Associations Between Hearing Loss and Health-Related Costs: A Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study.

Purpose: Hearing loss (HL) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, but its health-related costs have been incompletely studied. Our objective was to examine the association between HL and direct health care costs and identify subgroups in which costs associated with HL are especially high.

Method: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of adults treated in a universal health care system between April 2008 and March 2019.

Women's environmental quality of life is key to their overall quality of life and health: Global evidence from the WHOQOL-100.

Gender inequalities in health-related quality of life (QoL) are generally few and small, even in large surveys. Many generic measures limit assessment to QoL overall and its physical and psychological dimensions, while overlooking internationally important environmental, social, and spiritual QoL domains. Unique cross-cultural legacy data was collected using four WHOQOL-100 surveys of adults living in 43 cultures world-wide (17,608 adults; ages 15-101).

Pharmacological treatment for mental health illnesses in adults receiving dialysis: A scoping review.

Background: Pharmacologic management of mental health illnesses in patients receiving dialysis is complex and lacking data.

Objective: Our objective was to synthesize published data for the treatment of depression, bipolar and related disorders, schizophrenia or psychotic disorders, and anxiety disorders in adults receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

Methods: We undertook a scoping review, searching the following databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Self- and Proxy-Completion of Quality of Life Assessment in Dementia Care: A Review of Reviews.

Quality of life (QOL) assessment invites the perspectives of people living with dementia to be shared with family caregivers and healthcare providers. A review of reviews was conducted to describe synthesized evidence (i.e.

Navigating Living Kidney Donation and Transplantation Among South Asian Canadians: The ACTION Project.

Rationale & Objective: South Asian (SA) Canadians with kidney failure have a 50%-77% lower likelihood of kidney transplant and are less likely to identify potential living donors (LDs). This study aimed to identify health system-, patient-, and community-level barriers and facilitators for accessing LD kidney transplantation in the SA community to inform the development of health system- and community-level interventions to address barriers.

Study Design: Qualitative study.

Associations between hearing loss and clinical outcomes: population-based cohort study.

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, but its clinical consequences and population burden have been incompletely studied.

Methods: We did a retrospective population-based cohort study of 4,724,646 adults residing in Alberta between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2019, of whom 152,766 (3.2%) had HL identified using administrative health data.

Electronic patient-reported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (ePRO Kidney): a process evaluation of educational support for clinicians.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly mandated in kidney care to incorporate patients' perspectives.

Objectives: We assessed whether educational support for clinicians using electronic (e)PROs could enhance person-centered care.

Design: A process evaluation, using a mixed methods longitudinal comparative concurrent design was undertaken of educational support to clinicians on routine use of ePROs.

Lessons from professional nursing associations' policy advocacy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: An interpretive description.

Background: Professional nursing associations across jurisdictions engaged in significant policy advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic to support nurses, the public and health systems. While professional nursing associations have a long history of engaging in policy advocacy, scholars have rarely critically examined this important function.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine how professional nursing associations engage in the process of policy advocacy and (b) to develop knowledge specific to policy advocacy in the context of a global pandemic.

The dynamic nature of patient engagement within a Canadian patient-oriented kidney health research network: Perspectives of researchers and patient partners.

Introduction: Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) is a pan-Canadian health research network that engages patients as partners across 18 unique projects and core infrastructure. In this qualitative study, we explored how research teams integrated patient partners into network research activities to inform our patient engagement approach.

Methods: To capture a breadth of perspectives, this qualitative descriptive study purposively sampled researchers and patient partners across 18 network research teams.

"You need a team": perspectives on interdisciplinary symptom management using patient-reported outcome measures in hemodialysis care-a qualitative study.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are standardized instruments used for assessing patients' perspectives on their health status at a point in time, including their health-related quality of life, symptoms, functionality, and physical, mental, and social wellbeing. For people with kidney failure receiving hemodialysis, addressing high symptom burden and complexity relies on care team members integrating their expertise to achieve common management goals. In the context of a program-wide initiative integrating PROMs into routine hemodialysis care, we aimed to explore patients' and clinicians' perspectives on the role of PROMs in supporting interdisciplinary symptom management.

Nigerian Health Care Providers and Diabetes Self-Management Support: Their Perspectives and Practices.

Nigeria struggles to reframe its traditional acute-care disease approach to health care to accommodate rising needs for chronic disease care. This interpretive descriptive study explored Nigerian healthcare providers' (HCPs) perspectives, experiences, and practices related to self-management support (SMS). Observational and experiential data were gathered from 19 HCPs at two urban hospitals in Southeastern Nigeria (seven physicians, four nurses, five dietitians/nutritionists, and three health educators).

How the Routine Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Hemodialysis Care Influences Patient-Clinician Communication: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background And Objectives: Patient-reported outcome measures invite patients to self-report aspects of their quality of life and have been reported to enhance communication with clinicians. We aimed to examine how routine use of patient-reported outcome measures in in-center hemodialysis units influenced patient-clinician communication.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: A concurrent, longitudinal, mixed-methods approach was used.

Theory utilization in applied qualitative nursing research.

Aims: To explore the nuances of theory utilization in qualitative methodologies, discuss the different relationships that applied qualitative methodologies have with theory and use the foundational underpinnings of interpretive description to challenge strongly entrenched ideas of theory that have extended into applied qualitative nursing research.

Design: Methodology discussion paper.

Data Sources: Narrative literature review and personal observations.

How Are Albertans "Adjusting to and Coping With" Dialysis? A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Depression and anxiety are commonly reported (40% and 11%-52%) among adults receiving dialysis, compared with ~10% among all Canadians. Mental health in dialysis care is underrecognized and undertreated.

Objective: (1) To describe preferences for mental health support reported by Albertans receiving dialysis; (2) to compare depression, anxiety, and quality-of-life (QOL) domains for people who would or would not engage in support for mental health; and (3) to explore sociodemographic, mental health, and QOL domains that explain whether people would or would not engage in support for mental health.

Mental Health Care for Adults Treated With Dialysis in Canada: A Scoping Review.

Purpose Of Review: Mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety, are common conditions frequently underrecognized and untreated among individuals with end-stage kidney disease. Existing tools/interventions, approaches to care, and resources to support mental health for people treated with dialysis in Canada are not well known. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically describe how mental health care is provided to adults treated with dialysis in Canada.

Telemonitoring and Case Management for Hypertensive and Remote-Dwelling Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease-The Telemonitoring for Improved Kidney Outcomes Study (TIKO): A Clinical Research Protocol.

Background: Hypertension, together with poorly controlled blood pressure (BP) are known risk factors for kidney disease and progression to kidney failure as well as increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Several studies in patients without kidney disease have demonstrated the efficacy of home BP telemonitoring (HBPT) for BP control.

Objective: The primary aim of this study is to assess the mean difference in systolic BP (SBP) at 12 months, from baseline in remote dwelling patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Northern Alberta, Canada, comparing HBPT + usual care versus HBPT + a case manager.

Designing an App for Immunosuppression Adherence and Communication: A Qualitative Approach.

Background: Immunosuppression nonadherence may be the most important factor limiting long-term allograft survival.

Objective: Following user-centered design, we explored the essential priorities and preferences of kidney transplant recipients and healthcare providers (HCP) to inform development of a smartphone app to improve immunosuppression adherence and communication.

Design: A qualitative descriptive research design was used.

Knowledge and Practice of Incremental Hemodialysis: A Survey of Canadian Nephrologists.

Background: Incremental hemodialysis, a strategy to individualize dialysis prescription based on residual kidney function, may be associated with enhanced quality of life and decreased health care costs compared with conventional hemodialysis.

Objective: We surveyed practicing Canadian nephrologists to assess knowledge, perceptions, and practice pattern on the use of incremental hemodialysis.

Design/setting: We distributed a cross-sectional, web-based survey.

Furthering Cultural Safety in Kidney Care Within Indigenous Communities: A Systematic and Narrative Review.

Rationale & Objective: Cultural Safety is being prioritized within health care around the world. As a concept, Cultural Safety centers upon power relations between health providers and indigenous recipients of care, ensuring that all people feel safe and respected in the health care system. In this article, we explored the breadth of the literature regarding Cultural Safety within the context of indigenous kidney health care.

Policy Advocacy and Nursing Organizations: A Scoping Review.

Policy advocacy is a fundamental component of nursing's social mandate. While it has become a core function of nursing organizations across the globe, the discourse around advocacy has focused largely on the responsibilities and accountabilities of individual nurses, with little attention to the policy advocacy work undertaken by nursing organizations. To strengthen this critical function, an understanding of the extant literature is needed to identify areas that require further research.

Burden of mental health symptoms and perceptions of their management in in-centre hemodialysis care: a mixed methods study.

Background: We aimed to describe (1) depressive and anxiety symptom burdens reported by adults on in-centre hemodialysis in Northern Alberta, Canada and (2) patients' and nurses' perceptions of managing such symptoms using routine patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Methods: A longitudinal mixed methods approach was employed. Cluster randomized controlled trial data exposed the prevalence of positive screens (scores ≥ 3) for depressive (PHQ-2) and anxiety (GAD-2) symptoms.

Knowledge translation resources to support the use of quality of life assessment tools for the care of older adults living at home and their family caregivers.

Purpose: To support the use of quality of life (QOL) assessment tools for older adults, we developed knowledge translation (KT) resources tailored for four audiences: (1) older adults and their family caregivers (micro), (2) healthcare providers (micro), (3) healthcare managers and leaders (meso), and (4) government leaders and decision-makers (macro). Our objectives were to (1) describe knowledge gaps and resources and (2) develop corresponding tailored KT resources to support use of QOL assessment tools by each of the micro-, meso-, and macro-audiences.

Methods: Data were collected in two phases through semi-structured interviews/focus groups with the four audiences in Canada.