Knowledge Translation Commons^™

Examining Universal Primary Healthcare Through Community-Based Initiatives, Donald E. Warden

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper examines enacting community-based primary healthcare programs and initiatives. It looks at the weaknesses of past attempts, the successes of current attempts, and gives insight into ways everyday citizens can change the way the world does healthcare. There are social, economic, and political barriers as to why these programs are not enacted. Since 1978, Member states of the United Nations strive towards healthcare for all. The original 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata sets the bar at achieving this goal by the year 2000. Now in the 21^st century, the world still battles inadequate healthcare. Nations continue to strive towards ...

Advancing Occupational Therapy In Workplace Health And Wellbeing: A Scoping Review, Lynn Shaw Dr., Amanda Kollee, Helen Ren, Kayla Lofgren, Savannah Saarloos, Kirsten Slaven, Ann Bossers

Lynn Shaw

Advancing Occupational Therapy in Workplace Health and Well-being: A Scoping Review Amanda Kollee, Helen Ren, Kayla Lofgren, Savannah Saarloos, Kirsten Slaven, Ann Bossers & Lynn Shaw Background: Workplace health continues to be a goal that workers and employers desire. For instance, organizations want to adapt and find ways to accommodate the changing needs of workers as they grow older and develop chronic health conditions. Preventative strategies are required to maintain health and limit the burden on both organizations and individual workers. Occupational therapists can support workplaces to foster the personal health and well-being of workers and to develop workplace environments that support productivity and positive workplace culture. Knowledge is needed to support the evolving role of OTs in evidence based practice in the workplace. Purpose: This paper presents a synthesis of existing knowledge regarding occupational therapy (OT) involvement in the development and maintenance of worker health. Methods: A scoping review was conducted by searching 11 electronic databases, including CINAHL, Medline-OVID, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, JSTOR, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed and OTDBASE. By using search terms including occupational therapy, workplace, workplace health, and well-being, 1814 articles published between 1992 and July, 2012 were identified Forty-six articles were extracted using a 5-point relevancy scale. Data was analyzed based on study location, year, health condition or injury focus, and study design. Information regarding OT involvement, outcome measures, enablement skills, and collaborative models were examined, with particular attention on the areas of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, assessments/interventions, and enablement skills as outlined by the Canadian Model of Client-Centred Enablement. Findings: The majority of studies were completed in the United States and Canada, with Sweden and the Netherlands following closely. Thirty-four quantitative, 11 qualitative and 1 mixed study were reviewed. Sixty-three percent of studies focused on persons with physical injuries or conditions and 28% on mental illness. The majority of articles demonstrated OT involvement using tertiary prevention for chronic and complex conditions. Focus on ‘return to work’ and ‘productivity’ was evident, and ‘well-being’, ‘maintaining work’ and ‘safety’ was less prevalent. The majority of articles highlighted the use of enablement skills that are more inter-relational in nature, including ‘collaborate’, ‘educate’, ‘coach’, and ‘engage’. Thirty-five percent of the articles stated that the assessment or intervention was carried out solely by OTs; the remaining articles included 61% involving multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams, and 4% did not specify the collaborative model. Implications: There is descriptive and intervention-based evidence to support the involvement of OTs in workplace practice. Future research is needed to enhance understanding of mental health, primary prevention, and OTs role on teams, and needs to consider further specifying and defining outcome measures and enablement skills. There is a need for higher level evidence and more qualitative studies ...

When Informationists Get Involved: The Chica-Gis Project, Elizabeth C. Whipple, Jere D. Odell, Rick K. Ralston, Gilbert C. Liu

Journal of eScience Librarianship

Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation (CHICA) is a computer decision support system (CDSS) that interfaces with existing electronic medical record systems (EMRS) and delivers "just in time" patient-relevant guidelines to physicians during the clinical encounter and accurately captures structured data from all who interact with the system. “Delivering Geospatial Intelligence to Health Care Professionals (CHICA-GIS)” (1R01LM010923-01) expands the medical application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by integrating a geographic information system with CHICA. To provide knowledge management support for CHICA-GIS, three informationists at the Indiana University School of Medicine were awarded a supplement from the National Library Medicine. The ...

Issues Regarding Complex Community-Based Cardiovascular Health Interventions, Ricardo N. Angeles

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

The thesis presents three papers discussing some of the methodological issues regarding studies investigating complex community-based cardiovascular health interventions. All three studies involved the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP), a standardised blood pressure and risk factor assessment and educational sessions held in pharmacies or other locally accessible areas in small to mid-sized communities in Ontario, Canada.

The first paper reviews the literature and proposes a guide on how to develop a theoretical framework for complex community-based interventions using CHAP as an example. The paper describes a stepwise process of developing a theoretical framework including challenges encountered and strategies employed to ...

A Critical Second Look At Integrated Knowledge Translation, Anita Kothari, Nadine Wathen

Anita Kothari

Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) requires active collaboration between researchers and the ultimate users of knowledge throughout a research process, and is being aggressively positioned as an essential strategy to address the problem of underutilization of research-derived knowledge. The purpose of this commentary is to assist potential "knowledge users", particularly those working in policy or service settings, by highlighting some of the more nuanced benefits of the IKT model, as well as some of its potential costs. Actionable outcomes may not be immediately (or ever) forthcoming, but the process of collaboration can result in group-level identity transformation that permits access to ...

Jefferson Interprofessional Clinical Rounding Project: An Innovative Approach To Patient Care, Kevin J. Lyons Phd, Gerald Isenberg Md, Facs, Elizabeth Speakman Edd, Rn, Cde, Anef, Reena Antony Bsn, Mph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Dax-1 In Regulating Pluripotency In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Anthony Torres

Master Theses

The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES ...

Jefferson Hosts Third Interprofessional Education Conference, Kevin Lyons Phd, Christine Arenson Md, Elizabeth Speakman Rn, Phd, Carolyn Giordano Phd

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Are We Ready To Address The New Expectations Of Work And Workers In The Transforming World Of Work?, Lynn Shaw Dr.

Lynn Shaw

This sounding board article focuses on the transformative world of work and the need to prevent occupational injustice for future workers and work places.

Summarizing The Theoretical Foundation For Hospital Communication Research: A Scoping Review Of Interdisciplinary Literature., Arun Keeppanasseril

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Hospitals are complex socio-technical systems where health professionals from varied backgrounds interact with each other and technology for the wellbeing of patients. Effective communication among the members of the care team is vital for optimal care; poor communication can result in suboptimal care and in many cases, lead to adverse events (AEs) and even death. More than a decade after the US Institute of Medicine report which catalyzed patient safety improvement measures, patient safety remains a major concern. Two-thirds of AEs in hospitals are still linked to communication errors. Hospitals are trying to improve communication by introducing new communication devices ...

Body Mapping With Geriatric Inpatients Receiving Daily Haemodialysis Therapy For End-Stage Renal Disease At Toronto Rehabilitation Institute: A Qualitative Study, Bryn A. Ludlow

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

The innovative research method of “body mapping” was used in this study with geriatric inpatients receiving daily hæmodialysis therapy for end-stage renal disease at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Five people took part in this study; three participants completed all study phases. They created three body maps each and took part in one follow up, semi-structured interview to share their experiences of body mapping. Two themes were drawn from the data: (1) body mapping gives patients a voice to communicate their experiences in the dialysis unit; and (2) body mapping makes visible participants’ illness adjustment patterns, and levels of connection, or disconnection ...

The Fractal Nature And Functional Connectivity Of Brain Function As Measured By Bold Mri In Alzheimer’S Disease, Mohammed A. Warsi

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disease with progressive deterioration of neural networks in the brain. Fractal dimension analysis (FD) of resting state blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals acquired using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows us to quantify complex signalling in the brain and may offer a window into the network erosion. This novel approach can provide a sensitive tool to examine early stages of AD. As AD progresses, we expect to see a reduction in brain connectivity and signal complexity concurrent with biochemical changes (e.g. altered levels of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myoinositol (mI) and glutamate ...

Mobilizing The Use Of Policy-Relevant Documents In Evidence-Informed Health Policymaking: The Development And Contents Of An Online Repository Of Policy-Relevant Documents Addressing Healthcare Renewal In Canada, Karolina Kowalewski

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Research objectives: 1) Develop an online repository of policy-relevant documents addressing healthcare renewal in Canada; and 2) describe the general contents of policy-relevant documents addressing healthcare renewal in Canada. Methods: The methods for this study were iteratively developed using an approach similar to a scoping review. Documents were identified through website hand-searches and sixteen Canadian health organizations that contributed to the development of the online repository. The majority of organizations are government health ministries/departments or government-supported health organizations. The focus of the analysis was to calculate general descriptive frequencies of the distribution of documents included in the online repository ...

How Do Parents Use Health Information With The Aid Of A Knowledge Broker When Living With And Caring For Their Young Children With Cerebral Palsy?, Stephanie E. Lagosky

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research aims to understand how parents use health information (such as those developed from the Move & PLAY study) with the aid of a knowledge broker when living with and caring for young children with cerebral palsy. This research was conducted under a qualitative case study methodology and used questionnaires and in-depth interviews to collect data. Findings include the complexity of both parental use of health information and the desire to use a knowledge broker. A provisional model has been created to help describe information use of parents with young children with cerebral palsy. This provisional model is an important ...

The Art In Medicine - Treatment Decision-Making And Personalizing Care: A Grounded Theory Of Physicians' Treatment-Decision Making Process With Their (Stage Ii, Stage Iiia And Stage Iiib) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients In Ontario, Saira Akram

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Introduction: In Ontario alone, an estimated 6,700 people (3,000 women; 3,700 men) will die of lung cancer in 2011 (Canadian Cancer Society, 2011). A diagnosis of cancer is associated with complex decisions; the array of choices of cancer treatments brings about hope, but also anxiety over which treatment is best suited for the individual patient (Blank, Graves, Sepucha et al., 2006). The overall cancer experience depends on the quality of this decision (Blank et al., 2006). Clinical practice guidelines are knowledge translation tools to facilitate treatment decision-making. In Ontario, guidelines have been developed and disseminated with the ...

“We Should Be Listening To Our Elders”: Evaluation Of Transfer Of Indigenous Knowledge Between Anishinabe Youth And Elders, Kassandra Kulmann

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Indigenous knowledge (IK) (knowledge held by Indigenous peoples regarding local environments, ways of life and culture) can potentially improve health and environment conditions. This thesis examines IK transfer between Anishinabe Elders and youth. A knowledge translation intervention was applied to address community concerns regarding decline of IK transfer between Elders and youth.

Youth were hired to participate in a summer school and interview Elders regarding environment and health issues. Qualitative interviews were conducted with youth before and after their internships to evaluate their experiences and IK uptake. The summer school and internships were effective for facilitating IK transfer between Elders ...

The Effects Of A Group Visit Program On Outcomes Of Diabetes Care In An Urban Family Practice., Jeffrey A Reitz, Mona Sarfaty, James Diamond, Brooke Salzman

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic health condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Those with diabetes must acquire self-efficacy in the tasks necessary for them to successfully manage their disease. In this study, a controlled pre- and post-design was used to determine the effect of an adult support and education group visit program embedded in an urban academic family medicine practice on weight and the achievement of treatment goals for hemoglobin A1C, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) blood concentration, and blood pressure (BP) several months after it was implemented. Participants in the program were matched to a comparison group based on ...

Exploring Pregnant Women’S Perceptions And Decision Making Of Household Chemicals: Phthalates As A Model, Justin M. Ashley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recent research has identified a group of plasticizers known as phthalates as potential anti-androgens and a risk to developing male fetuses. A constructivist grounded theory study was used to understand pregnant women and obstetrical care providers’ perceptions of phthalates. Twenty-three pregnant women and twelve obstetrical care providers (Obstetricians, Family Physicians, and Midwives) from Southwestern Ontario participated in semi-structured interviews. Pregnant women and clinicians had little knowledge regarding phthalates and the potential associated risks. Women felt that knowledge of these risks would be important to prenatal counselling while clinicians required more evidence. Two separate but related models emerged from the data ...

The Role Of Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Percieved Behavioural Control And Context In Nurses's Behavioural Intentions, Mary Agnes Beduz

Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Background: Hospitalization is stressful, and anxiety is a common experience among hospital inpatients. Nurses who use a standardized patient anxiety assessment tool can improve their recognition of patient anxiety and its management. Implementing evidence-informed practice changes among nurses is a challenge, and there is little compelling evidence on how best to proceed with such implementations. Two theoretical frameworks that have shown promise for designing effective interventions among nurses are the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which focuses on individual determinants of behaviour, and Promoting Action on Research in Health Services (PARiHS), which focuses on the nature of the evidence, the ...