supportive Care Needs at the Odette Cancer Centre." The subject of this paper, a radiation therapist opinion survey, constitutes Phase I of that study.

Purpose: The goal of Phase I was to provide an opportunity for radiation therapists (RTs) to express their views concerning a wide range of supportive care issues as they relate to patients and their families, and also to themselves as RTs.

Time and energy constraints on the brood size of swallows, Hirundo rustica, and sand martins, Riparia riparia.

The daily energy requirements of swallow Hirundo rustica and sand martin Riparia riparia adults with broods of different sizes were compared with the energy (food) gain rates of adults. Energy requirements of broods were obtained from food delivery rates, growth rates and from published data. The energy requirements of adults were obtained from DO measurements and from time budgets.