Commentary on: Zhao et al. The impact of education/training on nurses caring for patients with stroke: a scoping review. BMC Nurs 23:90
Implications for practice and research Nurses working in clinical stroke care could benefit from leadership and management strategies that encourage empowerment and time and space to reflect on current evidence, training and practice. Comprehensive evaluation strategies are needed to assess the impact and effectiveness of empowerment-based stroke education and training on patient outcomes.
Stroke nursing is widely recognised for its significant role across the whole multidisciplinary stroke care pathway.
by Emelia Konadu Danso, Prince Asare, Amanda Yaa Tetteh, Phillip Tetteh, Augustine Asare Boadu, Ivy Naa Koshie Lamptey, Augustina Angelina Sylverken, Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Jane Sandra Afriyie-Mensah, Abraham Adjei, Dorothy Yeboah-Manu
Drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are intersecting epidemics that complicate management of both diseases and worsen patient outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 758 GeneXpert-confirmed pulmonary TB patients, of whom 75 had DM. Demographic, clinical, radiographic, and anthropometric data were collected at baseline. Sputum samples were cultured for mycobacterial isolation, and the obtained isolates were characterized for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) lineage and drug-susceptibility testing using spoligotyping and microplate alamar blue assay. The TB-diabetes (TB-DM) comorbid cohort was older [TB-DM: 53/75 (70.7%) vs. 241/683 (35.3%) aged 41–60 years) (pby Mi Lv, Hui Che, Jiayan Hu, Wenxi Yu, Zhaoxia Liu, Xiaolin Zhou, Binduo Zhou, Jinyi Xie, Fengyun Wang
BackgroundThe overlap between non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS, a subtype of functional dyspepsia) is common, yet its associated factors remain poorly defined. We aimed to identify factors associated with symptom severity in NERD-EPS overlap, focusing on psychosocial and somatic factors.
MethodsIn this multicenter cross-sectional study, 800 patients meeting Rome IV criteria for NERD-EPS overlap were enrolled. Standardized questionnaires assessed gastrointestinal symptoms (GSRS), somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), anxiety/depression (PHQ-4), and sleep quality (SRSS). Multivariable regression models identified factors independently associated with GSRS scores, adjusted for demographics and clinical covariates. Interaction terms were tested to assess whether the association between one factor and GSRS scores varied across different levels of another factor.
ResultsOf the 800 patients, 67% were female, and the mean age was (44.50 ± 14.43) years. 67% had mild or more sleep problems, and 47% had anxiety or depression. Somatic symptoms (PHQ-15) showed the strongest association with GSRS scores (β = 0.617, P P P = 0.026). Urban residence (β = 0.071) and mixed labor type (β = −0.066) were also independently associated with symptom burden.
ConclusionSomatic symptoms, psychological distress, and sleep disturbances were the factors most strongly associated with symptom severity in NERD-EPS overlap, with additional contributions from younger age, male sex, and urban residence. Our findings advocate for integrated biopsychosocial interventions to alleviate symptom burden in this population.
by Melissa M. Baker, Lyonel Nerolin Doffou Assalé, David Doledec, Romance Dissieka, Ahmenan Claude Liliane Konan, Agnes Helen Epse Assagou Mobio, Koffi Landry Kouadio, Oka René Kouamé, Ama Emilienne Yao, Hubert Zirimwabagabo
BackgroundWhile recent data on vitamin A deficiency (VAD) prevalence is lacking, the 2004 Côte d’Ivoire Nutrition and Mortality Survey reported that 26.7% of children aged 6–59 months were affected by VAD, and approximately 60% were at risk. Since 2016, the government has transitioned from mass campaigns to routine vitamin A supplementation (VAS) delivery integrated into health services. However, evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the routine distribution approaches is limited. This study evaluated the cost, coverage, and cost-effectiveness of three routine VAS delivery strategies across two health districts in northern Côte d’Ivoire.
MethodsA mixed-methods study evaluated three routine VAS delivery strategies – routine-fixed, advanced community-based, and catch-up – across two health districts, Ferkessédougou and Niakaramadougou, in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The quantitative cost data were collected via a structured tool covering six cost categories: planning, procurement, training, social mobilization, distribution, and supervision. VAS coverage was assessed through a post-event coverage survey (PECS) via a two-stage cluster sampling methodology. A cost-effectiveness analysis determined the cost per child supplemented, the cost per DALY averted, and a sensitivity analysis tested the robustness of the findings under different cost scenarios.
ResultsThe total program cost for July-December 2023 was 25.5 million FCFA, with personnel costs comprising over 70% of expenditures. In Ferkessédougou, the routine advanced community-based strategy was the most cost-effective, at 458 FCFA per child in rural areas (versus 596 FCFA for the routine-fixed facility-based approach in the same area). In Niakaramadougou, the December catch-up was more cost-effective in rural areas (606 FCFA per child) than the routine-fixed approach (714 FCFA). Across both districts combined, the routine-fixed strategy averaged roughly 651 FCFA per child supplemented, and the cost per DALY averted ranged from 30,093 FCFA (advanced strategy in Ferkessédougou) to 89,550 FCFA (catch-up Jul 2023 in Niakaramadougou) – all below Côte d’Ivoire’s cost-effectiveness threshold (0.5 x GDP per capita; approximately USD 1,265).
ConclusionAll three strategies were cost-effective, though the advanced community-based strategy achieved the best balance of reach and efficiency. Scaling advanced strategies within health system constraints may enhance sustainability and coverage in low-resource settings.
Adenotonsillectomy is the primary treatment for type 1 obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA1). Although polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for measuring Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index, it is a labour-intensive procedure and does not correlate with improvements in quality of life postadenotonsillectomy. Mouth breathing is associated with poorer quality of life in children. Mandibular movement (MM), which measures mouth opening, is a validated measure of respiratory effort that can be easily and safely assessed in children using the JAWAC technology. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between changes in quality of life and changes in mouth opening in children with OSA1 after undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in quality of life, clinical symptoms and other MM and PSG metrics in the same population.
This exploratory, non-randomised, monocentric, prospective cohort study with a non-blinded single arm will include 50 children aged 3–7 years, undergoing adenotonsillectomy at the Clinique Saint Jean, Montpellier, France. Quality of life will be measured using the parent version of the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory and MM metrics will be measured during PSG using the JAWAC system during the inclusion visit and 3 months after adenotonsillectomy. The primary outcome will be the correlation between the changes in quality of life and mouth opening (1/10 mm) postadenotonsillectomy. Secondary analyses will evaluate changes in clinical symptoms, PSG measures and other MM metrics including respiratory effort, as well as the associations between these measures.
This study was approved by an independent ethics committee (Comité de Protection des Personnes Est) on 24 March 2025 (2024-A02761-46) and will be conducted in accordance with French law, good clinical practice and the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. Study findings will be disseminated through international peer-reviewed journal articles as well as public, academic presentations at national and international conferences.
by Lina Thirup, Anne-Bine Skytte, Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel, Ida Vogel, Guido Pennings, Allan Pacey, Stina Lou
PurposeThe demand for sperm donation is increasing, yet only a small percentage of applicants are accepted, and little attention has been given to those who are rejected. The application process may reveal new medical or genetic information with potential personal and emotional consequences. The aim of this study was to explore how men experience rejection as sperm donors, including how they cope with the rejection and integrate potential new information into their lives.
MethodsWe conducted qualitative, in-depth interviews with 19 men rejected as sperm donors. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
ResultsSome men received new medical information that raised significant concerns, particularly regarding their health, fertility, and family. However, for most it was not the reason for rejection that affected them most, but the rejection itself. They had begun to identify as donors, and being turned down felt like a blow to their sense of self. Over time, participants used different coping strategies: information seeking, actionable reasoning, positive reframing, normalizing, and postponing. Although the experience was personally and emotionally challenging for many, it ultimately did not have a lasting negative impact on their lives.
ConclusionsSperm donation is not only a medical act but also tied to social identity, with rejection having personal and emotional consequences. For men whose rejection is based on new medical information that causes significant concerns, sperm banks should support rejected donors and help them exit the process positively. Further research is warranted to find out how this can be done.
by Robin A. Pollini, Catherine E. Paquette, Brandon Irvin, Jennifer L. Syvertsen, Christa L. Lilly
Drug use is a highly stigmatized behavior, and drug-related stigma is a key driver of behavioral risk, lower health care utilization, and associated adverse health outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID). While instruments exist for measuring drug-related stigma, their applicability to community-based PWID across multiple stigma types (enacted, anticipated, internalized) and settings (health care, society, family) is limited, as most were developed using treatment-based samples and all were developed in urban populations. This study sought to develop a Drug Use Stigma Scale (DUSS) that addresses these limitations. We developed an initial list of 39 items based on literature review and qualitative interviews (N = 27) and three focus groups (N = 28) with PWID recruited from syringe services programs and via peer referral in two predominantly rural West Virginia counties. The scale items were administered in a survey to 336 PWID recruited from the same two counties divided into development and validation samples. Responses to the 39-item scale went through a multidimensional refinement process, including examination of internal consistency, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and a three-factor CFA based on stigma setting. Next, a set of final measurement CFAs were conducted. Finally, the resulting scale was examined for criterion-related concurrent validation. The final DUSS consisted of 16 items with excellent fit statistics for the development sample: SRMR: 0.03, RMSEA: 0.09, GFI: 0.92, CFI: 0.96, NFI: 0.94. Fit attenuated but remained satisfactory for the validation sample. DUSS scores were significantly associated with increased odds of not seeking healthcare when needed (OR: 1.47, p = 0.001; OR: 1.61, pby Nailya Ibragimova, Arailym Aitynova, Seitzhan Turganbay, Marina Lyu, Alexandr Ilin, Tamari Gapurkhaeva, Galina Ponomareva, Karina Vassilyeva, Diana Issayeva, Amirkan Azembayev, Serzhan Mombekov, Aralbek Rsaliyev, Nurgul Sikhayeva, Yergali Abduraimov, Saki Raheem
Iodine-based antiseptics are essential in wound care but are often limited by cytotoxicity, instability, and rapid iodine release. Novostron is a novel polymer–iodine complex incorporating dextrin, polyvinyl alcohol, and metal ions, designed to enable controlled iodine release. Structural integrity and composition were confirmed by ¹H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and physicochemical analysis, indicating a molecular weight of ~9500 g/mol, a pH of 4.23, and an iodine content of 8.13%. Pharmacokinetic analysis in rabbits demonstrated that following a single dermal application, systemic iodine absorption was minimal, with peak blood iodine concentrations remaining within physiological limits and rapid elimination within 24 hours. Evaluation of thyroid function revealed no significant changes in serum T₃, T₄, or TSH levels compared with those of the controls, confirming that topical application of Novostron does not disrupt thyroid homeostasis. In compliance with OECD guidelines in rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats, Novostron showed no signs of dermal irritation, skin sensitization, or systemic toxicity (LD₅₀ > 2000 mg/kg). In a rat cotton pellet granuloma model, Novostron significantly reduced the inflammatory mass (23.65% inhibition), supporting its anti-inflammatory potential. In a murine burn model, Novostron accelerated wound contraction (25.95% at day 10), increased epidermal thickness, and enhanced collagen deposition (~44%), outperforming controls and matching or exceeding betadine. These findings suggest that Novostron promotes tissue repair by modulating inflammation. Overall, Novostron demonstrated a favourable preclinical safety and efficacy profile, and its polymer–iodine composition, which enables controlled release and localized activity highlights its potential as a promising topical therapeutic. However, the study was limited to animal models and short-term observation; further long-term and clinical investigations are needed to confirm its translational potential in human wound healing.Perioperative psychological symptoms are prevalent among patients undergoing lung surgery and can contribute to adverse clinical outcomes. Pharmacological interventions for these symptoms have inherent limitations. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of taVNS in managing perioperative psychological symptoms in patients undergoing elective thoracoscopic pneumonectomy under general anaesthesia.
This single-centre, prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial will enrol 176 patients scheduled for elective thoracoscopic lung resection. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the active taVNS or the sham taVNS groups in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups will receive 30 min active or sham stimulation sessions at four time points: (1) the afternoon prior to surgery, (2) the morning of the surgery, (3) following extubation and (4) the first afternoon postsurgery. The primary outcome is the incidence of perioperative anxiety, assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale. Secondary outcomes include depression scores, stress index, sleep quality, pain scores, incidence of postoperative delirium, fatigue, cough symptoms and postoperative recovery quality, all evaluated through validated assessment tools. Analyses will be conducted using intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations.
The Ethics Committee of Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University granted approval for the study with approval number: XYFY2024-KL444-01. Dissemination will be via national anaesthesia conferences and publication in the peer-reviewed literature.
ChiCTR2400090542.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) are both efficacious treatments for depression, but it is less clear how both compare on outcome domains other than depression and in the longer term. Moreover, it is unclear which of these two psychotherapies works better for whom. This article describes the protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis that aims to compare the efficacy of CBT and IPT for adults with depression on a range of outcomes in both the short and long term, and to explore moderators of the treatment effect. This study can enhance our understanding of treatments for depression and inform treatment personalisation.
Systematic literature searches will be conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library from inception to 1 January 2026, to identify randomised clinical trials (RCTs) comparing CBT and IPT for adult depression. Researchers of eligible studies will be invited to contribute their participant-level data. One-stage IPD meta-analyses will be conducted with mixed-effects models to examine (a) treatment efficacy on all outcome measures that are assessed at post-treatment or follow-up in at least two studies, and (b) various baseline participant characteristics as potential moderators of depressive symptom level at treatment completion.
Ethical approval is not required for this study since it will be based on anonymised data from RCTs that have already been completed. The findings of the present study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentation.
The purpose of this article is to present the Gothenland Millennium Cohort, describe the data collection process, present key measures used and summarise some of the key findings to date in order to stimulate collaboration and use of the cohort data. This research programme was originally established to study pathways to alcohol and drug use, behavioural problems, mental health issues, and the factors that promote or prevent these outcomes. The Cohort aims to support scientific research and doctoral education through a longitudinal study that tracks individuals from early adolescence through adulthood. This programme is multidisciplinary (social work, psychology, disability research) with the goal of producing high-quality research that deepens our understanding of how early-life vulnerabilities, risks and protective factors influence long-term wellbeing, including health and welfare, in diverse populations.
In 2013, all school-registered adolescents, in grades 6 and 7 (aged 12 and 13), in four municipalities in Gothenland region (ie, southern Sweden) born in year 2000 or 2001, were invited to participate. Of 2150 invited adolescents, 1885 (88%) accepted participation in the programme and 1760 (93.4%) participated in at least one of the annual data collection waves up to grade 9 (Wave 4), with participation rates ranging from 70% to 85% per wave. Wave 5 questionnaires were collected during the second year of upper secondary school (grade 11). In Wave 5, half (50.4 %; n = 949) of the adolescents participated. In Wave 6, interviews were conducted with a selection of participants in their last year of upper secondary school (grade 12). Parents were surveyed in Waves 1 and 2 by self-report questionnaires (response rate = 32%; 41%). Data were also gathered from teachers (attrition
Over 240 publications have been produced as of September 2025 in the areas of disability and everyday functioning, child-parent relationships, child welfare, substance use and criminal behaviour, mental health, trauma, harassment, and sexuality.
These include continued investigation of wellbeing and its related indicators during adolescence as well as in emerging adulthood, continued efforts to secure funding and an age 25 expansion of the cohort data.
Polysubstance use (PSU), particularly opioid-involved and stimulant-involved PSU, is a growing issue in the USA. PSU increases the risk of negative health consequences, including infectious diseases, worsening physical and mental health conditions, and overdose-related deaths. These consequences occur in the context of varying health risk behaviours, substance-related preferences, and treatment engagements among people with PSU. To inform improvements in prevention, harm reduction, and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, additional research is needed to comprehensively understand the current context and drivers of PSU preferences, motivations, and behaviours.
Herein, we describe the protocol for a prospective cohort study designed to capture detailed patterns, profiles, and trajectories of PSU, with the aim of comprehensively examining the drivers of PSU behaviours and SUD treatment utilisation. Adults (ages 18–75; n=400) who engage in PSU will be recruited from healthcare institutions, an established participant database maintained by an adjacent SUD research team, and online advertisements. Study assessments will capture dynamic patterns, choice preferences, and motivators of PSU via behavioural economic (BE) measures, detailed Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) interviews, and self-administered surveys. The assessment timeline will include a baseline survey and TLFB interview, weekly TLFB interviews for 4 weeks post-baseline, and follow-up surveys and TLFB interviews at 4-, 8-, and 12-months post-baseline.
The study is funded through the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative and was approved by the University of Michigan Medical Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated to academic, clinical, and community partners through the Michigan Innovations in Addiction Care through Research and Education programme. Results from this study will inform actionable and practical insights relevant to the delivery of personalised care in the context of PSU.
First-degree relatives of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have a twofold to fourfold increased risk of CRC. Tailored communication interventions have shown efficacy in improving their risk awareness and screening participation. While computer-based tailoring systems offer convenience, they often overlook the integration of healthcare professionals’ verbal input, potentially limiting effectiveness and long-term impact. To address this gap, we developed ScreenTalk, an intelligent voice-interactive tailored communication system that employs intelligent speech interaction to automate the tailoring process, enhance message credibility and improve scalability within CRC screening workflows.
This study is a two-arm, cluster-randomised controlled trial with a hybrid type I design involving 314 participants across three tertiary general hospitals in Guangzhou, China. Participants in both groups will receive usual care. Additionally, the intervention group will receive a 1-month tailored intelligent voice-interactive intervention, whereas the control group will receive unrelated health education to control for attention. Screening uptake (primary outcomes) and health beliefs (secondary outcomes) are measured at baseline and at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 month post the intervention. Implementation outcomes including reach, implementation, adoption and maintenance will be assessed through questionnaire, qualitative interviews and tailored system record.
The trial has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Sun Yat-sen University (IRB No. L2024SYSU-HL-054). Information on the purpose and process of this study will be provided to the participants before recruitment, and written signatures will be collected from all participants to ensure their voluntary participation and protection of their rights and privacy.
NCT06710860 on ClinicalTrials.gov. Registered 26 November 2024. Date and version: 3.0, 14 July 2025.
Investigate interprofessional medication safety risk management from the perspective of physicians in healthcare settings.
Qualitative, semistructured interview study. Data analysed with an inductive content analysis.
Wellbeing Services County in Central Finland.
17 physicians working in different healthcare settings or specialties.
Physicians’ overall perception of interprofessional medication safety risk management was generally positive. They considered their own responsibility for medication safety as both comprehensive, encompassing the safety of the entire unit and limited, focused primarily on prescribing the correct medication. Organisational barriers to participating in medication safety promotion comprised insufficient healthcare resources and unclear distribution of tasks and responsibilities. Personal barriers included prioritisation of clinical work, considering medication safety as an administrative task and experiencing the process to be slow and complex. Strong leadership, increased visibility of medication safety, framing the topic positively, targeted education and fostering physicians’ intrinsic motivation were identified as means to increase physicians’ participation in medication safety risk management.
This study emphasises the importance of integrating physicians into interprofessional, systems-based medication safety risk management as a core element of high-quality care. Despite recognising their broad role, physicians face barriers such as organisational constraints and limited identification with medication safety advocacy. Addressing these challenges requires enhancing their understanding of the medication management and use process and fostering shared responsibility through time allocation and interprofessional leadership structures.
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is one of the treatment options available for spasticity management in ambulatory children and young people with cerebral palsy (CYPwCP). Although improvements in gross motor function one to two years after surgery have been established, evidence of longer-term benefit requires further investigation. Given the irreversible nature of SDR and the increased rehabilitation commitments required from families and clinicians, providing evidence of longer-term benefits is essential to support their decision-making. This study aims to investigate medium (3–5 years) and long-term (6–10 years) SDR outcomes in ambulatory children with CP and how SDR affects families’ lives over time.
This is a convergent parallel mixed-methods study using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a theoretical framework. The study aims to recruit 90 CYPwCP participants, who had SDR at a tertiary hospital in the UK when aged between 3 and 14 years. Participants (parents and CYPwCP) will be invited to complete an online survey and attend the hospital for one follow-up visit 3 or more years after SDR. Comparisons will be made with existing data on objective measures and parent-reported outcomes collected in clinical practice at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months to understand the trajectory of changes. Semistructured interviews will be conducted with 18–20 parents/carers and 25–30 CYPwCP to understand their perspectives on the outcomes of SDR compared with their prior expectations. The Framework Method will be used to analyse qualitative data both inductively and deductively. Qualitative and quantitative study data will be integrated using joint displays.
Ethical approval has been obtained through the Coventry and Warwick Research and Ethics Committee (24/WM/0078). Findings will be shared through international conferences, peer-reviewed journals, social media and dissemination events for families and CYP.
Self-care plays a pivotal role in the management of heart failure (HF). Health literacy and empowerment are considered the prerequisites of effective self-care. This project aims to improve self-management in people with HF by describing, analysing and enhancing the communication practices of clinicians and patients to support people with HF to increase their health literacy skills and participate in shared decision-making.
A multimethod research design incorporating an interview component, a concurrent mixed-methods component and a pilot intervention study is used. The study is currently being conducted at two Australian hospitals in metropolitan areas (one public and one private). The interview component involves semistructured interviews with healthcare providers and hospital executives and managers at the participating sites to explore perceived barriers and facilitators to HF self-management and understand the institutional context of HF care. The concurrent mixed-methods components include: (a) tracking and audio recording the clinical interactions of patients with HF (n=30) during their hospitalisation and up to 6 months after discharge and semistructured interviews with the patient (and the carer) and the participating clinician after each clinical interaction and (b) collecting longitudinal survey data (n=180, patients) to track patients’ health literacy, empowerment and self-management over 6 months. The pilot feasibility study includes developing a complex intervention for clinicians and patients and evaluating its acceptability and potential in improving health literacy and reducing readmissions, length of stay and costs.
This study was approved by the Australian Capital Territory Health (2023.ETH.00007) and Edith Cowan University (023–04314-SAUNDERS) Human Research Ethics Committees. Informed consent was obtained and will continue to be sought from all participants. Study results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals.
Music-based training programmes, such as learning how to play an instrument or sing in a choir, have been suggested as potential interventions for promoting healthy brain ageing in older adults at risk of cognitive decline because of their ability to enhance cognitive functions and potentially promote neuroplasticity. However, there is limited empirical evidence in older adults at risk of dementia, especially that evaluates both piano and singing interventions and their effects on cognition and neuroplasticity. In this protocol, we outline a study to assess the efficacy of keyboard and singing music training programmes on reducing cognitive decline and other outcomes in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
This randomised, single-blind, controlled, parallel-group trial aims to enrol 432 individuals with MCI from the community in Sydney, Australia. Participants are randomly allocated to participate in either keyboard lessons, singing lessons or a film discussion control group once a week for 3 months. The primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of two music training programmes (keyboard and choral singing) for enhancing verbal memory after 3 months compared with control. Additionally, we will examine how these music-based interventions affect other aspects of cognition, mood, sleep, overall well-being, markers of brain plasticity and blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration. Tertiary objectives are to identify factors that impact the success of the interventions, such as participation rates, engagement levels and key demographic and clinical features. Outcomes are collected at baseline and at 3 and 9 months. The primary endpoint analysis will include all randomised participants to estimate the treatment effect using intention-to-treat principles. Primary and secondary outcomes will be analysed using linear mixed models and effect size measures will be calculated.
This study will be the first robust, randomised controlled trial to assess the potential and relative value of music engagement for cognitive decline in high-risk MCI individuals, as well as broader effects on other markers of mental health, well-being and neurodegeneration. Co-designed with implementation in mind, the music interventions can potentially be delivered within memory clinic or community settings.
The Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee (2023-026) has approved this protocol. The trial findings will be shared through conferences, publications and media.
Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12623000407695), Registered 21/04/2023 https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=385552
2.02 29/11/2024.
This study aims to identify key determinants and strategies for effectively implementing a reflection method to support adequate use of the ‘Informal Care’ guideline within community nursing. The SPARK (Self & Peer Assessment to Reflect on Quality Standards) reflection method, developed in an earlier participatory design-based study, is a structured group reflection approach designed to help nurses and nursing assistants reflect on and apply guideline recommendations in daily practice.
A mixed method study.
Six community care organisations in the Netherlands.
This mixed-method study collected qualitative data through observations and video recordings of group meetings with community nurses, nursing assistants and a patient representative, alongside quantitative questionnaires. This project included design and test group meetings to develop and evaluate prototypes of the reflection method. Observations were discussed, and video recordings were thematically analysed. The Measurement Instrument for Determinants of Innovations questionnaire was used to identify key determinants for effective implementation. The questionnaire results were analysed descriptively, using the Tailored Implementation in Chronic Diseases (TICD) framework to present preliminary determinants for validation. Implementation strategies were then selected in a group meeting. Based on this input, the research group operationalised the selected implementation strategies.
Twenty-nine determinants for implementing the reflection method were identified across seven TICD domains, including barriers such as limited support, knowledge and time, and facilitators such as team collaboration and prevention of caregiver overload. Based on these findings, three implementation strategies, namely knowledge enhancement, coaching development and leadership strengthening, were formulated to support integration into community nursing practice.
This study identified key determinants and strategies for implementing a reflection method in community nursing. While several determinants align with existing literature, context-specific determinants related to the heterogeneous group of registered nurses and certified nursing assistants also emerged. Strengthening guideline knowledge, coaching competencies and leadership is essential for sustainable, guideline-based reflection in practice.