Investigating how electroencephalogram measures associate with delirium: A systematic review

Delirium is a common neurocognitive disorder in hospital settings, characterised by fluctuating impairments in attention and arousal following an acute precipitant. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a useful method to understand delirium pathophysiology. We performed a systematic review to investigate associations between delirium and EEG measures recorded prior, during, and after delirium. A total of 1,655 articles were identified using PsycINFO, Embase and MEDLINE, 31 of which satisfied inclusion criteria. Methodological quality assessment was undertaken, resulting in a mean quality score of 4 out of a maximum of 5. Qualitative synthesis revealed EEG slowing and reduced functional connectivity discriminated between those with and without delirium (i.e. EEG during delirium); the opposite pattern was apparent in children, with cortical hyperexcitability. EEG appears to have utility in differentiating those with and without delirium, but delirium vulnerability and the long-term effects on brain function require further investigation. Findings provide empirical support for the theory that delirium is a disorder of reduced functional brain integration.     

加强护患沟通 推进“优质护理服务示范工程”活动

我院在实施卫生部"优质护理服务示范工程"活动(以下简称"示范工程"活动)中,通过对两组不同年龄病人交流沟通的经验总结,进一步掌握了更好的护患沟通技巧,构建了良好的护患关系,减少了护患矛盾与纠纷,保障医疗安全,全面提高了医院临床护理工作水平,推进了"示范工程"活动的深入开展。     

Children at birth,children growing up. Integration between healthcare and family educational care

This research is based on the assumption that in order to improve the quality of life of children with major health problems in the early stage of their life, especially in the case of disability, it is necessary to ensure the continuity and proper two-way integration of early childhood educational planning and health care, both provided by the adults involved, that is parents and professionals. Therefore, we tried to explore and piece together the complex set of family support experiences, both in the process of forming an attachment and affiliation to the newborn and in the construction of a common evolutionary history, aimed at the well-being of the entire family unit. We considered the context and actors of the first few days and months in the lives of children with a difficult life course, in a city of Northern Italy. By means of qualitative investigation, we carried out observations in the neonatal intensive care units of hospitals over a period of 10 months. Our observations continued in the local healthcare, social, and educational services, entrusted with providing care to children and support to parents after hospital discharge. We also carried out observations in nursery schools, in order to highlight early forms of individualised educational planning, drawn up by the educators together with the family.     

PRACTICE GUIDELINES IN PEDIATRIC HEMATOONCOLOGY: Implementation and Survey. A Possible Way for Medical Quality Assurance

The Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Working Group intended to change the practice of prescribing diagnostic tests as well as to examine the possibility of introducing indicators about the time factors of medical care. A nationwide accepted protocol was established for these tests. The examined time factors were the length of elapsed time from admittance to treatment and the length of hospital stay for different reasons (diagnosis, treatment, complications). Included in to this study are the new cases of 5 common groups of malignancies (acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, osteosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma) for a study period of 1 year. The follow-up data of 152 patients were examined; the length of survey was 1-12 months, depending on when the patients entered the study. As a continuous clinical audit, a system of survey was set up for each follow-up test, using a questionnaire about the conformity of physicians to the protocol, evaluating the principal reasons of deviation from the protocol. Using the data provided by this questionnaire, a renewal of the protocols for each disease was made three times during the whole study period. The principal reasons of nonconformity to the protocol were (1) complications, (2) the nonuse of the protocol, (3) nonacceptance of the protocol, and (4) technical problems. The authors intended to use their time indicators for benchmarking, to make a comparison possible between centers concerning the length of treatment, occurrence of complications, and delays in chemotherapy. However, the examination of the time indicators in the most frequent disease (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, n = 73) showed inverse correlation between the numberof admissions per year per center and the length of time elapsed up to the beginning of treatment. This points to a need for better cooperation in small centers at the initial phase of the diagnosis. The main result of this study is the successful elaboration and implementation of practice guidelines by information linked to performance (the feedback) in daily practice: Compliance during the first 3 months of the study was 28%, and compliance during the last 3 months was 61%.     

What Can Health Communication Science Offer for ACA Implementation? Five Evidence-Informed Strategies for Expanding Medicaid Enrollment

Context: Implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014 will require effective enrollment and outreach efforts to previously uninsured individuals now eligible for coverage.Methods: From 1996 to 2013, the Health Communication Research Laboratory conducted more than 40 original studies with more than 30,000 participants to learn how to improve the reach to and effectiveness of health information for low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations. We synthesized the findings from this body of research and used them to inform current challenges in implementing the ACA.Findings: We found empirical support for 5 recommendations regarding partnerships, outreach, messages and messengers, life priorities of low-income individuals and families, and the information environment. We translated these into 12 action steps.Conclusions: Health communication science can inform the development and execution of strategies to increase the public''s understanding of the ACA and to support the enrollment of eligible individuals into Medicaid or the Health Insurance Marketplace.     

Touch,the essence of caring for people with end-stage dementia: A mental health perspective in Namaste Care

This article presents the mental health aspects of ‘touch’ associated with a funded research project: Avoiding ‘high tech’ through ‘high touch’ in end-stage dementia: Protocol for care at the end-of-life. These mental health aspects highlight the human need for touch that continues up until and inclusive of the final stages of life. This study was informed by Simard's (2007) ‘high touch’ protocol based on the End-of-Life Namaste Care programme for people with dementia. The article is situated in relation to the research project which used a three-phase mixed methods approach. Data explored in this article are derived from focus groups conducted at three residential aged care facilities located in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW, Australia. The exploration of touch vis-a-vis mental health fell under two broad themes: touch by others and touch by the person. Sub-elements of these themes comprised touch towards a physical objective, touch towards an emotional objective, touch of objects and touch of others. The overarching outcome of interconnectedness embraced environmental awareness and human and life awareness. These two broad themes, with their accompanying elements, express the essential nature of mental health as a reciprocal connectedness, with reciprocal impacts on both those people with advanced dementia and their carers.