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American Journal of Public Health Jul 2016Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) was conducted in Europe in 2002 to 2003 to study the relationship between citizens' health and...
Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) was conducted in Europe in 2002 to 2003 to study the relationship between citizens' health and built environments. One of its objectives was to put public health priorities on the agenda of local decision-makers to implement solutions for the community. We adapted the LARES protocol as a pilot project in a small French-Canadian town in Quebec Province in 2012. The distinguishing feature of this project was the collaborative approach taken with local actors, especially the municipality, which was committed a priori to using survey data from an urban planning perspective. The project produced interesting results that were used to motivate actions concerning people living in bad sanitary conditions; to draft the urban plan including the development of parks, green spaces, and bicycle paths; and to allow the municipality to meet eligibility criteria for access to renovation programs. If a partnership with the local actors and their commitment to promote and realize the project were obtained at the beginning, then the survey could be replicated in other communities.
Topics: Environment; Environment Design; Health Priorities; Health Status; Housing; Pilot Projects; Public Health; Quebec; Residence Characteristics
PubMed: 27196661
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303224 -
Translational Behavioral Medicine Aug 2020Psychosocial eHealth intervention programs for cancer survivors are still in their infancy, with inconsistent findings so far in the scientific literature. The aim of...
Psychosocial eHealth intervention programs for cancer survivors are still in their infancy, with inconsistent findings so far in the scientific literature. The aim of this study was to explore system use, usefulness, ease of use, and preliminary effects of Stress Proffen, an app-based cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention for patients with cancer. A feasibility pilot project tested the intervention with cancer survivors (N = 25). The intervention contained (a) one face-to-face introduction session, (b) 10 app-based modules with stress management educational material and exercises, and (c) one follow-up phone call. Post-intervention interviews were conducted and user log-data were extracted. Outcome measures-Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Anxiety and Depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL; SF-36), and Self-Regulatory Fatigue (SRF-18)-were completed at baseline and post-intervention. Participants were primarily women (84%), age 34-71 (mean 48) and represented a variety of cancer diagnoses (majority breast cancer: 40%). Twenty-two participants completed all (pre-post) questionnaires. Sixteen participants (67%) completed at least 7 of 10 modules within the 8-week study period. Post-intervention interviews described StressProffen as providing a new, appreciated, and easily accessible stress management tool for the cancer survivors. Dependent/paired t-tests showed significant pre-post intervention effects with significant decrease in stress (p = .008), anxiety (p = .019), and self-regulatory fatigue (p = .025), and improved HRQoL (Role Physical, General Health, Vitality, and Role Emotional, all p's <.01). App-based stress management interventions such as StressProffen can provide appreciated support for cancer survivors, should be easy to use, can provide significant stress reduction, and improve emotional well-being. Further testing in a randomized controlled trial is warranted and is in progress. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT0293961.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Cancer Survivors; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Mobile Applications; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life
PubMed: 31330023
DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibz062 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2023Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease which is linked to a number of adverse endocrinological and metabolic conditions. Currently, bariatric surgery is one of the...
Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease which is linked to a number of adverse endocrinological and metabolic conditions. Currently, bariatric surgery is one of the most effective treatments for individuals diagnosed with severe obesity. However, the current indications for bariatric surgery are based on inadequate metrics (i.e., BMI) which do not account for the complexity of the disease, nor the heterogeneity among the patient population. Moreover, there is a lack of understanding with respect to the biological underpinnings that influence successful and sustained weight loss post-bariatric surgery. Studies have implicated age and pre-surgery body weight as two factors that are associated with favorable patient outcomes. Still, there is an urgent medical need to identify other potential factors that could improve the specificity of candidate selection and better inform the treatment plan of patients with obesity. In this report, we present and describe the cohort of the DECON pilot project, a multicenter study which aims to identify predictive biomarkers of successful weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Topics: Humans; Pilot Projects; Bariatric Surgery; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid; Weight Loss
PubMed: 37591977
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40452-7 -
The American Journal of Managed Care Aug 2023To evaluate the appropriateness of the medication management for anyone who might have been affected by the Horizon New Jersey Health Medicaid Health Maintenance...
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the appropriateness of the medication management for anyone who might have been affected by the Horizon New Jersey Health Medicaid Health Maintenance Organization (HNJH Medicaid HMO) formulary update from empagliflozin to ertugliflozin and to then optimize drug selection and monitoring.
STUDY DESIGN
This is a single-center, 2-phase, pilot project led by 2 pharmacy students and the lead clinical pharmacist at a federally qualified health center in Trenton, New Jersey.
METHODS
The primary outcome of the study is the number and percentage of patients whose prescription was changed inappropriately from empagliflozin to ertugliflozin. Secondary outcomes include the number and percentage of patients whose prescription was changed inappropriately because of failure to consider cardiovascular history and/or missed renal function checks and whether pharmacists were able to optimize therapy. Data were generated from electronic health record reports and analyzed in Microsoft Excel.
RESULTS
A total of 126 unique patients were identified as receiving empagliflozin and/or ertugliflozin and 16 patients were switched from empagliflozin to ertugliflozin, all of whom had HNJH Medicaid HMO. Thirteen of the 16 (81.3%) patients were managed inappropriately based on their history of cardiovascular disease or inappropriate renal monitoring. Pharmacists recommended 22 interventions for patients who received empagliflozin and/or ertugliflozin, and all recommendations were accepted by providers.
CONCLUSIONS
Following the HNJH Medicaid HMO's coverage update from empagliflozin to ertugliflozin, some patients received inappropriate therapy and providers accepted clinical pharmacists' recommendations to optimize therapy.
Topics: United States; Humans; Pharmacists; Pilot Projects; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
PubMed: 37616149
DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2023.89408 -
Australian Journal of General Practice Dec 2023Hosting social work placements within general practice can provide opportunities to extend interdisciplinary skills, increase the ability to meet patient needs and...
BACKGROUND
Hosting social work placements within general practice can provide opportunities to extend interdisciplinary skills, increase the ability to meet patient needs and improve understanding of social work as a discipline.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is based on an Australian pilot project involving social work students being placed in general practice for their 500-hour placements. Collaboratively written by academics and practitioners from social work and general practice, it provides key strategies guiding practices to optimise implementing social work student placements. It identifies strategies to design the placement, select students and to prepare practices, supervisors and students to benefit student learning and the general practice.
DISCUSSION
Preparing key stakeholders, providing targeted supervision, longer appointments for social work students and involving all stakeholders are key strategies to successfully facilitate social work placements in general practice. Hosting social work students effectively can further develop multidisciplinary practice, connecting general practices even more with best practice, research and community.
Topics: Humans; Pilot Projects; Australia; General Practice; Family Practice; Social Work
PubMed: 38049139
DOI: 10.31128/AJGP-04-23-6792 -
Maternal & Child Nutrition Apr 2019The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework is an evidence-based set of cost-effective, integrated tools for training health and community workers to promote optimal...
The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework is an evidence-based set of cost-effective, integrated tools for training health and community workers to promote optimal nutrition practices for the first 1,000 days. This ENA pilot project (ENAPP) was implemented with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding from August 2008 to September 2009 in six unions of the working area of an existing USAID-funded, Title II programme in southern Bangladesh. ENAPP, which targeted governmental and non-governmental service providers, was intended to strengthen the behaviour change component of the nutrition strategy of this project. Following a qualitative review of ENAPP's activities, this evaluation uses administrative (growth monitoring) data and propensity score matching of pre-intervention characteristics to create multiple counterfactuals for difference-in-difference estimations of the impact of ENAPP on child nutritional status. Records indicated that government and community healthcare workers received intensive training, and these staff reported that they could effectively integrate ENA messages into their existing responsibilities. Both longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses indicate that ENAPP was successful in increasing children's weight-for-age z-scores, and the difference in z-scores between the treatment and the comparison group increased with time. The materials and methods used in this pilot project should be scaled up, based on the success of these tools and the project's ability to link with and influence the local health system.
Topics: Bangladesh; Child Nutrition Disorders; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child, Preschool; Community Health Services; Humans; Infant; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; Pilot Projects; Program Evaluation
PubMed: 30203909
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12691 -
Nursing Open Sep 2022Chlamydia disproportionately affects individuals aged 15-24 years. A lack of chlamydia knowledge in this high-risk group likely contributes to decreased testing, but...
AIMS
Chlamydia disproportionately affects individuals aged 15-24 years. A lack of chlamydia knowledge in this high-risk group likely contributes to decreased testing, but interventions to increase chlamydia knowledge in this population are not well-described in the literature. The purpose of this pilot project was to increase chlamydia knowledge in a sample of university students using nurse-developed web-based education.
DESIGN
A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate participant knowledge of chlamydia before and after completing a nurse-developed web-based education intervention designed for university students.
METHODS
Forty-seven undergraduate students at one U.S. university participated. A focus group and scientific evidence informed the development of the web-based education.
RESULTS
Participants had a significant increase in chlamydia knowledge after completing the online educational intervention (M = 8.0, SD = 0.000) compared to baseline (M = 6.5, SD = 1.5), t(33) = -5.821, p < .0001. Pilot results provide promising evidence that web-based nurse-developed education designed specifically for university students can increase chlamydia knowledge.
Topics: Chlamydia; Humans; Internet; Pilot Projects; Students; Universities
PubMed: 35643961
DOI: 10.1002/nop2.1244 -
WMJ : Official Publication of the State... Dec 2022Primary care physicians are overburdened with growing complexities and increasing expectations for primary care visits. To meet expectations, primary care physicians...
BACKGROUND
Primary care physicians are overburdened with growing complexities and increasing expectations for primary care visits. To meet expectations, primary care physicians must multitask during visits and spend extra hours in the office for charting, billing, and documentation. This impacts the physician's quality of life and may affect the quality of patient care. Many of the administrative tasks performed by physicians could, alternatively, be performed by nonphysician staff, leading to the adoption of team-based collaborative models.
METHODS
Mayo Clinic Health System piloted a team-based collaborative model in a small physician practice in Osseo, Wisconsin, where which staff could be trained quickly and efficiently. The model used medical assistants/licensed practical nurses (MA/LPN) to partner with primary care physicians during a patient visit. The LPN/MA, under physician supervision, ordered and monitored pending orders/labs, coordinated patient care, provided after-visit educational needs, and communicated other urgent messages to team members.
RESULTS
After 6 months, a comparison of pre- and posttrial data showed improved staff and patient satisfaction, decreased physician administrative work, and no cost-effectiveness improvement. Screening of medical conditions in the elderly improved, but no change was noted with chronic disease metrics.
CONCLUSIONS
Data showed improved staff and patient satisfaction, decreased physician clerical burden, increased appointment slots, mixed clinical outcomes, and did not demonstrate cost-effectiveness. The authors recommend that similar models be conducted in large settings to see if these results are reproducible.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life; Patient Care; Wisconsin; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 36637843
DOI: No ID Found -
The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon Dec 2023What do the special forces of the Federal Police and heart surgeons have in common? To find out, a team of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery...
What do the special forces of the Federal Police and heart surgeons have in common? To find out, a team of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DGTHG) started a pilot project called "Strong German Hearts" with an intensive 36-hour training supported by the special forces of the Federal Police.
Topics: Humans; Research Report; Pilot Projects; Treatment Outcome; Germany
PubMed: 37992736
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1776293 -
Canadian Journal of Public Health =... Apr 2022For First Nations people, human health and well-being are interconnected with a healthy environment. First Nations organizations commonly raise concerns regarding...
SETTING
For First Nations people, human health and well-being are interconnected with a healthy environment. First Nations organizations commonly raise concerns regarding carcinogens in the environment; however, few case studies are available as guidance for working in a participatory and respectful way to help assess and address these concerns.
INTERVENTION
Through four community-led pilot projects executed over two years, we collaborated with 15 participants from four First Nations organizations across four provinces to identify concerns related to environmental carcinogens and to address those concerns through an integrated knowledge translation (KT) approach. We co-developed and implemented strategic KT plans for each pilot project, and conducted evaluation surveys and interviews with participants at multiple time points to assess process, progress, barriers and facilitators, and impact.
OUTCOMES
The activities and outputs of the pilot projects are available at www.carexcanada.ca . Participants identified 18 concerns, and we co-developed 24 knowledge products. Tailored fact sheets for communities and briefing notes for leadership were deemed most useful; interactive maps were deemed less useful. Evaluation indicated that the collaborative projects were effective in addressing the concerns raised regarding exposures to carcinogens.
IMPLICATIONS
The participant-led approach and multi-year funding to support capacity enhancement and face-to-face engagement were facilitators to project success. However, participants did face important barriers to collaborate which should be considered in future projects of this kind: the most important being a lack of resources (people and time), given competing and often more urgent priorities.
Topics: Carcinogens; Humans; Neoplasms; Organizations; Pilot Projects
PubMed: 34669182
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-021-00571-y