Dataset Information

Using an Electronic Tablet to Assess Patients' Home Environment by Videoconferencing Prior to Hospital Discharge: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Occupational therapists working in hospitals are usually involved in discharge planning to assess patients' safety and autonomy upon returning home. However, their assessment is usually done at the hospital due to organizational and financial constraints. The lack of visual data about the patients' home may thus reduce the appropriateness and applicability of the support recommended upon discharge. Although various technological tools such as mobile devices (mobile health) are promising methods for home-based distance assessment, their application in hospital settings may raise several feasibility issues. To our knowledge, their usefulness and added value compared to standard procedure have not been addressed yet in previous studies. Moreover, several feasibility issues need to be explored.

Objective

This paper aims to (1) document the clinical feasibility of using an electronic tablet to assess the patient's home environment by mobile videoconferencing and (2) explore the added value of using mobile videoconferencing, compared to the standard procedure.

Methods

A feasibility and comparative study using a mixed-methods (convergent) design is currently undergoing. Six occupational therapists will assess the home environment of their patients in the hospital setting: they will first perform a semistructured interview (a) and then use mobile videoconferencing (b) to compare "a versus a+b." Interviews with occupational therapists and patients and their caregivers will further explore the advantages and disadvantages of mobile videoconferencing. Two valid tools are used (the Canadian Measure of Occupational Performance and the telehealth responsivity questionnaire). Direct and indirect time is also collected.

Results

The project was funded in the spring of 2016 and authorized by the ethics committee in February 2017. Enrollment started in April 2017. Five triads (n=4 occupational therapists, n=5 clients, n=5 caregivers) have been recruited until now. The experiment is expected to be completed by April 2019 and analysis of the results by June 2019.

Conclusions

Mobile videoconferencing may be a familiar and easy solution for visualizing environmental barriers in the home by caregivers and clinicians, thus providing a promising and inexpensive option to promote a safe return home upon hospital discharge, but clinical feasibility and obstacles to the use of mobile videoconferencing must be understood.

International registered report identifier (irrid)

DERR1-10.2196/11674.

SUBMITTER: Latulippe K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6682277 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Using an Electronic Tablet to Assess Patients' Home Environment by Videoconferencing Prior to Hospital Discharge: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study.

Latulippe Karine K Provencher Véronique V Boivin Katia K Vincent Claude C Guay Manon M Kairy Dahlia D Morales Ernesto E Pellerin Marc-André MA Giroux Dominique D

JMIR research protocols 20190114 1

<h4>Background</h4>Occupational therapists working in hospitals are usually involved in discharge planning to assess patients' safety and autonomy upon returning home. However, their assessment is usually done at the hospital due to organizational and financial constraints. The lack of visual data about the patients' home may thus reduce the appropriateness and applicability of the support recommended upon discharge. Although various technological tools such as mobile devices (mobile health) are ...[more]

PMID: 31344677

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Project description:BackgroundOccupational therapists who work in hospitals need to assess patients' home environment in preparation for hospital discharge in order to provide recommendations (eg, technical aids) to support their independence and safety. Home visits increase performance in everyday activities and decrease the risk of falls; however, in some countries, home visits are rarely made prior to hospital discharge due to the cost and time involved. In most cases, occupational therapists rely on an interview with the patient or a caregiver to assess the home. The use of videoconferencing to assess patients' home environments could be an innovative solution to allow better and more appropriate recommendations.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was (1) to explore the added value of using mobile videoconferencing compared with standard procedure only and (2) to document the clinical feasibility of using mobile videoconferencing to assess patients' home environments.MethodsOccupational therapists assessed home environments using, first, the standard procedure (interview), and then, videoconferencing (with the help of a family caregiver located in patients' homes, using an electronic tablet). We used a concurrent mixed methods design. The occupational therapist's responsiveness to telehealth, time spent on assessment, patient's occupational performance and satisfaction, and major events influencing the variables were collected as quantitative data. The perceptions of occupational therapists and family caregivers regarding the added value of using this method and the nature of changes made to recommendations as a result of the videoconference (if any) were collected as qualitative data, using questionnaires and semistructured interviews.ResultsEight triads (6 occupational therapists, 8 patients, and 8 caregivers) participated. The use of mobile videoconferencing generally led occupational therapists to modify the initial intervention plan (produced after the standard interview). Occupational therapists and caregivers perceived benefits in using mobile videoconferencing (eg, the ability to provide real-time comments or feedback), and they also perceived disadvantages (eg, videoconferencing requires additional time and greater availability of caregivers). Some occupational therapists believed that mobile videoconferencing added value to assessments, while others did not.ConclusionsThe use of mobile videoconferencing in the context of hospital discharge planning has raised questions of clinical feasibility. Although mobile videoconferencing provides multiple benefits to hospital discharge, including more appropriate occupational therapist recommendations, time constraints made it more difficult to perceive the added value. However, with smartphone use, interdisciplinary team involvement, and patient participation in the videoconference visit, mobile videoconferencing can become an asset to hospital discharge planning.International registered report identifier (irrid)RR2-10.2196/11674.

Project description:BackgroundBreast cancer surgery results in numerous acute and long-term adverse outcomes; the degree to which these can be mitigated or prevented through prehabilitation is unknown.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal, single-arm, mixed-methods study to examine the feasibility of prehabilitation in 22 women undergoing breast cancer surgery. All participants received an individualized exercise prescription including upper quadrant-specific resistance and mobility training and aerobic exercise for the duration of their surgical wait time. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment, adherence, attrition, and intervention-related adverse event rates. An exploratory investigation of intervention efficacy was conducted via a 6-min walk test, upper-quadrant strength and range of motion, volumetric chances associated with lymphedema, and participant-reported quality of life, fatigue, pain, and disability. Outcome assessments were conducted at baseline, prior to surgery, and at six and 12 weeks after surgery. Semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants (n = 5) and health-care providers (H; n = 2) were conducted to provide further insights about intervention feasibility. Qualitative data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach.ResultsRecruitment and attrition rates were 62 and 36%, respectively. Average prehabilitation duration was 31 days (range = 7-69 days). Seventy six percent of participants complied with at least 70% of their prehabilitation prescription. There was a clinically significant increase in the 6-min walk distance from baseline to the preoperative assessment (57 m, 95% CI = -7.52, 121.7). The interviews revealed that the intervention was favorably received by participants and HCPs and included suggestions that prehabilitation (i) should be offered to all surgical candidates, (ii) is an avenue to regain control in the preoperative period, (iii) is a facilitator of postoperative recovery, and (iv) is an opportunity to provide education regarding postoperative rehabilitation protocols. A preference for multimodal prehabilitation (including dietetic and psychological counseling) was also highlighted.ConclusionOur findings suggest that surgical prehabilitation in women with breast cancer is feasible. Data are hampered by study sample size and lack of a control group. Thus, randomized controlled trials to examine prehabilitation efficacy in people with breast cancer, especially interventions employing a multimodal strategy, are warranted.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Group therapy and education and support sessions are used within health care across a range of disciplines such as chronic disease self-management and psychotherapy interventions. However, there are barriers that constrain group attendance, such as mobility, time, and distance. Using videoconferencing may overcome known barriers and improve the accessibility of group-based interventions. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to review the literature to determine the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and implementation of health professional-led group videoconferencing to provide education or social support or both, into the home setting. METHODS:Electronic databases were searched using predefined search terms for primary interventions for patient education and/or social support. The quality of studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. We developed an analysis framework using hierarchical terms feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and implementation, which were informed by subheadings. RESULTS:Of the 1634 records identified, 17 were included in this review. Home-based groups by videoconferencing are feasible even for those with limited digital literacy. Overall acceptability was high with access from the home highly valued and little concern of privacy issues. Some participants reported preferring face-to-face groups. Good information technology (IT) support and training is required for facilitators and participants. Communication can be adapted for the Web environment and would be enhanced by clear communication strategies and protocols. A range of improved outcomes were reported but because of the heterogeneity of studies, comparison of these across studies was not possible. There was a trend for improvement in mental health outcomes. Benefits highlighted in the qualitative data included engaging with others with similar problems; improved accessibility to groups; and development of health knowledge, insights, and skills. Videoconference groups were able to replicate group processes such as bonding and cohesiveness. Similar outcomes were reported for those comparing face-to-face groups and videoconference groups. CONCLUSIONS:Groups delivered by videoconference are feasible and potentially can improve the accessibility of group interventions. This may be particularly useful for those who live in rural areas, have limited mobility, are socially isolated, or fear meeting new people. Outcomes are similar to in-person groups, but future research on facilitation process in videoconferencing-mediated groups and large-scale studies are required to develop the evidence base.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Children and families in pediatric palliative care depend on close contact with health care personnel, and electronic health (eHealth) is suggested to support care at home by facilitating their remote interactions. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to identify and review the use of eHealth to communicate and support home-based pediatric palliative care and appraise the methodological quality of the published research. METHODS:We conducted a convergent, systematic mixed methods review and searched Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and Scopus for eligible papers. Studies evaluating 2-way communication technology for palliative care for children aged ≤18 years and applying quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods from 2012 to 2018 were eligible for inclusion. Quantitative and qualitative studies were equally valued during the search, screening, extraction, and analysis. Quantitative data were transformed into qualitative data and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Overall, 2 independent researchers methodologically appraised all included studies. RESULTS:We identified 1277 citations. Only 7 papers were eligible for review. Evaluating eHealth interventions in pediatric palliative care poses specific methodological and ethical challenges. eHealth to facilitate remote pediatric palliative care was acknowledged both as an intrusion and as a support at home. Reluctance toward eHealth was mainly identified among professionals. CONCLUSIONS:The strengths of the conclusions are limited by the studies' methodological challenges. Despite the limitless possibilities held by new technologies, research on eHealth in home-based pediatric palliative care is scarce. The affected children and families appeared to hold positive attitudes toward eHealth, although their views were less apparent compared with those of the professionals. TRIAL REGISTRATION:PROSPERO CRD42018119051; https://tinyurl.com/rtsw5ky.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Current use of smartphone cameras by parents create opportunities for longitudinal home-video-assessments to monitor infant development. We developed and validated a home-video method for parents, enabling Pediatric Physical Therapists to assess infants' gross motor development with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). The objective of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of this home-video method from the parents' perspective. METHODS:Parents of 59 typically developing infants (0-19?months) were recruited, 45 parents participated in the study. Information about dropout was collected. A sequential mixed methods design was used to examine feasibility, including questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. While the questionnaires inquired after the practical feasibility of the home-video method, the interviews also allowed parents to comment on their feelings and thoughts using the home-video method. RESULTS:Of 45 participating parents, 34 parents returned both questionnaires and eight parents agreed to an interview. Parent reported effort by the infants was very low: the home-video method is perceived as similar to the normal routine of playing. The parental effort level was acceptable. The main constraint parents reported was time planning. Parents noted it was sometimes difficult to find the right moment to record the infant's motor behavior, that is, when parents were both at home and their baby was in the appropriate state. Technical problems with the web portal, reported by 28% of the parents were also experienced as a constraint. Positive factors mentioned by parents were: the belief that the home videos are valuable for family use, receiving feedback from a professional, the moments of one-on-one attention and interaction with their babies. Moreover, the process of recording the home videos resulted in an increased parental awareness of, and insight into, the gross motor development of their infant. CONCLUSION:The AIMS home-video method is feasible for parents of typically developing children. Most constraints are of a practical nature that can be addressed in future applications. Future research is needed to show whether the home-video method is also applicable for parents with an infant at risk of motor development problems.

Dataset Information

Using an Electronic Tablet to Assess Patients' Home Environment by Videoconferencing Prior to Hospital Discharge: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

International registered report identifier (irrid)

Publications

Using an Electronic Tablet to Assess Patients' Home Environment by Videoconferencing Prior to Hospital Discharge: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Comparative Study.

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