Technology use in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of paid employees' experiences in Western Canada.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world implemented processes and policies to limit the spread of COVID-19, especially in long-term care (LTC) homes. This led to changes in technology use for persons living in LTC homes, their families and friends, as well as the paid workforce dedicated to caring for them.

Objective: The study describes the role of technology and its impact on the experiences of LTC staff working in northern and rural areas in Western Canada during COVID-19.

The prevalence and risk factors of apathy among the Canadian long-term care residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Background: Apathy is a prevalent and debilitating neuropsychiatric symptom among persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, particularly those residing in long-term care facilities (LTCF). Despite its profound effects on the quality of life for both residents and their caregivers, apathy remains underrecognized and poorly understood in the context of dementia care.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and biopsychosocial characteristics of apathy among newly admitted residents with dementia in Canadian LTCF using an Apathy Index derived from the interRAI Minimum Data Set (MDS) 2.

Hospital Experiences of Carers in Relation to the Comprehensive Care Standard: A Mixed Method Study.

Aims: To explore the care experiences of informal carers of people with chronic conditions in hospitals and identify areas for improvement in the context of comprehensive care delivery.

Design: A explanatory sequential mixed-method study.

Methods: This study was conducted, involving a survey with 182 carers and interviews with 31 carers of individuals who attended an Australian hospital.

Investigating the Prevalence and Predictors of Apathy among the Canadian Long-Term Care Residents: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Background: In long-term care facilities (LTCF), apathy is a prevalent issue, leading to cognitive decline, functional impairment, and increased mortality risk. Despite its significance, apathy often remains underrecognized and undermanaged in these settings. Recognizing and addressing the predictors of apathy is critical for early intervention and improved care outcomes.

Identification of implementation enhancement strategies for national comprehensive care standards using the CFIR-ERIC approach: a qualitative study.

Background: Comprehensive care is important for ensuring patients receive coordinated delivery of healthcare that aligns with their needs and preferences. While comprehensive care programs are recognised as beneficial, optimal implementation strategies in the real world remain unclear. This study utilises existing implementation theory to investigate barriers and enablers to implementing the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard 5 - Comprehensive Care Standard in acute care hospitals.

Development of person-centred quality indicators for aged care assessment services in Australia: A mixed methods study.

Introduction: This study developed a proposed set of person-centred quality indicators (PC-QIs) for services that assess older adults' care and support needs to determine their eligibility to receive government-funded aged care services in Australia. Individual proposed PC-QIs amenability for change within current organizational structures were explored. Barriers and opportunities to adapt service elements of the aged care assessment service to better align with the intent of the proposed PC-QIs were identified.

The implementation and impacts of the Comprehensive Care Standard in Australian acute care hospitals: a survey study.

Background: Comprehensive care (CC) is becoming a widely acknowledged standard for modern healthcare as it has the potential to improve health service delivery impacting both patient-centred care and clinical outcomes. In 2019, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care mandated the implementation of the Comprehensive Care Standard (CCS). However, little is known about the implementation and impacts of the CCS in acute care hospitals.

Patient outcome quality indicators for older persons in acute care: original development data using interRAI AC-CGA.

Background: A range of strategies are available that can improve the outcomes of older persons particularly in relation to basic activities of daily living during and after an acute care (AC) episode. This paper outlines the original development of outcome-oriented quality indicators (QIs) in relation to common geriatric syndromes and function for the care of the frail aged hospitalized in acute general medical wards.

Methods: Design QIs were developed using evidence from literature, expert opinion, field study data and a formal voting process.

Identification and information management of cognitive impairment of patients in acute care hospitals: An integrative review.

Objectives: Recognition of the cognitive status of patients is important so that care can be tailored accordingly. The objective of this integrative review was to report on the current practices that acute care hospitals use to identify people with cognitive impairment and how information about cognition is managed within the healthcare record as well as the approaches required and recommended by policies.

Methods: Following Whittemore & Knafl's five-step method, we systematically searched Medline, CINAHL, and Scopus databases and various grey literature sources.

The implementation and impacts of national standards for comprehensive care in acute care hospitals: An integrative review.

Objectives: To synthesise current evidence addressing implementation approaches, challenges and facilitators, and impacts of national standards for comprehensive care in acute care hospitals.

Methods: Using Whittemore & Knafl's five-step method, a systematic search was conducted across five databases, including Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify primary studies and reviews. In addition, grey literature (i.

A comparison of prospective observations and chart audits for measuring quality of care of musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department.

Background: Accurate and efficient data collection is crucial for effective evaluation of quality of care. The objective of this study is to compare two methods of data collection used to score quality indicators for musculoskeletal injury management in Emergency departments: prospective observation, and chart audit.

Methods: An analysis was undertaken of data collected from 633 patients who presented with a musculoskeletal injury to eight emergency departments in Queensland, Australia in 2016-17.

What constitutes a quality community aged care service-client perspectives: An international scoping study.

Overwhelmingly, older Australians (people aged 65 years and older or 50 years and older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) prefer to remain living in their own home rather than moving into residential care. To enable older Australians who require assistance to remain living at home, the Federal Government provides a wide range of community care services, the provision of which has increased substantially over the last 15 years. The importance of client preferences, prefaced by the introduction of consumer directed care across community aged care services, has gathered momentum in Australia following legislation in 2015.

Examining the adaptability and validity of interRAI acute care quality indicators in a surgical context.

Background: Currently, the use of quality indicators in the surgical setting may be challenged by diverse patient needs, clinical complexity, and health trajectories. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the adaptability of existing quality indicators to a surgical context and propose new time points.

Methods: A multi-method approach included an environmental scan of the literature, consultation with multinational experts, and analysis of surgical patient data.

Optimising emergency department and acute care for people experiencing mental health problems: a nominal group study.

Objective The aim of this study was to identify potential model of care approaches and systems processes for people presenting to acute healthcare settings with mental health problems, including mental illnesses. Methods Five (consensus) nominal group technique sessions were conducted in 2019 with a purposive sample of stakeholders from health, police, ambulance and consumer agencies (n  = 21). Sessions were recorded, transcribed and analysed for thematic content.

Higher quality of care in emergency departments with physiotherapy service models.

Objective: To investigate the quality of care provided by EDs with physiotherapy services compared to those without, using established musculoskeletal process and outcome quality indicators (QIs).

Methods: An analysis was undertaken of prospective observational and chart audit data collected from 628 patients who presented with a musculoskeletal injury in any of the eight participating EDs in Queensland in 2016-2017. The care provided was scored against 46 musculoskeletal QIs.

Exploring user perspectives of factors associated with use of teletrauma in rural areas.

Background: Despite the existence of universal health care for Canadians, health inequalities persist and those residing in rural regions experience disparities when accessing appropriate services. To enhance access, a teletrauma program was implemented in a rural northern region in western Canada, connecting rural clinicians to urban emergency physicians and trauma specialists during emergency cases.

Objective: To explore reasons why teletrauma is used in rural contexts from the perspectives of service users and stakeholders.

Factors associated with teletrauma utilization in rural areas: a review of the literature.

Introduction: Trauma patients residing in rural areas face increased challenges to accessing timely and appropriate health services as a result of large geographic distances and limited resource availability. Virtual trauma supports, coined 'teletrauma', are one solution offered to address gaps in rural trauma care. Teletrauma represents a new and innovative solution to addressing health system gaps and optimizing patient care within rural settings.

Comparison of in-person and telegeriatric follow-up consultations.

Introduction: Telehealth has the potential to support the care of older adults and their desire to age at home by providing a videoconferencing connection to specialist geriatric care. However, more information is needed to determine how telehealth services affect the care of older adults, and how telehealth services for older adults compare to traditional in-person methods of care provision. The aim of this study was to compare telegeriatric and in-person geriatric consultation methods with respect to outcomes and costs.

Interim guidance for health-care professionals and administrators providing hospital care to adult patients with cognitive impairment, in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: We developed interim guidance for the care of patients with cognitive impairment in hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A Guidance Committee and Readers Group were recruited. The content was identified by the Committee and content-specific subgroups, resulting in a draft document, which was sent to the Readers for review.

A systematic scoping review of change management practices used for telemedicine service implementations.

Background: Telemedicine improves access to health care services enabling remote care diagnosis and treatment of patients at a distance. However, the implementation of telemedicine services often pose challenges stemming from the lack of attention to change management (CM). Health care practitioners and researchers agree that successful telemedicine services require significant organizational and practice change.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor overexpression predicts reduced survival but its targeting is not effective in unselected HNSCC patients.

Background: MET has emerged as target in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, clinical data on MET inhibition in HNSCC are limited.

Methods: HNSCC biopsies and cell lines were tested for MET activity.

Process quality indicators for musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department.

Objectives: Measuring quality of care for musculoskeletal injuries presenting to the ED is important given their prevalence, variations in care, the associated morbidity and financial impacts and pressure to achieve time-based performance measures. Process quality indicators (QIs) provide a quantitative method to measure the actions taken during healthcare delivery. This study aimed to develop a set of process QIs to measure the quality of care for musculoskeletal injuries in the ED.