Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupressure for Perception of Stress and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Self-Acupressure for Stress (SAS) Trial.

Background: The efficacy of providing self-acupressure educational materials in reducing stress and improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is uncertain. Evidence-based data to recommend for or against self-acupressure as an intervention for reducing stress and improving HRQOL is needed.

Objective: The Self-Acupressure for Stress (SAS) trial evaluates whether providing self-acupressure educational materials would reduce stress and improve HRQOL among health care providers (HCPs).

Determining care management activities associated with mastery and relationship strain for dementia caregivers.

Objectives: To identify specific care management activities within a dementia care management intervention that are associated with 18-month change in caregiver mastery and relationship strain.

Design: Exploratory analysis, using secondary data (care management processes and caregiver outcomes) from the intervention arm of a clinic-level randomized, controlled trial of a dementia care management quality improvement program.

Setting: Nine primary care clinics in three managed care and fee-for-service southern California healthcare organizations.

Boron workers in China: exploring work and lifestyle factors related to boron exposure.

This article describes the lifestyle patterns of boron mining and processing workers (N=936) and a comparison group (N=251) in northeast China, and explores relationships between boron exposure and reproductive health. An English version of an interview guide addressing areas of work and lifestyle relevant to boron exposure and metabolism was developed by an occupational health research team, translated to Chinese, and translated back, for clarity. Modifications incorporated suggestions from a local community advisory board and boron industry workers; the translation-back translation process was reapplied, and cultural and semantic equivalence was attained.

Keeping nursing home residents hydrated.

The purpose of this research is to ascertain nursing home (NH) staffs' perspectives of the problem of dehydration in NHs (skilled nursing facilities) and have them identify clinically practical interventions to ensure that NH residents consistently take adequate fluids. Four focus groups with 28 NH staff members in attendance are held in three NHs in metropolitan Los Angeles. The majority of participants are certified nursing assistants; however, licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, and other NH staff also attend the groups.

Perceived helpfulness of telephone calls--providing support for caregivers of family members with dementia.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived helpfulness of telephone calls to 83 caregivers of family members with dementia. Study participants were assigned by groups to experimental (n = 41) or attention-only control (n = 42) conditions. Initial baseline interview data and narrative transcripts of telephone calls were used in this study.

Factors influencing health promoting activities of mothers caring for ventilator-assisted children.

The extensive care a ventilator-assisted child (VAC) requires when cared for in the home can impact the mother's ability to participate in health promotion activities. The purpose of this study was to examine health promotion activities and the relationships among functional status of the child, impact of the illness on the family, coping, social support, and health promotion activities of mothers who care for ventilator-assisted children at home. Thirty-eight primary female caregivers, mostly mothers, participated in the study and completed the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ), measures of child's functional status, impact of the illness on the family, coping, social support, and demographic data.

Bridging the digital divide: reaching vulnerable populations.

The AMIA 2003 Spring Congress entitled "Bridging the Digital Divide: Informatics and Vulnerable Populations" convened 178 experts including medical informaticians, health care professionals, government leaders, policy makers, researchers, health care industry leaders, consumer advocates, and others specializing in health care provision to underserved populations. The primary objective of this working congress was to develop a framework for a national agenda in information and communication technology to enhance the health and health care of underserved populations. Discussions during four tracks addressed issues and trends in information and communication technologies for underserved populations, strategies learned from successful programs, evaluation methodologies for measuring the impact of informatics, and dissemination of information for replication of successful programs.

Variations in nurse practitioner use in Veterans Affairs primary care practices.

Background: Increasingly, primary care practices include nurse practitioners (NPs) in their staffing mix to contain costs and expand primary care. To achieve these aims in U.S.

Internet intervention for community elders: process and feasibility.

The aim of this report is to describe the process and feasibility of having elders respond to standardized questionnaires in an Internet intervention program for caregivers of persons with dementia. Twenty-one persons with dementia (mean 75 years), and their spouse caregivers (mean age of 65 years) used the intervention program and responded to the questionnaires. Results indicated that with adequate support, elderly caregiver participants were able to provide responses to standardized questionnaires comparable to scores found in other caregiver studies using traditional methods.

Factors associated with complementary therapy use in people living with HIV/AIDS receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Objectives: This study examined the extent to which people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) taking combination antiretroviral therapy used complementary therapy, and the relationship of their reported symptoms to the use of complementary therapy and health-related outcomes.

Design: A descriptive design was used in which data were obtained from individual interviews and medical records.

Settings: PLWHIV were identified through flyers distributed in five HIV clinics in urban and suburban locations in a Western state of the United States.

Use of personal digital assistants by adolescents with severe asthma: can they enhance patient outcomes?

Despite the emphasis placed on asthma education, asthma mortality is on the increase, with rates of disability higher in adolescents. Technology provides unprecedented opportunities for developing means to manage, control, and prevent acute episodes in chronic illnesses. This article describes the use of handheld wireless computer devices (eg, personal digital assistant or pocket personal computer) to prevent emergency department visits and to improve outcomes for patients with severe persistent asthma.

Evaluating quality of nursing care: the gap between theory and practice.

The purpose of this article is to determine whether nursing practice, as judged by nurse peer reviewers, varies by type or location of hospital and to assess which aspects of practice tend to be most at variance with nursing theory. This article provides a framework of continued quality assessment and improvement that is based on prior research. Trained nurse peer reviewers carried out structured implicit review, which utilized their professional judgment to evaluate the process of nursing care for patients admitted to acute hospitals with heart failure or cerebrovascular accident.

Evaluating quality of telehealth advice nursing.

Despite an increased interest in advice nursing, the quality of care has not been addressed. This article examines the quality of the nursing process (including problem identification, care planning, intervention, and evaluation) and its relationship to patient (consumer) outcomes. A sample of 157 nonredundant telephone calls from adults with medical-surgical problems were audiotaped, with providers' and callers' consent, and were rated through an implicit review method by registered nurse raters.

Use of protocols and guidelines by telephone nurses.

Changes in health care delivery, specifically the addition of telephone advice, affect how nurses work and how patients perceive care. It is important to understand the resources available to these nurses, the process by which they provide care, and patient outcomes. This descriptive study describes one type of resource, the availability and use of protocols.