Assessing a safety climate tool adapted to address respiratory illnesses in Canadian hospitals.

Background: Studies have shown an association between workplace safety climate scores and patient outcomes. This study aimed to investigate (1) performance of the hospital safety climate scale that was adapted to assess acute respiratory illness safety climate, (2) factors associated with safety climate scores, and (3) whether the safety scores were associated with following recommended droplet and contact precautions.

Methods: A survey of Canadian healthcare personnel participating in a cohort study of influenza during the 2010/2011-2013/2014 winter seasons.

Factors influencing self-reported facial-protective equipment adherence among home care nurses and personal support workers: A multisite cross-sectional study.

Background: Facial-protective equipment (FPE) use increased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study explored factors influencing home care personal support workers' (PSWs) and nurses' self-reported adherence to FPE.

Methods: A cross-sectional, electronic, survey was distributed to PSWs and nurses (1,108 complete responses) at 3 home care agencies in Ontario, Canada, in May to June 2022.

Factors influencing nursing professionals' adherence to facial protective equipment usage: A comprehensive review.

Background: Facial protective equipment (FPE) adherence is necessary for the health and safety of nursing professionals. This review was conducted to synthesize predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that influence FPE adherence, and thus inform efforts to promote adherence.

Methods: Articles were collected using Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and MEDLINE and screened for inclusion.

Feasibility study of microburst VNS therapy in drug-resistant focal and generalized epilepsy.

Background: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) at low frequencies (≤30 Hz) has been an established treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) for over 25 years.

Objective: To examine the initial safety and efficacy performance of an investigational, high-frequency (≥250 Hz) VNS paradigm herein called "Microburst VNS" (μVNS). μVNS consists of short, high-frequency bursts of electrical pulses believed to preferentially modulate certain brain regions.

A Good Investment: Expanding Capacity to Care for Older Adults in the Home and Community Care Sector Through Increased Personal Support Worker Wages.

Most older adults prefer to age in place, which for many will require home and community care (HCC) support. Unfortunately, HCC capacity is insufficient to meet demand due in part to low wages, particularly for personal support workers (PSWs) who provide the majority of paid care. Using Ontario as a case study, this paper estimates the cost and capacity impacts of implementing wage parity between PSWs employed in HCC and institutional long-term care (ILTC).

Economic Evidence for Home and Community Care Investment: The Case for Ontario Personal Support Workers' Wage Parity.

The home and community care (HCC) sector is in a health human resource crisis. Particularly concerning is the shortage of personal support workers (PSWs) who provide the majority of HCC. This paper outlines a strategy to mitigate the HCC PSW shortage by applying appropriate funding to HCC and focusing on equal pay between HCC and institutional long-term care facilities' PSWs.

"You Have to Be Careful About Every Detail" How the COVID-19 Pandemic Shaped the Experiences of Canadian Personal Support Workers Working in Home Care.

Objectives: Personal support workers (PSWs) are an essential but vulnerable workforce supporting the home care sector in Canada. Given the impact COVID-19 has had on healthcare workers globally, understanding how PSWs have been impacted is vital.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study to understand the working experiences of PSWs over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Occupational Hand Dermatitis in Health Care: Development and Evaluation of an Online Training E-Module.

Occupational hand dermatitis (OHD) is an important health concern for health care workers (HCWs), yet there is a lack of accessible training materials on this topic. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an OHD training e-module for HCWs. The e-module was created in collaboration with an expert advisory committee and tested by Ontario HCWs through pre- and post-training OHD knowledge tests, a usability survey, and a survey about intent to change work skin care practices.

Create and Sustain a Culture of Curiosity: A Case Study of a Home Healthcare Organization in Toronto.

Increased integration in the healthcare sector requires traditionally non-research-based organizations to contribute to evidence-based decision making as equal partners. This requires a culture and infrastructure that support structured inquiry to improve best practice, quality and safety. We present the roadmap used by one home healthcare organization to create an embedded research unit to drive this transformation.

Spot It, Prevent It: Evaluation of a Rapid Response Algorithm for Managing Workplace Violence Among Home Care Workers.

Background: Workplace violence incidents remain pervasive in health care. Home care workers like personal support workers (PSWs) provide services for clients with dementia, which has been identified as a risk factor for workplace violence. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the implementation of a rapid response algorithm resolved unsafe working conditions associated with responsive behaviors and decreased perception of risk.

Determinants of nurse's and personal support worker's adherence to facial protective equipment in a community setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada: A pilot study.

Background: Appropriate and consistent facial protective equipment (FPE) use is critical for preventing respiratory illness transmission. Little is known about FPE adherence by home care providers. The purpose of this study is to adapt an existing facial protection questionnaire and use it to develop an initial understanding of factors influencing home care providers' adherence to FPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction sector joint health and safety committees: Can their effectiveness be assessed using the JHSC assessment eTool?

Background: Joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) are a legal requirement for most Ontario workplaces. However, few evidence-based tools exist to assess JHSC effectiveness. The JHSC Assessment eTool has been developed and tested in the healthcare and education sectors with positive results.

Sources of Cannabis Information and Medical Guidance for Neurologic Use: NARCOMS Survey of People Living With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: As cannabis products become increasingly accessible across the United States, understanding how patients obtain medical information on cannabis and view the role of their health care provider in providing information is important.

Methods: Participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) from the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis registry completed a supplemental survey on Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol-containing cannabis use between March and April 2020. Participants reported dialogue with health care providers regarding cannabis use, information sources used to make product decisions, and expenditure on cannabis.

Supporting Discovery and Inquiry: A Canadian Hospital's Approach to Building Research and Innovation Capacity in Point-of-Care Health Professionals.

Background And Objectives: Building capacity for research and innovation among point-of-care health professionals can translate into positive outcomes from the organization, staff, and patient perspective. However, there is not a widely accepted framework in place across academic hospitals to guide this work and measure impact. This article outlines one Canadian hospital's approach and provides a blueprint with appropriate indicators as a starting point and guide for organizations looking to develop and implement a practice-based research and innovation strategy.

Understanding transitional care programs for older adults who experience delayed discharge: a scoping review.

Background: Many hospitalized older adults cannot be discharged because they lack the health and social support to meet their post-acute care needs. Transitional care programs (TCPs) are designed to provide short-term and low-intensity restorative care to these older adults experiencing or at risk for delayed discharge. However, little is known about the contextual factors (i.

Building Capacity in Health Professionals to Conduct Quality Improvement: Evaluation From a Collaborative Interorganizational Program.

Background: The Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network Health Professions Innovation Fellowship Program began in 2014 as a pilot initiative among 4 academic teaching hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. The purpose of the Program was to cultivate applied leadership, interprofessional collaboration, and quality improvement capacity among health professionals.

Purpose: This article reports on the evaluation findings from the initial year as well as an update on current program status and sustainability.

Understanding transitional care programmes for older adults who experience delayed discharge: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Many hospitalised older adults experience delayed discharges due to increased postacute health and social support needs. Transitional care programmes (TCPs) provide short-term care to these patients to prepare them for transfer to nursing homes or back to the community with supports. There are knowledge gaps related to the development, implementation and evaluation of TCPs.

Long-term safety and efficacy of cannabidiol in children and adults with treatment resistant Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome: Expanded access program results.

Background: Since 2014, patients with severe treatment-resistant epilepsies (TREs) have been receiving add-on cannabidiol (CBD) in an ongoing, expanded access program (EAP), which closely reflects clinical practice. We conducted an interim analysis of long-term efficacy and tolerability in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS) who received CBD treatment through December 2016.

Methods: Children and adults with LGS/DS taking stable doses of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at baseline were included from 25 EAP sites across the United States.

Screening for hand dermatitis in healthcare workers: Comparing workplace screening with dermatologist photo screening.

Background: Healthcare workers are at increased risk for occupational contact dermatitis, owing to wet work exposure. Early detection and management improves outcomes. Although several diagnostic tools are available, none is appropriate for rapid screening.

The development and testing of a tool to assess joint health and safety committee functioning and effectiveness.

Background: Concern regarding functioning and effectiveness of joint health and safety committees (JHSCs) in Ontario hospitals was raised following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003. A subsequent literature review revealed a lack of studies focused within the healthcare sector.

Methods: A tool to measure JHSC effectiveness was developed by a panel of occupational health and safety experts based on a framework from the healthcare sector.

Joint health and safety committees - What is their impact in the acute care hospital?

Background: There is very little in the literature on the effectiveness of Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) in the healthcare sector and a paucity of information on how JHSCs are perceived in the workplace.

Objective: This study was carried out to explore hospital worker, hospital management, and healthcare sector stakeholder views on the effectiveness of JHSCs in the acute healthcare setting.

Methods: The study used a qualitative descriptive design with: (1) nineteen focus groups and twenty two individual interviews in three hospitals of different sizes; and (2) eight individual interviews with external stakeholders.

Cancer symptom management in the home: A scoping review.

The aim of this scoping review was to examine interventions used by nurses in the home setting for symptom management of adults with cancer. Databases were searched (CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, EBM Reviews, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP) with key words , and . Out of 390 identified citations, five met the inclusion criteria.