Sustainability Reporting Initiative in Balkans’ Higher Education Institutions: The Case of ECOSSS

The aim of this study is to define the content and the importance of the Sustainability Reporting, which is a non-financial reporting procedure, prepared by organizations in order to be more transparent and accountable by giving the necessary and reliable information for the decision making processes. It describes also the interdependency between non-financial and financial issues in today’s global environment. The research context is that of higher education. The method is based on a pilot case study for creating the Epoka Center of Service Systems Sustainability (ECOSSS). Because this is a pilot study, there are not actual results but only expected ones. The expected results of the center are: a) to provide the annual sustainability report of Epoka University that would affect directly the ranking, creditability and reporting experience of the University as a whole; b) to offer research, consultation, workshops and training programs. The engagement in these programs and activities will indicate seriousness and influence on the rating decision of customers and investors by increasing the recognition, trust and creditability, efficiency of risk management, and value creation

A typology of transition readiness for adolescents with congenital heart disease in preparation for transfer from pediatric to adult care

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Purpose: To understand the effectiveness of a nurse-led transition intervention by analyzing qualitative data generated in the context of a clinical trial. Design & methods: Qualitative study of a two-session transition intervention conducted by registered nurses at two sites. Adolescents aged 16–17 years with moderate or complex congenital heart disease (CHD) had been randomized to a two-session transition intervention or usual care. Session 1 emphasized patient education including creation of a health passport and goal setting. Session 2, two months later, emphasized self-management. Qualitative data extracted from intervention logs, field notes and audio recordings of the sessions were analyzed for content and themes. Results: Data from 111 transition intervention sessions with 57 adolescents were analyzed. Creating a health passport, goal setting, and role-plays were the elements of the intervention most valued by participants. A typology of transition readiness was identified: 1) the independent adolescent (5%), already managing their own care; 2) the ready adolescent who was prepared for transition after completing the intervention (46%); 3) the follow-up needed adolescent who was still in need of extra coaching (26%), and 4) the at-risk adolescent who warranted immediate follow-up (14%). Baseline knowledge and transition surveys scores validated the typology. Conclusions: A two-session nursing intervention met the transition needs of approximately half of adolescents with CHD. However, additional transition-focused care was needed by 40% of participants (groups 3 and 4). Practice implications: These findings will guide pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals to optimize an individualized approach for ensuring transition readiness for adolescents with CHD.This study was funded by a Grant-in-Aid from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada [NA 000264, 2012-2015] and by the Bridge Funding Program of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [FRN 120780, 2013-2015] with A. S. Mackie as Principal Investigator

A cluster randomized trial of a transition intervention for adolescents with congenital heart disease: rationale and design of the CHAPTER 2 study

Abstract Background The population of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is growing exponentially. These survivors are at risk of late cardiac complications and require lifelong cardiology care. However, there is a paucity of data on how to prepare adolescents to assume responsibility for their health and function within the adult health care system. Evidence-based transition strategies are required. Methods The Congenital Heart Adolescents Participating in Transition Evaluation Research (CHAPTER 2) Study is a two-site cluster randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a nurse-led transition intervention for 16–17 year olds with moderate or complex CHD. The primary endpoint is excess time to adult CHD care, defined as the time interval between the final pediatric cardiology appointment and the first adult CHD appointment, minus the recommended time interval between these appointments. Secondary endpoints include the MyHeart score (CHD knowledge), Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire score, and need for catheter or surgical re-intervention. Participants are enrolled in clusters based on week of attendance in the pediatric cardiology clinic. The intervention consists of two one-hour individualized sessions between a cardiology nurse and study participant. Session One focuses on knowledge of the participant’s CHD, review of their cardiac anatomy and prior interventions, and potential late cardiac complications. Session Two focuses on self-management and communication skills through review and discussion of videos and role-play. The study will recruit 120 participants. Discussion Many adolescents and young adults experience a gap in care predisposing them to late cardiac complications. The CHAPTER 2 Study will investigate the impact of a nurse-led transition intervention among adolescents with CHD. Fidelity of the intervention is a major focus and priority. This study will build on our experience by (i) enrolling at two tertiary care programs, (ii) including a self-management intervention component, and (iii) evaluating the impact of the intervention on time to ACHD care, a clinically relevant outcome. The results of this study will inform pediatric cardiology programs, patients and policy makers in judging whether a structured intervention program provides clinically meaningful outcomes for adolescents and young adults living with CHD. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT0172333

A cluster randomized trial of a transition intervention for adolescents with congenital heart disease: rationale and design of the CHAPTER 2 study

The population of adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is growing exponentially. These survivors are at risk of late cardiac complications and require lifelong cardiology care. However, there is a paucity of data on how to prepare adolescents to assume responsibility for their health and function within the adult health care system. Evidence-based transition strategies are required.This study was funded by a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Grant-in- Aid