Using Interviews to Understand Patients’ Post-operative Pain Management Educational Needs Before and After Elective Total Joint Replacement Surgery

Objective: To better understand the education needs of patients electing to have TJR in managing their pain in the post-operative period after discharge from the hospital. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative design. Convenience sample of people who reported that they had not received information about pain management prior to TJR surgery were recruited from 9 surgeon practices in 8 states to participate in telephone interviews, utilizing open-ended questions. Questions included: recollection of pre-op class attended and content; experiences with surgical pain after surgery and how it was managed; experiences with pain medicine; experience using non-medicine related pain reduction methods; suggestions for delivery of pain management information. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data were categorized using content analysis techniques. Results: Seventeen patients were interviewed. Although all remembered attending a pre-operative class prior to their joint replacement surgery, none remembered receiving information during that class about managing pain once they were discharged. All had been prescribed an opioid for pain management post-operatively; however no patients reported receiving any information regarding use of the medication other than the information on the pill bottle. Many had concerns regarding the use of opioids to control their pain, including side effects, such as constipation and the risk of addiction. The most common non-medicine method used to manage pain was the use of ice. Participants believed that information about pain management, including both non-medicine approaches and instructions for taking opioids would be helpful and should be delivered at multiple time points, including pre-operatively, at discharge, and within the first few days after discharge. Conclusion: With trends toward shorter hospital stays, home based pain management is a priority. Understanding the pain management education needs of patients considering elective TJR could inform interventions for this population as well as provide insight into the needs of other patients undergoing surgery

Sure Start Blacon parent satisfaction survey

This report evaluates parent satisfaction with Sure Start in the Chester suburb of Blacon in 2004.Sure Start Blaco

Sure Start Winsford parent satisfaction survey

This report is available through the Chester Digital Repository.This project report evaluates user satisfaction with Sure Start services for families with young children.Sure Start Winsfor

Sure Start Widnes Trailblazer user satisfaction survey

This project report discusses a user satisifaction survey with Sure Start services in the WidnesTrailblazer area.The project report was commissioned by Sure Start Widnes Trialblazer and funded by Halton Brough Council

DYNIQX: A novel meta-search engine for the web

The effect of metadata in collection fusion has not been sufficiently studied. In response to this, we present a novel meta-search engine called Dyniqx for metadata based search. Dyniqx integrates search results from search services of documents, images, and videos for generating a unified list of ranked search results. Dyniqx exploits the availability of metadata in search services such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Google Image Search, and Google Video Search etc for fusing search results from heterogeneous search engines. In addition, metadata from these search engines are used for generating dynamic query controls such as sliders and tick boxes etc which are used by users to filter search results. Our preliminary user evaluation shows that Dyniqx can help users complete information search tasks more efficiently and successfully than three well known search engines respectively. We also carried out one controlled user evaluation of the integration of six document/image/video based search engines (Google Scholar, PubMed, Intute, Google Image, Yahoo Image, and Google Video) in Dyniqx. We designed a questionnaire for evaluating different aspect of Dyniqx in assisting users complete search tasks. Each user used Dyniqx to perform a number of search tasks before completing the questionnaire. Our evaluation results confirm the effectiveness of the meta-search of Dyniqx in assisting user search tasks, and provide insights into better designs of the Dyniqx' interface

An exploration of the experiences and utility of functional electrical stimulation for foot drop in people with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is effective in improving walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) with foot drop. There is limited research exploring people’s experiences of using this device. This study aims to explore the utility, efficacy, acceptability, and impact on daily life of the device in people with MS. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological approach was employed. Ten participants who had used FES for 12 months were interviewed. Transcripts were analysed, and emergent themes identified. Results: Nine participants continued to use the device. Three relevant super-ordinate themes were identified; impact of functional electrical stimulation, sticking with functional electrical stimulation, and autonomy and control. Participants reported challenges using the device; however, all reported positive physical and psychological benefits. Intrinsic and external influences such as; access to professional help, the influence of others, an individual’s ability to adapt, and experiences using the device, influenced their decisions to continue with the device. A thematic model of these factors was developed. Conclusions: This study has contributed to our understanding of people with MS experiences of using the device and will help inform prescribing decisions and support the continued, appropriate use of FES over the longer term