Describing Self-Care in Italian Adults with Heart Failure and Identifying Determinants of Poor Self-Care

Background: Self-care improves outcomes in patients with heart failure; however, no studies have been conducted on this topic in Italy. Aims: We aimed to describe self-care in Italian adults with heart failure and to identify sociodemographic and clinical determinants of self-care. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to study 1192 heart failure patients enrolled across Italy. We measured self-care using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index version 6.2, which measures self-care maintenance, management and confidence. Sociodemographic and clinical data were tested as potential determinants of self-care. Results: The mean age of the sample was 72 (SD = 11) years; 58% were male. In the three areas of self-care, scores ranged from 53.18 to 55.26 and few people were adequate in self-care (14.5% to 24.4% of the sample). Self-care behaviours particularly low in this population were symptom monitoring, exercise, use of reminders to take medicines and symptom recognition. Confidence in the ability to keep oneself free of symptoms and relieve symptoms was low. Taking fewer medications, poor cognition, older age, having a caregiver, being male and having heart failure for a shorter time predicted poor self-care maintenance. Poor cognition, not being employed, being male, and having worse New York Heart Association class predicted poor self-care management. Poor cognition, taking fewer mediations, older age, and male gender predicted poor self-care confidence. Conclusion: Self-care is poor in Italian heart failure patients. Determinants of poor self-care identified in this study can help to target patients’ education. Male gender and poor cognition were consistently associated with poor self-care maintenance, management and confidence

Psychometric Testing of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Version 6.2

The Self‐Care of Heart Failure Index Version 6.2 (SCHFI v.6.2) is widely used, but its psychometric profile is still questioned. In a sample of 659 heart failure patients from Italy, we performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the original construct of the SCHFI v.6.2 scales (Self‐Care Maintenance, Self‐Care Management, and Self‐Care Confidence), with limited success. We then used exploratory factor analysis to determine the presence of separate scale dimensions, followed by CFA in a separate sub‐sample. Construct validity of individual scales showed excellent fit indices: CFI = .92, RMSEA = .05 for the Self‐Care Maintenance Scale; CFI = .95, RMSEA = .07 for the Self‐Care Management Scale; CFI = .99, RMSEA = .02 for the Self‐Care Confidence scale. Contrasting groups validity, internal consistency, and test‐retest reliability were supported as well. This evidence provides a new understanding of the structure of the SCHFI v.6.2 and supports its use in clinical practice and research

A Dyadic Approach to Managing Heart Failure with Confidence

Background: The majority of heart failure (HF) self-care research remains focused on patients, despite the important involvement of family caregivers. Although self-care confidence has been found to play an important role in the effectiveness of HF self-care management on patient outcomes, no known research has examined self-care confidence within a dyadic context. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify individual and dyadic determinants of self-care confidence in HF care dyads. Methods: Multilevel modeling, which controls for the interdependent nature of dyadic data, was used to examine 329 Italian HF dyads (caregivers were either spouses or adult children). Results: Both patients and caregivers reported lower-than-adequate levels of confidence, with caregivers reporting slightly higher confidence than patients. Patient and caregiver levels of confidence were significantly associated with greater patient-reported relationship quality and better caregiver mental health. Patient confidence in self-care was significantly associated with patient female gender, nonspousal care dyads, poor caregiver physical health, and low care strain. Caregiver confidence to contribute to self-care was significantly associated with poor emotional quality of life in patients and greater perceived social support by caregivers. Conclusions: Findings are supportive of the need for a dyadic perspective of HF self-care in practice and research as well as the importance of addressing the needs of both members of the dyad to maximize optimal outcomes for both

Neonatal intensive care parent satisfaction: a multicenter study translating and validating the Italian EMPATHIC-N questionnaire

Background: In Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), parent satisfaction and their experiences are fundamental to assess clinical practice and improve the quality of care delivered to infants and parents. Recently, a specific instrument, the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care-Neonatology (EMPATHIC-N), has been developed in the Netherlands. This instrument investigated different domains of care in NICUs from a family-centered care perspective. In Italy, no rigorous instruments are available to evaluate parent satisfaction and experiences in NICU with family-centered care. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the EMPATHIC-N instrument into Italian language measuring parent satisfaction. Methods: A psychometric study was conducted in nine Italian NICUs. The hospitals were allocated across Italy: four in the North, four in Central region, one in the South. Parents whose infants were discharged from the Units were enrolled. Parents whose infants died were excluded. Results: Back-forward translation was conducted. Twelve parents reviewed the instrument to assess the cultural adaptation; none of the items fell below the cut-off of 80% agreement. A total of 186 parents of infants who were discharged from nine NICUs were invited to participate and 162 parents responded and returned the questionnaire (87%). The mean scores of the individual items varied between 4.3 and 5.9. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed and all factor loadings were statistically significant with the exception of item ‘Our cultural background was taken into account’. The items related to overall satisfaction showed a higher trend with mean values of 5.8 and 5.9. The Cronbach’s alpha’s (at domain level 0.73-0.92) and corrected item-total scale correlations revealed high reliability estimates. Conclusions: The Italian EMPATHIC-N showed to be a valid and reliable instrument measuring parent satisfaction in NICUs from a family-centered care perspective. Indeed, it had good psychometric properties, validity, and reliability. Furthermore, this instrument is fundamental for further research and internationally benchmarking

Describing Nurses’ Competence in Primary Nursing Care Model: A Cross-sectional Study Conducted in an Italian Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Primary Nursing (PN) is a patient-focused nursing model that improves the quality of care. It has been defined over the years as a model to develop nurses’ personal knowledge, but the relationship between different nursing care models and nurses’ competence or experience still requires study. Objectives: The study aimed to describe nurses’ perceptions of their competence in the primary nursing care model and to identify sociodemographic and organisational predictors of nurses’ competence. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to recruit nurses from wards using the PN care model and wards in which a team nursing care model was applied. A convenience sample of 142 nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire composed of a sociodemographic survey and the Nurse Competence Scale (NCS). Nurses’ age, gender, education degree, years as a registered nurse, months as a registered nurse under the specific nursing model, and type of employment contract were tested as potential independent predictors of nurses’ competence. Results: The PN nurses reported a better perception of their competence in all seven NCS categories. Independent predictors of a high level of competence in managing situations were an open-ended employment contract, greater work experience, working in a PN care model, and male gender. Predictors of a high level of competence in ensuring quality were greater work experience and working in a PN care model. Finally, an open-ended employment contract and working in a PN care model were both associated with a higher level of helping role, teaching–coaching, diagnostic functions, therapeutic interventions, and work role. The variables explained from 10% to 26% of the variance in all categories. Conclusion: PN model was found to be significantly positively correlated with nursing competence development. Advanced skills are involved in practising a personalized nursing care plan

Effectiveness and Consequences of Direct Access in Physiotherapy: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Background. Direct access in physiotherapy (DAPT) occurs when a patient has the ability to self-refer to physical therapy without a physician referral. This model of care in musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) has shown better outcomes than the traditional-based medical model of care that requires physician referral to access physiotherapist services. This traditional physician referral often results in a delay in care. Unfortunately, DAPT is still not permitted in many countries. Objectives. The primary objective of this systematic review was to compare the effectiveness, safety, and accuracy of DAPT compared to the physician-led model of care for the management of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. The secondary objective of the present study is to define the physiotherapists’ characteristics or qualifications involved in DAPT. Materials and methods. Databases searched included: Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science. Databases were searched from their inception to July 2022. Research strings were developed according to the PICO model of clinical questions (patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome). Free terms or synonyms (e.g., physical therapy; primary health care; direct access; musculoskeletal disease; cost-effectiveness) and when possible MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms were used and combined with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Risk of bias assessment was carried out through Version 2 of the Cochrane risk- bias tool (ROB-2) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies. The authors qualitatively analyzed the results through narrative analysis and narrative synthesis. The narrative analysis was provided for an extraction of the key concepts and common meanings of the different studies, while the summary narrative provided a textual combination of data. In addition, a quantitative analysis was conducted comparing the analysis of the mean and differences between the means. Results. Twenty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Results show that DAPT had a high referral accuracy and a reduction in the rate of return visits. The medical model had a higher use of imaging, drugs, and referral to another specialist. DAPT was found to be more cost-effective than the medical model. DAPT resulted in better work-related outcomes and was superior when considering patient satisfaction. There were no adverse events noted in any of the studies. Regarding health outcomes, there was no difference between the models. ROB-2 shows an intermediate risk of bias risk for the RCTs with an average of 6/9 points for the NOS scale for observational studies. Conclusion. DAPT is a safe, less expensive, reliable triage and management model of care that results in higher levels of satisfaction for patients compared to the traditional medical model. Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022349261

Nursing diagnoses and theoretical frameworks in neonatal units: a literature review

Aim: To identify nursing diagnoses and theoretical frameworks used in neonatal units through a literature review. Method: Cinahl, Medline and Lilacs, database were used to perform this study. The descrip- tors used were: "Nursing Diagnosis" AND "Models, Nursing" OR "Nursing Theory" AND "Infant" OR "Newborn". The search was limited to articles published from 2000 to November 2013. Studies were selected only if they were written in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.Results: In the literature review two taxonomies and six major theoretical frameworks were identified. The most frequently detected nursing diagnoses were: activity intolerance, impaired spontaneous ventilation, ineffective breathing pattern, risk for aspiration, delayed growth and development, Ineffective breastfeeding, Ineffective infant feeding pattern, hyperthermia / hypothermia, risk for infection, impaired tissue integrity, Interrupted family processes, risk for impaired parenting, risk for impaired attachment, interrupted family processes. Diagnoses applying to parents' psychosocial sphere were identified, enabling the newborn's integral evaluation, including the family.Conclusions: Nursing diagnoses provide nurses working in neonatal units the opportunity of an effective management of the care process as well as the availability of the needed data in order to continuously improve a quality-based nursing care. The use of one model or more reference models represents a way to help professional action.Keywords: Nursing Diagnosis, Models Nursing, Nursing Theory, Infant, NewbornDiagnosi infermieristiche e quadri teorici nelle unití  neonatali: una revisione della letteraturaObiettivo: Identificare le diagnosi infermieristiche ed i quadri teorici utilizzati nelle unití  neonatali attraverso una revisione della letteratura. Metodo: Per effettuare questo studio sono stati usati database come Cinahl, Medline e Lilacs. I descrittori usati sono: "Diagnosi infermieristica" AND "Modelli, Infermieristici" OR "Teoria infermieristica" AND "Infante" OR "Neonato". La ricerca era limitata agli arti- coli pubblicati dal 2000 al novembre 2013. Venivano selezionati soltanto gli studi scritti in inglese, spagnolo, portoghese e italiano.Risultati: Nella revisione della letteratura sono state identificate due tassonomie e sei impor- tanti quadri teorici. Le diagnosi infermieristiche più frequentemente individuate sono: intol- leranza alle attivití , ridotta ventilazione spontanea, modello di respirazione inefficace, rischio di aspirazione, ritardo nella crescita e nello sviluppo, allattamento al seno inefficace, modello di alimentazione infantile inefficace, ipertermia/ipotermia, rischio di infezione, alterazione dell'integrití  cutanea, interruzione dei processi familiari, rischio di compromissione della genitorialití , rischio di riduzione dell'attaccamento. Sono state identificate diagnosi appli- cabili alla sfera psico-sociale genitoriale che consentivano una valutazione integrale del neonato, compresa la famiglia.Conclusioni: Le diagnosi infermieristiche consentono agli infermieri che lavorano nelle unití  neonatali l'opportunití  di gestire efficacemente il processo assistenziale, nonché la disponibilití  dei dati necessari per il continuo miglioramento della qualití  nella cura infer- mieristica. L'utilizzo di un unico modello o di più modelli di riferimento costituisce un modo per aiutare l'agire professionale.Parole chiave: Diagnosi infermieristica, Modelli infermieristici, Teoria infermieristica, Infante, Neonato