Fatima Al Sayah

Arts-based methods in health research: A systematic review of the literature

The arts are valued by most societies for a variety of reasons. From a health perspective they have been valued primarily for therapeutic purposes. Subsequently, the benefit of the arts in health research is increasingly evident. Although the arts have been used as a research method in other disciplines, their use in health is much more recent. There is no clear understanding of the kind of arts or the way the arts have been used as a research method. This systematic review of the literature was conducted to fill this knowledge gap. We undertook the review to determine what constitutes arts-based methods in health research and how have these methods been used. We searched eight databases using different combinations of several keywords. We used content and thematic analysis to analyze our results. Thirty studies met our criteria for inclusion. Visual arts were the most common, followed by performance arts, and literary arts. The purposes of using arts in health research were primarily for knowledge production and knowledge translation. Artistic methods are a useful technique for both knowledge production and translation purposes, albeit to a limited degree. We will discuss our findings in terms of trends, methodological issues and theoretical issues. Further research is needed to advance this area of knowledge.

Measuring Health Literacy in Individuals With Diabetes A Systematic Review and Evaluation of Available Measures

Objective. To identify instruments used to measure health literacy and numeracy in people with diabetes; evaluate their use, measurement scope, and properties; discuss their strengths and weaknesses; and propose the most useful, reliable, and applicable measure for use in research and practice settings. Methods. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the instruments. Nutbeam’s domains of health literacy and a diabetes health literacy skill set were used to evaluate the measurement scope of the identified instruments and to evaluate their applicability in people with diabetes. Results. Fifty-six studies were included, from which one diabetes-specific (LAD) and eight generic measures of health literacy (REALM, REALM-R, TOFHLA, s-TOFHLA, NVS, 3-brief SQ, 3-level HL Scale, SILS) and one diabetes-specific (DNT) and two generic measures of numeracy (SNS, WRAT) were identified. These instruments were categorized into direct measures, that is, instruments that assess the performance of individuals on health literacy skills and indirect measures that rely on self-report of these skills. The most commonly used instruments measure selective domains of health literacy, focus mainly on reading and writing skills, and do not address other important skills such as verbal communication, health care system navigation, health-related decision making, and numeracy. The structure, mode, and length of administration and measurement properties were found to affect the applicability of these instruments in clinical and research settings. Indirect self- or clinician-administered measures are the most useful in both clinical and research settings. Conclusion. This review provides an evaluation of available health literacy measures and guidance to practitioners and researchers for selecting the appropriate measures for use in clinical settings and research applications.

Controlled trial of a collaborative primary care team model for patients with diabetes and depression: Rationale and design for a comprehensive evaluation

BackgroundWhen depression accompanies diabetes, it complicates treatment, portends worse outcomes and increases health care costs. A collaborative care case-management model, previously tested in an urban managed care organization in the US, achieved significant reduction of depressive symptoms, improved diabetes disease control and patient-reported outcomes, and saved money. While impressive, these findings need to be replicated and extended to other healthcare settings. Our objective is to comprehensively evaluate a collaborative care model for comorbid depression and type 2 diabetes within a Canadian primary care setting.Methods/designWe initiated the TeamCare model in four Primary Care Networks in Northern Alberta. The intervention involves a nurse care manager guiding patient-centered care with family physicians and consultant physician specialists to monitor progress and develop tailored care plans. Patients eligible for the intervention will be identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as a screen for depressive symptoms. Care managers will then guide patients through three phases: 1) improving depressive symptoms, 2) improving blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol, and 3) improving lifestyle behaviors. We will employ the RE-AIM framework for a comprehensive and mixed-methods approach to our evaluation. Effectiveness will be assessed using a controlled “on-off” trial design, whereby eligible patients would be alternately enrolled in the TeamCare intervention or usual care on a monthly basis. All patients will be assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Our primary analyses will be based on changes in two outcomes: depressive symptoms, and a multivariable, scaled marginal model for the combined outcome of global disease control (i.e., A1c, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol). Our planned enrolment of 168 patients will provide greater than 80% power to observe clinically important improvements in all measured outcomes. Direct costing of all intervention components and measurement of all health care utilization using linked administrative databases will be used to determine the cost-effectiveness of the intervention relative to usual care.DiscussionOur comprehensive evaluation will generate evidence to reliability, effectiveness and sustainability of this collaborative care model for patients with chronic diseases and depression.Trials registrationClintrials.gov Identifier: NCT01328639

Collaborative Care Versus Screening and Follow-up for Patients With Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms: Results of a Primary-Care Based Comparative Effectiveness Trial

OBJECTIVE Depressive symptoms are common and, when coexisting with diabetes, worsen outcomes and increase health care costs. We evaluated a nurse case-manager–based collaborative primary care team model to improve depressive symptoms in diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a controlled implementation trial in four nonmetropolitan primary care networks. Eligible patients had type 2 diabetes and screened positive for depressive symptoms, based on a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) score of ≥10. Patients were allocated using an “on-off” monthly time series. Intervention consisted of case-managers working 1:1 with patients to deliver individualized care. The main outcome was improvement in PHQ scores at 12 months. A concurrent cohort of 71 comparable patients was used as nonscreened usual care control subjects. RESULTS Of 1,924 patients screened, 476 (25%) had a PHQ score >10. Of these, 95 were allocated to intervention and 62 to active control. There were no baseline differences between groups: mean age was 57.8 years, 55% were women, and the mean PHQ score was 14.5 (SD 3.7). Intervention patients had greater 12-month improvements in PHQ (7.3 [SD 5.6]) compared with active-control subjects (5.2 [SD 5.7], P = 0.015). Recovery of depressive symptoms (i.e., PHQ reduced by 50%) was greater among intervention patients (61% vs. 44%, P = 0.03). Compared with trial patients, nonscreened control subjects had significantly less improvement at 12 months in the PHQ score (3.2 [SD 4.9]) and lower rates of recovery (24%, P < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes who screened positive for depressive symptoms, collaborative care improved depressive symptoms, but physician notification and follow-up was also a clinically effective initial strategy compared with usual care.

Health related quality of life measures in Arabic speaking populations: a systematic review on cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties.

PurposeThis systematic review was conducted to identify generic health related quality of life (HRQL) measures translated into Arabic, and evaluate their cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties.MethodsSix databases were searched, relevant journals were hand searched, and reference lists of included studies were reviewed. Previously established criteria were used to evaluate the cross-cultural adaptation of the identified instruments and their measurement properties.ResultsTwenty studies that reported the Arabic translations and adaptations of HRQL measures and/or their measurement properties were included in this review. The identified instruments were SF-36, RAND-36, WHOQOL-Bref, COOP/WONCA charts, EQ-5D, and QLI. Cross-cultural adaptations of all measures were of moderate to good quality, and evaluation of measurement properties was limited due to insufficiency of evidence. Based on cross-cultural adaptation evaluation, each instrument is more applicable to the population for whom it was adapted, and to other Arabic populations of similar culture and language specific idioms.ConclusionThis review facilitates the selection among existing Arabic versions of generic HRQL for use in particular Arabic countries. However, each of the translated versions requires further investigation of measurement properties before more concrete recommendations could be made.

Applying the RE-AIM framework to the Alberta's Caring for Diabetes Project: a protocol for a comprehensive evaluation of primary care quality improvement interventions

Introduction Diabetes represents a major public health and health system burden. As part of the Albertas Caring for Diabetes (ABCD) Project, two quality-improvement interventions are being piloted in four Primary Care Networks in Alberta. Gaps between health research, policy and practice have been documented and the need to evaluate the impact of public health interventions in real-world settings to inform decision-making and clinical practice is paramount. In this article, we describe the application of the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the interventions beyond effectiveness. Methods and analysis Two quality-improvement interventions were implemented, based on previously proven effective models of care and are directed at improving the physical and mental health of patients with type-2 diabetes. Our goal is to adapt and apply the RE-AIM framework, using a mixed-methods approach, to understand the impact of the interventions to inform policy and clinical decision-making. We present the proposed measures, data sources and data management and analysis strategies used to evaluate the interventions by RE-AIM dimension. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for the ABCD Project has been granted from the Health Research Ethics Board (HREB #PRO00012663) at the University of Alberta. The RE-AIM framework will be used to structure our dissemination activities by dimension. Results It will be presented at relevant conferences and prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Various products, such as presentations, briefing reports and webinars, will be developed to inform key stakeholders of the findings. Presentation of findings by RE-AIM dimension will facilitate discussion regarding the public health impact of the two interventions within the primary care context of Alberta and lessons learned to be used in programme planning and care delivery for patients with type-2 diabetes. It will also promote the application of evaluation models to better assess the impact of community-based primary healthcare interventions through our dissemination activities.

Instrument-Defined Estimates of the Minimally Important Difference for EQ-5D-5L Index Scores

BACKGROUND The five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) is a preference-based measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which yields an index score anchored at 0 (dead) and 1 (full health). We lack evidence on estimates for the minimally important difference (MID) of the EQ-5D-5L that will help in interpreting differences or changes in HRQOL measured by this scale score. OBJECTIVES To estimate the MID of the EQ-5D-5L index score for available scoring algorithms including algorithms from Canada, China, Spain, Japan, England, and Uruguay. METHODS A simulation-based approach based on instrument-defined single-level transitions was used to estimate the MID values of the EQ-5D-5L for each country-specific scoring algorithm. RESULTS The simulation-based instrument-defined MID estimates (mean ± SD) for each country-specific scoring algorithm were as follows: Canada, 0.056 ± 0.011; China, 0.069 ± 0.007; Spain, 0.061 ± 0.008; Japan, 0.048 ± 0.004; England, 0.063 ± 0.013; and Uruguay, 0.063 ± 0.019. Differences in MID estimates reflect differences in population preferences, in valuation techniques used, as well as in modeling strategies. After excluding the maximum-valued scoring parameters, the MID estimates (mean ± SD) were as follows: Canada, 0.037 ± 0.001; China, 0.058 ± 0.005; Spain, 0.045 ± 0.009; Japan, 0.044 ± 0.004; England, 0.037 ± 0.008; and Uruguay, 0.040 ± 0.010. CONCLUSIONS Simulation-based estimates of the MID of the EQ-5D-5L index score were generally between 0.037 and 0.069, which are similar to the MID estimates of other preference-based HRQOL measures.

The Alberta's Caring for Diabetes (ABCD) Study: Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Prospective Cohort of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To better understand the factors that affect care and outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes, we developed the prospective Albertas Caring for Diabetes (ABCD) cohort to collect, monitor and analyze data concerning several sociodemographic, behavioural, psychosocial, clinical and physiological factors that might influence diabetes care and outcomes. METHODS We recruited 2040 individuals with type 2 diabetes through primary care networks, diabetes clinics and public advertisements. Data are being collected through self-administered surveys, including standardized measures of health status and self-care behaviours, and will eventually be linked to laboratory and administrative healthcare data and other novel databases. RESULTS The average age of respondents was 64.4 years (SD=10.7); 45% were female, and 91% were white, with average duration of diabetes of 12 years (SD=10.0). The majority (76%) were physically inactive, and 10% were smokers. Most (88%) reported 2 or more chronic conditions in addition to diabetes, and 18% screened positively for depressive symptoms. The majority (92%) consented to future linkage with administrative data. Based on the literature and comparison with other surveys, the cohort appeared to fairly represent the general Alberta population with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The ABCD cohort will serve as the basis for explorations of the multidimensional and dynamic nature of diabetes care and complications. These data will contribute to broader scientific literature and will also help to identify local benchmarks and targets for intervention strategies, helping to guide policies and resource allocation related to the care and management of patients with type 2 diabetes in Alberta, Canada.

Association of Inadequate Health Literacy with Health Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Depression: Secondary Analysis of a Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of inadequate health literacy (HL) with changes in depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life and cardiometabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus recently screened positive for depression. METHODS Secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial (N=154) that compared a collaborative team care model and enhanced usual care for primary care for patients with type 2 diabetes and depression. The exposure of interest was inadequate HL, defined as a total summative score of 9 or more on the 3 brief screening questions. Outcomes of interest were differences in the changes in depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at 12 months, health-related quality of life (short-form health survey 12 [SF-12]) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D), glycemic control (A1C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. RESULTS The average age of patients was 58 years; 56% were women and were predominantly white. Only a small proportion (n=24; 16%) had inadequate HL. In adjusted random effects models, there were no statistically significant or clinically important differences in all outcomes between the HL groups. The between-group differences in change over 1 year were -0.55 points for PHQ-9; 0.76 points for physical and 0.56 points for mental summaries of the SF-12; 0.03 points for EQ-5D; -0.17 for A1C; -0.08 mmol/L for low-density lipoprotein; and -1.94 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS Among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes who had been screened recently as being positive for depression, it is unlikely that HL impacts health outcomes over 1 year.

Health Literacy and Nurses’ Communication With Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Primary Care Settings

BackgroundThe use of the interactive communication loop has been recommended as an effective method to enhance patient understanding and recall of information. ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the application of interactive communication loops, use of jargon, and the impact of health literacy (HL) when nurses provide education and counseling to patients with type 2 diabetes in the primary care setting in Alberta, Canada. MethodsEncounters between nurses and patients with type 2 diabetes were audio recorded, and a patient survey including a HL measure was administered. Topics within each interaction were coded based on five key components of the communication loop and categories of jargon. ResultsNine nurses participated in this study, and encounters with 36 patients were recorded. A complete communication loop was noted in only 11% of the encounters. Clarifying health information was the most commonly applied component (58% often used), followed by repeating health information (33% often used). Checking for understanding was the least applied (81% never used), followed by asking for understanding (42% never used). Medical jargon and mismatched language were often used in 17% and 25% of the encounters, respectively. Patients’ HL did not materially affect patterns of communication in terms of using communication loops; however, nurses used less jargon and mismatched words with patients with inadequate HL. DiscussionThe overuse of medical jargon accompanied with underuse of communication loop components jeopardizes patients’ comprehension and retention of information that they need to know to properly self-manage their diabetes. Nurses need to develop more effective ways to communicate concepts critical to chronic diabetes self-care education and management.