A healthcare worker and patient-informed approach to oral antibiotic decision making during the hospital-to-home transition.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sharara SL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8693544 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and healthcare associated infections pose a significant threat globally. One key prevention strategy is to follow antimicrobial stewardship practices, in particular, to maximise targeted oral therapy and reduce the use of indwelling vascular devices for intravenous (IV) administration. Appreciating when an individual patient can switch from IV to oral antibiotic treatment is often non-trivial and not standardised. To tackle this problem we created a machine learning model to predict when a patient could switch based on routinely collected clinical parameters. 10,362 unique intensive care unit stays were extracted and two informative feature sets identified. Our best model achieved a mean AUROC of 0.80 (SD 0.01) on the hold-out set while not being biased to individuals protected characteristics. Interpretability methodologies were employed to create clinically useful visual explanations. In summary, our model provides individualised, fair, and interpretable predictions for when a patient could switch from IV-to-oral antibiotic treatment. Prospectively evaluation of safety and efficacy is needed before such technology can be applied clinically.
| S-EPMC10787786 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Abstract The depths of the impact of COVID‐19 on nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives was becoming painfully clear in May and June of 2020. While institutions of higher education had implemented crisis/emergency plans in the immediate onset of the pandemic, and largely extended those efforts into summer terms, the fall 2020 term loomed large. Institutional researchers were asked for myriad kinds of data and reports, ostensibly to inform executive leaders’ decision‐making regarding how to operate for the fall term. On its face, this fits with the current conceptualization of IR's work largely as decision support. Despite these requests, however, the question remains as to what was really driving decision‐making about the fall. This research examined a random, representative sample of public statements regarding fall operations, often released in the name of a president or chancellor, to determine what factors these leaders espoused publicly as informing their fall plans.
| S-EPMC8652806 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHealth insurance enrollment is a difficult financial decision with large health impacts. Challenges such as low health insurance literacy and lack of knowledge about choosing a plan further complicate this decision-making process. Therefore, to support consumers in their choice of a health insurance plan, it is essential to understand how individuals go about making this decision.ObjectiveThis study aims to understand the sources of information used by individuals to support their employer-provided health insurance enrollment decisions. It seeks to describe how individual descriptive factors lead to choosing a particular type of information source.MethodsAn introduction was presented on health insurance plan selection and the sources of information used to support these decisions from the 1980s to the present. Subsequently, an electronic survey of 151 full-time faculty and staff members was conducted. The survey consisted of four sections: demographics, sources of information, health insurance literacy, and technology acceptance. Descriptive statistics were used to show the demographic characteristics of the 126 eligible respondents and to study the response behaviors in the remaining survey sections. Proportion data analysis was performed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test to understand the strength of the association between our variables and the types of sources used by the respondents.ResultsIn terms of demographics, most of the respondents were women (103/126, 81.7%), represented a small household (1-2 persons; 87/126, 69%), and used their insurance 3-12 times a year (52/126, 41.3%). They assessed themselves as having moderate to high health insurance literacy and high acceptance of technology. The most selected and top-ranked sources were Official employer or state websites and Official Human Resources Virtual Benefits Counselor Alex. From our data analysis, we found that the use of official primary sources was constant across age groups and health insurance use groups. Meanwhile, the use of friends or family as a primary source slightly decreased as age and use increased.ConclusionsIn this exploratory study, we identified the main sources of health insurance information among full-time employees from a large state university and found that most of the respondents needed 2-3 sources to gather all the information that they desired. We also studied and identified the relationships between individual factors (such as age, gender, and literacy) and 2 dependent variables on the types of primary sources of information. We encountered several limitations, which will be addressed in future studies.
| S-EPMC8391737 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPublic health professionals are increasingly expected to engage in evidence-informed decision making to inform practice and policy decisions. Evidence-informed decision making involves the use of research evidence along with expertise, existing public health resources, knowledge about community health issues, the local context and community, and the political climate. The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools has identified a seven step process for evidence-informed decision making. Tools have been developed to support public health professionals as they work through each of these steps. This paper provides an overview of tools used in three Canadian public health departments involved in a study to develop capacity for evidence-informed decision making.MethodsAs part of a knowledge translation and exchange intervention, a Knowledge Broker worked with public health professionals to identify and apply tools for use with each of the steps of evidence-informed decision making. The Knowledge Broker maintained a reflective journal and interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of decision makers and public health professionals. This paper presents qualitative analysis of the perceived usefulness and usability of the tools.ResultsTools were used in the health departments to assist in: question identification and clarification; searching for the best available research evidence; assessing the research evidence for quality through critical appraisal; deciphering the 'actionable message(s)' from the research evidence; tailoring messages to the local context to ensure their relevance and suitability; deciding whether and planning how to implement research evidence in the local context; and evaluating the effectiveness of implementation efforts. Decision makers provided descriptions of how the tools were used within the health departments and made suggestions for improvement. Overall, the tools were perceived as valuable for advancing and sustaining evidence-informed decision making.ConclusionTools are available to support the process of evidence-informed decision making among public health professionals. The usability and usefulness of these tools for advancing and sustaining evidence-informed decision making are discussed, including recommendations for the tools' application in other public health settings beyond this study. Knowledge and awareness of these tools may assist other health professionals in their efforts to implement evidence-informed practice.
| S-EPMC4223550 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCareful patient-clinician shared decision-making about dialysis initiation has been promoted, but few studies have addressed patient perspectives on the extent of information provided and how decisions to start dialysis are made.MethodsNinety-nine maintenance dialysis patients recruited from 15 outpatient dialysis centers in North Carolina completed semistructured interviews on information provision and communication about the initiation of dialysis. These data were examined with content analysis. In addition, informed decision-making (IDM) scores were created by summing patient responses (yes/no) to 10 questions about the decision-making.ResultsThe mean IDM score was 4.4 (of 10; SD = 2.0); 67% scored 5 or lower. Age at the time of decision-making (r = -0.27, P = 0.006), years of education (r = 0.24, P = 0.02) and presence of a warning about progressing to end-stage kidney disease (t = 2.9, P = 0.005) were significantly associated with IDM scores. Nearly 70% said that the risks and burdens of dialysis were not mentioned at all, and only one patient recalled that the doctor offered the option of not starting dialysis. While a majority (67%) said that they felt they had no choice about starting dialysis (because the alternative would be death) or about dialysis modality, only 21.2% said that they had felt rushed to make a decision. About one-third of the patients perceived that the decision to start dialysis and modality was already made by the doctor.ConclusionsA majority of patients felt unprepared and ill-informed about the initiation of dialysis. Improving the extent of IDM about dialysis may optimize patient preparation prior to starting treatment and their perceptions about the decision-making process.
| S-EPMC3811056 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Trial of labour is a safe option for most women after one previous caesarean delivery. However, the proportion of women attempting trial of labour after previous caesarean delivery (TOLAC) has been declining in many countries. In addition, women with prior caesarean delivery appear to know little regarding their mode of delivery and healthcare providers' recommendations. The doctors' preferences exert a strong influence on patient's decision whether or not to pursue TOLAC. In Kenya, it is unclear whether women who opt for trial of labour after caesarean delivery (TOLAC) or elective repeat caesarean delivery (ERCD) do that based on clear understanding of risks and benefits of both modes of delivery. This study aimed at determining whether patients with one previous caesarean delivery make an informed decision on preferred mode of delivery following their interactions with doctors.A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 202 pregnant women with one previous caesarean delivery at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) antenatal clinic. Data was collected from both the patients' records and women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.Out of 202 women with mean age of 30.2 years 136 (67.2%) chose Elective Repeat Caesarean Delivery (ERCD), while 66 (32.8%) opted for TOLAC. Only 61/202 (30.6%; 95% C.I: 24.4 to 37.6%) made informed decisions. Few women (65: 32.2%) knew that the chance of successful TOLAC was high (60-80%) and 97 (48%) were not aware of the chances for a successful TOLAC. More than half of the women (109: 53.9%) were unaware of the risk of uterine rupture after one previous delivery and only few patients (64: 31.7%) knew that the risk of uterine rupture in TOLAC is low (< 1%). The majority of the women (112: 55.4%) did not know that the indications for previous caesarean delivery are an important factor in determining the chance of a successful Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Delivery (VBAC). For 47(23.3%) of the women, there was no documented indication for the previous caesarean delivery. The women's mode of delivery was significantly associated with the preference of the counseling doctor (p < 0.001) and their qualification (p = 0.020). Only 23 (11.4%) women signed the consent form for ERCD while none of the women for TOLAC signed any consent form.There was an overall lack of information on both modes of delivery while doctor's preferences affected women's decisions. Only just under one third of the women made an informed decision. There is a need to develop clear standard protocols and checklists for information to be disseminated to doctors and all patients with previous caesarean deliveries in subsequent pregnancies in Kenya.
| S-EPMC5558758 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThe rapidly growing number of home healthcare workers (HHCW) are exposed to unique occupational hazards within each patient home. This article describes the development of an observation tool to document occupational hazards HHCWs encounter.MethodsTool development followed three steps: determining content domain, content validity, and inter-rater agreement.ResultsExpert feedback guided the revision of content domain to 636 items. Scale level content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.90. Inter-rater agreement tests resulted in percent agreement and accuracy mean of 89.5% and frequency variables resulted in standard deviations from 0 to 8.62.ConclusionsThe observation tool encompasses the diverse range of occupational hazards HHCWs encounter; inter-rater percent agreement and overall accuracy scores were acceptable. Future pilot testing of this tool among broader raters and populations is recommended to characterize its usability, internal consistency, and reliability to assess HHCW occupational hazards.
| S-EPMC8970532 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Backgroundcare home staff play a crucial role in managing residents' health and responding to deteriorations. When deciding whether to transfer a resident to hospital, a careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks is required. Previous studies have identified factors that influence staff decision-making, yet few have moved beyond description to produce a conceptual model of the decision-making process.Objectivesto develop a conceptual model to describe care home staff's decision-making when faced with a resident who potentially requires a transfer to the hospital.Methodsdata collection occurred in England between May 2018 and November 2019, consisting of 28 semi-structured interviews with 30 members of care home staff across six care home sites and 113 hours of ethnographic observations, documentary analysis and informal conversations (with staff, residents, visiting families, friends and healthcare professionals) at three of these sites.Resultsa conceptual model of care home staff's decision-making is presented. Except in situations that staff perceived to be urgent enough to require an immediate transfer, resident transfers tended to occur following a series of escalations. Care home staff made complex decisions in which they sought to balance a number of potential benefits and risks to: residents; staff (as decision-makers); social relationships; care home organisations and wider health and social care services.Conclusionsduring transfer decisions, care home staff make complex decisions in which they weigh up several forms of risk. The model presented offers a theoretical basis for interventions to support deteriorating care home residents and the staff responsible for their care.
| S-EPMC9308989 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC8575556 | biostudies-literature
Project description:An essential component of therapeutic drug/biomarker monitoring (TDM) is to combine patient data with prior knowledge for model-based predictions of therapy outcomes. Current Bayesian forecasting tools typically rely only on the most probable model parameters (maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate). This MAP-based approach, however, does neither necessarily predict the most probable outcome nor does it quantify the risks of treatment inefficacy or toxicity. Bayesian data assimilation (DA) methods overcome these limitations by providing a comprehensive uncertainty quantification. We compare DA methods with MAP-based approaches and show how probabilistic statements about key markers related to chemotherapy-induced neutropenia can be leveraged for more informative decision support in individualized chemotherapy. Sequential Bayesian DA proved to be most computationally efficient for handling interoccasion variability and integrating TDM data. For new digital monitoring devices enabling more frequent data collection, these features will be of critical importance to improve patient care decisions in various therapeutic areas.
| S-EPMC7080550 | biostudies-literature