The adoption of roles by primary care providers during implementation of the new chronic disease guidelines in urban Mongolia: a qualitative study

(1) BACKGROUND: In 2011, new chronic disease guidelines were introduced across Mongolia. No formal advice was provided regarding role delineation. This study aimed to analyse the roles that different primary care providers adopted, and the variations in these, in the implementation of the guidelines in urban Mongolia; (2) METHODS: Ten group interviews with nurses and ten individual interviews each with practice doctors and practice directors were conducted. Data was analysed using a thematic approach based on the identified themes relevant to role delineation; (3) RESULTS: There was some variability and flexibility in role delineation. Factors involving teamwork, task rotation and practice flexibility facilitated well the guideline implementation. However, factors including expectations and decision making, nursing shortage, and training gaps adversely influenced in the roles and responsibilities. Some role confusion and dissatisfaction was identified, often associated with a lack of training or staff turnover; (4) CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that adequate ongoing training is required to maximize the range of roles particular provider types, especially primary care nurses, are competent to perform. Ensuring that role delineation is specified in guidelines could remove confusion and enhance implementation of such guidelines

Implementation of clinical guidelines on diabetes and hypertension in urban Mongolia: a qualitative study of primary care providers\u27 perspectives and experiences

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and diabetes, key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, are significant health problems globally. As cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality in Mongolia since 2000, clinical guidelines on arterial hypertension and diabetes were developed and implemented in 2011. This paper explores the barriers and enablers influencing the implementation of these guidelines in the primary care setting. METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore the implementation of the diabetes and hypertension guidelines at the primary care level, as well as to gain insight into how practitioners view the usability and practicality of the guidelines. Ten family health centres were randomly chosen from a list of all the family health centres (n = 136) located in Ulaanbaatar City. In each centre, a focus group discussion with nurses (n = 20) and individual interviews with practice doctors (n = 10) and practice managers (n = 10) were conducted. Data was analysed using a thematic approach utilising the Theoretical Domains Framework. RESULTS: The majority of the study participants reported being aware of the guidelines and that they had incorporated them into their daily practice. They also reported having attended guideline training sessions which were focused on practice skill development. The majority of participants expressed satisfaction with the wide range of resources that had been supplied to them by the Mongolian Government to assist with the implementation of the guidelines. The resources, supplied from 2011 onwards, included screening devices, equipment for blood tests, medications and educational materials. Other enablers were the participants\u27 commitment and passion for guideline implementation and their belief in the simplicity and practicality of the guidelines. Primary care providers reported a number of challenges in implementing the guidelines, including frustration caused by increased workload and long waiting times, time constraints, difficulties with conflicting tasks and low patient health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that comprehensive and rigorous dissemination and implementation strategies increase the likelihood of successful implementation of new guidelines in low resource primary care settings. It also offers some key lessons that might be carefully considered when other evidence-based clinical guidelines are to be put into effect in low resource settings and elsewhere

Acceptability of the 6-PACK falls prevention program: A pre-implementation study in hospitals participating in a cluster randomized controlled trial

There is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions in the acute hospital setting. The 6-PACK falls prevention program includes a fall-risk tool; 'falls alert' signs; supervision of patients in the bathroom; ensuring patients' walking AIDS are within reach; toileting regimes; low-low beds; and bed/chair alarms. This study explored the acceptability of the 6-PACK program from the perspective of nurses and senior staff prior to its implementation in a randomised controlled trial. A mixed-methods approach was applied involving 24 acute wards from six Australian hospitals. Participants were nurses working on participating wards and senior hospital staff including: Nurse Unit Managers; senior physicians; Directors of Nursing; and senior personnel involved in quality and safety or falls prevention. Information on program acceptability (suitability, practicality and benefits) was obtained by surveys, focus groups and interviews. Survey data were analysed descriptively, and focus group and interview data thematically. The survey response rate was 60%. Twelve focus groups (n = 96 nurses) and 24 interviews with senior staff were conducted. Falls were identified as a priority patient safety issue and nurses as key players in falls prevention. The 6-PACK program was perceived to offer practical benefits compared to current practice. Nurses agreed fall-risk tools, low-low beds and alert signs were useful for preventing falls (>70%). Views were mixed regarding positioning patients' walking aid within reach. Practical issues raised included access to equipment; and risk of staff injury with low-low bed use. Bathroom supervision was seen to be beneficial, however not always practical. Views on the program appropriateness and benefits were consistent across nurses and senior staff. Staff perceived the 6-PACK program as suitable, practical and beneficial, and were open to adopting the program. Some practical concerns were raised highlighting issues to be addressed by the implementation plan

Barriers and enablers to the implementation of the 6-PACK falls prevention program: A preimplementation study in hospitals participating in a cluster randomised controlled trial

Evidence for effective falls prevention interventions in acute wards is limited. One reason for this may be suboptimal program implementation. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and enablers of the implementation of the 6-PACK falls prevention program to inform the implementation in a randomised controlled trial. Strategies to optimise successful implementation of 6-PACK were also sought. A mixed-methods approach was applied in 24 acute wards from 6 Australian hospitals. Participants were nurses working on participating wards and senior hospital staff including Nurse Unit Managers; senior physicians; Directors of Nursing; and senior personnel involved in quality and safety or falls prevention. Information on barriers and enablers of 6-PACK implementation was obtained through surveys, focus groups and interviews. Questions reflected the COM-B framework that includes three behaviour change constructs of: capability, opportunity and motivation. Focus group and interview data were analysed thematically, and survey data descriptively. The survey response rate was 60% (420/702), and 12 focus groups (n = 96 nurses) and 24 interviews with senior staff were conducted. Capability barriers included beliefs that falls could not be prevented; and limited knowledge on falls prevention in patients with complex care needs (e.g. cognitive impairment). Capability enablers included education and training, particularly face to face case study based approaches. Lack of resources was identified as an opportunity barrier. Leadership, champions and using data to drive practice change were recognised as opportunity enablers. Motivation barriers included complacency and lack of ownership in falls prevention efforts. Motivation enablers included senior staff articulating clear goals and a commitment to falls prevention; and use of reminders, audits and feedback. The information gained from this study suggests that regular practical face-to-face education and training for nurses; provision of equipment; audit, reminders and feedback; leadership and champions; and the provision of falls data is key to successful falls prevention program implementation in acute hospitals

Implementation fidelity of a nurse-led falls prevention program in acute hospitals during the 6-PACK trial

Background: When tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 31,411 patients, the nurse-led 6-PACK falls prevention program did not reduce falls. Poor implementation fidelity (i.e., program not implemented as intended) may explain this result. Despite repeated calls for the examination of implementation fidelity as an essential component of evaluating interventions designed to improve the delivery of care, it has been neglected in prior falls prevention studies. This study examined implementation fidelity of the 6-PACK program during a large multi-site RCT. Methods: Based on the 6-PACK implementation framework and intervention description, implementation fidelity was examined by quantifying adherence to program components and organizational support. Adherence indicators were: 1) falls-risk tool completion; and for patients classified as high-risk, provision of 2) a ‘Falls alert’ sign; and 3) at least one additional 6-PACK intervention. Organizational support indicators were: 1) provision of resources (executive sponsorship, site clinical leaders and equipment); 2) implementation activities (modification of patient care plans; training; implementation tailoring; audits, reminders and feedback; and provision of data); and 3) program acceptability. Data were collected from daily bedside observation, medical records, resource utilization diaries and nurse surveys. Results: All seven intervention components were delivered on the 12 intervention wards. Program adherence data were collected from 103,398 observations and medical record audits. The falls-risk tool was completed each day for 75% of patients. Of the 38% of patients classified as high-risk, 79% had a ‘Falls alert’ sign and 63% were provided with at least one additional 6-PACK intervention, as recommended. All hospitals provided the recommended resources and undertook the nine outlined program implementation activities. Most of the nurses surveyed considered program components important for falls prevention. Conclusions: While implementation fidelity was variable across wards, overall it was found to be acceptable during the RCT. Implementation failure is unlikely to be a key factor for the observed lack of program effectiveness in the 6-PACK trial. Trial registration: The 6-PACK cluster RCT is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12611000332921 (29 March 2011)

A mixed methods process evaluation of a person-centred falls prevention program

Background RESPOND is a telephone-based falls prevention program for older people who present to a hospital emergency department (ED) with a fall. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) found RESPOND to be effective at reducing the rate of falls and fractures, compared with usual care, but not fall injuries or hospitalisations. This process evaluation aimed to determine whether RESPOND was implemented as planned, and identify implementation barriers and facilitators. Methods A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted alongside the RCT. Evaluation participants were the RESPOND intervention group (n=263) and the clinicians delivering RESPOND (n=7). Evaluation data were collected from participant recruitment and intervention records, hospital administrative records, audio-recordings of intervention sessions, and participant questionnaires. The Rochester Participatory Decision-Making scale (RPAD) was used to evaluate person-centredness (score range 0 (worst) - 9 (best)). Process factors were compared with pre-specified criteria to determine implementation fidelity. Six focus groups were held with participants (n=41), and interviews were conducted with RESPOND clinicians (n=6). Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data thematically. Barriers and facilitators to implementation were mapped to the ‘Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour’ (COM-B) behaviour change framework. Results RESPOND was implemented at a lower dose than the planned 10 hours over six months, with a median (IQR) of 2.9 hours (2.1, 4). The majority (76%) of participants received their first intervention session within one month of hospital discharge. Clinicians delivered the program in a person-centred manner with a median (IQR) RPAD score of 7 (6.5, 7.5) and 87% of questionnaire respondents were satisfied with the program. The reports from participants and clinicians suggested that implementation was facilitated by the use of positive and personally relevant health messages. Complex health and social issues were the main barriers to implementation. Conclusions RESPOND was person-centred and reduced falls and fractures at a substantially lower dose, using fewer resources, than anticipated. However, the low dose delivered may account for the lack of effect on falls injuries and hospitalisations. The results from this evaluation provide detailed information to guide future implementation of RESPOND of similar programs. Trial registration: This study was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12614000336684 (27 March 2014)

'From places of despair to spaces of hope' - the local church and health promotion in Victoria

Although the phenomenon of church-based health promotion has received academic and government attention in the US, the cultural, social and religious characteristics of this society differ to those of Australia, and consequently the literature describing this is not generalisable. Churches and church affiliated organisations have worked to address factors, now regarded as social determinants of health, throughout Australia’s history, but there has been little research on the role of the church in health promotion in Australia. The aim of the study reported in this dissertation was to investigate the mission and practices of local churches in Victoria to determine whether these align with health promotion principles and approaches. In this dissertation, drawing on conceptual frameworks of health promotion, I explore how churches understand their mission and give expression to it through addressing the social determinants of health. I also consider how and why churches are involved in partnerships and collaborations for health, and the tensions, challenges and limitations to local churches undertaking health promotion activities. Theological discourses related to church mission, biblical interpretation and church expression have also informed my study. The research was exploratory and used a qualitative research methodology consisting of three phases. Phase one entailed a document mapping exercise of the partnership networks and funding sources of local churches and church affiliated organisations, as well as conducting in-depth interviews with the directors of five church affiliated organisations and five ministers of local churches to identify key themes of church-based health promotion. In phase two, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with staff members from 25 local churches in rural and urban Victoria, representing six Christian denominations (Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Churches of Christ, Uniting, and Salvation Army). Based on findings from these two phases, ten local churches representing five different health promotion approaches were chosen as case studies for further exploration in phase three. This involved participant observation of church activities and programs, interviews with church staff, focus groups with volunteers, and document analysis. The study findings, theological underpinnings and conceptual basis of this thesis were used to construct a typology of churches for health promotion action. Six variables associated with church involvement in health promotion were identified: church expression (traditional, new modern or emerging); the minister's understanding of health; church hierarchy; community engagement; partnerships; and church mission (evangelism-focussed versus Kingdom of God focussed). The typology reflects the characteristics of churches operating at different levels of health promotion action, and highlights the health promoting nature of various church activities and programs. Not all churches, however, had an ethos that supports the values of health promotion, nor the structures and systems to implement health promotion activities effectively. In this study, I make a unique contribution to public health by developing a typology to guide health promotion practitioners engaging with local churches, while acknowledging the challenges and barriers to church involvement in health promotion

Health promotion in local churches in Victoria: an exploratory study

Church-based health promotion has increasingly gained attention in strategies to address health disparities. In Australia, we have limited understanding of the role of local churches in health promotion and without this, how they might be involved in meaningful partnerships to tackle public health challenges. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore how churches are involved in health promotion in the state of Victoria. The research involved in-depth interviews with ministers from 30 churches in urban and rural Victoria, and case studies with 10 of these churches to enable further exploration. These case studies, conducted in 2010, included interviews with church staff, focus groups with volunteers, participant observation and document analysis. Analysis was iterative, utilising open, axial and thematic coding. Three different expressions of church - traditional, new modern and emerging - were identified and found to differentiate the levels and types of health promotion activity. Case studies illustrate the different expressions of how church mission influences health promotion activity. The traditional churches were involved particularly in disease screening and health education activities with their own, predominantly older congregation members. The new modern churches tended to have the material and human resources to be harnessed in health promotion activities involving congregation members and others. Emerging churches, in contrast, engaged in broad health-promoting activities, including disease prevention, lifestyle activities and socio-ecological approaches at a community level. These research findings highlight the opportunities and challenges of engaging with local churches in health promotion efforts and public health programmes to address health inequities

Impact of the Exercise Right for Active Ageing program on physical function in older adults: a quasi-experimental pre-post study

Abstract Background The Exercise Right for Active Ageing (ERAA) program was established to improve access to exercise classes for community-dwelling older Australians. The aims of this study were to determine whether older adults, who participated in ERAA exercise classes experienced a change in physical function, and identify factors associated with this change. Methods Participants included community-dwelling older adults, aged ≥ 65 years, from every state and territory of Australia. The ERAA program included 12 subsidised, weekly, low- to moderate-intensity exercise classes, delivered by accredited exercise scientists or physiologists (AESs/AEPs). Primary outcomes included the 30 s Sit-to-Stand (STS) and the 3-metre Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests. Secondary outcomes included grip strength, the Chair Sit and Reach test, and waist circumference. Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to evaluate the change in outcomes following program completion, and to determine factors associated with changes in the primary outcomes. Results 3,582 older adults (77% female) with a median (IQR) age of 72 (69–77) years completed follow-up testing. For all primary and secondary outcomes, there was a statistically significant improvement after program completion (p < 0.001). The STS increased by 2.2 repetitions (95% CI: 2.1, 2.3), the TUG decreased by 0.9 s (95% CI: -1.0, -0.8), right and left grip strength increased by 1.3 kg (95% CI: 1.2, 1.5) and 1.5 kg (95% CI: 1.3, 1.6), respectively, right and left reach increased by 1.7 cm (95% CI: 1.4, 2.0), and waist circumference decreased by 1.2 cm (95% CI: -1.4, -1.1). Greater improvements in STS were observed for participants aged 65–69 years, females, and those with greater socio-economic disadvantage. For the TUG, greater improvements were observed in participants reporting 2 + comorbidities, and residing in outer regional areas and areas with greater socio-economic disadvantage. Conclusions Participation of older Australians in the ERAA program, led to statistically significant improvements in physical function. The program reached a large number of older Australians from every state and territory, including those from regional and remote parts of Australia, aged over 85 years, and with high levels of comorbidity, which supports the feasibility and acceptability of AES- and AEP-led exercise classes amongst community-dwelling older Australians. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN12623000483651). Registered 12 May 2023 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12623000483651.aspx