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Background: The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) has long recognized and championed increasing diversity within the surgical workplace. SAGES initiated the Fundamentals of Leadership Development (FLD) Curriculum to address these needs and to provide surgeon leaders with the necessary tools and skills to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in surgical practice. In 2019, the American College of Surgeons issued a request for anti-racism initiatives which lead to the partnering of the two societies. The primary goal of FLD was to create the first surgeon-focused leadership curriculum dedicated to DEI. The rationale/development of this curriculum and its evaluation/feedback methods are detailed in this White Paper. Methods: The FLD curriculum was developed by a multidisciplinary task force that included surgeons, education experts, and diversity consultants. The curriculum development followed the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model and utilized a problem-based learning approach. Competencies were identified, and specific learning objectives and assessments were developed. The implementation of the curriculum was designed to be completed in short intervals (virtual and in-person). Post-course surveys used the Kirkpatrick's model to evaluate the curriculum and provide valuable feedback. Results: The curriculum consisted of interactive online modules, an online discussion forum, and small group interactive sessions focused in three key areas: (1) increasing pipeline of underrepresented individuals in surgical leadership, (2) healthcare equity, and (3) conflict negotiation. By focusing on positive action items and utilizing a problem-solving approach, the curriculum aimed to provide a framework for surgical leaders to make meaningful changes in their institutions and organizations. Conclusion: The FLD curriculum is a novel leadership curriculum that provided surgeon leaders with the knowledge and tools to improve diversity in three areas: pipeline improvement, healthcare equity, and conflict negotiation. Future directions include using pilot course feedback to enhance curricular effectiveness and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, healthcare systems have started to establish control centres to manage patient flow, with a view to removing delays and increasing the quality of care. Such centres—here dubbed Healthcare Capacity Command/Coordination Centres (HCCCs)—are a challenge to design and operate. Broad-ranging surveys of HCCCs have been lacking, and design for their human users is only starting to be addressed. In this review we identified 73 papers describing different kinds of HCCCs, classifying them according to whether they describe virtual or physical control centres, the kinds of situations they handle, and the different levels of Rasmussen's [1] risk management framework that they integrate. Most of the papers (71%) describe physical HCCCs established as control centres, whereas 29% of the papers describe virtual HCCCs staffed by stakeholders in separate locations. Principal functions of the HCCCs described are categorised as business as usual (BAU) (48%), surge management (15%), emergency response (18%), and mass casualty management (19%). The organisation layers that the HCCCs incorporate are classified according to the risk management framework; HCCCs managing BAU involve lower levels of the framework, whereas HCCCs handling the more emergent functions involve all levels. Major challenges confronting HCCCs include the dissemination of information about healthcare system status, and the management of perspectives and goals from different parts of the healthcare system. HCCCs that take the form of physical control centres are just starting to be analysed using human factors principles that will make staff more effective and productive at managing patient flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family-centered care (FCC) is widely established as the standard professional practice model in pediatric hospital settings (Arabiat, D., Whitehead, L., Foster, M., Shields, L., & Harris, L. (2018). Parents' experiences of family centred care practices. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 42, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2018.06.012; Espe-Sherwindt, M. (2008). Family-centred practice: Collaboration, competency and evidence. Support for Learning, 23(3), 136–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9604.2008.00384.x). It embraces social work values that promote self-determination and family empowerment by positioning family members as partners in healthcare treatment, delivery, and decision-making (Kuo, D. Z., Houtrow, A. J., Arango, P., Kuhlthau, K. A., Simmons, J. M., & Neff, J. M. (2012). Family-centered care: Current applica?tions and future directions in pediatric health care. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 16(2), 297–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0751-7). To promote and advance FCC principles, healthcare organizations collaborate with patients and families as lived experience volunteers, or family leaders, to ensure program design and education reflect users' perspectives and experiences. Despite evidence for its efficacy and uptake (Arabiat, D., Whitehead, L., Foster, M., Shields, L., & Harris, L. (2018). Parents' experiences of family centred care practices. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 42, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2018.06.012), translating FCC principles into practice can be challenging (McCarthy, E., & Guerin, S. (2022). Family-centred care in early intervention: A systematic review of the processes and out?comes of family-centred care and impacting factors. Child: Care Health and Development, 48(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12901). In this paper, we introduce an innovative training program for family leaders that embodies the core principles of FCC. The training program was developed in collaboration with families, healthcare and higher education stakeholders, and engagement specialists by a social worker in a pediatric rehabilitation setting in Toronto, Ontario. The program prepares family leaders to engage in teaching and facilitation roles in healthcare education. The Teaching and Facilitation Course for Family as Faculty is the first program of its kind in Canada and was recently recognized by the Health Standards Organization of Canada as a leading practice in healthcare. Since launching in 2019, over 50 participants connected with healthcare organizations across Ontario have completed the course. Graduates have partnered with educators in designing and facilitating over 85 initiatives and workshops across healthcare and academic institutions. The outcomes of a utilization-focused program evaluation, including the strengths and lessons learned are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the challenges and solutions in developing a holistic prevention mobile health application (mHealth app) for Germany's healthcare sector. Despite Germany's lag in healthcare digitalization, the app aims to enhance primary prevention in physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. A significant focus is on user participation and usability to counter the prevalent issue of user attrition in mHealth applications, as described by Eysenbach's 'law of attrition'. The development process, conducted in a scientific and university context, faces constraints like limited budgets and external service providers. The study firstly presents the structure and functionality of the app for people with statutory health insurance in Germany and secondly the implementation of user participation through a usability study. User participation is executed via usability tests, particularly the think-aloud method, where users verbalize their thoughts while using the app. This approach has proven effective in identifying and resolving usability issues, although some user feedback could not be implemented due to cost-benefit considerations. The implementation of this study into the development process was able to show that user participation, facilitated by methods like think-aloud, is vital for developing mHealth apps. Especially in health prevention, where long-term engagement is a challenge. The findings highlight the importance of allocating time and resources for user participation in the development of mHealth applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Low-grade glioma (LGG) patients may face health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) impairments, due to the tumour, treatment and associated side-effects and prospects of progression. We systematically identified quantitative studies assessing HRQoL in adult LGG patients, for: aspects of HRQoL impacted; comparisons with non-cancer controls (NCC) and other groups; temporal trends; and factors associated with HRQoL. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO were systematically searched from inception to 14th September 2021. Following independent screening of titles and abstracts and full-texts, population and study characteristics, and HRQoL findings were abstracted from eligible papers, and quality appraised. Narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Twenty-nine papers reporting 22 studies (cross-sectional, n = 13; longitudinal, n = 9) were identified. Papers were largely good quality, though many excluded patients with cognitive and communication impairments. Comparators included high-grade gliomas (HGG) (n = 7); NCCs (n = 6) and other patient groups (n = 3). Nineteen factors, primarily treatment (n = 8), were examined for association with HRQoL. There was substantial heterogeneity in HRQoL instruments used, factors and aspects of HRQoL assessed and measurement timepoints. HRQoL, primarily cognitive functioning and fatigue, in adult LGG patients is poor, and worse than in NCCs, though better than in HGG patients. Over time, HRQoL remained low, but stable. Epilepsy/seizure burden was most consistently associated with worse HRQoL. Conclusion: LGG patients experience wide-ranging HRQoL impairments. HRQoL in those with cognitive and communication impairments requires further investigation. These findings may help clinicians recognise current supportive care needs and inform types and timings of support needed, as well as inform future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty is prevalent in various health contexts. It is imperative to understand how health-related uncertainty can impact individuals' healthcare experiences and health decision making. The purpose of the present paper is to provide five overarching recommendations from an interdisciplinary team of experts to address gaps in the literature on health-related uncertainty. We present a case study of health-related uncertainty within the specific context of alcohol use to demonstrate these gaps and provide context for the recommendations. The five recommendations concerning health-related uncertainty include: (1) use common, consistent terminology to discuss uncertainty, (2) clarify measures of individual differences in response to uncertainty, (3) increase research on uncertainty and affect, (4) investigate the impact of the channel through which uncertainty is communicated, and (5) develop theory-driven interventions to improve uncertainty management. We conclude by reviewing health contexts in which health-related uncertainty exists and note how our recommendations complement existing reviews and data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses secondary analysis to understand how COVID-19 shaped people's experiences with psychosocial support services in Australia. Data are drawn from questionnaires (n = 66) and semi-structured interviews (n = 62), conducted for a national service evaluation, with 121 people living with enduring mental health conditions and using psychosocial support services. Data relating to COVID-19 were inductively coded and analysed using constant comparative analysis. Most people's experiences included tele-support. While some people described minimal disruption to their support, many reported reduced engagement. People's wellbeing and engagement were influenced by: their location, living situation and pre-COVID lifestyles; physical health conditions; access to, comfort with, and support worker facilitation of technology; pre-COVID relationships with support workers; and communication from the organisation. The findings can help services prepare for future pandemics, adjust their services for a 'COVID-normal' world, and consider how learnings from COVID-19 could be incorporated into a flexible suite of service delivery options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]