Psychometric Properties of Frailty Instruments in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Examine psychometric properties of frailty instruments used in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to inform selection of frailty instruments for clinical and research use.

Methods: A systematic review was registered in PROSPERO. Studies measuring frailty in adults with RA published before May 25, 2022, were searched in six electronic databases.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rural Adults: A Pilot Intervention Study Using Registered Nurse/Community Health Worker Teams.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction programs led by a nurse/community health worker team are effective in urban settings. This strategy has not been adequately tested in rural settings.

Objective: A pilot study was conducted to examine the feasibility of implementing an evidence-based CVD risk reduction intervention adapted to a rural setting and evaluate the potential impact on CVD risk factors and health behaviors.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Intervention Description of a Mobile Health Intervention in Patients With Heart Failure.

Mobile health (mHealth) is used to encourage and support self-management skills in patients with heart failure. The purpose of the study was to describe the feasibility, fidelity, usability, and acceptability of mHealth interventions. This pilot study used a randomized 3-group (enhanced usual care, mHealth, and mHealth plus, which included a nurse practitioner and community health worker) repeated-measure design to determine the feasibility of using a self-management behavior app and a Bluetooth-enabled scale for daily self-monitoring of weights and medications.

Mobile Health Self-management Interventions for Patients With Heart Failure: A Pilot Study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a multifaceted syndrome that requires self-management for adherence to treatment to control symptoms. Symptoms need to be monitored to prevent impending HF exacerbations. Few HF study authors have assessed efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) interventions particularly with virtual visits to evaluate outcomes such as symptoms and healthcare utilization.

Participatory needs assessment and action planning for a clinical and translational research network.

The goal of this study was to assess the utility of participatory needs assessment processes for continuous improvement of developing clinical and translational research (CTR) networks. Our approach expanded on evaluation strategies for CTR networks, centers, and institutes, which often survey stakeholders to identify infrastructure or resource needs, using the case example of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Network. Our 4-stage approach (i.

Health Status and Burden in Caregivers of Patients With Multimorbidity.

Caregivers of patients with multimorbidity are important for improving patient outcomes. This descriptive study examines health status and burden of 22 caregivers of patients with multimorbidity discharged from the hospital who were enrolled in a self-management intervention study. Caregivers did not receive an intervention.

Adapting an Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Intervention to Urban American Indians.

Purpose: Using the RE-AIM framework, the primary purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct focus groups to identify areas for future adaptation of an evidence-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk intervention (COACH) developed for an urban primary care setting to urban American Indian (AI)-serving settings.

Methods: This qualitative study involved conducting three focus groups with 31 urban AI patients with two or more CVD risk factors to maximize reach and efficacy of COACH. The patients had not yet participated in an adapted COACH program.

Changes in Patient Activation in a Self-Management Intervention.

The purpose of this study was to compare results using individual change in level of patient activation measure (PAM) scores, individual point change scores, and group means in an outcome analysis. We evaluated changes in PAM scores (increase in level or increase of ≥5 points) to mean group PAM scores on patients who completed a self-management intervention compared with usual care on health care utilization and health-related quality of life. The sample was a subset of 91 multimorbid patients with complete data at completion of a self-management intervention.

Weight management telehealth intervention for overweight and obese rural cardiac rehabilitation participants: A randomised trial.

Aims And Objectives: To determine whether a weight management intervention (WMI) plus cardiac rehabilitation (CR) compared to CR alone improves outcomes for overweight and obese cardiac revascularisation patients.

Background: Despite participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), few cardiac patients lose enough weight to achieve clinically significant cardiovascular disease risk reduction.

Design: A randomised controlled design was used with measurements at baseline, 4 and 6 months, guided by the CONSORT checklist, see Supporting Information File S1.

Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptom Clusters: Illustration of Results Using Multiple Statistical Methods.

Researchers have employed various methods to identify symptom clusters in cardiovascular conditions, without identifying rationale. Here, we test clustering techniques and outcomes using a data set from patients with acute coronary syndrome. A total of 474 patients who presented to emergency departments in five United States regions were enrolled.

Using Cluster Analysis to Identify Subgroups of College Students at Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease.

Background And Purpose:  To examine the co-occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors and cluster subgroups of college students for cardiovascular risks.

Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted using co-occurrence patterns and hierarchical clustering analysis in 158 college students.

Results: The top co-occurring cardiovascular risk factors were overweight/obese and hypertension (10.

Comparisons of measures used to screen for obstructive sleep apnea in patients referred to a sleep clinic.

Study Objectives: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) contributes to all-cause mortality. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine task force is focusing on improving detection and categorization of OSA symptoms and severity to promote screening, assessment, and diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically compare measures used in OSA screening (Berlin, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), STOP Bang) and a portable sleep monitor (PSM) to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and levels from polysomnogram (PSG).

Adapting an Evidence-based Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Intervention to Rural Communities.

Purpose: Using the RE-AIM framework, the primary purpose of this qualitative study was to assess focus group data to generate information on the applicability of an evidence-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk intervention developed for an urban setting for rural areas in Nebraska. We also sought to determine potential adaptations that may be necessary to implement the study in a rural setting. The CVD risk reduction intervention is based on the Community Outreach and Cardiovascular Health (COACH) program, which included nurse practitioner/community health worker teams.

Seasonal Work and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Farmers.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and hospitalization in the rural United States. Midwestern farmers are integral to rural communities, but little is known about the effect of occupational variability of seasonal work and technology use on their cardiovascular disease risk.

Aims: This study describes the relationships of health behaviors and cardiovascular disease risk in 40 Midwestern farmers during peak and off-peak farming seasons.

Advancing Symptom Science Through Symptom Cluster Research: Expert Panel Proceedings and Recommendations.

An overview of proceedings, findings, and recommendations from the workshop on "Advancing Symptom Science Through Symptom Cluster Research" sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Office of Rare Diseases Research, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, is presented. This workshop engaged an expert panel in an evidenced-based discussion regarding the state of the science of symptom clusters in chronic conditions including cancer and other rare diseases. An interdisciplinary working group from the extramural research community representing nursing, medicine, oncology, psychology, and bioinformatics was convened at the National Institutes of Health.

Cardiovascular risk factors among college students: Knowledge, perception, and risk assessment.

Objective: To assess college students' knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk factors and to screen for their cardiovascular risks.

Participants: The final sample that responded to recruitment consisted of 158 college students from a midwestern university.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed using convenience sampling.

Knowledge and Awareness Among Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3.

Knowledge is a prerequisite for changing behavior, and is useful for improving outcomes and reducing mortality rates in patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The purpose of this article is to describe baseline CKD knowledge and awareness obtained as part of a larger study testing the feasibility of a self-management intervention. Thirty patients were recruited who had CKD Stage 3 with coexisting diabetes and hypertension.

Selecting symptom instruments for cardiovascular populations.

The purpose of this review is to provide a guide for researchers and clinicians in selecting an instrument to measure four commonly occurring symptoms (dyspnea, chest pain, palpitations, and fatigue) in cardiac populations (acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, arrhythmia/atrial fibrillation, and angina, or patients undergoing cardiac interventions). An integrative review of the literature was conducted. A total of 102 studies summarizing information on 36 different instruments are reported in this integrative review.

Validation of the Knowledge and Perception of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Questionnaires for College Students.

Background And Purpose: To test the psychometric properties of two measures of knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs).

Methods: A methodological study using a modified version of the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire (HDFQ) and the Health Beliefs Related to Cardiovascular Disease (HBCVD) questionnaires was administered to 100 college-aged students.

Results: The HDFQ Kuder-Richardson-20 reliability estimate was .

Correlates of Patient Activation and Acute Care Utilization Among Multimorbid Patients.

Patient activation and self-management have been associated with improved patient outcomes, including decreased re-hospitalization; however, little research has identified factors that predict patient activation in the multimorbid hospitalized patient. This descriptive correlational study included 200 patients with three or more chronic diseases discharged to home post-hospitalization. Standard multiple regression was used to identify correlates of patient activation.

Promoting oral cancer examinations to medical primary care providers: a cluster randomized trial.

Objectives: To compare the percentage of patients who had an oral cancer examination (OCE) by their primary care provider (PCP) in medical clinics participating in a web-based education with poster reminder intervention to that of patients in control clinics. To also determine the effects for PCPs in medical clinics participating in the web-based education with poster reminder intervention as compared with those in control clinics regarding: a) index of knowledge of oral cancer risk factors (RiskOC) and b) index of knowledge of oral cancer diagnostic procedures (DiagOC).

Methods: Six medical clinics were recruited to participate in this study and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group.

Behavior-Specific Influences for Physical Activity Among African American Women.

The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity (PA) behaviors and physical functioning of prehypertensive and Stage I hypertensive African American Women (AAW) and to examine the relationships between PA behavior, physical functioning, personal factors, and behavior-specific influences. Pender's Health Promotion Model was the conceptual framework for the study. A cross-sectional design and convenience sample were used.

Systematic review of symptom clusters in cardiovascular disease.

Background: Although individual symptoms and symptom trajectories for various cardiovascular conditions have been reported, there is limited research identifying the symptom clusters that may provide a better understanding of patients' experiences with heart disease.

Aims: To summarize the state of the science in symptom cluster research for patients with acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass surgery, and heart failure through systematic review and to provide direction for the translation of symptom cluster research into the clinical setting.

Methods: Databases were searched for articles from January 2000 through to May 2015 using MESH terms "symptoms, symptom clusters, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF), coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS), cluster analyses, and latent classes.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Care Transition Intervention Among Multimorbid Patients.

The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of four different doses (based on patients' level of cognition and activation) of a home-based care transitions intervention compared with usual care at 2 and 6 months after hospital discharge to home for 126 adult patients with three or more chronic diseases. Health care utilization was measured, and a cost-effectiveness analysis was used to estimate incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years associated with each intervention arm. At 6 months, results from this pilot study are very promising and support cost-effectiveness for Group 2-low cognition/high activation, Group 3-normal cognition/low activation, and Group 4-normal cognition/high activation patients.