Browsing by Author "Bremault-Phillips, Suzette"

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    Integrating Spirituality as a Key Component of Patient Care
    (2015) Sinclair, Shane; Bremault-Phillips, Suzette; Olson, Joanne; Brett-MacLean, Pamela; Oneschuk, Doreen; Magnus, Ralph; Weis, Jeanne; Abbasi, Marjan; Parmar, Jasneet; Puchalski, Christina
    Patient care frequently focuses on physical aspects of disease management, with variable attention given to spiritual needs. And yet, patients indicate that spiritual suffering adds to distress associated with illness. Spirituality, broadly defined as that which gives meaning and purpose to a person’s life and connectedness to the significant or sacred, often becomes a central issue for patients. Growing evidence demonstrates that spirituality is important in patient care. Yet healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not always feel prepared to engage with patients about spiritual issues. In this project, HCPs attended an educational session focused on using the FICA Spiritual History Tool to integrate spirituality into patient care. Later, they incorporated the tool when caring for patients participating in the study. This research (1) explored the value of including spiritual history taking in clinical practice; (2) identified facilitators and barriers to incorporating spirituality into person-centred care; and (3) determined ways in which HCPs can effectively utilize spiritual history taking. Data were collected using focus groups and chart reviews. Findings indicate positive impacts at organizational, clinical/unit, professional/personal and patient levels when HCPs include spirituality in patient care. Recommendations are offered.
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    Optimizing the integration of family caregivers in the delivery of person-centered care: evaluation of an educational program for the healthcare workforce
    (2022-03-18) Parmar, Jasneet K.; L’Heureux, Tanya; Anderson, Sharon; Duggleby, Wendy; Pollard, Cheryl; Poole, Lisa; Charles, Lesley; Sonnenberg, Lyn K.; Leslie, Myles; McGhan, Gwen; Huhn, Arlene; Sereda, Sandy; Marion, Cecilia; Tarnowski, Glenda; Mah, Jennifer; Melenberg, Denise; Weir, Carolyn; Pooler, Charlotte; MacLachlan, Nora; Bremault-Phillips, Suzette; Tian, Peter G. J.; Sacrey, Lori-Ann R.
    Abstract Background While family caregivers provide 70-90% of care for people living in the community and assist with 10-30% of the care in congregate living, most healthcare providers do not meaningfully involve family caregivers as partners in care. Recent research recommends that the healthcare workforce receive competency-based education to identify, assess, support, and partner with family caregivers across the care trajectory. Objective This paper reports a mixed-methods evaluation of a person-centered competency-based education program on Caregiver-Centered Care for the healthcare workforce. Methods This foundational education was designed for all healthcare providers and trainees who work with family caregivers and is offered free online (caregivercare.ca). Healthcare providers from five healthcare settings (primary, acute, home, supportive living, long-term care) and trainees in medicine, nursing, and allied health were recruited via email and social media. We used the Kirkpatrick-Barr health workforce training evaluation framework to evaluate the education program, measuring various healthcare providers’ learner satisfaction with the content (Level 1), pre-post changes in knowledge and confidence when working with family caregivers (Level 2), and changes in behaviors in practice (Level 3). Results Participants were primarily healthcare employees (68.9%) and trainees (21.7%) and represented 5 healthcare settings. Evaluation of the first 161 learners completing the program indicated that on a 5-point Likert scale, the majority were satisfied with the overall quality of the education (Mean(M) = 4.69; SD = .60). Paired T-tests indicated that out of a score of 50, post-education changes in knowledge and confidence to work with family caregivers was significantly higher than pre-education scores (pre M = 38.90, SD = 6.90; post M = 46.60, SD = 4.10; t(150) = − 16.75, p < .0001). Qualitative results derived from open responses echoed the quantitative findings in satisfaction with the education delivery as well as improvements in learners’ knowledge and confidence. Conclusion Health workforce education to provide person-centered care to all family caregivers is an innovative approach to addressing the current inconsistent system of supports for family caregivers. The education program evaluated here was effective at increasing self-reported knowledge and confidence to work with family caregivers.
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    Reducing readmission rates for individuals discharged from acute psychiatric care in Alberta using peer and text message support: Protocol for an innovative supportive program
    (2022-03-12) Eboreime, Ejemai; Shalaby, Reham; Mao, Wanying; Owusu, Ernest; Vuong, Wesley; Surood, Shireen; Bales, Kerry; MacMaster, Frank P.; McNeil, Diane; Rittenbach, Katherine; Ohinmaa, Arto; Bremault-Phillips, Suzette; Hilario, Carla; Greiner, Russ; Knox, Michelle; Chafe, Janet; Coulombe, Jeff; Xin-Min, Li; McLean, Carla; Rathwell, Rebecca; Snaterse, Mark; Spurvey, Pamela; Taylor, Valerie H.; McLean, Susan; Urichuk, Liana; Tzeggai, Berhe; McCabe, Christopher; Grauwiler, David; Jordan, Sara; Brown, Ed; Fors, Lindy; Savard, Tyla; Grunau, Mara; Kelton, Frank; Stauffer, Sheila; Cao, Bo; Chue, Pierre; Abba-Aji, Adam; Silverstone, Peter; Nwachukwu, Izu; Greenshaw, Andrew; Agyapong, Vincent I. O.
    Abstract Background Individuals discharged from inpatient psychiatry units have the highest readmission rates of all hospitalized patients. These readmissions are often due to unmet need for mental health care compounded by limited human resources. Reducing the need for hospital admissions by providing alternative effective care will mitigate the strain on the healthcare system and for people with mental illnesses and their relatives. We propose implementation and evaluation of an innovative program which augments Mental Health Peer Support with an evidence-based supportive text messaging program developed using the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy. Methods A pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial, where daily supportive text messages (Text4Support) and mental health peer support are the interventions, will be employed. We anticipate recruiting 10,000 participants at the point of their discharge from 9 acute care psychiatry sites and day hospitals across four cities in Alberta. The primary outcome measure will be the number of psychiatric readmissions within 30 days of discharge. We will also evaluate implementation outcomes such as reach, acceptability, fidelity, and sustainability. Our study will be guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and the Reach-Effectiveness-Adoption-Implementation-Maintenance framework. Data will be extracted from administrative data, surveys, and qualitative methods. Quantitative data will be analysed using machine learning. Qualitative interviews will be transcribed and analyzed thematically using both inductive and deductive approaches. Conclusions To our knowledge, this will be the first large-scale clinical trial to assess the impact of a daily supportive text message program with and without mental health peer support for individuals discharged from acute psychiatric care. We anticipate that the interventions will generate significant cost-savings by reducing readmissions, while improving access to quality community mental healthcare and reducing demand for acute care. It is envisaged that the results will shed light on the effectiveness, as well as contextual barriers and facilitators to implementation of automated supportive text message and mental health peer support interventions to reduce the psychological treatment and support gap for patients who have been discharged from acute psychiatric care. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05133726 . Registered 24 November 2021