The Experience of Community Neurologists Providing Care for Patients With Neurodegenerative Illness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012363
Author(s):  
Roman Ayele ◽  
Zachary A Macchi ◽  
Megan Dini ◽  
Meredith Bock ◽  
Maya Katz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Delivery ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Matrix Analysis ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
New Models ◽  
Professional Isolation ◽  
The Impact

Objective:Healthcare delivery systems transformed rapidly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to slow the spread of the virus while identifying novel methods for providing care. In many ways the pandemic impacted both persons with neurologic illness and neurologists. This study describes the perspectives and experiences of community neurologists providing care for patients with neurodegenerative illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:We conducted a qualitative study with 20 community neurologists from a multisite, comparative effectiveness trial of outpatient palliative care from July 23, 2020 to November 11, 2020. Participants were interviewed individually about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their professional and personal lives. Interviews were analyzed using matrix analysis to identify key themes.Results:Four main themes illustrated the pandemic’s impact on community neurologists: 1) challenges of the current political climate, 2) lack of support for new models of care, 3) being on the frontline of suffering, and 4) clinician self-care. Taken together, the themes capture the unusual environment in which community neurologists’ practice, the lack of clinician trust among some patients, patient and professional isolation, and opportunities to support quality care delivery.Conclusions:The COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic politics created an environment that made care provision challenging for community neurologists. Efforts to improve care delivery should proactively work to reduce clinician burnout while incorporating support for new models of care adopted due to the pandemic.

The HOLA COVID-19 study: Evaluating the impact of caring for patients with COVID-19 on cancer care delivery in Latin America.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1537-1537
Author(s):  
Carolina Bernabe Ramirez ◽  
Ana I. Velazquez Manana ◽  
Coral Olazagasti ◽  
Cristiane Decat Bergerot ◽  
Enrique Soto Perez De Celis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
The Impact

1537 Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-cov-2) virus causing COVID-19 has brought great challenges to global health services affecting cancer care delivery, outcomes, and increasing the burden in oncology providers (OP). Our study aimed to describe the challenges that OP faced while delivering cancer care in Latin America. Methods: We conducted an international cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The questionnaire included 43 multiple choice questions. The sample was stratified by OP who have treated patients with COVID-19 versus those who have not treated patients with COVID-19. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 704 OP from 20 Latin American countries completed the survey (77% of 913 who started the survey). Oncologists represented 46% of respondents, followed by 25% surgical-oncologists. Of the respondents, 56% treated patients with COVID-19. A significant proportion of OP reported newly adopting telemedicine during COVID-19 (14% vs 72%, p=0.001). More than half (58%) of OP reported making changes to the treatments they offered to patients with cancer. As shown in the table, caring for patients with COVID-19 significantly influenced practice patterns of OP. Access to specialty services and procedures was significantly reduced: 40% noted significantly decreased or no access to imaging, 20% significantly decreased or no access to biopsies, 65% reported delays in surgical oncology referrals, and 49% in radiation oncology referrals. A vast majority (82%) reported oncologic surgeries were delayed or cancelled, which was heightened among those treating patients with COVID-19 (87% vs 77%, p=0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the way cancer care is delivered in globally. Although changes to healthcare delivery are necessary as a response to this global crisis, our study highlights the significant disruption and possible undertreatment of patients with cancer in Latin America that results from COVID-19.[Table: see text]

scholarly journals Breaking the bottle neck to enhance pediatrics renal transplantation at Soba university hospital: Role of a non-governmental organization

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ihab B. Abdalrahman ◽  
Shaima N. Elgenaid ◽  
Rashid Ellidir ◽  
Asma Nizar Mohammed Osman Abdallah ◽  
Safa Ahmed Hassan Hamid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Transplant ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Healthcare Delivery System ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
The Impact

High cost and limited resources of pediatrics renal transplant in low-resource countries limits the number of transplants. However, the collaboration between government and community sector provided high quality care for these patients. Here we highlight the impact of a non-governmental organization in facilitating pediatrics renal transplant. Data was collected from files of all pediatric patients withend stage renal disease who received renal transplant between January 2010 and December 2017 at Soba University Hospital (77 patients). The 8-year period was divided into 16 intervals of 6 months each. The number of patients who received renal transplant ranged from 1 to 12 patients in each interval. There was a rise in 2017 when 21 (28.7%) patients received kidney transplant. In the last 6 months in 2017 there was a significant reduction in duration of hospital stay compared to the rest of the period; it dropped from 16.36 to 9.92 days (P=0.003). Partnership between governmental and non-governmental sectors is a good strategy in low resource area to bridge some of the gaps of healthcare delivery system.

scholarly journals Exploring what teams perceive by ‘culture’ when implementing new models of care

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 492-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Rose Bull ◽  
Lucie Marie Theresa Byrne-Davis ◽  
Juliette Swift ◽  
Kirstie Baxter ◽  
Neil McLauchlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Care ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
New Models ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Experience Of Change

Abstract Introduction Health and social care organizations continually face change to coordinate efforts, improve care quality and better meet patient needs in the context of growing pressure on services. NHS ‘vanguard’ teams funded to pilot organizational change in England have argued that alongside new structures, policies and governance, a shift in ‘workplace culture’ is needed to implement change. Although now defined in the literature and seen as an important driver of quality care, it was not clear what teams themselves meant when discussing workplace culture. Methods In a qualitative study nested in a wider behavioural science programme, 34 managers and frontline NHS staff took part in interviews and focus groups on the role and meaning of ‘workplace culture’ in their experience of change. Participants were from organizations in four NHS England vanguards implementing new models of care. Inductive thematic analysis revealed six interlinking themes: unity, emotions, support, consistency, openness to innovation and performance. Results The term ‘workplace culture’ was nuanced and used in various ways. It was seen as a determinant, measure and/or consequence of change and linked to workplace behaviours, emotions and cognitions. Participants agreed that imposed top-down change in new models of care was a common cause of damaged culture and had knock-on effects on care quality, despite manager accounts of the importance of staff ideas. Discussion Our findings suggest that exploring teams’ own meanings of culture and behaviour change barriers, gathering ideas and co-developing tailored support would help overcome cultural challenges in implementing new models of care.

scholarly journals Patient and nurse perspectives of a nurse-led community-based model of HIV care delivery in Malawi: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odala Sande ◽  
Doris Burtscher ◽  
Daneck Kathumba ◽  
Hannock Tweya ◽  
Sam Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Delivery ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Information ◽  
Community Based

Abstract Background Differentiated models of care (DMOC) are used to make antiretroviral therapy (ART) accessible to people living with HIV (PLHIV). In Malawi, Lighthouse Trust has piloted various DMOCs aimed at providing quality care while reducing personal and logistical barriers when accessing clinic-based healthcare. One of the approaches was community-based provision of ART by nurses to stable patients. Methods To explore how the nurse-led community ART programme (NCAP) is perceived, we interviewed eighteen purposively selected patients receiving ART through NCAP and the four nurses providing the community-based health care. Information obtained from them was complemented with observations by the study team. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using manual coding and thematic analysis. Results Through the NCAP, patients were able to save money on transportation and the time it took them to travel to a health facility. Caseloads and waiting times were also reduced, which made patients more comfortable and gave nurses the time to conduct thorough consultations. Closer relationships were built between patients and care providers, creating a space for more open conversations (although this required care providers to set clear boundaries and stick to schedule). Patients’ nutritional needs and concerns related to stigma remain a concern, while operational issues affect the quality of the services provided in the community. Considerations for community-led healthcare programmes include the provision of transportation for care providers; the physical structure of community sites (in regard to private spaces); the timely consolidation of data collected in the field to a central database; and the need for care providers to cover multiple facility-based staff roles. Conclusions The patients interviewed in this study preferred the NCAP approach to the facility-based model of care because it saved them money on transport, reduced waiting-times, and allowed for a more thorough consultation, while continuing to provide quality HIV care. However, when considering a community-level DMOC approach, certain factors – including staff transportation and workload – must be taken into consideration and purposefully planned.

Real-time locating systems to improve healthcare delivery: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M Overmann ◽  
Danny T Y Wu ◽  
Catherine T Xu ◽  
Shwetha S Bindhu ◽  
Lindsey Barrick
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Clinical Environment ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Objective Modern health care requires patients, staff, and equipment to navigate complex environments to deliver quality care efficiently. Real-time locating systems (RTLS) are local tracking systems that identify the physical locations of personnel and equipment in real time. Applications and analytic strategies to utilize RTLS-produced data are still under development. The objectives of this systematic review were to describe and analyze the key features of RTLS applications and demonstrate their potential to improve care delivery. Materials and Methods We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and IEEE following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Inclusion criteria were articles that utilize RTLS to evaluate or influence workflow in a healthcare setting. We summarized aspects of relevant articles, identified key themes in the challenges of applying RTLS to workflow improvement, and thematically reviewed the state of quantitative analytic methodologies. Results We included 42 articles in the final qualitative synthesis. The most frequent study design was observational (n = 24), followed by descriptive (n = 12) and experimental (n = 6). The most common clinical environment for study was the emergency department (n = 12), followed by entire hospital (n = 7) and surgical ward (n = 6). Discussion The focus of studies changed over time from early experience to optimization to evaluation of an established system. Common narrative themes highlighted lessons learned regarding evaluation, implementation, and information visibility. Few studies have developed quantitative techniques to effectively analyze RTLS data. Conclusions RTLS is a useful and effective adjunct methodology in process and quality improvement, workflow analysis, and patient safety. Future directions should focus on developing enhanced analysis to meaningfully interpret RTLS data.

scholarly journals Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for improving outpatient neuropalliative care: A qualitative study of patient and caregiver perspectives

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110173
Author(s):  
Zachary A Macchi ◽  
Roman Ayele ◽  
Megan Dini ◽  
Jensine Lamira ◽  
Maya Katz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

Background: COVID-19 has impacted persons with serious illness, including those with chronic, neurodegenerative conditions. While there are several reports on COVID-19’s impact on inpatient palliative care, literature is limited about the impact on outpatient care which may be more relevant for these patients. Aim: To generate a person-centered description of the impact of COVID-19 from the perspectives of patients living with neurodegenerative disease and caregivers to improve outpatient palliative care delivery. Design: This qualitative study used rapid analysis via matrix design to identify emergent themes related to participant perspectives on the challenges of COVID-19. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, open-ended survey responses, medical record documentation and participant-researcher communications. Setting/Participants: Data was collected from 108 patients with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders and 90 caregivers enrolled in a multicenter, clinical trial of community-based, outpatient palliative care between March 20, 2020 and August 8, 2020 (NCT03076671). Results: Four main themes emerged: (1) disruptions to delivery of healthcare and other supportive services; (2) increased symptomatic and psychosocial needs; (3) increased caregiver burden; (4) limitations of telecommunications when compared to in-person contact. We observed that these themes interacted and intersected. Conclusions: Patients and caregivers have unmet care needs because of the pandemic, exacerbated by social isolation. While telemedicine has helped improve access to healthcare, patients and caregivers perceive clear limitations compared to in-person services. Changes in society and healthcare delivery in response to COVID-19 highlight ongoing and novel gaps that must be addressed to optimize future outpatient palliative care for neurologic illness.

scholarly journals Patient and nurse perspectives of a nurse-led community-based model of HIV care delivery in Malawi: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odala Sande ◽  
Doris Burtscher ◽  
Daneck Kathumba ◽  
Hannock Tweya ◽  
Sam Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Delivery ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Information ◽  
Community Based

Abstract Background Differentiated models of care (DMOC) are used to make antiretroviral therapy (ART) accessible to people living with HIV (PLHIV). In Malawi, Lighthouse Trust has piloted various DMOCs aimed at providing quality care while reducing personal and logistical barriers when accessing clinic-based healthcare. One of the approaches was community-based provision of ART by nurses to stable patients. Methods To explore how the nurse-led community ART programme (NCAP) is perceived, we interviewed eighteen purposively selected patients receiving ART through NCAP and the four nurses providing the community-based health care. Information obtained from them was complemented with observations by the study team. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using manual coding and thematic analysis. Results Through the NCAP, patients were able to save money on transportation and the time it took them to travel to a health facility. Caseloads and waiting times were also reduced, which made patients more comfortable and gave nurses the time to conduct thorough consultations. Closer relationships were built between patients and care providers, creating a space for more open conversations (although this required care providers to set clear boundaries and stick to schedule). Patients’ nutritional needs and concerns related to stigma remain a concern, while operational issues affect the quality of the services provided in the community. Considerations for community-led healthcare programmes include the provision of transportation for care providers; the physical structure of community sites (in regard to private spaces); the timely consolidation of data collected in the field to a central database; and the need for care providers to cover multiple facility-based staff roles. Conclusions The patients interviewed in this study preferred the NCAP approach to the facility-based model of care because it saved them money on transport, reduced waiting-times, and allowed for a more thorough consultation, while continuing to provide quality HIV care. However, when considering a community-level DMOC approach, certain factors – including staff transportation and workload – must be taken into consideration and purposefully planned.

scholarly journals Inpatient Telemedicine and New Models of Care during COVID-19: Hospital Design Strategies to Enhance Patient and Staff Safety

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8391
Author(s):  
Nirit Putievsky Pilosof ◽  
Michael Barrett ◽  
Eivor Oborn ◽  
Galia Barkai ◽  
Itai M. Pessach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
New Model ◽  
Hospital Design ◽  
New Models ◽  
Remote Care ◽  
The Impact

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the development of new hospital design strategies and models of care. To enhance staff safety while preserving patient safety and quality of care, hospitals have created a new model of remote inpatient care using telemedicine technologies. The design of the COVID-19 units divided the space into contaminated and clean zones and integrated a control room with audio-visual technologies to remotely supervise, communicate, and support the care being provided in the contaminated zone. The research is based on semi-structured interviews and observations of care processes that implemented a new model of inpatient telemedicine at Sheba Medical Center in Israel in different COVID-19 units, including an intensive care unit (ICU) and internal medicine unit (IMU). The study examines the impact of the diverse design layouts of the different units associated with the implementation of digital technologies for remote care on patient and staff safety. The results demonstrate the challenges and opportunities of integrating inpatient telemedicine for critical and intermediate care to enhance patient and staff safety. We contribute insights into the design of hospital units to support new models of remote care and suggest implications for Evidence-based Design (EBD), which will guide much needed future research.

scholarly journals A COMBINED MULTI-OBJECTIVE SIMULATION-OPTIMIZATION AND AHP APPROACH: A HEALTHCARE CASE STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Dehghanimohammadabadi ◽  
Nihan Kabadayi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Simulation Optimization ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Patients Satisfaction ◽  
Combined Simulation ◽  
The Impact

Quality of care is crucial for patients' satisfaction and safety in healthcare centers. The majority of hospitals attempt to implement facility-wide improvements to ensure high-quality care delivery. This study aims to propose a combined Simulation-Optimization and MCDM approach to accurately assess the impact of quality improvement initiatives on different facets of healthcare systems. In this framework, first, the importance (weights) of the different healthcare criteria is determined by health providers’ using an AHP approach. Then, the weights provided by AHP are applied in a simulation-optimization environment to determine the most efficient action with the most desirable quality of care. Simulation provides a platform to examine the effectiveness of different improvement efforts and calculate their impact on the system performance measures.

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