Threat or possibility : developping interprofessional collaboration

Summary In recent years, the world of work has changed in many ways. Organisations have become team-based and their structures are flatter than before. Customer-driven, flexible teams are quite independent in evaluating and improving their own work. The development of information technology enables the required transfer and gathering of information across boundaries between experts and organisations. Thus, the work of experts has become more collective and customer-driven. In the social services and health care sector, team-based, customer-oriented collective expertise is called interprofessional collaboration. Applying the ideal of interprofessional collaboration in practice has proved challenging. This doctoral thesis studied the challenges and phenomena faced by various experts when their organisation starts to develop interprofessional collaboration. The study mainly focused on a large hospital that provides acute treatment. Most of the hospital s patients are elderly people. This was a qualitative study. The research data was collected in focus group interviews. They were carried out with separate groups of various experts and with five teams that worked together. In the focus groups, interviews were conducted with doctors, registered nurses, enrolled nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers. In addition, focus groups of nursing officers and medical directors were included in the study as representatives of the management. Interviews were conducted with a total of 81 experts; 41 in the expert groups and 40 in the teams. The analysis of the data was based on dialogue between theory, earlier research data and the present data. According to the study, the main challenges were seen in roles involving agreed flexibility, the specification of responsibilities, the practices of developing shared knowledge, as well as learning teamwork and interaction skills. Organisational structures constituted the fifth challenge. They do not always support the development of shared knowledge and a joint operating model. Despite the opportunities provided by modern technology, the organisation constituted a border that was difficult to cross when aiming for patient-driven work. On the basis of the results of the analysis, a theoretical model was created that describes the challenges and requirements of the development of interprofessional collaboration in the social services and health care sector. Because work and training in the sector is regulated by legislation, genuine and more extensive cultural change in the operations of organisations and the training of experts requires decisions also from social and political decision-makers. The organisation and its entire management need a common understanding, joint goals and continuous support in order to implement such changes that enable a patient-driven approach to break the organisation s old operating culture, structures and limits. The social and health care sector includes many strongly established professions. The contribution of these professions and trade unions is required for the development of the work community. Without these background elements, it will not be possible to change the entire organisational culture. At the individual level, the model discloses challenges related to experts' collective work skills and shortcomings in the required communicative skills. Skilful debate and dialogue and reflective assessment were found to be important interaction skills when developing interprofessional collaboration. A positive finding in the study was the mutual support and trust between experts in smoothly functioning interprofessional teams. The team members appreciated working in such teams. These teams developed social capital, which promoted well-being at work.Tiivistelmä Työelämässä on tapahtunut viime aikoina monia muutoksia. Organisaatiot ovat kehittyneet tiimipohjaisiksi ja rakenteeltaan aiempaa matalammiksi. Asiakaslähtöiset, joustavat tiimit toimivat varsin itsenäisesti omaa toimintaansa arvioiden ja kehittäen. Tietotekniikan kehittyminen mahdollistaa tarvittavan tiedon liikkumisen ja kokoamisen yhteen yli asiantuntija- ja organisaatiorajojen. Asiantuntijatyö on näin muuttunut aiempaa yhteisöllisemmäksi ja asiakaslähtöisemmäksi.Sosiaali- ja terveysalalla tiimipohjaista, asiakaslähtöistä ja yhteisöllistä asiantuntijatyötä kutsutaan moniammatilliseksi yhteistyöksi. Moniammatillisen yhteistyön ideaalin soveltaminen käytäntöön on osoittautunut haasteelliseksi. Tämä väitöskirjatutkimus kartoitti niitä haasteita ja ilmiöitä, joita eri asiantuntijat kohtaavat, kun heidän organisaatiossaan lähdetään kehittämään moniammatillista yhteistyötä. Tutkimuksen kohteena oli pääasiassa akuuttihoitoa antava suuri sairaala, jonka potilaista enemmistö on vanhuksia. Tutkimus toteutui laadullisena tutkimuksena. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin fokusryhmähaastatteluina, jotka suoritettiin erikseen eri asiantuntijaryhmille ja lisäksi viidelle yhdessä työskentelevälle tiimille. Fokusryhmissä haastateltiin lääkäreitä, sairaanhoitajia, lähi/perushoitajia, toimintaterapeutteja, fysioterapeutteja ja sosiaalityön-tekijöitä. Lisäksi tutkimuksen otettiin mukaan johdon edustajina ylihoitajien ja ylilääkäreiden muodostamat fokusryhmät. Haastatteluihin osallistui kokonaisuudessaan 81 eri asiantuntijaa; asiantuntijaryhmissä 41 ja tiimeissä 40 henkilöä. Aineisto analysoitiin käyden vuoropuhelua teorian, aikaisemman tutkimustiedon ja aineiston kesken. Tutkimuksen mukaan keskeisiksi haasteiksi osoittautuivat sovitusti joustavat roolit, vastuukysymysten määrittely, yhteisen tiedon luomisen käytännöt sekä tiimityön ja vuorovaikutustaitojen oppiminen. Viidentenä haasteena olivat organisaation rakenteet, jotka eivät aina mahdollista yhteisen tiedon luontia ja yhteisen toimintamallin kehittämistä. Nykytekniikan tarjoamista mahdollisuuksista huolimatta organisaatio osoittautui vaikeasti ylitettäväksi rajaksi pyrittäessä potilaslähtöiseen työskentelyyn. Analyysin tulosten pohjalta muodostui teoreettinen malli, joka kuvaa moniammatillisen yhteistyön kehittämisen haasteita ja edellytyksiä sosiaali- ja terveysalalla. Koska alan toimintaa ja koulutusta säätelee lainsäädäntö, todellinen ja laajempi kulttuurinen muutos organisaatioiden toiminnassa ja asiantuntijoiden koulutuksessa edellyttää päätöksiä myös yhteiskunnallisilta ja poliittisilta päättäjiltä. Organisaatiossa ja sen koko johdossa tarvitaan yhteistä näkemystä ja tavoitetta sekä jatkuvaa tukea muutokseen, jossa potilaslähtöisyys rikkoo organisaation vanhaa toimintakulttuuria, rakenteita ja rajoja. Sosiaali- ja terveysalalla toimii myös vahvoja professiota. Professiot ja ammattijärjestöt tarvitaan mukaan työyhteisön kehittämiseen. Ilman näitä taustaedellytyksiä koko organisaatiokulttuurin uudistuminen ei onnistu. Yksilötasolla mallissa tulee esiin haasteita asiantuntijoiden valmiudessa yhteisölliseen työtapaan ja puutteita tarvittavissa kommunikointitaidoissa. Taitavan keskustelun ja dialogin sekä reflektiivisen arvioinnin taidot todettiin tärkeiksi vuorovaikutustaidoiksi moniammatillista yhteistyötä kehitettäessä. Positiivisena löydöksenä tutkimuksessa tuli esiin, että moniammatillisesti hyvin toimivissa tiimeissä oli asiantuntijoiden keskinäistä tukea ja luottamusta. Tällaisissa tiimeissä haluttiin työskennellä. Niissä kehittyi sosiaalista pääomaa, joka auttoi työssä jaksamista

Risk Assessment of Mechanism-based Inactivation in Drug-Drug Interactions

is used for inhibitor concentration. However, the use of total C max led to great over prediction of DDI risk. The risk assessment using λ/k deg coupled with unbound C max can be useful for the DDI risk evaluation via MBI in drug discovery and development. DMD #46649

A change in the prevalence and the etiological factors of chronic wounds in Helsinki metropolitan area during 2008-2016

The prevalence of chronic wounds in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 2008 was investigated. Thereafter, a specialised wound care team was founded as part of the City of Helsinki Health Services, aiming for early diagnoses of chronic wounds. In the current study, we have repeated the prevalence study to analyse the changes in the prevalence of chronic wounds. A questionnaire on wound patients was sent to all units of social and health care in the Helsinki metropolitan area. We asked about the number of patients with wounds treated during a 24-hour period, as well the aetiology and location of the wounds. A total of 911 patients had, altogether, 1021 wounds. Thus, prevalence was 0.08%. Pressure and multifactorial ulcers were the most common aetiological groups, whereas wound without defined aetiology had diminished greatly (61%) The prevalence of chronic wound decreased when compared with 2008 (0.08% vs 0.1%). The number of elderly people aged over 65 years had increased 35%, and the age-adjusted prevalence had decreased. Wounds are treated mostly in primary care units and as outpatients. Therefore, the following conclusion may be reached: diagnostic process and implementation of treatment paths are strengthened within primary care units, yet prevalence of wounds has decreased.Peer reviewe

Kroonisten haavojen hoito perusterveydenhuollossa

•Etiologian selvittäminen on kroonisen haavan onnistuneen hoidon edellytys. Mikäli etiologia jää epäselväksi perustutkimusten jälkeen, haavasta tulee ottaa koepala. •Jokaisen haavapotilaan kohdalla on arvioitava hoidon kiireellisyys. •Diabeetikon iskeeminen ja infektoitunut haava sekä akuutti alaraajaiskemia ovat päivystystilanteita. •Jos potilaalla on krooninen iskemiasta johtuva haava, hänet lähetetään kiireellisellä lähetteellä verisuoni¬kirurgian yksikköön. •Neuropaattinen jalkahaava vaatii kevennyshoitoa mahdollisimman nopeasti. •Laskimoperäisen alaraajahaavan tärkein hoito on kompressiohoito. Potilas lähetetään verisuonikirurgin kiireettömällä lähetteellä kajoavan hoidon arvioon, mikäli hän on liikuntakykyinen eikä merkittävän lihava. •Valtaosa painehaavoista on ehkäistävissä. Painehaavan synnyttyä tärkein hoito on ottaa haava-alueelta paine pois. •Hoitosuunnitelma selkeyttää haavapotilaan moniammatillista hoitamista.Peer reviewe

Evaluating complications in below-knee skin cancer surgery after introduction of preoperative appointments : A 2-year retrospective cohort study

Below-knee dermatological surgery has a high risk of complications such as wound infection, bleeding, and necrosis. In this study, we evaluated the impact of preoperative appointments on complication risks. We searched the medical records of the Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUS) Dermatosurgery unit for all below-knee surgeries during 2016, when no preoperative nurse appointments were carried out, and compared it with 2018, when preoperative appointments for risk patients were introduced. The study included 187 patients in 2016 and 179 patients in 2018, of whom 68 (about one third) attended preoperative appointments. At the appointments, risk factors were evaluated, and compression therapy was introduced when possible. The results show complication rates of 13.4% in 2016 vs 10.1% in 2018 (P = .33), despite significantly higher risks in the 2018 patient group. The odds ratio for complications in appointment attendees vs non-attendees was reduced after adjustments to 0.58; however, this was insignificant (P = .47). The odds of complications for skin grafts were considerably higher: 11.33 vs other surgery techniques (P = .00). In conclusion, the introduction of preoperative appointments appeared to reduce complications in below-knee surgery. For graft reconstructions, complication risk is high, even with carefully planned pre- and postoperative care. Further studies are needed to evaluate preventable risk factors of below-knee graft reconstructions.Peer reviewe

Mikä on lääkärin rooli haavanhoidossa?

Neljännen vuosikurssin Krooninen haava -seminaarissa kandi esitti kysymyksen: Määrääkö lääkäri, mitä haavanhoitotuotetta ¬käytetään? Tämä tulevan toimenkuvan rajoja luotsaava kysymys jäi askarruttamaan meitä luennoitsijoita, kokeneita haava-¬ammattilaisia

Pulsed Dye Laser-mediated Photodynamic Therapy is Less Effective than Conventional Photodynamic Therapy for Actinic Field Cancerization : A Randomized Half-side Comparative Study

Previous research presents pulsed dye laser-mediated photodynamic therapy as a promising alternative to conventional red-light photodynamic therapy. In this study, 60 patients with 2 or more actinic keratoses randomly received either of these treatments on each side of the head. A physician blinded to the treatment evaluated treatment response at 6 months for each lesion, as completely, partially or not healed. Significantly lower complete clearance rates (10.3% vs 44.9%) and lesion-specific complete clearance rates were found for pulsed dye laser-mediated photodynamic therapy (47.9%) vs conventional red-light photodynamic therapy (73.4%). Significantly lower pain scores were found for pulsed dye laser-mediated photodynamic therapy, with a mean numerical rating of 2.3, compared with 4.1 for conventional red-light photodynamic therapy. The study population had a mean of 7.9 lesions, and 78% of patients had been treated previously for actinic keratoses on the treatment area. To conclude, in a population with severe sun damage, pulsed dye laser-mediated photodynamic therapy seems less effective than conventional red-light photodynamic therapy. Pulsed dye laser-mediated photodynamic therapy may still be a treatment option for patients who are not compliant with conventional red-light photodynamic therapy.Peer reviewe

Cohort study of diagnostic delay in the clinical pathway of patients with chronic wounds in the primary care setting

ObjectivesExact wound diagnosis is essential for successful wound management and a holistic care of the patient suffering from a wound. Wound management has been traditionally seen as a nursing area, but this can lead to considerable delays in wound diagnostics. A diagnostic delay has been recognised as an element of diagnostic error, which, in turn, affects patient safety. The aim of this cohort study was to examine diagnostic delays of chronic wound within primary care.SettingA specialised diagnostic unit, a wound care team, was established in the primary healthcare with the objective of reducing diagnostic and treatment delays in primary care.ParticipantsThe data consists of 197 consecutive patients attending their first appointment with the wound care team in 2016. The collected data included basic demographics, information about the clinical pathway, including doctor's appointments in primary and specialised care, as well as the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnostic codes.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe diagnostic delays were calculated in days and divided into three groups: (1) patient-related delay, (2) diagnostic delay and (3) organisational delay.ResultsThe median duration of a patient-related delay was 2 days (IQR 0-14), whereas a physician's first evaluation was performed at a median of 8 (1-32) days from wound appearance and the correct diagnosis by the wound care team was established in a median of 57 (33-100) days. The organisational delay from first contact to diagnosis was a median of 41 (22-80) days. Only one in three patients had a diagnostic delay of less than 4 weeks.ConclusionsAccording to this study, the diagnostic delay occurs within primary care, as an organisational delay from first contact to correct diagnosis. It is possible to arrange an optimal pathway of care in which a holistic wound care process starts within primary care.Peer reviewe