Improving access and quality of primary healthcare through women and adolescents' user committees: A mixed-methods case study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: Patient engagement is seen as a fundamental strategy for achieving quality patient-centred care, especially in community-based primary healthcare. Despite growing interest in patient engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa, few patient engagement initiatives have been identified, and those often are limited to lower levels of engagement, in participation in health research or in health system improvement. With the aim of giving a voice to under-represented community groups in healthcare governance, the Access to Health services in Kinshasa (ASSK) project supported the implementation of primary health services user committees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, designed to enable the representation of two user groups with specific unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs: women and adolescents.

Dietary exposures and allergy prevention in high-risk infants.

Infants at high risk for developing a food allergy have either an atopic condition (such as eczema) themselves or an immediate family member with such a condition. Breastfeeding should be promoted and supported regardless of issues pertaining to food allergy prevention, but for infants whose mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, using a specific formula (i.e.

Assessing short-term and long-term mental health effects among older adults after Hurricane Sandy.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the long-term effects of disasters on older adults. We examined if older individuals experienced increased mental health (MH) effects immediately and long-term after Hurricane Sandy and if these effects varied by socioeconomic status (SES), disease subtypes, number of comorbidities, and length of stay.

Methods: We identified older patients (≥64 years) with hospital admissions and Emergency Department (ED) visits (2001-2015) with primary diagnosis of MH diseases using the New York State discharged data.

Increased risk of multiple pregnancy complications following large-scale power outages during Hurricane Sandy in New York State.

Background: Large-scale power outages (PO) are increasing in the context of climate change. Although some research has been conducted into the adverse health impacts of POs, significant gaps remain regarding whether POs would affect the health of pregnant women. We investigated the association between ED visits due to pregnancy complications and the occurence, intensity, and duration of large-scale POs in eight Sandy-affected counties in New York State (NYS).

Correlates of career satisfaction in internationally educated nurses: A cross-sectional survey-based study.

Background: More and more high-income countries hire internationally educated nurses as part of their workforce. While the factors that push and pull internationally educated nurses to migrate and influence their workforce integration have been widely reported in the literature, little is known about internationally educated nurses' career development and whether they are satisfied with their nursing career in Canada.

Objective: This study aims to identify the main correlates of internationally educated nurses' career satisfaction.

The immediate effects of winter storms and power outages on multiple health outcomes and the time windows of vulnerability.

Background: While most prior research has focused on extreme heat, few assessed the immediate health effects of winter storms and associated power outages (PO), although severe storms have become more frequent. This study evaluates the joint and independent health effects of winter storms and PO, snow versus ice-storm, effects by time window (peak timing, winter/transitional months) and the impacts on critical care indicators including numbers of comorbidity, procedure, length of stay and cost.

Methods: We use distributed lag nonlinear models to assess the impacts of winter storm/PO on hospitalizations due to cardiovascular, lower respiratory diseases (LRD), respiratory infections, food/water-borne diseases (FWBD) and injuries in New York State on 0-6 lag days following storm/PO compared with non-storm/non-PO periods (references), while controlling for time-varying factors and PM.

Data driven optimization of sexual assault case processing.

In recent years, several forensic laboratories have noted an increase in the number of sexual assault cases submitted for testing, often leading to longer turnaround times. In that context, forensic laboratories may be interested in reviewing their procedures to increase productivity. Here, we present two different strategies that were put in place in our laboratory.

CSACI guidelines for the ethical, evidence-based and patient-oriented clinical practice of oral immunotherapy in IgE-mediated food allergy.

Background: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an emerging approach to the treatment of patients with IgE-mediated food allergy and is in the process of transitioning to clinical practice.

Objective: To develop patient-oriented clinical practice guidelines on oral immunotherapy based on evidence and ethical imperatives for the provision of safe and efficient food allergy management.

Materials And Methods: Recommendations were developed using a reflective patient-centered multicriteria approach including 22 criteria organized in five dimensions (clinical, populational, economic, organizational and sociopolitical).

Multilevel Disaster Simulation in Nursing: Lessons Learned in Undergraduate and Nurse Practitioner Student Collaboration.

Disaster simulation in nursing education has become fairly common, including both single discipline and interprofessional collaborative events. However, there is a distinct lack of information on disaster simulation involving intraprofessional, multilevel nursing students working collaboratively. Our established undergraduate disaster simulation is a required event for our final-semester senior nursing students.

After the Storm: Short-term and Long-term Health Effects Following Superstorm Sandy among the Elderly.

Objective: Investigate short- and long-term effects of Superstorm Sandy on multiple morbidities among the elderly.

Methods: We examined emergency department visits; outpatient visits; and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and injury among residents residing in 8 affected counties immediately, 4 months, and 12 months following Superstorm Sandy. Control groups were defined as visits/admissions during the identical time window in the 5 years before (2007-2011) and 1 year after (2013-2014) the storm in affected and nonaffected counties in New York.

Intellectual Disabilities and Health Care Communication: A Continuing Education Program for Providers.

Communication with others is a core human imperative; this is especially true in health care. Individuals with intellectual disabilities often face daunting challenges in both health literacy and communicating their health needs and questions. Education for professionals in specialized communication is critical in improving care for their clients with intellectual disabilities.

Internationally educated nurses in Canada: perceived benefits of bridging programme participation.

Aim: To examine internationally educated nurses' perceptions of the extent to which participating in bridging programmes is beneficial for preparing to practise nursing in Canada.

Background: Internationally educated nurses continue to migrate from low-income to high-income countries. Many experience challenges when attempting to practise their profession in the destination country.

Internationally educated nurses in Canada: predictors of workforce integration.

Background: Global trends in migration accompanied with recent changes to the immigrant selection process may have influenced the demographic and human capital characteristics of internationally educated nurses (IENs) in Canada and in turn the assistance required to facilitate their workforce integration. This study aimed to describe the demographic and human capital profile of IENs in Canada, to explore recent changes to the profile, and to identify predictors of IENs' workforce integration.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational survey design was used.

Sleep Disturbances in Individuals With Phelan-McDermid Syndrome: Correlation With Caregivers' Sleep Quality and Daytime Functioning.

Study Objectives: The aims of this study were to document sleep disturbances in individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), to assess whether these individuals had been evaluated for sleep disorders, and to examine relationships between the sleep behavior of these individuals and the sleep behavior and daytime functioning of their caregivers.

Methods: Participants were 193 caregivers of individuals with PMS recruited by the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation. Data were collected through a survey comprising 2 questionnaires: the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Parents' Sleep Habits Questionnaire.

Assessing the Diagnostic Properties of a Graded Oral Provocation Challenge for the Diagnosis of Immediate and Nonimmediate Reactions to Amoxicillin in Children.

Importance: The diagnostic properties of a graded provocation challenge (PC) among children presenting with a rash in the course of amoxicillin treatment are currently unknown.

Objective: To assess the accuracy and the negative predictive value of the PC in a cohort of children referred with suspected allergy to amoxicillin.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A cohort study was conducted between March 1, 2012, and April 1, 2015, at the allergy clinic of the Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders Have Equal Success Rate But Require Longer Periods of Systematic Desensitization than Control Patients to Complete Ambulatory Polysomnography.

Study Objectives: Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for the assessment of sleep, yet the extensive apparatus required for monitoring with PSG can be difficult to tolerate, particularly in children. Clinical populations, such as those with anxiety or tactile sensitivity, may have even greater difficulty tolerating the PSG equipment. This study evaluated an innovative protocol for obtaining full PSG in individuals diagnosed autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or developmental delay (DD), as well as typically developing controls (TD).

Foreign-trained nurses' experiences and socioprofessional integration best practices: an integrative literature review.

This article examines the evidence available on obstacles and facilitating factors for the socioprofessional integration of internationally educated nurses (IENs) and tries to generate best practices concerning their workforce integration. In the nursing shortage context, more and more attention is given to IEN recruitment. Still, IENs' integration experiences into their new environment are strenuous.

Dietary exposures and allergy prevention in high-risk infants: a joint position statement of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Allergic conditions in children are a prevalent health concern in Canada. The burden of disease and the societal costs of proper diagnosis and management are considerable, making the primary prevention of allergic conditions a desirable health care objective. This position statement reviews current evidence on dietary exposures and allergy prevention in infants at high risk of developing allergic conditions.