Browsing by Author "MacKean, Gail"
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Item Open Access A Comprehensive Case Study of an Orthopaedic Surgery Central Intake Service in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority: A Single-Entry Model to Manage Waiting Times for Total Joint Replacement Surgery of the Hip and Knee(2018-04-09) Damani, Zaheed; Marshall, Deborah A.; Noseworthy, Thomas Wm.; Quan, Hude; Bohm, Éric Richard; MacKean, Gail; Yelin, Edward H.; Hildebrand, Kevin A.Background: Single-entry is an increasingly prominent waiting time management strategy in healthcare but its impact on quality of care is poorly understood. We evaluated the Winnipeg Central Intake Service (WCIS) for total joint replacement (TJR) surgery of the hip or knee, a single-entry model (SEM) to manage patients referred for TJR surgery of the hip or knee. Methods: A pre/post mixed-methods case study approach was used to measure the WCIS' influence on six dimensions of quality of care: acceptability, accessibility, appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, safety. Qualitative interviews were used to assess experiences of patients, family physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, surgical office assistants and WCIS project team members. A pre/post intervention cross-sectional design was used to quantitatively assess changes in the six dimensions by comparing historical and prospective cohorts. Results: Our qualitative inquiry revealed that benefits of the WCIS included streamlined processes, greater patient access, improved measurement and monitoring of outcomes. Challenges included low awareness, change readiness, and initial participation among stakeholders. Unanticipated consequences included workload increases, confusion around stakeholder expectations, and under-reporting of data by surgeons' offices. Stakeholder acceptability was conditional, not universal. Assessment of capacity and readiness to change, and efforts to increase awareness, preparedness and uptake are critical. Factors for successful implementation include clear communication, robust data collection, physician leadership, and patience by all (especially implementation teams) allowing for an effective top-down, and bottom up approach. Our quantitative analysis revealed that the WCIS reduced variability across surgeon waiting times, with modest reductions in overall waits for surgery. There was improvement in some, but not all, dimensions of quality. Waiting time was significantly improved (WT) for consult for TJR of the hip (WT1) and all WTs for TJR of the knee. Total knee replacement surgeries performed within the nationally-recommended 26-week benchmark increased by 5.9% post-WCIS. Post-surgical complication rates (safety) were lower post-WCIS. Accessibility and safety were the only quality dimensions that changed (post-WCIS for TJR of the hip and knee). Conclusion: Overall, WCIS implementation contributed to improvement in some, but not all dimensions of quality of care. This is the first study to comprehensively assess the influence of SEMs on the delivery of TJRs across all dimensions of quality. Findings of this research are generally consistent with existing literature related to SEMs and change management in healthcare. SEMs show an ability to improve accessibility without adversely affecting other dimensions of quality, albeit with conditional, not universal stakeholder acceptability. Limitations of this study include non-longitudinal cohorts, and availability and quality of data. Findings from this research can help strengthen existing SEMs and inform development of new ones for improved patient experience and outcomes and system performance.Item Open Access Attitudes, behaviours and barriers to public health measures for COVID-19: a survey to inform public health messaging(2021-04-21) Lang, Raynell; Benham, Jamie L; Atabati, Omid; Hollis, Aidan; Tombe, Trevor; Shaffer, Blake; Burns, Katharina K; MacKean, Gail; Léveillé, Tova; McCormack, Brandi; Sheikh, Hasan; Fullerton, Madison M; Tang, Theresa; Boucher, Jean-Christophe; Constantinescu, Cora; Mourali, Mehdi; Manns, Braden J; Marshall, Deborah A; Hu, Jia; Oxoby, Robert JAbstract Background Public support of public health measures including physical distancing, masking, staying home while sick, avoiding crowded indoor spaces and contact tracing/exposure notification applications remains critical for reducing spread of COVID-19. The aim of our work was to understand current behaviours and attitudes towards public health measures as well as barriers individuals face in following public health measures. We also sought to identify attitudes persons have regarding a COVID-19 vaccine and reasons why they may not accept a vaccine. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in August 2020, in Alberta, Canada in persons 18 years and older. This survey evaluated current behaviours, barriers and attitudes towards public health measures and a COVID-19 vaccine. Cluster analysis was used to identify key patterns that summarize data variations among observations. Results Of the 60 total respondents, the majority of persons were always or often physically distancing (73%), masking (65%) and staying home while sick (67%). Bars/pubs/lounges or nightclubs were visited rarely or never by 63% of respondents. Persons identified staying home while sick to provide the highest benefit (83%) in reducing spread of COVID-19. There were a large proportion of persons who had not downloaded or used a contact tracing/exposure notification app (77%) and who would not receive a COVID-19 vaccine when available (20%) or were unsure (12%). Reporting health authorities as most trusted sources of health information was associated with greater percentage of potential uptake of vaccine but not related to contact tracing app download and use. Individuals with lower concern of getting and spreading COVID-19 showed the least uptake of public health measures except for avoiding public places such as bars. Lower concern regarding COVID-19 was also associated with more negative responses to taking a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion These results suggest informational frames and themes focusing on individual risks, highlighting concern for COVID-19 and targeting improving trust for health authorities may be most effective in increasing public health measures. With the ultimate goal of preventing spread of COVID-19, understanding persons’ attitudes towards both public health measures and a COVID-19 vaccine remains critical to addressing barriers and implementing targeted interventions and messaging to improve uptake.Item Open Access Family caregivers as essential partners in care: examining the impacts of restrictive acute care visiting policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada(2023-03-31) Montesanti, Stephanie; MacKean, Gail; Fitzpatrick, Kayla M.; Fancott, CarolAbstract Introduction During the pandemic many Canadian hospitals made significant changes to their ‘open family presence’ and ‘visitor policies’ to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by instituting restrictive or ‘zero visiting’ policies in healthcare facilities. These policies have the potential to create great hardship, anxiety and stress for patients, families, caregivers and frontline healthcare providers (HCPs); along with concerns about the quality and safety of patient care. The presence of family members and other caregivers as essential partners in care is an explicit expression of the philosophy of patient- and family-centred care (PFCC) in action. The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of how changes to family presence and visiting policies and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted patients, family caregivers and frontline healthcare providers (HCPs) in acute care hospitals. Methods A total of 38 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, family caregivers and HCPs in Canadian provinces who had experience with visiting policies in acute care settings during the pandemic. COVID patients, and the caregivers of COVID patients, were excluded from this study. A maximum variation sampling strategy was used to guide the selection and recruitment of patients, family caregivers and HCPs, based on our interest in gaining a diversity of perspectives and experiences. Results Many patients, family caregivers, and HCPs view family caregiver presence as integral to PFCC, describing the essential roles played by family caregivers prior to the pandemic. There were commonalities across all three groups with respect to their perspectives on the impacts of restrictive visiting policies on patients, family caregivers and HCPs. They fell into four broad integrated categories: (1) emotional and mental health; (2) communication and advocacy; (3) safety and quality of care; and (4) PFCC, trust in the healthcare system, and future decisions regarding accessing needed healthcare. Recommendations for pandemic visiting policies were also identified. Conclusions The findings from this study highlighted several impacts of restrictive family caregiver presence or visiting policies implemented during COVID-19 on patients, family caregivers and HCPs in acute healthcare settings across Canada. Participants emphasized that there is no “one-size-fits-all” caregiver presence policy that will address all patient needs. To be consistent with the practice of PFCC, patients and family caregivers are welcomed as part of the healthcare team in ways that work for them, demonstrating that flexibility in family presence and visiting policies is essential.Item Open Access Perspectives on neurological patient registries: a literature review and focus group study(BioMed Central, 2013-11-09) Korngut, Lawrence; MacKean, Gail; Casselman, Lisa; Johnston, Megan; Day, Lundy; Lam, Darren; Lorenzetti, Diane; Warner, Janet; Jetté, Nathalie; Pringsheim, TamaraItem Open Access Recruitment of caregivers into health services research: lessons from a user-centred design study(2019-05-20) Leslie, Myles; Khayatzadeh-Mahani, Akram; MacKean, GailAbstract Background With patient and public engagement in many aspects of the healthcare system becoming an imperative, the recruitment of patients and members of the public into service and research roles has emerged as a challenge. The existing literature carries few reports of the methods – successful and unsuccessful – that researchers engaged in user-centred design (UCD) projects are using to recruit participants as equal partners in co-design research. This paper uses the recruitment experiences of a specific UCD project to provide a road map for other investigators, and to make general recommendations for funding agencies interested in supporting co-design research. Methods We used a case study methodology and employed Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and Focus Group discussions to collect data. We recruited 25 family caregivers. Results Employing various strategies to recruit unpaid family caregivers in a UCD project aimed at co-designing an assistive technology for family caregivers, we found that recruitment through caregiver agencies is the most efficient (least costly) and effective mechanism. The nature of this recruitment work – the time and compromises it requires – has, we believe, implications for funding agencies who need to understand that working with caregivers agencies, requires a considerable amount of time for building relationships, aligning values, and establishing trust. Conclusions In addition to providing adaptable strategies, the paper contributes to discussions surrounding how projects seeking effective, meaningful, and ethical patient and public engagement are planned and funded. We call for more evidence to explore effective mechanisms to recruit family caregivers into qualitative research. We also call for reports of successful strategies that other researchers have employed to recruit and retain family caregivers in their research.