Strategies adopted to manage physical and psychosocial challenges after returning home among people with stroke: A qualitative study.

Stroke survivors encounter various physical and psychosocial challenges after hospital discharge. Systematic reviews consistently suggest the importance of self-management in promoting post-stroke recovery. However, stroke survivors' performance of self-management behaviors after returning home is poorly understood.

Theoretical asthma self-management program for Taiwanese adolescents with self-efficacy, outcome-expectancy, health behaviour, and asthma symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The asthma prevalence of Taiwanese adolescents continued to rise. With physical and psychological changes in adolescents, managing asthma can be quite challenges and affect social, emotional and physical wellbeing. Adolescents with high self-efficacy levels are more likely to be involved in prevention and management activities.

Coaching Ongoing Momentum Building On stroKe rEcovery journeY ('COMBO-KEY'): a randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Systematic reviews reporting self-management interventions are associated with significant improvements in stroke survivors' self-efficacy, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and independence. However, common barriers such as transportation and availability of carers were identified. Health coaching is suggested as an innovative and cost-effective care model with potential benefits in managing chronic diseases.

Transitional care interventions reduce unplanned hospital readmissions in high-risk older adults.

Background: Acute hospital services account for the largest proportion of health care system budgets, and older adults are the most frequent users. As a result, older people who have been recently discharged from hospital may be at greater risk of readmission. This study aims to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of transitional care interventions on unplanned hospital readmissions within 28 days, 12 weeks and 24 weeks following hospital discharge.

D-dimer levels in VTE patients with distal and proximal clots.

Objectives: There is growing evidence that venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients with distal clots (distal calf deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and sub-segmental pulmonary embolism [PE]) may not routinely benefit from anticoagulation. We compared the D-dimer levels in VTE patients with distal and proximal clots.

Methods: We conducted a multinational, prospective observational study of low-to-intermediate risk adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected VTE.

A randomized control trial of an asthma self-management program for adolescents in Taiwan: A study protocol.

Uncontrolled asthma in adolescents can be explained by developmental changes and lack of priority for self-care activities. Limited reports on asthma self-management programs for adolescents to enhance prevention behaviors in Taiwan were found. The protocol paper presents a two-armed, randomized controlled trial aiming to test the effectiveness of a newly developed self-management program for 112 adolescents with asthma in Taiwan.

Stroke Self-Management Support Improves Survivors' Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectation of Self-Management Behaviors.

Background And Purpose: Evidence shows self-management programs are associated with improved recovery outcomes. This article reports on the effectiveness of a new nurse-led self-efficacy-based stroke self-management program.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial of participants recruited from 3 acute stroke units was conducted.

Cardiac-diabetes self-management program for Australians and Taiwanese: A randomized blocked design study.

Cardiac disease and type 2 diabetes are prevalent diseases globally. Cardiac rehabilitation and diabetes self-management programs empower patients' self-management to improve their health outcomes. However, inappropriate delivery modes and continuing low participation rates indicate some programs are less than optimal.

Reduced prevalence and severity of wounds following implementation of the Champions for Skin Integrity model to facilitate uptake of evidence-based practice in aged care.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the implementation of the Champions for Skin Integrity model on facilitating uptake of evidence-based wound management and improving skin integrity in residents of aged care facilities.

Background: The incidence of skin tears, pressure injuries and leg ulcers increases with age, and such wounds can be a serious issue in aged care facilities. Older adults are not only at higher risk for wounds related to chronic disease but also injuries related to falls and manual handling requirements.

Effectiveness of the cardiac-diabetes transcare program: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: This paper presents a protocol for a randomised controlled trial of the Cardiac-Diabetes Transcare program which is a transitional care, multi-modal self-management program for patients with acute coronary syndrome comorbid with type 2 diabetes. Prior research has indicated people hospitalised with dual cardiac and diabetes diagnoses are at an elevated risk of hospital readmissions, morbidity and mortality. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness (and cost-effectiveness) of a Cardiac-Diabetes Transcare intervention program on 6-month readmission rate in comparison to usual care.

Vietnamese Version of Diabetes Self-Management Instrument: Development and Psychometric Testing.

Self-management plays a vital role in diabetes management for adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). While there are many people with T2DM in Vietnam, clinical understanding of diabetes self-management (DSM) in this context is limited due to the lack of a valid measurement instrument. Translation and back-translation processes were used to translate the Diabetes Self-Management Instrument (DSMI) into Vietnamese.

Psychometric Properties of Korean Version of Self-Efficacy of Evidence-Based Practice Scale.

Purpose: This study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Self-Efficacy of Evidence-Based Practice (SE-EBP) scale, which was originally developed by Chang and Crowe. The beta-version of the SE-EBP is a modified version of the original SE-EBP, which measures the clinical nurses' confidence in finding, appraising, and implementing evidence into practice. Although the original SE-EBP has been validated, no study has been conducted to validate the Korean version of SE-EBP.

Study protocol: a randomised controlled trial of a nurse-led community-based self-management programme for improving recovery among community-residing stroke survivors.

Background: Recovery after stroke is long-term and demanding. Optimising community-residing stroke survivors' capability to self-manage their health is integral. Recent systematic reviews have shown that stroke self-management programmes were associated with significant improvement in stroke survivors' health-related quality of life and self-efficacy.

Establishing equivalence of a Chinese version of the stroke specific quality of life measure for stroke survivors.

Introduction: The Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale is a stroke-specific measure of health-related quality of life. However, there has been no Chinese (Hong Kong) version of the scale.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted to examine the reliability, validity and factor structure of the translated version (SSQOL-C) among stroke survivors.

Translation and Validation of a Chinese Version of the Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors.

Background: Self-efficacy is a significant factor influencing stroke survivors' participation in self-care and outcomes. The Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ) is a stroke-specific measure of stroke survivors' self-efficacy in performing daily functional activities and self-management. However, there has been no Chinese version of the questionnaire.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of warming interventions for women undergoing cesarean section.

Background: Women undergoing cesarean section are vulnerable to adverse effects associated with inadvertent perioperative hypothermia, but there has been a lack of synthesized evidence for temperature management in this population. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the best available evidence in relation to preventing hypothermia in mothers undergoing cesarean section surgery.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria (adult patients of any ethnic background, with or without comorbidities, undergoing any mode of anesthesia for any type of cesarean section) were eligible for consideration.

The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for cognitive dysfunction in cancer patients who have received chemotherapy: a systematic review.

Background: Chemotherapy-related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD) refers to problems with memory, attention span, or concentration, experienced by patients with cancer who have had chemotherapy. CRCD can have a significant negative effect on a patient's quality of life. The exact cause of CRCD is unknown but is presumed to be multifactorial.

Evidence utilisation project: Management of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia. The challenges of implementing best practice recommendations in the perioperative environment.

Aims: The prevention of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) remains an important issue in perioperative healthcare. The aims of this project were to: (i) assess current clinical practice in the management of IPH and (ii) promote best practice in the management of IPH in adult operating theatres.

Methods: This project from August 2010 to March 2012 utilised a system of audit and feedback to implement best practice recommendations.

Not all systematic reviews are systematic: a meta-review of the quality of systematic reviews for non-invasive remote monitoring in heart failure.

We carried out a critical appraisal and synthesis of the systematic reviews and meta-analyses of remote monitoring for heart failure. A comprehensive literature search identified 65 relevant publications from 3333 citations. Seventeen studies fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Protocol for a randomised blocked design study using telephone and text-messaging to support cardiac patients with diabetes: a cross cultural international collaborative project.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising internationally. Patients with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular events accounting for substantial premature morbidity and mortality, and health care expenditure. Given healthcare workforce limitations, there is a need to improve interventions that promote positive self-management behaviours that enable patients to manage their chronic conditions effectively, across different cultural contexts.

A randomized controlled trial of self-management programme improves health-related outcomes of older people with heart failure.

Aims: This paper is a report on the effectiveness of a self-management programme based on the self-efficacy construct, in older people with heart failure.

Background: Heart failure is a major health problem worldwide, with high mortality and morbidity, making it a leading cause of hospitalization. Heart failure is associated with a complex set of symptoms that arise from problems in fluid and sodium retention.

Advanced practice nursing role development: factor analysis of a modified role delineation tool.

Aim:   This study reports the use of exploratory factor analysis to determine construct validity of a modified advanced practice role delineation tool.

Background:   Little research exists on specific activities and domains of practice within advanced practice nursing roles, making it difficult to define service parameters of this level of nursing practice. A valid and reliable tool would assist those responsible for employing or deploying advanced practice nurses by identifying and defining their service profile.

A randomised controlled trial to prevent hospital readmissions and loss of functional ability in high risk older adults: a study protocol.

Background: Older people have higher rates of hospital admission than the general population and higher rates of readmission due to complications and falls. During hospitalisation, older people experience significant functional decline which impairs their future independence and quality of life. Acute hospital services comprise the largest section of health expenditure in Australia and prevention or delay of disease is known to produce more effective use of services.