Pippa Burns

The introduction of electronic medication charts and prescribing in aged care facilities: An evaluation

The objective was to test the feasibility of electronic medication charts in aged care facilities and the impact on general practitioner (GP) and staff work processes. The Illawarra Division of General Practice conducted a trial where GPs used a modified version of commercially available software to generate medication charts, in four residential aged care facilities. Semistructured, face‐to‐face interviews, log books and an issue register were used to evaluate the success of this trial.

Usability testing of AsthmaWise with older adults.

There are many reasons why online self-management education is attractive to both patients and providers. AsthmaWise, an online self-management program, was developed using a Moodle platform, to enable older adults to learn asthma self-management skills. This study aimed to improve AsthmaWise through conducting: usability testing with a sample of end users; a cognitive walk-through undertaken by an independent health researcher; and assessment of content readability. A Perceived Health Web Site Usability Questionnaire score of 67% was achieved, indicating that there were usability issues that needed to be addressed. The cognitive walk-through and readability assessment identified unique issues that were not identified through usability testing with end users. The testing process allowed issues to be identified and rectified before piloting AsthmaWise, creating a more accessible and refined end product. The involvement of the site designer in the testing process was valuable and is highly recommended. This study shows that usability testing involving both end users and experts is an essential part of the design process that is relatively easy and inexpensive to undertake and can be effectively conducted by a nonexpert.

Is delirium being detected in emergency

To report on the use of Delirium Care Pathways to screen for and recognise delirium by Aged Care Services in Emergency Teams (ASETs) at five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Knowledge of delirium and the use of Delirium Care Pathways are vital to ensure that older people presenting with delirium receive best practice care.

Internet self-management uniform reporting framework: the need for uniform reporting criteria when reporting internet interventions

A review of the literature was conducted to identify the “active ingredients” needed to produce successful Internet interventions that support older adults in self-management of chronic disease. The term “Internet intervention” was used as an umbrella term to include all online self-management programs. Thirteen articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria from the initial 204 articles identified. Ritterband’s Model of Internet Interventions was used as a framework to classify the intervention components reported. It was found that online self-management interventions can improve outcomes for some older adults. However, the wide diversity of interventions and the measures reported, coupled with the complex nature of the studies, made it difficult to identify the “active ingredients.” To overcome this problem, the authors propose a minimum reporting set, the Internet Self-Management Uniform Reporting Framework, which can be used in the reporting of all interventions. Internet Self-Management Uniform Reporting Framework proposes the collection of specific data from six domains: Web site design, support, study design, Web site use, user characteristics and reporting outcomes. The adoption of Internet Self-Management Uniform Reporting Framework would enable easy comparison of online interventions targeting chronic diseases.

Is it my job? The role of RNs in the assessment and identification of delirium in hospitalized older adults: an exploratory qualitative study

Delirium is characterized by acute and fluctuating cognitive decline, which is often missed in older adults who are assumed to be experiencing age-related changes or dementia. Delirium affects up to 50% of hospitalized older adults. The aim of the current study was to (a) explore current practices of RNs in assessing and identifying delirium in hospitalized older adults and (b) inform new educational initiatives. Qualitative methods were adopted using eight semi-structured group interviews with 24 RNs. Thematic analysis revealed a dichotomy in practice where RNs described delirium assessment and identification as (a) Its Not My Job, (b) It is My Job, and (c) Its Complex. The imperative to improve delirium assessment and identification to create safer and more caring health care environments means the current findings provide important evidence to build into practice and education strategies. The current authors have developed engaging educational interventions and begun implementation at the study site to develop delirium assessment and identification capacity, which moves clinicians beyond awareness and aims at practice adherence or the consistent application of evidence-based delirium assessment. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(4), 29-37.].

AsthmaWise – a field of dreams? The results of an online education program targeting older adults with asthma

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility and acceptability of an online asthma self-management program developed for older Australians with asthma. Methods: AsthmaWise, an internet education self-management program, was piloted for a 3-month period at the beginning of 2012. Participants were recruited using both online and offline strategies and were required to complete surveys, both pre- and post-intervention, in a repeated measures design. Results: Matched data were collected from 51 participants; the results showed AsthmaWise to be a feasible and acceptable method of delivering asthma education to the target population. Self-reported measures showed an increase in participants’ asthma knowledge, asthma control and quality of life. Results from the Perceived Health Web Site Usability Questionnaire (PHWSUQ) showed improvements between usability testing and implementation. Conclusion: The need for asthma self-management education will continue to increase as the population ages and a greater number of older adults are living with asthma. This small pilot study indicates that an online asthma self-management education program can result in improved outcome measures in a target group not normally considered technologically literate.

Consumer knowledge about over‐the‐counter NSAIDs: they don't know what they don't know

Objective: To investigate consumers’ knowledge about commonly purchased over‐the‐counter (OTC) products containing ibuprofen.

Impact of Interactive Education on Health Care Practitioners and Older Adults at Risk of Delirium: A Literature Review

The current integrative literature review explored the impact of interactive delirium care education in facilitating knowledge transfer to health care practitioners and improving health outcomes for older adults. Academic databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science, were searched using the terms delirium and simulation or interactive education. Selected articles were analyzed using Critical Appraisals Skills Programme tools. Twenty studies were reviewed and three themes generated to explain the current understanding of the impact of interactive delirium care education on outcomes for: (a) individuals with delirium; (b) organizational health care; and (c) health care practitioners. The current review demonstrated that interactive education is a promising contemporary approach for raising awareness about best practice delirium care by health care practitioners. Due to gaps in the literature, future educational research in the area of delirium care education needs to adopt a more consistent method of reporting findings to ensure successful transferability across care settings. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(8), 41-48.].

‘Involve Me and I Learn’: Development of an Assessment Program for Research and Critical Analysis:

Evidence-based medical practice is best achieved by developing research understanding in medical practitioners. To this end, medical councils worldwide increasingly recognise the importance of medical schools graduating students with well-developed research skills and research capacity. To meet this need, the principles of programmatic assessment were implemented in designing a research and critical analysis curriculum and assessment program that aimed to enhance the research and critical analysis skills of medical students. The program was developed by mapping assessment tasks to a research capabilities framework that was in turn scaffolded to different levels of Miler’s pyramid. The curriculum and assessments were integrated with the science, clinical, and professional aspects of the medical course. The progressive longitudinal development of research skills, with feedback and academic mentoring, culminated in the students’ capacity to undertake an independent research project. Designing an assessment program for learning encouraged students to develop their research capacity by involving them in their learning.

Medication Management for People Living with Dementia: Development and Evaluation of a Multilingual Information Resource for Family Caregivers of People Living with Dementia

The aim of this chapter is to describe the development and evaluation of an online multilingual information resource focused on medication management, targeting people living with dementia and their family caregivers. Maintaining effective medication management is important to allow ongoing quality of life within the community setting and avoiding medication-related preventable hospitalisations for the person living with dementia. Family caregivers are likely to assume the role of medication management on behalf of the person in their care as dementia progresses. Little training or information is available to family caregivers to assist them with this role. A pilot online information resource was developed and evaluated. Responding to the evaluation, this resource was improved, and a more extensive evaluation process was undertaken. The development and evaluation process are outlined with a view to guiding the development of similar resources, especially those targeting linguistically diverse family caregivers and those with dementia. This is especially important given that many older adults will migrate during their lifetime, often to a country where they are not familiar with the language or health services. Extra support is needed to assist older immigrants who are themselves at risk or are caring for someone with dementia. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Gillespie, R., Burns, P., Harrison, L., Baker, A., Win, K., Traynor, V. & Mullan, J. (2016). Medication management for people living with dementia: development and evaluation of a multilingual information resource for family caregivers of people living with dementia. In D. V. Moretti (Ed.), Update on Dementia (pp. 493-514). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. Authors Robyn Gillespie, Pippa Burns, Lindsey Harrison, Amanda Ann Baker, Khin Than Win, Victoria Traynor, and Judy Mullan This book chapter is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/4598 2,900+ OPEN ACCESS BOOKS 99,000+ INTERNATIONAL AUTHORS AND EDITORS 92+ MILLION DOWNLOADS BOOKS DELIVERED TO 151 COUNTRIES AUTHORS AMONG TOP 1% MOST CITED SCIENTIST 12.2% AUTHORS AND EDITORS FROM TOP 500 UNIVERSITIES Selection of our books indexed in the Book Citation Index in Web of ScienceTM Core Collection (BKCI) Chapter from the book Update on Dementia Downloaded from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/update-on-dementia PUBLISHED BY Worlds largest Science, Technology & Medicine Open Access book publisher Interested in publishing with InTechOpen? Contact us at book.department@intechopen.com