International journal of evidence-based healthcare
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Jun 2013
ReviewAdjunct ultrasonography for breast cancer screening in women at average risk: a systematic review.
Screening with mammography has the ability to detect breast cancer at an early stage but misses some cancers. Supporters of adjunct ultrasonography to the screening regimen argue that it might be a safe and inexpensive approach to reduce the false-negative rates of screening. Critics are concerned that adjunct ultrasonography will also increase the rate of false-positive findings and can lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatments in women at average risk. ⋯ Clinicians should not use ultrasonography as a screening tool for breast cancer screening on a routine basis. The use should be limited to women with dense breasts for whom the accuracy of mammography is low, or for diagnostic purposes.
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Self-determination and patient choice of end-of-life care are emphasised in palliative care. Advance care planning (ACP) is an approach to enabling patients' choices. The use of ACP has not been extensively studied in our current context. Little is known about oncology care nurses' views and the barriers they face in the implementation of ACP. ⋯ The study findings were disappointing, but this first audit is significant to provide insights for future dissemination and implementation of ACP interventions. An ongoing mandatory professional development programme in ACP for healthcare staff is promising to promote the uptake of ACP in healthcare settings.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Jun 2013
Implementation of the best practice in nasogastric tube feeding of critically ill patients in a neurosurgical intensive care unit.
This project was designed to implement the best practice in nasogastric tube feeding of critically ill patients in a neurosurgical intensive care unit. ⋯ The project had some success in improving the practice of nasogastric tube feeding. Collaboration, education, monitoring and a reward system were the key elements used to drive the project. Further actions and changes are expected to produce 100% compliance.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Mar 2013
ReviewWorking with interpreters: practical advice for use of an interpreter in healthcare.
The aim of this descriptive commentary is to improve communication in healthcare when an interpreter is used by providing practical advice to healthcare staff when they consider using interpreters. This descriptive commentary considered the issues of preparation and implementation of interpretation sessions to reveal the complexities and dilemmas of an effective healthcare encounter with interpreters. Using the design of a discursive paper, this article seeks to explore and position of what is published in the literature on the topic studied and on the basis of previous studies to provide practical advice on the use of interpreters. ⋯ Healthcare staff should choose an appropriate room and be aware of their own behaviour, appearance and attitude during the healthcare encounter. Good planning is needed, with carefully considered choices concerning the right kind of interpreter, mode of interpretation and individual preferences for the interpretation in order to deliver high-quality and cost-effective healthcare. Depending on the nature of the healthcare encounter, healthcare staff need to plan interpreting carefully and in accordance with the individuals' desires and choose the type of interpreter and mode of interpreting that best suits the need in the actual healthcare situation in order to deliver high-quality healthcare.