Autistic Traits and Psychosocial Predictors of Depressive Symptoms.

Higher rates of depression and of depressed mood are associated with autistic traits, and both are associated with social interaction factors, such as social self-efficacy, social motivation and loneliness. This study examined whether these social factors explain the association between autistic traits and depression. 658 participants (527 women) completed an online survey with measures of autistic traits (AQ), social self-efficacy (Social Self-Efficacy Scale), social motivation (Social Striving Assessment Scale), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale) and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II).

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient complaints within one Irish teaching hospital.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted the delivery of hospital care in terms of quality and safety.

Objectives: To examine complaints from two time points, quarter 4 (Q4) 2019 (pre-pandemic) and Q4 2020 (second wave), and explore whether there was a difference in the frequency and/or content of complaints.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of complaints from one Irish hospital was conducted using the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT).

An analysis of complaints about hospital care in the Republic of Ireland.

Background: Patients and family members make complaints about their hospital care in order to express their dissatisfaction with the care received and prompt quality improvement. Increasingly, it is being understood that these complaints could serve as important data on how to improve care if analysed using a standardized tool. The use of the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT) for this purpose has emerged internationally for quality and safety improvement.

What are the predictors of hand hygiene compliance in the intensive care unit? A cross-sectional observational study.

Background: Although appropriate hand hygiene (HH) practices are recognised as the most effective preventative strategy for infection, adherence is suboptimal. Previous studies in intensive care units (ICUs) have found differences in HH compliance between those moments that protect the patient, and those that protect the healthcare provider. However, such studies did not control for other variables known to impact HH compliance.

Identifying hot spots for harm and blind spots across the care pathway from patient complaints about general practice.

Introduction: Healthcare complaints are underutilized for quality improvement in general practice. Systematic analysis of complaints has identified hot spots (areas across the care pathway where issues occur frequently) and blind spots (areas across the care pathway that cannot be observed by staff) in secondary care. The Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT) has been adapted to the HCAT(GP).

A meta-review of methods of measuring and monitoring safety in primary care.

Background: A major barrier to safety improvement in primary care is a lack of safety data. The aims of this systematic meta-review (registration: CRD42021224367) were to identify systematic reviews of studies that examine methods of measuring and monitoring safety in primary care; classify the methods of measuring and monitoring safety in the included systematic reviews using the five safety domains of Vincent et al.'s framework and use this information to make recommendations for improving the measurement and monitoring of safety in primary care.

The adaptation of the 'Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool' for general practice.

Background: Patient complaints about care in general practice are underutilized as a source of safety improvement data.

Objective: This study aimed to adapt a secondary care complaints analysis tool for use in general practice contexts and assess the validity, reliability and usability of the adapted tool.

Methods: The study was conducted in two phases.

A multi-perspective exploration of the understanding of patient complaints and their potential for patient safety improvement in general practice.

Background: Healthcare complaints are an under utilised source of information for safety improvement, particularly in general practice settings. Within general practice in Ireland, complaints management is dependent on individual practice policies, with little standardisation nationally, impeding their use for safety improvement. There is a need to understand factors that contribute to unlocking the potential of complaints for safety improvement in general practice in Ireland and internationally.

Systematic review of interventions to improve gender equity in graduate medicine.

Women are substantially underrepresented in senior and leadership positions in medicine and experience gendered challenges in their work settings. This systematic review aimed to synthesise research that has evaluated interventions for improving gender equity in medicine. English language electronic searches were conducted across MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO and Web of Science.

Gender in authorship and editorship in medical education journals: A bibliometric review.

Context: Gender bias has been observed in the authorship and editorship of academic literature in varied medical specialties. This is important as peer-reviewed publications, and participation on editorial boards, are closely related to academic productivity and advancement. The aim of this paper was to examine whether gender-based disparities in authorship and editorship exist in leading medical education journals.

The relationship between psychological resilience and burnout in Irish doctors.

Background: There has been a considerable amount of research focused upon assessing doctor burnout. However, psychological resilience (PR) has been examined far less frequently.

Aims: To examine the relationship between PR and burnout in Irish doctors in order to identify how PR can be improved-with a particular focus on how doctors can be empowered to strengthen their PR.

Barriers to Healthcare for Persons with Autism: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Development of A Taxonomy.

: This review aimed to 1) synthesize extant research on barriers to healthcare access experienced by persons with autism, their caregivers, and health-care providers; and 2) present a taxonomy of barriers to physical healthcare for individuals with autism.: Systematic searches were conducted in five electronic databases. Methodological rigor was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs.

The development of a framework of entrustable professional activities for the intern year in Ireland.

Background: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are units of professional practice that capture essential competencies in which trainees must become proficient before undertaking them independently. EPAs provide supervisors with a solid justification for delegating an activity to trainees. This study aimed to develop and ensure face validity of a set of EPAs for junior doctors in the first year of clinical practice in the Republic of Ireland.

A Systematic Review of Patient-Report Safety Climate Measures in Health Care.

Objectives: Patients are a valuable, yet underutilized source of information for safety measurement and improvement in health care. The aim of this review was to identify patient-report safety climate (SC) measures described in the literature, analyze the included items to consider their alignment with previously established SC domains, evaluate their validity and reliability, and make recommendations for best practice in using patient-report measures of SC in health care.

Methods: Searches were conducted, with no limit on publication year, using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete in November 2019.

Using simulation to explore the impact of device design on the learning and performance of peripheral intravenous cannulation.

Background: The design of medical devices impacts upon the performance of healthcare professionals and patient safety. However, multiple devices serving the same function are often available. The purpose of this study was to use simulation as a means of examining the impact of differences in device design on (1) learning of, or attainment of behavioral fluency in, peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC); and (2) the generalization, or transfer, of learning on one device to performance of PIVC using an untrained device.

A systematic review of patient complaints about general practice.

Background: Health care complaints are an underutilized resource for quality and safety improvement. Most research on health care complaints is focused on secondary care. However, there is also a need to consider patient safety in general practice, and complaints could inform quality and safety improvement.

A systematic review of 7 years of research on entrustable professional activities in graduate medical education, 2011-2018.

Purpose: This review aimed to synthesise some of the extant work on the use of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for postgraduate physicians, to assess the quality of the work and provide direction for future research and practice.

Method: Systematic searches were conducted within five electronic databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CINAHL) in September 2018. Reference lists, Google Scholar and Google were also searched.

Stress, coping, and psychological resilience among physicians.

Background: Recent research has demonstrated that burnout is widespread among physicians, and impacts their wellbeing, and that of patients. Such data have prompted efforts to teach resilience among physicians, but efforts are hampered by a lack of understanding of how physicians experience resilience and stress. This study aimed to contribute to knowledge regarding how physicians define resilience, the challenges posed by workplace stressors, and strategies which enable physicians to cope with these stressors.