Alejandra Casillas

Cultural competency of health-care providers in a Swiss University Hospital: self-assessed cross-cultural skillfulness in a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAs the diversity of the European population evolves, measuring providers’ skillfulness in cross-cultural care and understanding what contextual factors may influence this is increasingly necessary. Given limited information about differences in cultural competency by provider role, we compared cross-cultural skillfulness between physicians and nurses working at a Swiss university hospital.MethodsA survey on cross-cultural care was mailed in November 2010 to front-line providers in Lausanne, Switzerland. This questionnaire included some questions from the previously validated Cross-Cultural Care Survey. We compared physicians’ and nurses’ mean composite scores and proportion of “3-good/4-very good” responses, for nine perceived skillfulness items (4-point Likert-scale) using the validated tool. We used linear regression to examine how provider role (physician vs. nurse) was associated with composite skillfulness scores, adjusting for demographics (gender, non-French dominant language), workplace (time at institution, work-unit “sensitized” to cultural-care), reported cultural-competence training, and cross-cultural care problem-awareness.ResultsOf 885 questionnaires, 368 (41.2%) returned the survey: 124 (33.6%) physicians and 244 (66.4%) nurses, reflecting institutional distribution of providers. Physicians had better mean composite scores for perceived skillfulness than nurses (2.7 vs. 2.5, p < 0.005), and significantly higher proportion of “good/very good” responses for 4/9 items. After adjusting for explanatory variables, physicians remained more likely to have higher skillfulness (β = 0.13, p = 0.05). Among all, higher skillfulness was associated with perception/awareness of problems in the following areas: inadequate cross-cultural training (β = 0.14, p = 0.01) and lack of practical experience caring for diverse populations (β = 0.11, p = 0.04). In stratified analyses among physicians alone, having French as a dominant language (β = −0.34, p < 0.005) was negatively correlated with skillfulness.ConclusionsOverall, there is much room for cultural competency improvement among providers. These results support the need for cross-cultural skills training with an inter-professional focus on nurses, education that attunes provider awareness to the local issues in cross-cultural care, and increased diversity efforts in the work force, particularly among physicians.

Association between education and quality of diabetes care in Switzerland

Purpose Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher prevalence of diabetes, worse outcomes, and worse quality of care. We explored the relationship between education, as a measure of socioeconomic status, and quality of care in the Swiss context. Patients and methods Data were drawn from a population-based survey of 519 adults with diabetes during fall 2011 and summer 2012 in a canton of Switzerland. We assessed patients and diabetes characteristics. Eleven indicators of quality of care were considered (six of process and five of outcomes of care). After bivariate analyses, regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and diabetic complications were performed to assess the relationship between education and quality of care. Results Of 11 quality-of-care indicators, three were significantly associated with education: funduscopy (patients with tertiary versus primary education were more likely to get the exam: odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004–3.3) and two indicators of health-related quality of life (patients with tertiary versus primary education reported better health-related quality of life: Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life: β=0.6 [95% CI, 0.2–0.97]; SF-12 mean physical component summary score: β=3.6 [95% CI, 0.9–6.4]). Conclusion Our results suggest the presence of educational inequalities in quality of diabetes care. These findings may help health professionals focus on individuals with increased needs to decrease health inequalities.

Opioid substitution treatment in pretrial prison detention: a case study from Geneva, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND Opioid substitution treatment (OST) is not uniformly provided in all prisons as recommended by international guidelines. The Swiss prison of Champ-Dollon in Geneva is an exception, where OST has been available for the last 20 years. The aims of this study were to describe the OST programme in this pretrial prison setting, and the patients involved. METHODS We reviewed health records of 2566 detainees entering Switzerlands largest pretrial prison in 2007. Sociodemographic characteristics, substance use diagnosis and history, OST history and prison course, medical complications, and evidence of OST side effects were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS The mean age was 29.6 years (SD 7.1) and 95.4% of prisoners were male. Among 233 opioid users (9.1%) at baseline, 221 (94.8%) used other substances, and 39.9% had used drugs intravenously. Opioid dependence was confirmed in 71.2% of opioid users. OST was offered to all dependent users, and all patients accepted treatment. Methadone was the treatment of preference, with a prescribed mean dose of 41.7 mg (standard deviation 29.1) upon departure. No serious side effects or death by overdose occurred. There was postrelease OST continuity-of-care for 49.7% of OST patients. CONCLUSIONS Prescription of OST for opioid dependent detainees by trained physicians is feasible and safe in a pretrial setting. The methadone dose was lower when compared with general OST treatment recommendations. Nevertheless, treatment was available in accordance with national and international guidelines. In-prison OST offers access to a much needed and safe healthcare service for this vulnerable population.

Prevention of violence in prison - the role of health care professionals

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies violence prevention as a public health priority. In custodial settings, where violence is problematic, administrators and custodial officials are usually tasked with the duty of addressing this complicated issue-leaving health care professionals largely out of a discussion and problem-solving process that should ideally be multidisciplinary in approach. Health care professionals who care for prisoners are in a unique position to help identify and prevent violence, given their knowledge about health and violence, and because of the impartial position they must sustain in the prison environment in upholding professional ethics. Thus, health care professionals working in prisons should be charged with leading violence prevention efforts in custodial settings. In addition to screening for violence and detecting violent events upon prison admission, health care professionals in prison must work towards uniform in-house procedures for longitudinal and systemized medical recording/documentation of violence. These efforts will benefit the future planning, implementation, and evaluation of focused strategies for violence prevention in prisoner populations.

No consistent association between processes-of-care and health-related quality of life among patients with diabetes: a missing link?

Purpose Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered a representative outcome in the evaluation of chronic disease management initiatives emphasizing patient-centered care. We evaluated the association between receipt of processes-of-care (PoC) for diabetes and HRQoL. Methods This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from non-institutionalized adults with diabetes in a Swiss canton. Outcomes were the physical/mental composites of the short form health survey 12 (SF-12) physical composite score, mental composite score (PCS, MCS) and the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL). Main exposure variables were receipt of six PoC for diabetes in the past 12 months, and the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) score. We performed linear regressions to examine the association between PoC, PACIC and the three composites of HRQoL. Results Mean age of the 519 patients was 64.5 years (SD 11.3); 60% were male, 87% reported type 2 or undetermined diabetes and 48% had diabetes for over 10 years. Mean HRQoL scores were SF-12 PCS: 43.4 (SD 10.5), SF-12 MCS: 47.0 (SD 11.2) and ADDQoL: −1.6 (SD 1.6). In adjusted models including all six PoC simultaneously, receipt of influenza vaccine was associated with lower ADDQoL (β=−0.4, p≤0.01) and foot examination was negatively associated with SF-12 PCS (β=−1.8, p≤0.05). There was no association or trend towards a negative association when these PoC were reported as combined measures. PACIC score was associated only with the SF-12 MCS (β=1.6, p≤0.05). Conclusions PoC for diabetes did not show a consistent association with HRQoL in a cross-sectional analysis. This may represent an effect lag time between time of process received and health-related quality of life. Further research is needed to study this complex phenomenon.

Is the Front Line Prepared for the Changing Faces of Patients? Predictors of Cross-Cultural Preparedness Among Clinical Nurses and Resident Physicians in Lausanne, Switzerland

Phenomenon: Assuring quality medical care for all persons requires that healthcare providers understand how sociocultural factors affect a patients health beliefs/behaviors. Switzerlands changing demographics highlight the importance of provider cross-cultural preparedness for all patients—especially those at risk for social/health precarity. We evaluated healthcare provider cross-cultural preparedness for commonly encountered vulnerable patient profiles. Approach: A survey on cross-cultural care was mailed to Lausanne University hospitals “front-line healthcare providers”: clinical nurses and resident physicians at our institution. Preparedness items asked “How prepared do you feel to care for … ?” (referring to example patient profiles) on an ascending 5-point Likert scale. We examined proportions of “4 – well/5 – very well prepared” and the mean composite score for preparedness. We used linear regression to examine the adjusted effect of demographics, work context, cultural-competence training, and cross-cultural care problem awareness, on preparedness. Findings: Of 885 questionnaires, 368 (41.2%) were returned: 124 (33.6%) physicians and 244 (66.4%) nurses. Mean preparedness composite was 3.30 (SD = 0.70), with the lowest proportion of healthcare providers feeling prepared for patients “whose religious beliefs affect treatment” (22%). After adjustment, working in a sensitized department (β = 0.21, p = .01), training on the history/culture of a specific group (β = 0.25, p = .03), and awareness regarding (a) a lack of practical experience caring for diverse populations (β = 0.25, p = .004) and (b) inadequate cross-cultural training (β = 0.18, p = .04) were associated with higher preparedness. Speaking French as a dominant language and physician role (vs. nurse) were negatively associated with preparedness (β = −0.26, p = .01; β = −0.22, p = .01). Insights: The state of cross-cultural care preparedness among Lausannes front-line healthcare providers leaves room for improvement. Our study points toward institutional strategies to improve preparedness: notably, making sure departments are sensitized to cross-cultural care resources and increasing provider diversity to reflect the changing Swiss demographic.

Immunisation coverage among adolescents in a Swiss juvenile correctional facility

1.Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, Geneva, Switzerland 2.School of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland 3.Division of Correctional Medicine and Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland 4.Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Comparing diabetes mellitus risk perception among patients followed in primary and specialized healthcare: A cross-sectional study in Vaud, Switzerland

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to 1) evaluate perceived risk for diabetes among type 2 diabetes patients with different types of diabetes follow-up: diabetologist, general practitioner, or both (“combined follow-up”) in the community and university settings and 2) determine the prognostic factors for better/ higher risk perception of diabetes among these patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we quantified diabetes risk perception using Walker’s RPS-DM survey. The PRIME-MD PHQ questionnaire was used to screen for mood and anxiety disorders. The global risk perception scores were coded in two categories (low/high) and compared across the various types of medical follow-up; univariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to examine the association between perceived risk, patients’ sociodemographic factors, diabetes characteristics and psychological profile. Results: Univariate analysis in logistic regression showed that having combined diabetes follow-up in the university setting was significantly associated with higher composite risk perception (OR=14; 95% CI 3.56-55.05) compared to patients with either single provider type follow-up. Specifically, combined follow- up, was linked to diabetes worry (OR=6.45; 95% CI 1.68-24.7), but also higher perceived risk for diabetes complications (OR=3.55; 95% CI 1.12-11.2). These analyses also showed that perceived risk for diabetes complications was associated with longer diabetes duration (OR=1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.09), higher number of drug therapies (OR=1.35; 95% CI 1.08-1.69), increased microvascular complications (OR=1.47; 95% CI 1.03- 2.10) and increased vascular complications (OR=1.31; 95% CI 1.02-1.71). Conclusions: Having combined follow-up in the same medical institution increases a patient’s perceived risk of the complications of his/her diabetic illness. Having a more accurate self-perception of potential diabetic complications may help patients make healthier and informed lifestyle choices. Future studies should further examine the association between combined provider follow-up and risk perception, and focus on how patient-provider relationships and follow-up impact diabetic patient outcomes.

Hepatitis A immunity and region-of-origin in a Swiss prison

Purpose - The environmental and demographic characteristics of closed institutions, particularly prisons, precipitate morbidity during hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreaks. Given the high prevalence of chronic liver disease and other risk factors in the prison setting, the purpose of this paper is to examine HAV-immunity and its associated factors in this population. Design/methodology/approach - The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009: a serology screening for HAV IgG was carried out among 116 inmates in Switzerlands largest pre-trial prison. Other participant characteristics were collected through a structured face-to-face questionnaire with a physician. Findings - In terms of significant demographics, Africa (53.5 percent) and the Balkans/Eastern Europe (36.2 percent) were the main regions of origin; a minority of inmates were from Western Europe (6.9 percent), Latin America (2.6 percent) or Asia (0.9 percent). The authors identified hepatitis A antibody-negative serology (lack of immunity) in five out of 116 prisoners (4.3 percent, 95 percent CI 1.4-9.7). Among participants of European origin alone, five out of 50 inmates were hepatitis A antibody-negative (10 percent, 95 percent CI 3.3-21.8), whereas the 66 inmates from other all continents were hepatitis A antibody-positive (immune) (p=0.026). Originality/value - In this prison population composed of mostly African migrants, hepatitis A immunity was high. This reaffirms that region of origin is highly associated with childhood immunity against HAV. HAV vaccination should take into account a patients area of origin and his/her risk factors for systemic complications, if ever infected. This targeted strategy would offer herd immunity, and seek out the most vulnerable individuals who are potentially at risk of new exposure in this precarious setting.