Calls for Abstracts
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New article by Dr. Jo Rycroft-Malone
Process evaluations in neurological rehabilitation: a mixed-evidence systematic review and recommendations for future research
Non UofA Access
Objective To systematically review how process evaluations are currently designed, what methodologies are used and how are they developed alongside or within neurological rehabilitation trials.Methods This mixed-methods systematic review had two evidence streams: stream I, studies reporting process evaluations alongside neurorehabilitation trials research and stream II, methodological guidance on process evaluation design and methodology. A search strategy was designed for each evidence stream. Data regarding process evaluation core concepts and design issues were extracted using a bespoke template. Evidence from both streams was analysed separately and then synthesised in a final overarching synthesis proposing a number of recommendations for future research.Results A total of 124 process evaluation studies, reporting on 106 interventions, were included in stream I evidence. 30 studies were included as stream II evidence. Synthesis 1 produced 9 themes, and synthesis 2 identified a total of 8 recommendations for process evaluation research. The overall synthesis resulted in 57 ‘synthesis recommendations’ about process evaluation methodology grouped into 9 research areas, including the use of theory, the investigation of context, intervention staff characteristics and the delivery of the trial intervention.Conclusions There remains no consensus regarding process evaluation terminology within the neurological rehabilitation field. There is a need for process evaluations to address the nature and influence of context over time. Process evaluations should clearly describe what intervention staff bring to a trial, including skills and experience prior to joining the research. Process evaluations should monitor intervention staff’s learning effects and the possible impact that these may have on trial outcomes.
Calls for Abstracts
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS:
Share your EIDM story with NCCMT!
Have you incorporated evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) into your public health practice? Has a specific method or tool proven to be helpful for promoting the use of research where you work? If so, the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) would love to hear from you! Authors of selected stories will be eligible to participate in a proposed panel presentation at CPHA 2017, including up to $1,500 in sponsorship toward attendance. Selected stories will also be included in an article to be submitted to the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Call for Submissions: Health Affairs ‘Aging and Health’ Series
Health Affairs
The publication is encouraging submissions from authors on topics surrounding the care of older adults, including new models of care and the management of multiple chronic conditions among this population. They are interested in work that spans the full range of care settings, including primary care and specialty practices, hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care settings.
Grants & Awards
AHRQ is interested in supporting implementation studies utilizing research designs that are both rigorous and relevant. Studies should build knowledge on both the overall effectiveness of the strategies, as well as “how and why” they work in these new settings and with these new populations. Data on mechanisms of action, moderators, and mediators of implementation strategies will greatly aid decision-making on which strategies work for which interventions, in which settings, and for what populations. AHRQ has particular interest in implementation research that focuses on eliminating health care disparities and/or targets primary care practice.
Publications
KT
Health Care Administration and Organization
Health Care Innovation and Quality Assurance
Research Practice and Methodology
Aging
KT
Automatic classification of communication logs into implementation stages via text analysis
Non UofA Access
BACKGROUND: To improve the quality, quantity, and speed of implementation, careful monitoring of the implementation process is required. However, some health organizations have such limited capacity to collect, organize, and synthesize information relevant to its decision to implement an evidence-based program, the preparation steps necessary for successful program adoption, the fidelity of program delivery, and the sustainment of this program over time. When a large health system implements an evidence-based program across multiple sites, a trained intermediary or broker may provide such monitoring and feedback, but this task is labor intensive and not easily scaled up for large numbers of sites. We present a novel approach to producing an automated system of monitoring implementation stage entrances and exits based on a computational analysis of communication log notes generated by implementation brokers. Potentially discriminating keywords are identified using the definitions of the stages and experts’ coding of a portion of the log notes. A machine learning algorithm produces a decision rule to classify remaining, unclassified log notes. RESULTS: We applied this procedure to log notes in the implementation trial of multidimensional treatment foster care in the California 40-county implementation trial (CAL-40) project, using the stages of implementation completion (SIC) measure. We found that a semi-supervised non-negative matrix factorization method accurately identified most stage transitions. Another computational model was built for determining the start and the end of each stage. CONCLUSIONS: This automated system demonstrated feasibility in this proof of concept challenge. We provide suggestions on how such a system can be used to improve the speed, quality, quantity, and sustainment of implementation. The innovative methods presented here are not intended to replace the expertise and judgement of an expert rater already in place. Rather, these can be used when human monitoring and feedback is too expensive to use or maintain. These methods rely on digitized text that already exists or can be collected with minimal to no intrusiveness and can signal when additional attention or remediation is required during implementation. Thus, resources can be allocated according to need rather than universally applied, or worse, not applied at all due to their cost.
A modified theoretical framework to assess implementation fidelity of adaptive public health interventions
Non UofA Access
BACKGROUND: One of the major debates in implementation research turns around fidelity and adaptation. Fidelity is the degree to which an intervention is implemented as intended by its developers. It is meant to ensure that the intervention maintains its intended effects. Adaptation is the process of implementers or users bringing changes to the original design of an intervention. Depending on the nature of the modifications brought, adaptation could either be potentially positive or could carry the risk of threatening the theoretical basis of the intervention, resulting in a negative effect on expected outcomes. Adaptive interventions are those for which adaptation is allowed or even encouraged. Classical fidelity dimensions and conceptual frameworks do not address the issue of how to adapt an intervention while still maintaining its effectiveness. DISCUSSION: We support the idea that fidelity and adaptation co-exist and that adaptations can impact either positively or negatively on the intervention’s effectiveness. For adaptive interventions, research should answer the question how an adequate fidelity-adaptation balance can be reached. One way to address this issue is by looking systematically at the aspects of an intervention that are being adapted. We conducted fidelity research on the implementation of an empowerment strategy for dengue prevention in Cuba. In view of the adaptive nature of the strategy, we anticipated that the classical fidelity dimensions would be of limited use for assessing adaptations. The typology we used in the assessment-implemented, not-implemented, modified, or added components of the strategy-also had limitations. It did not allow us to answer the question which of the modifications introduced in the strategy contributed to or distracted from outcomes. We confronted our empirical research with existing literature on fidelity, and as a result, considered that the framework for implementation fidelity proposed by Carroll et al. in 2007 could potentially meet our concerns. We propose modifications to the framework to assess both fidelity and adaptation. The modified Carroll et al.’s framework we propose may permit a comprehensive assessment of the implementation fidelity-adaptation balance required when implementing adaptive interventions, but more empirical research is needed to validate it.
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Health Care Administration and Organization
Caring for Dying Patients in the Nursing Home: Voices from Frontline Nursing Home Staff
Non UofA Access
CONTEXT: Nursing homes are an important site for end of life care, yet little is known about the perspectives of the front line staff who provide a majority of this care. OBJECTIVE: To describe, from the staff perspective, positive/negative experiences related to caring for dying residents. METHODS: Qualitative analysis using survey data from staff working in 52 Indiana nursing homes. PARTICIPANTS: 707 frontline staff who provide nursing, nurse aide and social work services responded to open-ended prompts. Study data included responses to open-ended prompts asking participants to describe one positive experience and one negative experience caring for a dying patient. A thematic content analysis was conducted using the constant-comparative method. RESULTS: Respondents were largely female (93%), white (78%), 31-50 years (42%), and 53% had >5 years of NH work experience. Experiences were described from three perspectives: (1) first-hand experiences; (2) observed experiences of dying patients; and (3) observed experiences of family members. Selected themes for positive experiences include: creating close bonds; good patient care; involvement of hospice; being prepared; and good communication. Selected themes for negative experiences consisted of: challenging aspects of care; unacknowledged death; feeling helpless; uncertainty; absent family; painful emotions; and family discord. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal the richness and many complexities of providing end of life care in nursing homes, and have implications for improving staff knowledge, coordination of care with hospice, and social support for patients.
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Health Care Innovation and Quality Assurance
Does Nursing Facility Use of Habilitation Therapy Improve Performance on Quality Measures?
Non UofA Access
The purpose of the project, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation study, was to evaluate the impact on 12 quality measures including 10 Minimum Data Set (MDS) publicly reported measures and 2 nursing home process measures using habilitation therapy techniques and a behavior team to manage dementia-related behaviors. A prospective design was used to assess the changes in the measures. A total of 30 Massachusetts nursing homes participated in the project over a 12-month period. Project participation required the creation of an interdisciplinary behavior team, habilitation therapy training, facility visit by the program coordinator, attendance at bimonthly support and sharing calls, and monthly collection of process measure data. Participating facilities showed improvement in 9 of the 12 reported measures. Findings indicate potential quality improvement in having nursing homes learn habilitation therapy techniques and know how to use the interdisciplinary team to manage problem behaviors.
Implementation of a RAI-Frailty Screening Across Surgical Clinics: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Non UofA Access
Background The Risk Analysis Index (RAI) is a pre-operative screening tool to identify frail patients at risk for post-operative complications and mortality. Prior to this initiative, no frailty screening existed within the local setting.Objectives The global aim is to standardize pre-operative screening for frailty across surgical clinics by utilizing the RAI. The specific aim is to attain 80% RAI-Frailty screenings by surgery providers within 12 weeks of implementation for patients scheduled for elective surgery.Methods This initiative was piloted within a vascular surgery clinic at a southeastern medical center. Implementation strategies were developed, and the Model for Improvement with sequential Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles was utilized to achieve project aim. A cause-and-effect diagram was completed to understand the lack of RAI-Frailty screenings and identify areas for improvement among surgery providers. Interventions included: audit and feedback, RAI REDCap link integration within Electronic Health Record (EHR), and creation of a RAI-Frailty screening template.Results PDSA Cycle 1 demonstrated a below target mean of 26.3%. During PDSA Cycle 2 and 3, a special cause variation was demonstrated by a shift of 15 points above the mean prompting the split of P-chart control limits. After splitting the control limits, a common cause variation revealed the change was sustained.Conclusions RAI-Frailty screening was successfully implemented and sustained in the vascular surgery clinic utilizing audit and feedback and EHR modifications as strategies for change. Based on these findings, this screening initiative is being implemented across surgical clinics. Outcome measures are being evaluated to determine the clinical implications of this screening initiative.
SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence): revised publication guidelines from a detailed consensus process
Non UofA Access
Since the publication of Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 1.0) guidelines in 2008, the science of the field has advanced considerably. In this manuscript, we describe the development of SQUIRE 2.0 and its key components. We undertook the revision between 2012 and 2015 using (1) semistructured interviews and focus groups to evaluate SQUIRE 1.0 plus feedback from an international steering group, (2) two face-to-face consensus meetings to develop interim drafts and (3) pilot testing with authors and a public comment period. SQUIRE 2.0 emphasises the reporting of three key components of systematic efforts to improve the quality, value and safety of healthcare: the use of formal and informal theory in planning, implementing and evaluating improvement work; the context in which the work is done and the study of the intervention(s). SQUIRE 2.0 is intended for reporting the range of methods used to improve healthcare, recognising that they can be complex and multidimensional. It provides common ground to share these discoveries in the scholarly literature (http://www.squire-statement.org).
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Research Practice and Methodology
Perspectives: answering questions about quality improvement: suggestions for investigators
Non UofA Access
‘Does it work?’ is not the only question that practical improvers have of those investigating of quality improvements. They also want to know, ‘Will it work here? What conditions do we need to implement and sustain it? Can we adapt it? How much will it cost and save? Is there enough evidence to spread it?’This perspectives article describes methods that investigators can use to answer these questions about improvement changes and improvement methods. It suggests that one reason why research is underused by improvers is because there is little research that answers these questions that would enable improvers to decide whether or how to implement an improvement in their local setting. It shows improvers that answers are possible and where improvers might find research and reports which answer these questions. It is based on reviews of research and reports about methods for producing valid and actionable knowledge to answer these questions. It describes a new ‘quality improvement investigation movement’ which is uniting applied researchers and improvers to use innovative methods to answer these questions. These investigators recognize the strengths of the randomized controlled trail method, and how easy it is to draw the wrong conclusions from data generated using lower cost and more timely methods. It emphasizes how investigators can choose a method suited to each question, describe the limitations of the method and communicate to improvers the degree of certainty of their answers to the questions.
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Aging
Experiences of Japanese aged care: the pursuit of optimal health and cultural engagement
Non UofA Access
Japan is a super-ageing society that faces pressures on its aged care system from a growing population of older adults. Naturalistic observations were undertaken at eight aged care facilities in central and northern Japan to explore how aged care is configured. Four aspects of contemporary provision were identified that offer potential gains in quality of life and health. The Japanese government mandates that aged care facilities must employ a qualified nutritionist to oversee meal preparation, fostering optimal dietary intake. A concept of life rehabilitation seeks to maximise physical and cognitive performance, with possible longevity gains. Low staff to resident ratios are also mandated by the Japanese government to afford residents high levels of interpersonal care. Finally, Japanese facilities prioritise experiences of seasonality and culture, connecting frail older people to the world beyond their walls.
“I just think that we should be informed” a qualitative study of family involvement in advance care planning in nursing homes
Non UofA Access
BACKGROUND: As part of the research project “End-of-life Communication in Nursing Homes. Patient Preferences and Participation”, we have studied how Advance Care Planning (ACP) is carried out in eight Norwegian nursing homes. The concept of ACP is a process for improving patient autonomy and communication in the context of progressive illness, anticipated deterioration and end-of-life care. While an individualistic autonomy based attitude is at the fore in most studies on ACP, there is a lack of empirical studies on how family members’ participation and involvement in ACP- conversations may promote nursing home patients’ participation in decisions on future treatment and end-of-life care. Based on empirical data and family ethics perspectives, the purpose of this study is to add insights to the complexity of ACP-conversations and illuminate how a family ethics perspective may improve the quality of the ACP and promote nursing home patients’ participation in advance care planning. METHODS: Participant observations of ACP-conversations in eight nursing homes. The observations were followed by interviews with patients and relatives together on how they experienced being part of the conversation, and expressing their views on future medical treatment, hospitalization and end-of-life issues. RESULTS: We found that the way nursing home patients and relatives are connected and related to each other, constitutes an intertwined unit. Further, we found that relatives’ involvement and participation in ACP- conversations is significant to uncover, and give the nursing home staff insight into, what is important in the nursing home patient’s life at the time. The third analytical theme is patients’ and relatives’ shared experiences of the dying and death of others. Drawing on past experiences can be a way of introducing or talking about death. CONCLUSIONS: An individual autonomy approach in advance care planning should be complemented with a family ethics approach. To be open to family ethics when planning for the patient’s future in the nursing home is to be open to diversity and nuances and to the significance of the patient’s former life and experiences.
Contribution of Pharmacogenetic Testing to Modeled Medication Change Recommendations in a Long-Term Care Population with Polypharmacy
Non UofA Access
BACKGROUND: Among long-term care facility residents, polypharmacy is common, and often appropriate, given the need to treat multiple, complex, chronic conditions. Polypharmacy has, however, been associated with increased healthcare costs, adverse drug events, and drug interactions. The current study evaluates the potential medication cost savings of adding personalized pharmacogenetic information to traditional medication management strategies. METHODS: One hundred and twelve long-term care residents completed pharmacogenetic testing for targeted variants in the following genes: CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4/CYP3A5, HTR2A, HTR2C, SLC6A4, SLC6A2 COMT, OPRM1, SLCO1B1, VKORC1 and MTHFR. Following reporting of the IDgenetix Polypharmacy(R) test results, an internal medication management assessment was performed by a licensed clinical pharmacist to identify potential opportunities for regimen optimization through medication changes or discontinuations. The medication cost differences before and after the pharmacogenetic-guided review were assessed. RESULTS: Medication review following pharmacogenetic result reporting identified 54 patients (48.2%) with a total of 132 drug change recommendations (45 reductions; 87 replacements) and an average of 2.4 proposed medication changes (range 1-6) per patient. Medication cost savings related to the identified reduction and replacement opportunities exceeded the cost of testing and are estimated to be US$ 1300 (year 2016 cost) per patient annually assuming full implementation. CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional medication review, pharmacogenetic testing resulted in a 38% increase in the number of patients with current medication change opportunities and also offered valuable genetic information that could be referenced to personalize future prescribing decisions for all patients.
Associations Between Geriatric Syndromes and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Elderly: Results of a National Longitudinal Study in Taiwan
Non UofA Access
OBJECTIVE: Although geriatric syndromes have been studied extensively, their interactions with one another and their accumulated effects on life expectancy are less frequently discussed. This study examined whether geriatric syndromes and their cumulative effects are associated with risks of mortality in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Data were collected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study in Aging in 2003, and the participant survival status was followed until December 31, 2007. A total of 2744 participants aged >/=65 years were included in this retrospective cohort study; 634 died during follow-up. Demographic factors, comorbidities, health behaviors, and geriatric syndromes, including underweight, falls, functional impairment, depressive condition, and cognitive impairment, were assessed. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the probability of survival according to the cumulative number of geriatric syndromes. RESULTS: The prevalence of geriatric syndromes increased with age. Mortality was significantly associated with age >/=75 years; male sex; /= 3, HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.62-3.66). CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults who were male, illiterate, receiving institutional care, underweight, experiencing a depressive condition, functionally impaired, and engaging in poor health behavior were more likely to have a higher risk of mortality. The identification of geriatric syndromes might help to improve comprehensive care for community-dwelling older adults.
Janus at the Crossroads: Perspectives on Long-term Care Trajectories for Older Women With Dementia in a Canadian Context 
Non UofA Access
Purpose of the Study: Janus, the two-faced, Roman god of beginnings and transitions, is used as a metaphor to explore our personal narratives and our quantitative research on the experiences of older women with dementia in long-term care (LTC). Two research questions are addressed: (a) How do our quantitative data map onto our mothers’ experiences? (b) What lessons do our mothers’ experiences offer for the care of older women with dementia?Design and Methods: Informed by a life-course perspective, we triangulate administrative data on 3,717 women with dementia receiving LTC in British Columbia, Canada, with personal narratives—the stories of our mothers who made the transition from home care into residential (nursing home) care.Results: Our quantitative data reveal that the home care to residential care transition is the most common LTC trajectory for women with dementia who are most likely to be widowed and living alone in suburban areas. On entry into residential care, they exhibit greater frailty in terms of activities of daily living, cognition, aggression, and incontinence. Our personal narrative data on our mothers reveals that the relatively straightforward pathways through LTC for women with dementia, are often considerably more complex in a real-world context. Attention is drawn to the public and private services, hospitalization patterns, and substantial communication gaps experienced by our moms and families.Implications: A life-course perspective, and qualitative and quantitative data facilitate understanding the care journeys—health and service trajectories of older women with dementia.
A Social Model of Loneliness: The Roles of Disability, Social Resources, and Cognitive Impairment
Non UofA Access
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: We consider the points at which cognitive impairment may impact on the pathway to loneliness for older people, through impeding social interaction with family and friends, or by interfering with judgments concerning satisfaction with relationships. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conceptualize a mediation model anticipating that social resources (LSNS-6) will mediate the pathway between disability (Townsend Disability Scale) and loneliness (De Jong Gierveld 6-item scale) and a moderated-mediation model in which we hypothesize that cognitive impairment (MMSE) will moderate the association between disability and social resources and between social resources and loneliness. To validate the hypothesized pathways, we draw on the CFAS Wales data set (N = 3,593) which is a nationally representative study of community-dwelling people aged 65 and older in Wales. RESULTS: Disability had a significant indirect effect on loneliness through the mediating variable social resources. Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with social resources, but did not moderate the relationship between disability and social resources. Cognitive impairment had a significant impact on loneliness, and moderated the effect of social resources on loneliness. IMPLICATIONS: Social structures can (dis)empower people with cognitive impairment and lead to exclusion from social resources or impact on the social construction of aging, cognitive impairment, and dementia. The sense of self for an older person with cognitive impairment may be influenced by social norms and stereotypes, or through a temporal social comparison with an “earlier” sense of self. We conclude that loneliness interventions should be theoretically informed to identify key areas for modification.
The experiences of family caregivers of people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes, with a specific focus on spouses: A narrative literature review
Non UofA Access
Dementia affects individuals, families and their relationships. While there is increasing evidence about the experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia, relatively little is known of their experiences when their relatives are living in nursing homes with dementia. This narrative literature review aimed to synthesise current knowledge about family caregivers’ experience of having relatives living in nursing homes with advanced dementia, particularly focussing on community-dwelling spouses. Using a systematic approach, textual narrative synthesis was undertaken. Four themes were identified: changing relationships, the need for companionship, adjusting to new roles and relationships and anticipating death/looking towards the future. Two additional themes were present only for spouses: changing identity – feeling married, being married; and alone but… The review demonstrates that some aspects of spouses’ experiences are different from those of other family caregivers. Longitudinal studies are required to better understand spouses’ motivations to continue caring in this context and to find ways of supporting them.
Establishing a set of research priorities in care homes for older people in the UK: a modified Delphi consensus study with care home staff
Non UofA Access
BACKGROUND: currently, there is little evidence base for much of the care provided for older people in care homes. Given the wide range of topics that require further investigation, and limited resources, one solution is to identify the priorities for future research. METHODS: a modified Delphi technique was used to identify research topics and develop consensus among care home staff participants. The survey was conducted across three rounds. Firstly to elicit topics that were considered by participants to require further research, secondly to prioritise the long list of research questions, followed by a third round to reach a consensus on the highest ranked 15 questions. RESULTS: eighty-three participants responded to the initial survey, providing 144 questions. Following analysis and review against existing evidence, 76 research questions remained. Of note, 40/83 participants responded to the interim prioritisation round and 43/83 participants responded to the final round, which ranked the top 15 research questions by importance. Two other groups of health and social care professionals also participated in the final ranking. The results from these groups had a similar ordering to those of the original cohort of participants. CONCLUSION: this is the first study to establish a set of research priorities for older people in the UK care homes. It is hoped that sharing these results with clinicians, researchers and funding bodies will help to begin the process of ensuring that the future research agenda can be focused on the areas of greatest need. Further work to identify the priorities of other key stakeholders is required.
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Events
Non UofA
9th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation
This meeting, Dec. 14-15 in Washington D.C, will focus thinking on the highest priorities for dissemination and implementation science now and in the future to help optimize health and health care. Visit the conference website for the preliminary agenda and a full list of confirmed plenary speakers.
Health Policy Speaker Series: Canada’s health care at the crossroads
Ken Spears is the Canadian Country Director and Regional Vice President of Boston Scientific. He began his medical device career in 1991 with Abbott Laboratories and joined Boston Scientific Canada in 2004 as Director of Cardiology. In 2005, Ken was promoted to Canadian Country Director of Boston Scientific. He currently serves on the MEDEC Board of Directors and recently joined the EXCITE Management Board of Directors. Ken is an active health system advocate focused on improving patient outcomes, health system value for money and the evidence-based adoption of innovative health technology.
Online
This free 60-minute webinar with Dr Powell is the third in the Science-based Innovation Series. It will provide an opportunity for participants to get a thorough understanding of what implementation strategies are and how they can be used in developing implementation plans in practice. In this webinar, hear about: an overview of implementation strategies that can be used to implement effective practices; how evidence, theory, and stakeholder perspectives can guide the process of tailoring them to specific contexts; efforts to implement Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in community mental health settings will be used as exemplars, and implications for research and practice will be discussed.
Transforming Care for the Elderly: ensuring that seniors receive appropriate and person-centred care
Session 1 of this On Call Series will feature a case study from Sienna Senior Living (Ontario) and will focus on strategies your organization can adapt and use to improve care for the elderly. This interactive On Call session will be presented by participants of CFHI’s pan-Canadian Antipsychotic Reduction Collaborative and hosted by Kaye Phillips, Senior Director, CFHI, and Jennifer Major, Senior Improvement Lead, CFHI.
Knowledge Translation Webinar Series: How to write a knowledge translation grant
The next webinar “How to write a knowledge translation grant” features Dr. Linda Li (Professor, Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia, Harold Robinson/Arthritis Research Society Chair in Arthritic Diseases, and Canada Research Chair in Patient-oriented Knowledge Translation).
Courses
#courses
2017 Implementation Science Institute at University of Pennsylvania
The purpose of the Implementation Science Institute is to provide participants with the tools to design and study rigorous implementation science research. The Institute will give an introduction to the foundations of implementation science (i.e., terminology, conceptual models and frameworks, study design). Students will also receive an overview of advanced topics including implementation strategies and sustainability. The course directors will cover tips for grant writing, skill development and time will be spent writing specific aims for Implementation Science grants.
Online
Online Introductory Course on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis
This is an introductory course on systematic reviews and meta-analyses and will be delivered online. It is co-taught by Andrea Tricco (MSc, PhD) and Sharon Straus (MD, MSc). The overall course objective is to teach about systematic reviews in general, as well as how to go about doing a systematic review. This information will be used by the students to conduct a systematic review on the topic of their choice, with guidance from the course instructors.
News
Care homes will have to reveal patient eviction numbers (UK)
Care homes will be forced to reveal how many patients they have evicted against their wishes, the care regulator says. They will also have to share how many relatives of elderly patients have been banned from visiting their loved ones, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.
Long-term care need urgent, imperative
A 2012 task force on long-term care in Ontario found nearly 20 per cent of all “critical incidents” in nursing homes — which range from medication issues to missing residents — were related to abuse or neglect, including by staff, and by residents being violent with other residents. The challenge, says Andrea Gruneir, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta, is that many people have complex health needs, including dementia. “Sometimes those issues can include troubling or disturbing behaviours,” she says.
Restrained and medicated senior spends months ‘warehoused’ in hospital
The son of an 86-year-old B.C. woman says his mom spent months “warehoused” in hospital, moved to five different units, and was restrained so often that her mental and physical illness worsened.
Seniors and self-harm factor in the opioid crisis
Harm from opioids has spiked over the past decade, but the reasons why are likely more complicated than an increase in abuse of the drugs, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) warns in a benchmark report.
Could Loneliness Be an Early Sign of Alzheimer’s? (US)
Subtle feelings of loneliness might warn of impending Alzheimer’s disease in older folks, a new study suggests.
Gender and the CERCs (Canada Excellence Research Chairs), redux
The CERCs have been criticised from the start for their lack of women recipients, and there had been investigations that led to a major report (in 2012) followed by the implementation of equity practices even before the second CERC competition in 2013. Dan Munro posted a helpful series of tweets about this, asking the Minister for an explanation about what exactly is “new” given the existing policy, and then going through some of the history regarding the gender issues with the CERCs.
Is Publication Success a Matter of Dumb Luck?
There is a scathing narrative that gets pedaled by critics of scholarly publishing that many of the selection and review processes underlying the selection of scientific papers are elaborately disguised shams. Editors, they argue, are no better at identifying good science from bad science than flipping a coin, rolling dice, or buying a lottery ticket. “Dumb luck” fits into this narrative.
Your Guide to Possibly/Probably Predatory Online Open-Access Journals
Assembled by members of the International Academy of Nurse Editors are a variety of resources to help you discern which online open-access journals are reliable.
Should You “Revise and Resubmit”?
This process of revision is time-consuming and several journals are trying out new things in order to speed publication, while still conducting what is more or less traditional peer review. One example is to focus reviews on whether the “science” is correct. I put “science” in quotes because peer review processes belong to science and humanities publications. I would argue that there is a “science” to developing a strong thesis in all humanities papers as well.
Resources
Talking to people about the government’s work on dementia
This toolkit is aimed at dementia groups and networks and provides guidance and helpful tips about facilitating discussions with people with dementia and carers effectively and sensitively.
Nursing Home User Comparative Database Reports
Many nursing homes using the AHRQ Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture have expressed interest in comparing their results to other nursing homes. In response, the AHRQ has established the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture Comparative Database. This database is a central repository for survey data from nursing homes that have administered the AHRQ patient safety culture survey instrument.
Age friendly places : making our community a great place to grow older
Living longer is a huge opportunity if we adapt our neighbourhoods and communities to work for us as we age. As we grow older, we often spend more time in our homes and communities, so our immediate environment has a significant impact on our health, wellbeing and the quality of our lives. Age Friendly Places are essential for our ageing population.
Opportunities
TD Bank Financial Group Grant for Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Studentships
The TD Bank Financial Group in agreement with the University of Alberta has established an endowment fund to be administered by the Health Sciences Council, University of Alberta. The fund will provide three (3) $10,000 studentships for 2016-17 to support students or trainees at the masters, doctoral or fellowship level. The studentships will be awarded to students in the health sciences faculties who have active roles with an interdisciplinary (cross-faculty or multiple health/allied health disciplines) health research team, who will be taking part in a health research project and who describe or demonstrate interest and potential to excel in interdisciplinary health research.
Postdoctoral Fellowship in School Mental Health & Implementation Science
The successful candidate will have an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and will work closely with faculty in the College of Education.
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Implementation Research in Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment
In partnership with the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health, the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research (CMHPSR) at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine invites applications for one- and two-year post-doctoral fellowships.
Mentored Training in Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (MT-DIRC)
The MT-DIRC program is an innovative D&I training program that combines a week-long summer institute each of a Fellow’s two years in the program with ongoing mentoring during the academic year.
Assistant or Associate Professor – Drexel University
The Department of Health Management and Policy in the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health seeks applicants for a tenure-line position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in the area of population health management and/or implementation and translational science in public health and health care.
Director of Implementation Science Research – Brown University
The Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, is seeking a full time Psychiatrist or Psychologist for Director of Implementation Science Research.
Knowledge Mobilization Officer
Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) is seeking a Knowledge Mobilization Officer, to promote the scale and spread of innovations advanced by CFN. The position will leverage expertise of a broad partner network and apply knowledge mobilization best practices to enhance CFN activities.
