Implementation of palliative care consult Service in Hungary - integration barriers and facilitators

Background: The Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS) programme was among the first initiations in Hungary to provide palliative care for patients admitted to hospital. The PCCS team provides palliative care for mainly cancer patients and their family members and manages the patient pathway after being discharged from the hospital. The service started in 2014 with 300-400 patient visits per year. The aim of this study is to give a comprehensive overview of the PCCS programme guided by a conceptual framework designed by SELFIE ('Sustainable intEgrated chronic care modeLs for multi-morbidity: delivery, FInancing, and performancE'), a Horizon2020 funded EU project and to identify the facilitators and barriers to its wider implementation. Methods: PCCS has been selected by the SELFIE consortium for in-depth evaluation as one of the Hungarian integrated care models for persons with multi-morbidity. The qualitative analysis of the PCCS programme was based on available documents of the care provider and interviews with different stakeholders related to the programme. Results: The integrated, multidisciplinary and patient-centred approach was well-received among the patients, family members and clinical departments, as verified by the increasing number of requests for consultations. As a result of the patient pathway management across providers (e.g. from inpatient care to homecare) a higher level of coordination could be achieved in the continuity of care for seriously-ill patients. The regulatory framework has only partially been established, policies to integrate care across organizations and sectors and adequate financial mechanism to support the enhancement and sustainability of the PCCS are still missing. Conclusions: The service integration of palliative care could be implemented successfully in an academic hospital in Hungary. However, the continuation and enhancement of the programme will require further evidence on the performance of the integrated model of palliative care and a more systematic approach particularly regarding the evaluation, financing and implementation process

Implementation of palliative care consult Service in Hungary

__Background:__ The Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS) programme was among the first initiations in Hungary to provide palliative care for patients admitted to hospital. The PCCS team provides palliative care for mainly cancer patients and their family members and manages the patient pathway after being discharged from the hospital. The service started in 2014 with 300-400 patient visits per year. The aim of this study is to give a comprehensive overview of the PCCS programme guided by a conceptual framework designed by SELFIE ("Sustainable intEgrated chronic care modeLs for multi-morbidity: delivery, FInancing, and performancE"), a Horizon2020 funded EU project and to identify the facilitators and barriers to its wider implementation. __Methods:__ PCCS has been selected by the SELFIE consortium for in-depth evaluation as one of the Hungarian integrated care models for persons with multi-morbidity. The qualitative analysis of the PCCS programme was based on available documents of the care provider and interviews with different stakeholders related to the programme. __Results:__ The integrated, multidisciplinary and patient-centred approach was well-received among the patients, family members and clinical departments, as verified by the increasing number of requests for consultations. As a result of the patient pathway management across providers (e.g. from inpatient care to homecare) a higher level of coordination could be achieved in the continuity of care for seriously-ill patients. The regulatory framework has only partially been established, policies to integrate care across organizations and sectors and adequate financial mechanism to support the enhancement and sustainability of the PCCS are still missing. __Conclusions:__ The service integration of palliative car

Mitigating lockdown challenges in response to COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was first reported in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 (Lu et al., 2020) has spread across the world with remarkable speed, with the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declaring a pandemic in March, 2020. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are now reporting an increasing number of cases, both imported and acquired locally. As of 14th April 2020, a cumulative total of approximately, 10,757 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 520 deaths have been reported within the WHO African Region, with South Africa, Algeria and Cameroon recording the biggest number of cases (WHOa, 2020). A recent analysis has indicated that the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in Africa to be relatively lower than in other continents (Haider et al., 2020). However, the scale of COVID-19 infection in the continent and its impact on population health is still unclear. Routine information systems in many parts of the region are inadequate and the current data are likely to underestimate the true extent of the epidemic. Furthermore, because it is unclear as to how COVID-19 will interact with conditions such as malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, one cannot be certain that infection fatality rates in Africa will be similar to those that have been estimated elsewhere

Integrated care for frail elderly: A qualitative study of a promising approach in the netherlands

Introduction: Increasingly, frail elderly need to live at home for longer, relying on support from informal caregivers and community-based health-and social care professionals. To align care and avoid fragmentation, integrated care programmes are a

The patient at the centre: evidence from 17 European integrated care programmes for persons with complex needs

Background: As the prevalence of multi-morbidity increases in ageing societies, health and social care systems face the challenge of providing adequate care to persons with complex needs. Approaches that integrate care across sectors and disciplines have been increasingly developed and implemented in European countries in order to tackle this challenge. The aim of the article is to identify success factors and crucial elements in the process of integrated care delivery for persons with complex needs as seen from the practical perspective of the involved stakeholders (patients, professionals, informal caregivers, managers, initiators, payers). Methods: Seventeen integrated care programmes for persons with complex needs in 8 European countries were investigated using a qualitative approach, namely thick description, based on semi-structured interviews and document analysis. In total, 233 face-to-face interviews were conducted with stakeholders of the programmes between March and September 2016. Meta-analysis of the individual thick description reports was performed with a focus on the process of care delivery. Results: Four categories that emerged from the overarching analysis are discussed in the article: (1) a holistic view of the patient, considering both mental health and the social situation in addition to physical health, (2) continuity of care in the form of single contact points, alignment of services and good relationships between patients and professionals, (3) relationships between professionals built on trust and facilitated by continuous communication, and (4) patient involvement in goal-setting and decision-making, allowing patients to adapt to reorganised service delivery. Conclusions: We were able to identify several key aspects for a well-functioning integrated care process for complex patients and how these are put into actual practice. The article sets itself apart from the existing literature by specifically focussing on the growing share of the population with complex care needs and by providing an analysis of actual processes and interpersonal relationships that shape integrated care in practice, incorporating evidence from a variety of programmes in several countries

Switches, Excitable Responses and Oscillations in the Ring1B/Bmi1 Ubiquitination System

In an active, self-ubiquitinated state, the Ring1B ligase monoubiquitinates histone H2A playing a critical role in Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. Following ubiquitination by external ligases, Ring1B is targeted for proteosomal degradation. Using biochemical data and computational modeling, we show that the Ring1B ligase can exhibit abrupt switches, overshoot transitions and self-perpetuating oscillations between its distinct ubiquitination and activity states. These different Ring1B states display canonical or multiply branched, atypical polyubiquitin chains and involve association with the Polycomb-group protein Bmi1. Bistable switches and oscillations may lead to all-or-none histone H2A monoubiquitination rates and result in discrete periods of gene (in)activity. Switches, overshoots and oscillations in Ring1B catalytic activity and proteosomal degradation are controlled by the abundances of Bmi1 and Ring1B, and the activities and abundances of external ligases and deubiquitinases, such as E6-AP and USP7

The SELFIE framework for integrated care for multi-morbidity: Development and description

Background: The rise of multi-morbidity constitutes a serious challenge in health and social care organisation that requires a shift from disease- towards person-centred integrated care. The aim of the current study was to develop a conceptual framework that can aid the development, implementation, description, and evaluation of integrated care programmes for multi-morbidity. Methods: A scoping review and expert discussions were used to identify and structure concepts for integrated care for multi-morbidity. A search of scientific and grey literature was conducted. Discussion: meetings were organised within the SELFIE research project with representatives of five stakeholder groups (5Ps): patients, partners, professionals, payers, and policy makers. Results: In the scientific literature 11,641 publications were identified, 92 were included for data extraction. A draft framework was constructed that was adapted after discussion with SELFIE partners from 8 EU countries and 5P representatives. The core of the framework is the holistic understanding of the person with multi-morbidity in his or her environment. Around the core, concepts were grouped into adapted WHO components of health systems: service delivery, leadership & governance, workforce, financing, technologies & medical products, and information & research. Within each component micro, meso, and macro levels are distinguished. Conclusion: The framework structures relevant concepts in integrated care for multi-morbidity and can be applied by different stakeholders to guide development, implementation, description, and evaluation

Relevant models and elements of integrated care for multi-morbidity: Results of a scoping review

Background: In order to provide adequate care for the growing group of persons with multi-morbidity, innovative integrated care programmes are appearing. The aims of the current scoping review were to i) identify relevant models and elements of integrated care for multi-morbidity and ii) to subsequently identify which of these models and elements are applied in integrated care programmes for multi-morbidity. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in the following scientific databases: Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and Web of Science. A search strategy encompassing a) models, elements and programmes, b) integrated care, and c) multi-morbidity was used to identify both models and elements (aim 1) and implemented programmes of integrated care for multi-morbidity (aim 2). Data extraction was done by two independent reviewers. Besides general information on publications (e.g. publication year, geographical region, study design, and target group), data was extracted on models and elements that publications refer to, as well as which models and elements are applied in recently implemented programmes in the EU and US. Results: In the review 11,641 articles were identified. After title and abstract screening, 272 articles remained. Full text screening resulted in the inclusion of 92 articles on models and elements, and 50 articles on programmes, of which 16 were unique programmes in the EU (n = 11) and US (n = 5). Wagner's Chronic Care Model (CCM) and the Guided Care Model (GCM) were most often referred to (CCM n = 31; GCM n = 6); the majority of the other models found were only referred to once (aim 1). Both the CCM and GCM focus on integrated care in general and do not explicitly focus on multi-morbidity. Identified elements of integrated care were clustered according to the WHO health system building blocks. Most elements pertained to 'service delivery'. Across all components, the five elements referred to most often are person-centred care, holistic or needs assessment, integration and coordination of care services and/or professionals, collaboration, and self-management (aim 1). Most (n = 10) of the 16 identified implemented programmes for multi-morbidity referred to the CCM (aim 2). Of all identified programmes, the elements most often included were self-management, comprehensive assessment, interdisciplinary care or collaboration, person-centred care and electronic information system (aim 2). Conclusion: Most models and elements found in the literature focus on integrated care in general and do not explicitly focus on multi-morbidity. In line with this, most programmes identified in the literature build on the CCM. A comprehensive framework that better accounts for the complexities resulting from multi-morbidity is needed