Nicolas Krucien

Adaptation and validation of the patient assessment of chronic illness care in the French context

BackgroundChronic diseases are major causes of disability worldwide with rising prevalence. Most patients suffering from chronic conditions do not always receive optimal care. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) has been developed to help general practitioners making quality improvements. The Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) questionnaire was increasingly used in several countries to appraise the implementation of the CCM from the patients’ perspective. The objective of this study was to adapt the PACIC questionnaire in the French context and to test the validity of this adaptation in a sample of patients with multiple chronic conditions.MethodsThe PACIC was translated into French language using a forward/backward procedure. The French version was validated using a sample of 150 patients treated for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and having multiple chronic co-morbidities. Several forms of validity were analysed: content; face; construct; and internal consistency. The construct validity was investigated with an exploratory factorial analysis.ResultsThe French-version of the PACIC consisted in 18 items, after merging two pairs of items due to redundancy. The high number of items exhibiting floor/ceiling effects and the non-normality of the ratings suggested that a 5-points rating scale was somewhat inappropriate to assess the patients’ experience of care. The construct validity of the French-PACIC was verified and resulted in a bi-dimensional structure. Overall this structure showed a high level of internal consistency. The PACIC score appeared to be significantly related to the age and self-reported health of the patients.ConclusionsA French-version of the PACIC questionnaire is now available to evaluate the patients’ experience of care and to monitor the quality improvements realised by the medical structures. This study also pointed out some methodological issues about the PACIC questionnaire, related to the format of the rating scale and to the structure of the questionnaire.

What do UK medical students value most in their careers? A discrete choice experiment

Many individual‐ and job‐related factors are known to influence medical careers decision making. Previous research has extensively studied medical trainees’ (residents’) and students’ views of the factors that are important. However, how trainees and students trade off these factors at times of important careers‐related decision making is under‐researched. Information about trade‐offs is crucial to the development of effective policies to enhance the recruitment and retention of junior doctors.

Do the organizational reforms of general practice care meet users’ concerns? The contribution of the Delphi method

Context  The debate over primary care reform in France, as in most OECD countries, centres on questions about efficacy and accessibility. Do these reforms actually respond to the users’ concerns?

The development and testing of a new communication tool to help clinicians inform patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome about treatment options.

The objective of this study was to develop a tool to help clinicians inform patients about mechanical treatment options, continuous positive airway pressure and oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, and to assess its validity, reliability and acceptability. Continuous positive airway pressure is always indicated as a first‐line treatment in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. However, oral appliances might be an effective treatment option in patients who fail treatment attempts, and also as a first‐line treatment for patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. To help patients choose their initial treatment, we developed an electronic decision board to present information regarding the potential benefits and side effects of the two treatment options, using the best available evidence. In 34 healthy volunteers, to test validity we evaluated the extent to which the respondents’ preferences for a treatment changed predictably when the rate of effectiveness and side effects were modified. Reliability was tested by readministering the decision board 2 weeks afterwards (kappa test). The decision‐board acceptability was evaluated in 99 consecutive patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. We found that the decision board was valid. Reliability was excellent (κ = 0.94). Concerning acceptability, 72% of the patients were satisfied with the information provided in the decision board and 71% indicated that it helped them to make a decision. The average score of true/false test of knowledge was 7.9 of 10 (range 3–10). The decision board we developed is a valid, reliable and acceptable tool to assess patients’ preferences.

The value of different aspects of person-centred care: a series of discrete choice experiments in people with long-term conditions

Objective To measure the value the patients place on different aspects of person-centred care. Design We systematically identified four attributes of person-centred care. We then measured their value to 923 people with either chronic pain or chronic lung disease over three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) about services to support self-management. We calculated the value of each attribute for all respondents and identified groups of people with similar preferences using latent class modelling. Setting DCEs conducted online via a commercial survey company. Participants Adults with either chronic pain (two DCEs, n=517 and 206, respectively) or breathlessness due to chronic respiratory disease (n=200). Results Participants were more likely to choose services with higher level person-centred attributes. They most valued services that took account of a person’s current situation likelihood of selection increased by 16.9% (95% CI=15.4 to 18.3) and worked with the person on what they wanted to get from life (15.8%; 14.5 to 17.1). More personally relevant information was valued less than these (12.3%; 11.0 to 13.6). A friendly and personal communicative style was valued least (3.8%; 2.7 to 4.8). Latent class models indicated that a substantial minority of participants valued personally relevant information over the other attributes. Conclusion This is the first study to measure the value patients place on different aspects of person-centred care. Professional training needs to emphasise the substance of clinical communication—working responsively with individuals on what matters to them—as well as the style of its delivery.

What do women want? Valuing women’s preferences and estimating demand for alternative models of maternity care using a discrete choice experiment

In many countries, there has been a considerable shift towards providing a more woman-centred maternity service, which affords greater consumer choice. Maternity service provision in Ireland is set to follow this trend with policymakers committed to improving maternal choice at hospital level. However, womens preferences for maternity care are unknown, as is the expected demand for new services. In this paper, we used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to (1) investigate womens strengths of preference for different features of maternity care; (2) predict market uptake for consultant- and midwifery-led care, and a hybrid model of care called the Domiciliary In and Out of Hospital Care scheme; and (3) calculate the welfare change arising from the provision of these services. Women attending antenatal care across two teaching hospitals in Ireland were invited to participate in the study. Womens preferred model of care resembled the hybrid model of care, with considerably more women expected to utilise this service than either consultant- or midwifery-led care. The benefit of providing all three services proved considerably greater than the benefit of providing two or fewer services. From a priority setting perspective, pursuing all three models of care would generate a considerable welfare gain, although the cost-effectiveness of such an approach needs to be considered.

What factors are critical to attracting NHS foundation doctors into specialty or core training? : A discrete choice experiment

Objectives Multiple personal and work-related factors influence medical trainees’ career decision-making. The relative value of these diverse factors is under-researched, yet this intelligence is crucially important for informing medical workforce planning and retention and recruitment policies. Our aim was to investigate the relative value of UK doctors’ preferences for different training post characteristics during the time period when they either apply for specialty or core training or take time out. Methods We developed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) specifically for this population. The DCE was distributed to all Foundation Programme Year 2 (F2) doctors across Scotland as part of the National Career Destination Survey in June 2016. The main outcome measure was the monetary value of training post characteristics, based on willingness to forgo additional potential income and willingness to accept extra income for a change in each job characteristic calculated from regression coefficients. Results 677/798 F2 doctors provided usable DCE responses. Location was the most influential characteristic of a training position, followed closely by supportive culture and then working conditions. F2 doctors would need to be compensated by an additional 45.75% above potential earnings to move from a post in a desirable location to one in an undesirable location. Doctors who applied for a training post placed less value on supportive culture and excellent working conditions than those who did not apply. Male F2s valued location and a supportive culture less than female F2s. Conclusion This is the first study focusing on the career decision-making of UK doctors at a critical careers decision-making point. Both location and specific job-related attributes are highly valued by F2 doctors when deciding their future. This intelligence can inform workforce policy to focus their efforts in terms of making training posts attractive to this group of doctors to enhance recruitment and retention.

What are the patients' preferences for the Chronic Care Model? An application to the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

The Chronic Care Model (CCM) has been developed to improve the quality of medical care delivered by general practitioners to patients with multiple chronic conditions. Despite an increasing use of this model, it remains unclear to what extent the different recommendations are valued by the patients.