Utilising digital health to improve medication-related quality of care for hypertensive patients:An integrative literature review

BACKGROUND Hypertension or high blood pressure is considered as a significant contributor and risk factor to many serious conditions,approximately 1.13 billion people have hypertension globally.However,the integrated technologies can upscale health provisions and improve the effectiveness of the healthcare system.WHO has recommended that the digital health interventions(DHIs)and the Health System Challenges should be used in tandem in addressing health.AIM To summarise the outcomes from a range of research which investigated the use of DHI to improve the medication-related quality of care(MRQOC)for hypertensive patients.METHODS An integrative literature review was undertaken in October 2019 using the Medline,Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature,and Scopus databases for publications in English with no date limit.RESULTS In total,18433 participants were included in this review from 28 studies meeting the eligibility criteria.There were 19 DHI identified within eight countries:Australia,Canada,India,South Korea,Lebanon,Pakistan,the United Kingdom,and the United States of America.The DHI were provided as community-based,clinical-based and home-based program through mobile phone,mobile health system,short message service,and telehealth,digital medicine,and online healthcare(web-based).The mean age of participants was 59 ranging from 42 to 81 years with an average mean systolic blood pressure of 143.3 mmHg at baseline,ranging from 129.0 mmHg to 159.0 mmHg.The proportion of male participants ranged from 13.9%to 92.0%.Eighteen interventions showed evidence of reduction in blood pressure and improvement of self-management in relation to medication adherence and blood pressure control.The reduction of systolic blood pressure ranged between 1.9 mmHg and 26.0 mmHg,with a mean of 10.8 mmHg.The digital health was found positively associated with the MRQOC for hypertensive patients such as improvement in medication adherence and medication management;better blood pressure control;maintaining followups appointment and self-management;increasing access to healthcare particularly among patients living in rural area;and reducing adverse events.However,some interventions found no significant effect on hypertensive care.The follow up duration varied between 2 mo and 18 mo with an average attrition rate of 10.1%,ranging from 0.0%to 17.4%.CONCLUSION Utilising digital health innovation for hypertensive care in different settings with tailored interventions positively impacted on MRQOC leading to an improvement of patient outcomes and their quality of life.Nevertheless,inconclusive findings were found in some interventions,and inconsistent outcomes between DHI were noted.A future research and evidence-based DHI for hypertension or chronic diseases should be developed through the evidenceto-decision framework and guidelines.

Quality of care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in East China

AIM： To investigate the quality of care for a hospital based-cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） from East China according to the current practice guidelines, METHODS： A retrospective review was conducted, involving 177 patients with IBD admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University between June 2000 and June 2006. Data regarding demographic and clinical characteristics as well as medical therapy including use of oral aminosalisylates, topical therapy, corticosteroid agents, immunomodulatory agents （such as azathioprine） at admission and outpatient clinic visit were analyzed. RESULTS： A total of 177 eligible patients were evaluated in this study, including 71 patients with Crohn＇s disease （CD） and 106 with ulcerative colitis （UC）. All were the Han nationality Chinese with active disease at baseline. All the 106 patients with ulcerative colitis received optimal doses of aminosalisylate while 27 of 68 （39.7%） patients with ileal or colonic CD received the suboptimal doses of aminosalisylate. The incidence of suboptimal dose of aminosalisylate was significantly higher in CD patients with small intestine involvement only （52.8% vs 25.0%, P = 0.019）. Thirty-one （54.4%） patients with active distal or left-sided ulcerative colitis received topical therapy, and 27.8% of patients suffering from severe inflammatory bowel disease did not receive oral or intravenous steroid therapy. Among the 51 patients for whom thiopurine was indicated, only 10 （19.6%） received immunomodulatory agents, and more thanhalf of the 8 patients received a suboptimal dose of azathiopurine with no attempt to increase its dosage. CONCLUSION： The quality of care for IBD patients can be further improved. A suboptimal dose of aminosalicylate is used in treatment of patients with CD, especially in those with small intestine involved only. Topical mesalazine is inadequately used in patients with distal or left-sided colitis. Oral or intravenous steroid therapy is not used in some patients with severe IBD. Use of immunomodulatory medication is limited. Larger prospective studies are needed to investigate the quality of care for patients with IBD to establish our own evidence-based guidelines.

Relationship of Job Satisfaction with Perceived Organizational Support and Quality of Care among Saudi Nurses

Background: Both, job satisfaction with quality of provided health care is considered the main issue which directly influences the health care field because if nurses do not give the quality care to their patients then the patient dissatisfaction increased. Job satisfaction is defined as the extent of workers’ contentedness with their job, either they like the job or individual aspects or facets of jobs, such as type of work or regulation. Objective: To assess nurses’ job satisfaction and perceived organizational support with their effect on quality of provided health care in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Nurses in Saudi Arabia governmental hospitals during the period from 1st March to 30th April 2020 were invited and consecutively included. Data were collected using online questionnaire. Results: The study included 355 nurses with their ages ranged from 25 to 55 years old. Females were 216 (60.8%) of the total participants. Exact of 267 (75.2%) nurses reported that they like the type of work they do, 245 (69%) provided with satisfactory equipment to accomplish my task. There was a significant relation between organizational support and job satisfaction with their effect on quality of care. Conclusion: Organizational support positively affected nonsatisfaction which in turn positively affected quality of delivered care.

Quality of care in patients with inflammatory bowel disease from a public health center in Brazil

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs)are chronic diseases that demand continuous interaction between patients and healthcare providers.Quality of care(QoC)is a factor that contributes to a patient’s adherence to treatment and its success.AIM To evaluate QoC in patients from a single IBD reference center.METHODS This cross-sectional study included 133 patients from a single Brazilian IBD public health center.QoC was evaluated through the QoC Through the Eyes of Patients with IBD(QUOTE-IBD)questionnaire(based on patient perspectives),which measures eight dimensions of care.We compared QoC among patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and analyzed the clinical and psychological factors associated with QoC satisfaction.Clinical evaluations assessed disease characteristics,quality of life,anxiety,and depression levels.RESULTS Sixty-nine patients with Crohn’s disease and 64 with ulcerative colitis were interviewed.The mean age was 37.26 years±13.05 years,and 63.91%of the patients were women.The mean duration of the disease was 8.44 years±7.59 years,where most patients were in remission(70.31%of patients with ulcerative colitis and 62.32%with Crohn’s disease).The total QoC score of the sample was 8.61 years±1.31 points,indicating that the QoC provided by the center was unsatisfactory.According to univariate logistic regression,patients with Crohn’s disease had higher satisfaction rates than those with ulcerative colitis[odds ratio(OR):2.746;95%confidence interval(CI):1.360-5.541;P=0.0048]and patients on infliximab(OR:2.175;95%CI:1.037-4.562;P=0.0398).CONCLUSION Patients from the IBD public center reported good doctor-patient relationships,but had problems related to the healthcare structure.Evaluation of healthcare centers is of paramount to improve QoC for the patients involved.

Quality of Care in Family Planning Program in China

Objective To sum up the theory of quality care according to the experience of EP program in China. Methods The author summarized the QOC theory and draw on its experiences and strength in family planningprogram in China. Results The theory facilitated the earnest program of the population and family planning program during the tenth five-year plan period, benefited the realization of the innovation of system and mechanism in population and family planning work, and the creation of a nice population environment for the healthy social and economic development in China. Conclusion The development of QOC has displayed a conspicuous theory in China＇s family planning program.

Application of Specialized Group Management in the Quality Control of Perioperative Nursing

Objective:To explore the role of specialized group management in the quality control of perioperative nursing.Methods:45 surgical nurses from our hospital were selected as the research subjects.Traditional operating room management was adopted from July 2019 to June 2020,and specialized group management was adopted from July 2020 to June 2021.The surgeon’s satisfaction,surgical nurses’core professional competence,and surgical patients’satisfaction were obtained through surveys and the results were analyzed.Results:Surgeon satisfaction before the implementation of specialized group management was significantly lower than after its implementation(P<0.05).Besides,surgical nurses’core professional competency scores before the implementation of specialized group management were significantly lower than after its implementation(P<0.05).Lastly,surgical patients’satisfaction before the implementation of specialized group management was significantly lower than after its implementation(P<0.05).Conclusion:Specialized group management helps to improve the quality of perioperative care and should be applied in clinical practice.

Analysis of The Impact of Excellent Event Management on the Safety of Patients and Clinical Caregivers

Objective: To investigate the impact of excellent event management in improving patient safety and nursing staff care satisfaction. Methods: The study was analyzed by retrospective comparison, and routine management from January 2022 to December 2022 was set as the control group, and excellent event management from January 2023 to January 2024 was set as the study group. The differences in nursing outcomes between both groups were compared. Results: The rate of adverse events in the study group (0.61%) was lower than that in the control group (0.96%), and the rate of excellent events in the study group (2.57%) was higher than that in the control group (0.97%) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the satisfaction level of nursing safety in the study group reached 98.81%, which was much higher than in the control group (92.21%) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Nursing excellent event management had a positive impact on improving patient care safety satisfaction, reducing the rate of adverse events, and increasing the rate of reporting excellent events.

Effectiveness of quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes in China:findings from the Shanghai Integration Model(SIM)

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the quality of care of diabetes in Shanghai,China.A total of 173235 patients with type 2 diabetes in 2017 were included in the analysis.Profiles of risk factors and intermediate outcomes were determined.The patients had a mean age of 66.43±8.12(standard deviation(SD))years and a mean diabetes duration of 7.95±5.53(SD)years.The percentage of patients who achieved the target level for HbA_(1c)(<7.0%)was 48.6%.Patients who achieved the target levels for blood pressure(BP)<130/80 mmHg and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c)<2.6 mmol/L reached 17.5%and 34.0%,respectively.A total of 3.8%achieved all three target levels,and the value increased to 6.8%with an adaptation of the BP target level(<140/90 mmHg)for those over 65 years.Multivariable analysis identified the factors associated with a great likelihood of achieving all three target levels:male,young age,short diabetes duration,low body mass index,macrovascular complications,no microvascular complications,prescribed with lipid-lowering medication,and no prescription of antihypertensive medication.In conclusion,nearly 50%and one-third of the patients with diabetes met the target levels for HbA_(1c)and LDL-c,respectively,with a low percentage achieving the BP target level.The percentage of patients who achieved all three target levels needs significant improvement.

The Quality in Psychiatric Care-Forensic In-Patient Staff (QPC-FIPS) instrument: Psychometric properties and staff views of the quality of forensic psychiatric services in Sweden

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and dimensionality of the instrument Quality in Psychiatric Care-Forensic In-Patient Staff (QPC-FIPS) and to describe the perceived quality of psychiatric care among forensic inpatient service staff. A sample of 348 forensic inpatient staff from 18 forensic wards in Sweden participated in the study. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a seven-factor structure with item loadings > 0.50 on expected factors, indicating adequate psychometric properties. The staff’s ratings of quality of care were high, 94% being positive. The highest ratings were found for the secluded-environment dimension and the lowest for the secure-environment dimension. Several factors influenced the ratings of quality of care, for instance, staff’s time to perform their duties and staff’s age. It is concluded that the QPC-FIPS can give valuable information about staff’s perceptions of the quality of care provided at inpatient forensic psychiatric care services, which can be used to identify areas for quality improvement. Use of the QPC-FIPS is an easy and inexpensive way to evaluate quality in forensic inpatient care, preferably in conjunction with the QPC-FIP instrument developed for forensic inpatients and covering the same items and dimensions.

Associations of centralization with health care quality for gastric cancer patients receiving gastrectomy in China

Objective:Limited evidence is available regarding the associations of centralization with gastric cancer patients’quality of care in high surgical volume settings.The current study aimed to explore the effects of hospital volume and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index(HHI)on in-hospital mortality,total cost,and length of stay for Chinese gastrectomy patients in a nationwide database.Methods:We extracted data on gastrectomy for gastric cancer from the Hospital Quality Monitoring System Database between 2013 and 2018.Hospital volume was divided into 4 quartiles:low(1-83 cases per year),medium(84-238 cases),high(239-579 cases),and very high(580-1,193 cases).The HHI was divided into 3 categories:highly concentrated(>2,500),moderately concentrated(1,500-2,500),and unconcentrated(<1,500).We used mixed-effects models to analyze the data while accounting for data clustering.Results:We analyzed 125,683 patients in 515 institutions.In the multivariable analyses,hospital volume was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality[medium vs.low:odds ratio(OR)=0.61,95%confidence interval(95%CI)=0.43-0.84,P=0.003;high:OR=0.57,95%CI=0.38-0.87,P=0.009;and very high:OR=0.33,95%CI=0.18-0.61,P<0.001)and length of stay(high vs.low:β=-0.036,95%CI=-0.071--0.002,P=0.039)but not with total cost.Hospitals located in unconcentrated provinces had higher in-hospital mortality(OR=1.52,95%CI=1.03-2.26,P=0.036)and longer lengths of stay(β=0.024,95%CI=0.001-0.047,P=0.041)than hospitals located in highly concentrated provinces.Conclusions:Centralization of gastrectomy,measured by hospital volume and the HHI,was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality and shortened length of stay without increasing total cost.These results support the strategy of centralizing gastrectomy in high-volume settings.

Satisfaction of Patients Operated on and Hospitalized in the Surgery Department of the Referral Health Center of Commune I in the District of Bamako (Resource-Limited Health District)

Introduction: Evaluating the quality of care offered is a reliable indicator of the effectiveness of a health system. Developing countries are still lagging behind in implementing these principles. This work aims to evaluate the satisfaction of patients operated on and hospitalized in the surgery department at the municipality’s reference health center over a period of 6 months (June 2020 to December 2020). Materials and Methods: This is a quantitative, qualitative, transversal and evaluative study over a period of 6 months based on a self-administered questionnaire to patients who underwent surgery and were hospitalized in the surgery department of the reference health center of commune I upon leaving their hospitalization. The questions are structured around welcome, respect and privacy, care, accommodation conditions as well as overall satisfaction. Results: The survey included 260 patients, 60.8% of whom were male. The 31 - 40 year old age group was in the majority and the majority had completed primary education (42.3%). Married patients were the majority, i.e. 60.4% of cases. Patients were not insured in 66.5% of cases. Almost all of the patients surveyed found that the welcome, care, waiting time, respect and privacy were satisfactory. On the other hand, patients found the rooms and beds uncomfortable. Conclusion: The satisfaction survey reveals worrying data regarding the comfort of patients who must challenge caregivers in healthcare structures. Decision-makers should find useful information there to improve the quality of care.

Logical framework of quality of care in family planning in China:client-centered approach

The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reforms and opening to the world.As an important part of the overall reform effort,reform of the national family planning program,begun in the 1990s as a pilot project focused on quality of care,has achieved historic and significant results.The pilot project,conducted by the State Family Planning Commission of China in a few select areas,was a response to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo,as well as to a range of social and economic changes in China.To achieve quality of care,the pilot project adopted a client-centered approach to refocus China’s family planning efforts on client needs and rights,informed choice of contraceptives and the provision of better quality services.After nearly 10 years of trials,the successful experiences of the pilot project served as the basis of a family planning program reform rolled out nationwide.This paper uses a logic framework approach to review the main activities,outputs,and impacts of the pilot project.The paper argues that the quality of care project not only developed a model that facilitated reorientation of China’s earlier family planning efforts,but has also provided experiences and lessons that can serve as references for the implementation of“Healthy China 2030”in the future.

Effectiveness of Comprehensive Nursing Management in Enhancing Blood Donation Outcomes and Donor Experience: A Comparative Study

Objective:To assess the management effect of comprehensive nursing management on blood donation services in blood stations.Methods:Sixty-four individuals who donated blood at a blood station between September 2021 and September 2023 were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of 32 each.The first group received comprehensive nursing management,while the second group received routine nursing management.Blood donation indexes and observational indexes such as adverse reactions were compared between the groups.Results:The total blood donation volume and qualified blood donation volume were higher in the first group than in the second group.The amount of discarded blood and the rate of blood discards were lower in the first group compared to the second group(P<0.05).Additionally,the adverse reaction rate in the first group was lower,the blood donation comfort scores were higher,the psychological state scores were lower,and the quality of care scores were higher than those in the second group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Comprehensive nursing management can improve the efficiency of blood donation,reduce the rate of blood discards,decrease the incidence of adverse reactions,alleviate negative psychological states of blood donors,and enhance both the comfort level of blood donation and the quality of care provided.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Danish Adaptation of the Instrument Quality in Psychiatric Care-Forensic In-Patient Staff (QPC-FIPS)

There is a need for an internationally standardized and psychometrically tested instrument to measure the perceptions of staff members on the quality of forensic inpatient care provided. The aim of the present study was to adapt the Swedish instrument Quality of Psychiatric Care-Forensic In-Patient Staff (QPC-FIPS) to the Danish context and to evaluate its psychometric properties and factor structure in this context. All permanently employed staff members at all 27 forensic inpatient wards in Denmark were invited to answer the Danish version of the QPC-FIPS. In total, 641 staff members participated, resulting in a response rate of 80%. The Danish version of the QPC-FIPS showed adequate psychometric properties and excellent goodness of fit of the hypothesised factor structure. Hence, the Danish QPC-FIPS is an excellent instrument for evaluating quality of forensic inpatient care both in clinical practice and in cross-cultural research. The members of staff generally reported that the care provided to patients was of high quality. The quality of the forensic-specific dimension was rated the highest, followed by the support, secluded environment, encounter, discharge and participation. The quality of the secure environment dimension was perceived to be the worst. The QPC-FIPS includes important aspects of staff members’ assessments of quality of care and offers a simple and inexpensive way to evaluate psychiatric forensic inpatient care. The QPC-FIPS can be used together with the Quality of Psychiatric Care-Forensic In-Patient (QPC-FIP) instrument, which covers the same items and dimensions as the QPC-FIPS, to identify patients’ and staff members’ views on quality of care and to improve the quality of forensic psychiatric care and benchmarking.