Effectiveness of the AF-EduCare and AF-EduApp approach to improve atrial fibrillation knowledge and risk factor awareness in patients with atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Developing an integrated care pathway for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is of pivotal importance, given the different treatment strategies. Moreover, knowledge about the condition is an important factor in engaging patients in their care. Patient education formed the core of the integrated AF-EduCare/AF-EduApp approach.

Facilitators and Barriers in Collaborations Between Community Health Workers with Primary and Well-Being Providers in Primary Healthcare in Belgium.

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) play a crucial role in bridging the gap between underserved populations and formal health. Collaborations between CHWs and health and well-being providers in primary healthcare are essential for improving access to and the quality of care for these communities. However, these partnerships require complementary strengths and specific conditions to succeed.

Home Care Patient's Experiences and Medication Burden Related to High-Risk Medication Use: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Age, polypharmacy and comorbidity are examples of known factors that increase the risk of adverse drug reactions in patients. The use of high-risk medication also entails a heightened risk of harm. There is currently no information available on the home care patients' experiences and medication burden experienced due to their high-risk medication use and how they manage their medication.

Factors influencing the formation of balanced care teams: the organisation, performance, and perception of nursing care teams and the link with patient outcomes: a systematic scoping review.

Background: The composition of care teams is crucial for delivering patient-centered healthcare, yet assembling a well-balanced team remains a challenge. This difficulty stems from the intricate dynamics of team capacity, culture, context, and the demands of the job. The current literature offers limited guidance for decision-makers on how to effectively navigate these dynamics to compose a balanced care team.

Nurses' responses to patients' medication self-management problems in hospital and the use of recommendations.

This study aimed to describe the use of recommendations as a guide for healthcare providers to support patients experiencing medication self-management problems and to evaluate their feasibility, user-friendliness and usefulness. Between March and August 2023, 58 hospitalized patients completed a self-assessment on medication self-management problems. The problems addressed in this self-assessment were based on a list of frequently encountered medication self-management problems from previous research.

The prevalence of polypharmacy in older Europeans: A multi-national database study of general practitioner prescribing.

Aims: The aims of this study were to measure the prevalence of polypharmacy and describe the prescribing of selected medications known for overuse in older people with polypharmacy in primary care.

Methods: This was a multinational retrospective cohort study across six countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. We used anonymized longitudinal patient-level information from general practice databases hosted by IQVIA.

Effect of an in-hospital medication self-management intervention (SelfMED) on medication adherence in polypharmacy patients postdischarge: protocol of a pre-post intervention study.

Introduction: Healthcare providers usually manage medication for patients during hospitalisation, although patients are expected to self-manage their medication after discharge. A lack of self-management competencies is found to be associated with low adherence levels and medication errors harming patients' health. Currently, patients seldom receive support or education in medication self-management.

Validation of the Delirium Observation Screening Scale in long-term care facilities in Flanders.

Aim: The aim of this study was to validate the Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOSS) in a population of long-term care facility (LTCF) residents in Flanders. Currently there is no validated screening tool for delirium available for the population in this setting in Flanders.

Methods: A multisite, cross-sectional study was conducted in six LTCFs.

Breathing across ages: a systematic review on challenges and components of transitional care for young people with asthma.

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic condition that affects millions of adolescents and young adults (AYA) worldwide. The transition from pediatric to adult care presents unique challenges for this population, affecting their self-management, quality of life and overall health outcomes. This systematic review aims to consolidate the available evidence on challenges encountered by AYA with asthma during the transition period from child to AYA and on the key elements of transitional care for AYAs with asthma including the outcomes achieved, ultimately enhancing outcomes.

Evaluation of methods measuring medication adherence in patients with polypharmacy: a longitudinal and patient perspective.

Purpose: To explore patients' willingness to have medication adherence measured using different methods and evaluate the feasibility and validity of their combination (i.e., pill counts, a medication diary and a questionnaire assessing adherence two months post-discharge).

The development and evaluation of a medication diary to report problems with medication use.

Purpose: The study aimed to develop and evaluate a medication diary for patients to report problems with medication use to enable shared-decision making and improve medication adherence.

Methods: Based on a search for existing diaries, a review of the content, and a list of medication self-management problems compiled from previous research, a paper and pencil version of a medication diary was developed. The diary was reviewed for clarity and overall presentation by five healthcare providers and nine patients.

Combining the Nurse Intuition Patient Deterioration Scale with the National Early Warning Score provides more Net Benefit in predicting serious adverse events: A prospective cohort study in medical, surgical, and geriatric wards.

Objectives: This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the predictive value of the Nurse Intuition Patient Deterioration Scale (NIPDS) combined with the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) for identifying serious adverse events in patients admitted to diverse hospital wards.

Research Methodology/design: Data was collected between December 2020 and February 2021 in a 350-bed acute hospital near Brussels, Belgium. The study followed a prospective cohort design, employing NIPDS alongside NEWS for risk assessment.

Attitudes of patients with schizophrenia spectrum or bipolar disorders towards medication self-management during hospitalisation.

Background: Medication self-management (MSM) is defined as a person's ability to cope with medication treatment for a chronic condition, along with the associated physical and psychosocial effects that the medication causes in their daily lives. For many patients, it is important to be able to self-manage their medication successfully, as they will often be expected to do after discharge.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the willingness and attitudes of patients with schizophrenia spectrum or bipolar disorders regarding MSM during hospital admission.

The third Medical Emergency Teams - Hospital outcomes in a day (METHOD3) study: The application of quality metrics for rapid response systems around the world.

Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the readiness of international hospitals to implement consensus-based quality metrics for rapid response systems (RRS) and evaluate the feasibility of collecting these metrics.

Methods: A digital survey was developed and distributed to hospital administrators and clinicians worldwide. The survey captured data on the recommended quality metrics for RRS and collected information on hospital characteristics.

Work stress and burnout among emergency physicians: a systematic review of last 10 years of research.

Aim Of The Study: First, to provide a synthesis and analysis of available scientific literature regarding the level of work stress and burnout among emergency physicians. Second, to identify the effect of the specific work situation-related factors.

Methods: A systematic search was performed in NCBI PubMed and Embase.

Evaluation of a nurse-led multi-component transition program for adolescents with congenital heart disease.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the transition program for adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) 'Transition With a Heart' (TWAH) on disease-related knowledge, quality of life (QoL), transition experiences, and gaps in follow-up.

Methods: A study with pre-posttest and control group (post-test) using consecutive sampling, including adolescents with moderate to severely complex CHD, without intellectual disability, aged≥ 12 y, and parents. After weighting, t-tests were performed.

Mental Health during the Interpregnancy Period and the Association with Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Body Composition: Data from the INTER-ACT Randomized Controlled Trial.

Mental health problems and obesity are two common complications during pregnancy and postpartum. The preconception period is considered an appropriate period for prevention. Therefore, insights into interpregnancy mental health and the impact on weight and body composition are of interest to developing effective weight management strategies.

It takes two to tango: the recruiter's role in accepting or refusing to participate in group antenatal care among pregnant women-an exploration through in-depth interviews.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how women are recruited for group antenatal care (GANC) in primary care organisations (PCOs), what elements influence the behaviour of the recruiter, and what strategies recruiters use to encourage women to participate.

Method: Using a qualitative research design, we conducted 10 in-depth interviews with GANC facilitators working in PCOs. Selected constructs of the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Theoretical Domains Framework helped to develop interview questions and raise awareness of important elements during interviews and thematic analyses.

Preferences for disease-related information and transitional skills among adolescents with congenital heart disease in the early transitional stage.

Purpose: The transition towards adult-focused healthcare comprises a complex process requiring careful, individualized guidance of adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). Detailed data on their preferences regarding disease-related information and acquirable transitional skills are mostly lacking. We examined the preferences of CHD adolescents in the early transition stage.

Dietary intake, physical activity and sedentary behavior and association with BMI during the transition to parenthood: a prospective dyadic study.

Introduction: Little is known on how diet, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) changes during pregnancy and after childbirth in primiparous couples. Moreover, it is unclear how potential behavioral changes are associated with changes in BMI. This study examined changes in diet, PA and SB, and their association with changes in BMI in couples transitioning to parenthood.

The Development of Recommendations for Healthcare Providers to Support Patients Experiencing Medication Self-Management Problems.

Medication self-management problems such as the inability to correctly obtain, understand, organize, administer or monitor medication can result in negative patient outcomes. However, supportive tools for healthcare providers to assist patients with medication self-management problems are lacking. This study aimed to develop recommendations for healthcare providers to support patients with polypharmacy who experience medication self-management problems.

Weight retention and glucose intolerance in early postpartum after gestational diabetes.

Objectives: To determine risk factors for early postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and glucose intolerance (GI) in women with gestational diabetes (GDM).

Design & Methods: Prospective, multicenter (n=8) cohort study in 1201 women with a recent history of GDM. Pregnancy and postpartum characteristics, and data from self-administered questionnaires were collected at the 6-16 weeks postpartum 75g OGTT.