The Influence of Prior Functional Status on Self-Care Improvement During a Skilled Nursing Facility Stay

ObjectivesOlder adults' prior health status can influence their recovery after a major illness. We investigated the association between older adults’ independence in self-care tasks prior to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) stay and their self-care function at SNF admission, discharge, and the change in self-care function during an SNF stay.DesignRetrospective study of 100% national CMS data files from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019.Settings and ParticipantsThe sample included 616,073 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who were discharged from an SNF between October 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019.MethodsThe admission Minimum Data Set (MDS) was used to determine residents’ prior ability (independent, some help, dependent) to complete self-care tasks before the current illness, exacerbation, or injury. Seven self-care tasks from MDS Section GG were used to calculate total scores (range 7-42 points) for self-care at admission, discharge, and the change in self-care between admission and discharge.ResultsMost residents (62.0%) were independent, 35.3% needed some help, and 2.64% were dependent in self-care prior to SNF admission. Nearly 25% of residents with urinary incontinence, 28.8% with bowel incontinence, and 31.7% with moderate-severe cognitive impairment were independent in self-care prior to SNF admission compared with approximately 70% of residents without these conditions. Compared with residents who were dependent in self-care prior to SNF admission, those who were independent or needed some help had significantly higher self-care total scores at admission (5.67 vs 4.21 points, respectively) and discharge (6.44 vs 3.82 points, respectively) and exhibited greater improvement in self-care (3.48 vs 1.62 points, respectively).Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings are evidence that the new MDS item for a resident's independence in self-care tasks before SNF admission is a valid measure of their prior self-care function. This is clinically useful information and should be considered when developing rehabilitation goals.     

Immunity debt or vaccination crisis? A multi-method evidence on vaccine acceptance and media framing for emerging COVID-19 variants

Renewed COVID-19 outbreaks, stemming from the highly infectious Delta and Omicron variants, prompted rising fears of a ‘pandemic among the unvaccinated’. To address this prevalent vaccination crisis, media framing communication strategies can amplify the scientific evidence on COVID-19 vaccines to reach diverse geographic and socio-economic communities. The critical role of media framing strategies to engage and encourage large populations regarding vaccine acceptance has been rarely studied, despite growing evidence on vaccine hesitancy. The present study used a multi-method approach (i.e., content analysis and quasi-experiments) that unpacked the framing practices employed by the mainstream media in Pakistan. The findings of the content analysis revealed that the media extensively used uncertainty, conflict, consequences, and action rather than new evidence and reassurance frames in its COVID-19 related campaigns. In a series of quasi-experiments involving 720 participants, we manipulated these six frames of COVID-19 related news coverage (i.e., uncertainty, conflict, consequences, action, new evidence, and reassurance) to investigate the underlying mechanism that influences vaccine acceptance. The findings established that the message-consistent effects of media frames manifesting fear (e.g., consequence and uncertainty) and action cues made receivers more supportive of vaccination. The present study findings theoretically address the calls for a more inclusive “community-health reporting model”, besides offering new evidence on the media framing strategies to deliver more targeted, meaningful, and effective campaigns to raise public acceptance for COVID-19 vaccines.     

The success of Australia’s ‘No Jab,No Pay’ policy at a local level; retrospective clinical audit of a single medical practice assessing incidence of catch-up vaccinations

Vaccination is a vital health care initiative to prevent individual and population infection. To increase vaccination rates the federal government implemented the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, where eligibility for several government benefits required children to be fully vaccinated by removing ‘conscientious objections’ and expanding the age range of children whose families receive benefits. This study assesses the impact of this policy at a local area within a single medical practice community in NSW, Australia. A retrospective clinical audit was performed between 2012 and 2017 on a single general practice's vaccination records for children ≤19 years. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed based on age at vaccination. Incidence of catch-up vaccinations was assessed for each of four years before and two years after the implementation of the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy in January 2016, along with the age of children and vaccination(s) given. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed temporally either side of implementation of ‘No Jab, No Pay’. Comparing the average annual vaccination catch-up incidence rate of 6.2% pre-implementation (2012–2015), there was an increase to 9.2% in 2016 (p < .001) and 7.8% in 2017 (p = .027). Secondary outcome measurement of catch-up vaccination incidence rates before (2012–2015) and after (2016–2017) ‘No Jab, No Pay’ implementation showed statistically significant increases for children aged 8–11 years (3.2%–5.6%, p = .038), 12–15 years (7.5%–14.7%, p < .001) and 16–19 years (3.3%–10.2%, p < .001) along with a statistically significant reduction in children aged 1–3 years (11.4%–6.2%, p = .015). Also, catch-up rates for DTPa significantly increased after program implementation. This study demonstrates that the Australian federal government vaccination policy ‘No Jab, No Pay’ was coincident with an increase in catch-up vaccinations within a rural NSW community served by one medical practice, especially for older children.     

Fat shaming under neoliberalism and COVID-19: Examining the UK’s Tackling Obesity campaign

This article explores the dynamics between fat shaming, neoliberalism, ideological constructions of health and the ‘obesity epidemic’ within the UK, using the UK Government’s recent Tackling Obesity campaign in response to Covid-19 as an illustration. We draw attention to how fat shaming as a practice that encourages open disdain for those living with excess weight operates as a moralising tool to regulate and manage those who are viewed as ‘bad’ citizens. In doing so, we begin by outlining how the ideological underpinnings of ‘health’ have been transformed under neoliberalism. We then consider the problematic use of fat shaming discourses that are often used as tools to promote ‘healthy’ lifestyle choices by those who view it as not only an acceptable way of communicating the health risks associated with obesity but also a productive way of motivating people with obesity to lose weight. Drawing on Graham Scambler’s theoretical framework regarding shame and blame (2020), we discuss how ‘heaping blame on shame’ has become a ‘wilful political strategy’ under neoliberalism, particularly as it relates to individuals with obesity, and how the Tackling Obesity campaign leverages concerns around ‘choices’ and ‘costs’ as a means through which to encourage normative models of self-care and self-discipline.     

基层医疗卫生机构居家护理服务的安全支持和医务人员服务意愿调查研究

背景 人口老龄化趋势下，罹患多种慢性病的失能或半失能老年人对居家医疗护理服务需求迫切，但基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务存在较大的医疗风险和安全隐患，加强居家医疗护理服务的安全管理，有利于提高基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿。 目的 调查基层医疗卫生机构对居家护理服务的安全支持情况和医务人员的服务意愿，为进一步推动居家医疗护理服务发展提供参考依据。 方法 2021年8—10月，采用便利抽样法在四川省五大经济区抽取49所基层医疗卫生机构的1 131例医务人员。自行设计调查问卷，以"问卷星"电子问卷的形式收集资料。问卷内容包括医务人员的一般情况（8个条目）、提供居家医疗护理服务的经历（2个条目）、医疗机构对医务人员的安全支持（7个条目）、医务人员的居家医疗护理服务意愿（1个条目）。比较不同特征医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿，采用二元Logistic回归分析医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务意愿的影响因素。 结果 1 131例基层医务人员中，692例（61.18%）报告有过居家医疗护理服务的经历，193例（17.06%）报告在服务过程中发生过不良事件/安全事件，531例（46.95%）报告其所在医疗机构未评估过患者接受居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，199例（17.60%）表示所在机构评估了医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，299例（26.44%）在居家医疗护理服务过程中使用APP定位系统，273例（24.14%）由机构配备报警、延迟预警等设备，807例（71.35%）表示居家医疗护理服务过程中没有获得所在机构内其他医务人员的支持措施，303例（26.79%）表示机构曾组织居家医疗护理服务的专项研讨活动，352例（31.12%）表示接受过有关居家医疗护理服务专项培训，853例（75.42%）表示愿意提供居家医疗护理服务。二元Logistic回归分析结果显示，就职的基层医疗卫生机构类型，目前受聘的专业技术职称，医疗机构是否评估过患者接受居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，在居家医疗护理服务过程中是否配备报警、延迟预警等设备，是否参加过有关居家医疗护理服务的专项培训，对医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务意愿有影响（P<0.05）。 结论 现阶段居家医疗护理服务的安全支持不足，多种因素影响基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿。基层医疗卫生机构应加强对患者接受居家医疗护理服务安全风险的评估，为提供居家医疗护理服务的医务人员配备报警、延迟预警等设备，积极举办居家医疗护理服务相关的专项培训并鼓励医务人员参加，以降低医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的风险，保障其人身安全。     

The role of payment and financing in achieving health equity

Objective

The aim was to identify healthcare payment and financing reforms to promote health equity and ways that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) may promote those reforms.

Data Sources and Study Setting

AHRQ convened a payment and financing workgroup–the authors of this paper–as part of its Health Equity Summit held in July 2022. This workgroup drew from its collective experience with healthcare payment and financing reform, as well as feedback from participants in a session at the Health Equity Summit, to identify the evidence base and promising paths for reforms to promote health equity.

Study Design

The payment and financing workgroup developed an outline of reforms to promote health equity, presented the outline to participants in the payment and financing session of the July 2022 AHRQ Health Equity Summit, and integrated feedback from the participants.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

This paper did not require novel data collection; the authors collected the data from the existing evidence base.

Principal Findings

The paper outlines root causes of health inequity and corresponding potential reforms in five domains: (1) the differential distribution of resources between healthcare providers serving different communities, (2) scarcity of financing for populations most in need, (3) lack of integration/accountability, (4) patient cost barriers to care, and (5) bias in provider behavior and diagnostic tools.

Conclusions

Additional research is necessary to determine whether the proposed reforms are effective in promoting health equity.