Shared landscape, divergent visions? transboundary environmental management in the Northern Great Plains

The 49th parallel border dividing the Great Plains region has been described since its delimitation as an ‘artificial’ construct, as no natural features distinguish the ‘Canadian’ and ‘American’ portions of the landscape. While the border subjects the landscape to different political, legal, philosophical, and sociocultural regimes on either side, the region’s contemporary and emerging environmental problems span jurisdictional boundaries. Their mitigation requires new forms of environmental management capable of transcending these borders. In this dissertation, I examine the prospects for implementing ecosystem-based approaches to environmental management in the Frenchman River-Bitter Creek (FRBC) subregion of the Saskatchewan-Montana borderland. First, I interrogate the extent to which residents perceive the FRBC region as a ‘borderland’. Then, I examine the range of implications of ecosystem-based management approaches for institutional arrangements, environmental governance, and traditional property regimes and livelihoods in the region. The research methodology includes an extensive literature review; multiple site visits to the FRBC region; a series of semi-structured interviews with employees of government agencies and environmental nongovernmental organizations, and with local agricultural producers; the analysis of historical maps and of selected ecoregional planning documents; and attendance at public meetings in the FRBC region. The research results are presented in a series of four manuscripts. The first manuscript describes perceptions of the border and the borderland through time. The second manuscript examines changes to the border and the relationships across it instigated by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the 2003 BSE Crisis. The third manuscript examines the extent to which a ‘shared landscape’ transcends the border, and describes how the different regimes across the border create ‘divergent visions’ for landscape and species management. The fourth manuscript investigates the ways in which incorporating a broader range of actors and disciplines could reconceptualize environmental management as an inclusive processes that is cognizant of local history and values. By examining the imbrications of the fields of environmental management, border studies, and political ecology, this research advocates adopting an historical approach to environmental geography research so that contemporary problems may be understood within their local contexts. It emphasizes the importance of including a range of stakeholders in environmental management processes. It identifies the difficulties inherent to adopting ecosystem-based approaches to management, and stresses the practical value of transboundary collaboration for goal setting so that the tenets of ecosystem-based management may be achieved under the existing jurisdictional frameworks in place. It provides significant insights for policy makers, in that it presents residents’ reflections upon their involvement in environmental management processes, and upon the impacts that recent changes to border and national security policies have had upon borderland residents. Moving forward, this research uncovers the need for continued investigations of the impacts of border security policies and legislation on borderland communities and species, for more study of the ability of state agencies to meaningfully incorporate local actors in environmental management, and for investigations of trinational environmental management efforts in the North American Grasslands

Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England:An observational study

ObjectivesTo inform healthcare workforce policy decisions by showing how patient perceptions of hospital care are associated with confidence in nurses and doctors, nurse staffing levels and hospital work environments.DesignCross-sectional surveys of 66 348 hospital patients and 2963 inpatient nurses.SettingPatients surveyed were discharged in 2010 from 161 National Health Service (NHS) trusts in England. Inpatient nurses were surveyed in 2010 in a sample of 46 hospitals in 31 of the same 161 trusts.ParticipantsThe 2010 NHS Survey of Inpatients obtained information from 50% of all patients discharged between June and August. The 2010 RN4CAST England Nurse Survey gathered information from inpatient medical and surgical nurses.Main outcome measuresPatient ratings of their hospital care, their confidence in nurses and doctors and other indicators of their satisfaction. Missed nursing care was treated as both an outcome measure and explanatory factor.ResultsPatients’ perceptions of care are significantly eroded by lack of confidence in either nurses or doctors, and by increases in missed nursing care. The average number of types of missed care was negatively related to six of the eight outcomes—ORs ranged from 0.78 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.90) for excellent care ratings to 0.86 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.95) for medications completely explained—positively associated with higher patient-to-nurse ratios (b=0.15, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.19), and negatively associated with better work environments (b=−0.26, 95% CI −0.48 to −0.04).ConclusionsPatients’ perceptions of hospital care are strongly associated with missed nursing care, which in turn is related to poor professional nurse (RN) staffing and poor hospital work environments. Improving RN staffing in NHS hospitals holds promise for enhancing patient satisfaction.</jats:sec

Nursing skill mix in European hospitals: cross-sectional study of the association with mortality, patient ratings, and quality of care

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of hospital nursing skill mix with patient mortality, patient ratings of their care and indicators of quality of care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional patient discharge data, hospital characteristics and nurse and patient survey data were merged and analysed using generalised estimating equations (GEE) and logistic regression models. SETTING: Adult acute care hospitals in Belgium, England, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Survey data were collected from 13 077 nurses in 243 hospitals, and 18 828 patients in 182 of the same hospitals in the six countries. Discharge data were obtained for 275 519 surgical patients in 188 of these hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient mortality, patient ratings of care, care quality, patient safety, adverse events and nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction. RESULTS: Richer nurse skill mix (eg, every 10-point increase in the percentage of professional nurses among all nursing personnel) was associated with lower odds of mortality (OR=0.89), lower odds of low hospital ratings from patients (OR=0.90) and lower odds of reports of poor quality (OR=0.89), poor safety grades (OR=0.85) and other poor outcomes (0.80<OR<0.93), after adjusting for patient and hospital factors. Each 10 percentage point reduction in the proportion of professional nurses is associated with an 11% increase in the odds of death. In our hospital sample, there were an average of six caregivers for every 25 patients, four of whom were professional nurses. Substituting one nurse assistant for a professional nurse for every 25 patients is associated with a 21% increase in the odds of dying. CONCLUSIONS: A bedside care workforce with a greater proportion of professional nurses is associated with better outcomes for patients and nurses. Reducing nursing skill mix by adding nursing associates and other categories of assistive nursing personnel without professional nurse qualifications may contribute to preventable deaths, erode quality and safety of hospital care and contribute to hospital nurse shortages.European Union's Seventh Framework Program (223468), National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (NR014855), Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology.S

Nurse staffing and education and hospital mortality in nine European countries: a retrospective observational study

Background Austerity measures and health-system redesign to minimise hospital expenditures risk adversely affecting patient outcomes. The RN4CAST study was designed to inform decision making about nursing, one of the largest components of hospital operating expenses. We aimed to assess whether differences in patient to nurse ratios and nurses' educational qualifications in nine of the 12 RN4CAST countries with similar patient discharge data were associated with variation in hospital mortality after common surgical procedures. Methods For this observational study, we obtained discharge data for 422 730 patients aged 50 years or older who underwent common surgeries in 300 hospitals in nine European countries. Administrative data were coded with a standard protocol (variants of the ninth or tenth versions of the International Classification of Diseases) to estimate 30 day in-hospital mortality by use of risk adjustment measures including age, sex, admission type, 43 dummy variables suggesting surgery type, and 17 dummy variables suggesting comorbidities present at admission. Surveys of 26 516 nurses practising in study hospitals were used to measure nurse staffing and nurse education. We used generalised estimating equations to assess the effects of nursing factors on the likelihood of surgical patients dying within 30 days of admission, before and after adjusting for other hospital and patient characteristics. Findings An increase in a nurses' workload by one patient increased the likelihood of an inpatient dying within 30 days of admission by 7% (odds ratio 1·068, 95% CI 1·031–1·106), and every 10% increase in bachelor's degree nurses was associated with a decrease in this likelihood by 7% (0·929, 0·886–0·973). These associations imply that patients in hospitals in which 60% of nurses had bachelor's degrees and nurses cared for an average of six patients would have almost 30% lower mortality than patients in hospitals in which only 30% of nurses had bachelor's degrees and nurses cared for an average of eight patients. Interpretation Nurse staffing cuts to save money might adversely affect patient outcomes. An increased emphasis on bachelor's education for nurses could reduce preventable hospital deaths. Funding European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, the Norwegian Nurses Organisation and the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, Swedish Association of Health Professionals, the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research between Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institutet, Committee for Health and Caring Sciences and Strategic Research Program in Care Sciences at Karolinska Institutet, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation

Nurse forecasting in Europe (RN4CAST): Rationale, design and methodology

Contains fulltext : 97171.pdf (postprint version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Current human resources planning models in nursing are unreliable and ineffective as they consider volumes, but ignore effects on quality in patient care. The project RN4CAST aims innovative forecasting methods by addressing not only volumes, but quality of nursing staff as well as quality of patient care. METHODS/DESIGN: A multi-country, multilevel cross-sectional design is used to obtain important unmeasured factors in forecasting models including how features of hospital work environments impact on nurse recruitment, retention and patient outcomes. In each of the 12 participating European countries, at least 30 general acute hospitals were sampled. Data are gathered via four data sources (nurse, patient and organizational surveys and via routinely collected hospital discharge data). All staff nurses of a random selection of medical and surgical units (at least 2 per hospital) were surveyed. The nurse survey has the purpose to measure the experiences of nurses on their job (e.g. job satisfaction, burnout) as well as to allow the creation of aggregated hospital level measures of staffing and working conditions. The patient survey is organized in a sub-sample of countries and hospitals using a one-day census approach to measure the patient experiences with medical and nursing care. In addition to conducting a patient survey, hospital discharge abstract datasets will be used to calculate additional patient outcomes like in-hospital mortality and failure-to-rescue. Via the organizational survey, information about the organizational profile (e.g. bed size, types of technology available, teaching status) is collected to control the analyses for institutional differences.This information will be linked via common identifiers and the relationships between different aspects of the nursing work environment and patient and nurse outcomes will be studied by using multilevel regression type analyses. These results will be used to simulate the impact of changing different aspects of the nursing work environment on quality of care and satisfaction of the nursing workforce. DISCUSSION: RN4CAST is one of the largest nurse workforce studies ever conducted in Europe, will add to accuracy of forecasting models and generate new approaches to more effective management of nursing resources in Europe

Ambulatory diagnostic and monitoring techniques for sleep disordered breathing.

Techniques ambulatoires de diagnostic et de monitoring des troubles respiratoires liés au sommeil.Le syndrome d’apnées obstructives du sommeil (SAOS) est un trouble du sommeil très fréquent, fortement lié à l’obésité, ce qui explique sa prévalence en pleine expansion. En parallèle, la demande d’examens polysomnographiques (PSG) en laboratoire du sommeil, méthode diagnostique de référence, est en croissance. Comme l’accès à cette technique est peu aisé, de nombreux appareils simplifiés d’enregistrement de sommeil ont été récemment développés, mais restent imparfaits (mauvaise évaluation du temps de sommeil, sous-estimation de la sévérité du SAOS, faux négatifs, taux d’échec élevé) et sont d’un apport limité pour le diagnostic du SAOS. La PSG au domicile (PSG-d) est une alternative bien plus informative, permettant d’éviter nombre des désavantages rencontrés par l’usage d’appareils simplifiés. Nous l’avons dès lors étudiée pour le diagnostic du SAOS, au travers d’une étude randomisée comparant la PSG-d vs la PSG hospitalière. En termes d’efficacité diagnostique, les résultats sont excellents, avec un faible taux d’échec d’examens à domicile (4.7 vs 1.5%). Les patients préfèrent être enregistrés dans leur propre environnement où la qualité de leur sommeil est d’ailleurs meilleure. Nous avons ensuite voulu faire le point sur la littérature récente au travers d’un article de revue, en analysant les études prospectives randomisées comparant la PSG-d et au labo du sommeil. Les résultats de ces études concordent pour démontrer que la PSG-d constitue une excellente alternative aux tests réalisés à l’hôpital. Outre le SAOS, l’outil permet le diagnostic d’autres troubles du sommeil, comme les mouvements périodiques des jambes durant le sommeil, les troubles du rythme circadien, Une question restée jusqu’ici sans réponse était l’influence de la localisation du branchement des PSG-d, à l’hôpital ou à domicile. Une étude prospective randomisée nous a permis d’établir que la localisation du branchement des PSG-d n’influençait pas la qualité globale de l’examen, ce qui simplifiera l’utilisation de cet outil à l’avenir. Enfin, nous avons utilisé des techniques de télé monitoring (TM) pour contrôler, en temps réel, la qualité des PSG-d. Dans une première étude pilote, la faisabilité a été confirmée, malgré quelques difficultés techniques. Nous avons voulu appliquer la technique à une population de patients souffrant d’un syndrome coronarien aigu, incapables d’être enregistrés au labo du sommeil. Nous avons étudié la qualité du screening du SAOS par PSG vs polygraphie (PG). Les résultats se sont révélés surprenants :82% de cette population présentait des troubles respiratoires liés au sommeil, principalement centraux. La PSG était nettement plus sensible que la PG, et le TM améliorait la qualité des PSG. Chez les patients traités pour SAOS, nous avons ensuite utilisé un outil de monitoring, l’actigraphie (Act), afin d’observer, dans la vie de tous les jours, les changements de schémas de sommeil et d’activité physique engendrés par la pression positive continue (PPC). Dans un premier travail, rétrospectif, nous avons observé ces paramètres chez des SAOS avant traitement, puis au travers d’une étude prospective multicentrique, nous avons suivi 150 patients avant et après PPC, et observé chez eux une augmentation de temps de sommeil, mais pas de l’activité physique. En conclusion, nous avons démontré dans cette thèse l’intérêt clinique de deux excellents outils ambulatoires, la PSG-d et l’Act, pour la prise en charge du SAOS. Les implications potentielles sont une meilleure accessibilité diagnostique pour le SAOS, une initiation thérapeutique plus précoce et un suivi plus précis des SAOS traités, dans des conditions ambulatoires, plus confortables et plus adéquates pour les patients.Ambulatory diagnostic and monitoring techniques for sleep disordered breathingSleep disordered breathing (SDB), including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), is directly related to obesity. Significant morbi-mortality is associated with OSAS, explaining the increasing demand for in-hospital polysomnography (PSG), the reference diagnostic method. As this technique is complex and time-consuming, many simplified portable monitoring (PM) devices for home sleep testing have been developed. However, the ability of PM devices to detect OSA remains limited: sleep time is not correctly assessed, OSA severity is underestimated, false negative results occur and the failure rate of the tests is high, up to 30%. Home-PSG (H-PSG) is an interesting alternative, avoiding many of these drawbacks. In the first part of this work, we studied the tool in an original study comparing H-PSG and in-lab PSG. Diagnostic efficacy was good and the failure rate low (4.7 vs 1.5%). Patients slept in their own environment and thus sleep quality was better. We were then interested by reviewing recent literature data regarding prospective randomised trials comparing H-PSG and in-lab PSG. We concluded that H-PSG is an excellent alternative for in-lab PSG, allowing not only OSA detection but also diagnosis of a large panel of other sleep disorders (periodic leg movements during sleep, circadian disorders,). As the best place to perform set-up for H-PSG remained unknown, we studied, in another prospective randomised study, the recording’s quality obtained in both settings. As no difference was observed, lab set up was found to be the simpler option for performing H-PSG. We then tested, in a prospective pilot study, real-time telemonitoring (TM) of H-PSG in order to enhance recording quality. Results were encouraging but we faced some technical problems. In a second study, we applied TM coupled with PSG to detect SDB in acute coronary syndrome, in patients too unstable to come in the sleep lab. We compared also PSG results to polygraphy (PG). Surprisingly, 82% of patients suffered from SDB. PSG was much more sensitive than PG to screen SDB in this population and TM improves recording quality. In the second part of this work, we have used actigraphy (Act) to assess sleep and physical activity in OSA patients in real-life conditions. Firstly, in a retrospective study, we documented these parameters before treatment. In a second multicentre study, we evaluated the changes in sleep schemes and physical activity under continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in 150 OSA patients. We observed that sleep time was increased under CPAP, but physical activity was not improved, contrarily to sleepiness and quality of life. In conclusion, we have shown through these works the clinical interest of two excellent ambulatory tools, H-PSG and Act, for OSA management. Potential clinical implications include enhanced healthcare accessibility, earlier treatment initiation and a closer follow-up of treated patients, through ambulatory tools, in a comfortable environment for the patients.Doctorat en Sciences médicales (Médecine)info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Telemedicine in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea

Telemedicine (TM) is a current tool in the landscape of medicine. It helps to address public health challenges such as increases in chronic disease in an ageing society and the associated burden in healthcare costs. Sleep TM refers to patient data exchange with the purpose of enhancing disease management. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) syndrome is a chronic disorder associated with a significant morbidity, mainly cardiometabolic, and mortality. Obtaining adequate compliance to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) remains the greatest challenge related to OSA treatment, and the adoption of TM to support OSA management makes sense. In addition, the prevalence of OSA is growing and OSA is associated with increased healthcare costs that could be streamlined by the application of TM. In OSA, multiple modalities of TM are utilised, such as telediagnostics, teleconsultation, teletherapy and telemonitoring of patients being treated with CPAP. In the present article, I aim to provide an overview of current practice and the recent developments in TM for OSA management. Concerns related to TM use will also be addressed.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Sleep disturbances in menopausal women: Aetiology and practical aspects

Sleep deteriorates with age. The menopause is often a turning point for women's sleep, as complaints of insomnia increase significantly thereafter. Insomnia can occur as a secondary disorder to hot flashes, mood disorders, medical conditions, psychosocial factors, underlying intrinsic sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or restless legs syndrome (RLS), or it can be a primary disorder. Since unrecognized OSA can have dramatic health-related consequences, menopausal women complaining of persisting sleep disturbances suggesting primary insomnia or intrinsic sleep disorders should be referred to a sleep specialist for a comprehensive sleep assessment. Patients suffering from primary insomnia will be preferentially treated with non-benzodiazepine hypnotics or melatonin, or with cognitive behavioural therapy. Insomnia related to vasomotor symptoms can be improved with hormone replacement therapy. Gabapentin and isoflavones have also shown efficacy in small series but their precise role has yet to be established. In patients suffering from OSA, non-pharmacological therapy will be applied: continuous positive airway pressure or an oral appliance, according to the severity of the disorder. In the case of RLS, triggering factors must be avoided; dopaminergic agonists are the first-line treatment for moderate to severe disease. In conclusion, persisting sleep complaints should be addressed in menopausal women, in order to correctly diagnose the specific causal disorder and to prescribe treatments that have been shown to improve sleep quality, quality of life and long-term health status.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Technical developments and clinical use of telemedicine in sleep medicine

The use of assistive technology and telemedicine is likely to continue to shape our medical practice in the future, notably in the field of sleep medicine, especially within developed countries. Currently, the number of people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is increasing. Telemedicine (TM) can be used in a variety of ways in sleep medicine: telediagnostics, teleconsultation, teletherapy and telemonitoring of patients being treated with positive pressure devices. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent scientific progresses of these techniques and their potential clinical applications and give consideration to the remaining problems related to TM application.SCOPUS: re.jSCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe