Bmc Health Serv Res
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2019
Policy analysis of the Iranian Health Transformation Plan in primary healthcare.
Health systems reform is inevitable due to the never-ending changing nature of societal health needs and policy dynamism. Today, the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) remains the major tool to facilitate the achievements of universal health coverage (UHC) in Iran. It was initially implemented in hospital-based setting and later expanded to primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to analyze the HTP at the PHC level in Iran. ⋯ Health reforms targeting UHC and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals require the political will to improve PHC through engagements of all stakeholders of the health system, plus improved fiscal capacity of the country and financial commitments to implement evidence-informed initiatives.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2019
Implementation of a regional quality improvement collaborative to improve care of people living with opioid use disorder in a Canadian setting.
Although opioid agonist therapy is effective in treating opioid use disorders (OUD), retention in opioid agonist therapy is suboptimal, in part, due to quality of care issues. Therefore, we sought to describe the planning and implementation of a quality improvement initiative aimed at closing gaps in care for people living with OUD through changes to workflow and care processes in Vancouver, Canada. ⋯ Descriptive data from the evaluation of this initiative illustrates its success. It provides further evidence to support the implementation of quality improvement interventions to close gaps in OUD care processes and treatment outcomes for people living with OUD. This system-level approach has been spread across British Columbia and could be used by other jurisdictions facing similar overdose crises.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialUsers' acceptability of a mobile application for persons with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study.
The use of mobile health apps is now common in diabetes self-management and acceptability of such tools could help predict further use. There is limited research on the acceptability of such apps: use over time, the factors and features that influence self-management, how to overcome barriers, and how to use an app in relation to health-care personnel. In this study, we aimed to obtain an in-depth understanding of users' acceptability of a mobile app for diabetes self-management, and to explore their communication with health-care personnel concerning the app. ⋯ Both practical and social acceptability were important at different levels. If the users found the utility of the app to be acceptable, they could tolerate some lack of usability. We need to be aware of both digital and clinical distress when diabetes apps form a part of relevant health-care.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2019
Patient characteristics associated with being offered take home naloxone in a busy, urban emergency department: a retrospective chart review.
Overdose deaths can be prevented by distributing take home naloxone (THN) kits. The emergency department (ED) is an opportune setting for overdose prevention, as people who use opioids frequently present for emergency care, and those who have overdosed are at high risk for future overdose death. We evaluated the implementation of an ED-based THN program by measuring the extent to which THN was offered to patients presenting with opioid overdose. We analyzed whether some patients were less likely to be offered THN than others, to identify areas for program improvement. ⋯ In this real-world evaluation of an ED-based THN program, we observed that only half of patients with opioid overdose were offered THN. ED staff readily identify patients who use illegal opioids or experience a severe overdose as potentially benefitting from THN, but may miss others at high risk for future overdose. We recommend that hospital EDs provide additional guidance to staff to ensure that all eligible patients at risk of overdose have access to THN.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2019
Dementia and patient safety in the community: a qualitative study of family carers' protective practices and implications for services.
Dementia is a cause of disability and dependency associated with high demands for health services and expected to have a significant impact on resources. Care policies worldwide increasingly rely on family caregivers to contribute to service delivery for older people, and the general direction of health care policy internationally is to provide care in the community, meaning most people will receive services there. Patient safety in primary care is therefore important for future care, but not yet investigated sufficiently when services are carried out in patients' homes. In particular, we know little about how family carers experience patient safety of older people with dementia in the community. ⋯ When family caregivers prevent harm and meet needs, some needs may be concealed or invisible to health professionals. To recognize all needs and provide effective, safe and person-centered care, health professionals need to recognize these preventive practices and seek to build a solid partnership with family carers.