Claudia Kam Yuk Lai

The validation of the Chinese version of the Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

The aim of this work was to study the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CSWAL-QOL) validated in the Hong Kong Chinese-speaking population. With convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was launched to evaluate the validity and reliability of the CSWAL-QOL. One hundred subjects with swallowing problems were recruited to evaluate the construct validity and internal consistency, and 20 subjects were recruited for the test–retest reliability. Construct validity was validated through factor analysis (both exploratory and confirmatory) and a correlation study between the CSWAL-QOL and the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Questionnaire—abbreviated version [WHOQOL-BREF (HK)]. Reliability was estimated using tests of internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The psychometric properties of the CSWAL-QOL were found to be largely similar to those of the SWAL-QOL, except the three-item eating desire scale of the CSWAL-QOL, which showed insignificant results in the validity and reliability tests. The CSWAL-QOL is the first validated Chinese version of the SWAL-QOL in Hong Kong. It is a clinically valid and reliable tool for assessing the quality of life in dysphagic Chinese patients in Hong Kong, regardless of the causes of dysphagia.

Satisfaction Scale for Community Nursing: development and validation

AIM This study is a report of the development and testing of the Satisfaction Scale for Community Nursing for measuring patient satisfaction with community nursing. BACKGROUND Measuring patient satisfaction with a psychometrically sound instrument is important if patient judgment is used as a quality indicator to evaluate the quality of the service. METHODS Service users and providers participated in generating items for a questionnaire related to the concept of patient satisfaction. A convenient sample of 121 patients receiving care from the Community Nursing Service was recruited to pilot the questionnaire for its initial validation in 2005. Content validity and factor analysis of the draft questionnaire were assessed. Psychometric properties of the final questionnaire were assessed using data from 80 patients in a validation study conducted during 2006. RESULTS A 17-item satisfaction questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale measuring three quality domains was developed: technical competence, coordination of services and interpersonal relationships in community nursing. Cronbachs alpha was 0.90. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation yielded three factors with eigenvalues >1; these accounted for 76.6% of the total variance. The factor loadings of the items ranged from >0.64 to 0.84. The concurrent validity of the scale associated with two conceptually related variables was 0.61 (P < 0.05) and 0.66 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The questionnaire may be valuable for assessing the satisfaction level of clients with community nursing service in meeting their expectations, and thus for enhancing treatment adherence and improving the quality of care.

Can Smartphones Enhance Telephone-Based Cognitive Assessment (TBCA)?

TBCA has emerged to solve the limitations of administering cognitive assessments face-to-face. The recent development of telephones and knowledge advances in the area of cognitive impairment may affect the development of TBCA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how smartphones can be used to enhance the applicability of TBCA, which has previously been administered by conventional telephone. This paper will first review, describe and critique the existing TBCA instruments. It will then discuss the recent developments in tele-technology, the popularity of tele-technology among the elderly, potential benefits and challenges in using smartphones for cognitive assessment, and possible future developments in this technology. In the systematic review, eighteen TBCA instruments were identified. They were found to be valid in differentiating between people with and without dementia. TBCA was previously found to be launched on a conventional telephone platform. The advances in understanding of cognitive impairment may demand that telephones be equipped with more advanced features. Recently, the development and penetration of smartphones among the elderly has been rapid. This may allow the smartphone to enhance its TBCA applicability by overcoming the limitations of the conventional telephone, rendering the TBCA more efficient in addressing the increasing demand and complexity of cognitive assessments in the future. However, more research and technology developments are needed before smartphones can become a valid platform for TBCA.

The effects of the music-with-movement intervention on the cognitive functions of people with moderate dementia : a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the six-week music-with-movement (MM) intervention, as compared with music listening (ML) and social activity (SA), on the cognitive functions of people with moderate dementia over time. Methods: A multi-center randomized controlled trial was conducted on 165 nursing home residents with moderate dementia. The MM intervention protocol was developed based on a critical literature review, and tested in three rounds of pilot studies before undergoing testing in this study. The participants were randomly allocated into three groups. Intervention participants (n = 58) received a 12-week MM program led by a trained health care professional, while the participants in the comparison ML group (n = 54) listened to their preferred music, and those in the SA group (n = 53) engaged in social chatting. Cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, and anxiety were measured at baseline, the sixth week, and six weeks post-intervention. Results: Greater improvements in memory and depressive symptoms for the MM group were revealed in the univariate analysis and pairwise comparisons. The effects on memory could last for at least six weeks post-intervention. However, a mixed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analysis indicated that there were no significant interactions of group by time effect Conclusion: The findings revealed that the MM intervention may be useful for enhancing the cognitive functions of people with dementia. However, there is insufficient evidence to show that the effects of the MM intervention on outcome variables over time significantly different from those observed among the comparison groups.

Prevalence of visual problems among stroke survivors in Hong Kong Chinese

Stroke, a common cerebrovascular accident, usually results in various extents of functional disability. Extensive studies have shown that ocular and visual problems are common in patients with stroke. Unfortunately, current stroke rehabilitation programs rarely address stroke‐related ocular and visual problems in Hong Kong.

The effect of horticultural therapy on the quality of life of palliative care patients

ABSTRACT Palliative care patients experience a variety of needs and perceive their quality of life as being only fair. This study adopted a single-group repeated-measure design to investigate the effect of horticultural therapy on the quality of life of palliative care patients using the Quality of Life Concern in End of Life Questionnaire. Significant differences in the domains of “existential distress” and “health care concern” were observed immediately postintervention and at 4 weeks postintervention, respectively. No other significant differences were seen in the other domains or in the total mean score of the outcome measure.

Mediating effect of decline in social activities on urinary incontinence and negative mood: Do sex and marital differences exist?

We tested the mediating effect of decline in social participation on urinary incontinence (UI) and negative mood in older adults by sex and marital status.

Acupressure for Managing Agitation in People with Dementia: Design of a Protocol Using the Delphi Technique

Background: Preliminary studies support the effect of acupressure in managing agitation in people with dementia (PWD). However, procedures for the selection of intervention ingredients and specifications of the implementation techniques are lacking. This lack of information hinders further studies on the effect of acupressure and its subsequent clinical uses. The aim of this study was to develop an acupressure protocol and to identify its specifications. Methods: This study employed the Delphi technique, an approach to gain consensus on intervention ingredient selection to formulate the acupressure protocol through rounds of consultation among a panel of experts. Consensus of the protocol is considered when agreements on each ingredient reach and exceed 80%. Results: We invited 6 eligible traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners into the expert panel. An acupressure protocol with 100% agreement was developed in 3 rounds of consultation. Five acupoints and seven implementation specifications were identified. Conclusions: This study identifies the key intervention ingredients of acupressure and displays their procedures. The results support the notion that identification of acupressure ingredients for managing agitation in PWD by the Delphi technique is feasible. This study also identifies some intervention implementation specifications that have not been reported earlier, although the dosage (i.e. the frequency and duration) could not be well justified by the experts based on their clinical experience and the TCM theory. The study results suggest that further studies should focus on identifying the ideal dosage to be used and subsequently examine the effect of this standardized acupressure protocol as implemented by lay caregivers in randomized controlled trials.

Young adults' experiences of their parents caring for a relative with dementia

The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and perceptions young adults had of family members who are caring for a relative with dementia.

Survival prediction among nursing home residents: A longitudinal study

To determine the survival time and predictors of survival of residents in a nursing home.