Purpose: Diabetes self-management behaviors are necessary to obtain optimum glycemic control, reduce the risk of complications, and improve health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic imposes an additional struggle for self-management by diabetes patients. Although previous studies have reported socio-demographic, behavioral, psychological, and cultural barriers to diabetes self-management, little is known about perceived barriers to diabetes self-management among patients during isolation following their recovery from COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to explore perceived barriers among type 2 diabetes patients during isolation following their recovery from COVID-19. Patients and Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research design was utilized. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted with 12 patients with diabetes who had been discharged from one COVID-19 designated hospital and underwent isolation in the designated facilities in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven steps. Results: Barriers to diabetes self-management identified by patients with diabetes during isolation were categorized into five major themes: inadequate knowledge and behavioral beliefs, shortage of resources, suffering from health problems, negative emotions, and lack of support. Conclusion: Perceived barriers to diabetes self-management described by diabetes patients indicated a lack of environmental resources and support strategies to meet their needs. Efforts to remove barriers are important in assisting patients with diabetes to improve their quality of life and health outcomes.
1 June 2020 in Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Purpose: This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with adverse events in residential aged care facilities in China. Patients and Methods: After compiling a list of risk factors for adverse events generated from in-depth interviews with managers of residential aged care facilities, a three-round Delphi method was used to reach consensus. The synthesized risk factors were presented on a Likert scale to the expert panelists three times to validate their responses. Results: The list identified 67 items as risk factors for adverse events, attached to four first-level indexes (ie, environmental facility, nursing staff, older adults’ characteristics, and management factors). The experts’ authority coefficient was 0.87. The positive coefficients were 82.76%, 91.67%, and 100%, and the coordination coefficients were 0.154, 0.297, and 0.313 in the first, second, and third rounds, respectively. Conclusion: Using a Delphi method, this study established a consensus on risk factors contributing to adverse events and developed a risk assessment grade for use in future aged care practice and research. The resulting list is useful in prioritizing risk-reduction activities and assessing intervention or education strategies for preventing adverse events in residential aged care facilities. Impact: This study fills the gap in risk identification in the Chinese residential aged care system to ensure provision of best-practice care to this vulnerable population. Nursing staff and management factors at the top of the list are not only the most common causes of adverse events but also the core elements in creating a secure and error-free environment. This list was intended to support predictive and prevention-oriented decision-making by managers and nursing supervisors to reduce preventable adverse events.
Aims: This study aimed to assess student nurses' competence and attitude toward spiritual care and analysed the associated factors.Design: Cross‐sectional study using an online survey.Methods: From April 14 to June 14, 2018, a convenience sample of 938 student nurses were recruited from six schools of Nursing in Hunan Province, China. Data were collected by using the Chinese versions of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale (C‐SCCS) and the Spiritual Care Attitude Scale (C‐SCAS).Results: The average total score on the C‐SCCS was 21.42 (±4.27) out of 30 and the C‐SCAS was 58.03 (±9.90) out of 75. Factors such as liking the nursing profession, attending a spiritual care course, participation in classroom learning or expert lecture, and supporting continuous and systematic training were the strongest predictors of higher spiritual care competence and attitude. A better attitude about spiritual care was a relatively moderate and significant predictor of higher spiritual care competence.
1 April 2021 in Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Purpose: This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and adaptation of behavior of Zhuang women in China to provide more specific guidance for the social and medical practice of pregnant women during public health emergencies. Participants and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 446 pregnant Zhuang women from obstetric outpatient clinics in four tertiary hospitals and online maternity schools in Nanning, Guangxi, between February 24 and March 1, 2020. Self-designed questionnaires and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale were used. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence rate of anxiety among women was 36.77%, and some adaptation of behavior was observed. Logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant women who had an annual household income of less than $7,000, were primiparous, went out for prenatal examination, wanted to self-monitor during pregnancy but did not know how to do it, believed that they should be strictly isolated at home and cancel prenatal examinations, and expected to receive pregnancy healthcare through teleconsultation services showed a higher risk of anxiety. Nevertheless, pregnant Zhuang women who were 22– 35 years old, undergraduate-educated, and in their second trimester were less likely to suffer from anxiety. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant psychological impact on pregnant women from ethnic minorities. Factors related to quarantine and social isolation policies appear to drive changes in behaviors and anxiety disorders. Multidisciplinary mental health services and culturally sensitive interventions are necessary for minority pregnant women, especially for low-income primiparous women in the first or third trimester.
28 October 2022 in Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Purpose: This study explored nurses’ intentions, awareness and barriers in reporting adverse events in tertiary hospitals in China. We also analyzed its associated factors to increase the chance to evaluate preventable errors, enhance care delivery, and improve patient outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cluster sampling method was used to recruit 1382 nurses from two tertiary hospitals in Chenzhou and Handan City. An online structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which included general information questionnaire (eight questions), reporting awareness questionnaire (eight items with scores ranging from 0 to 8), reporting intention questionnaire (15 items with scores ranging from 0 to 15), and reporting barriers questionnaire (22 items with scores ranging from 22 to 110). Results: We received 1565 completed questionnaires from 1734 potential participants (a response rate of 90.25%), with 1382 valid questionnaires, yielding an effective rate of 88.31%. The scores of reporting awareness, reporting intention, and reporting barriers in adverse events for nurses in tertiary hospitals were 8 (1), 15 (0), and 83.04 (± 12.21) out of 110, respectively. Reporting awareness and barriers to adverse events were positively correlated with nurses’ intention to report adverse events (rs = 0.237 and 0.361, respectively; P < 0.001). Regression analyses showed that reporting awareness and barriers in adverse events and professional title influenced nurses’ intention to report adverse events (P < 0.05) in tertiary hospitals. Conclusion: Nurses in tertiary hospitals have a strong intention to report adverse events. The higher the reporting awareness of adverse events or the fewer perceived reporting barriers, the stronger the nurses’ intention to report. Hospital managers should deliver patient safety education and training for nurses, to increase their reporting awareness and decrease their perceived reporting barriers, improve their intention to report adverse events.