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Objective To explore the educational expectations and experiences of patients with heart failure in relation to device implantation. Methods In this longitudinal study, patients at six Swedish and Icelandic hospitals answered instruments about their knowledge expectations, before the device implantation, and about the knowledge they had received at two weeks, six months and 12 months after the procedure. Predictors for fulfillment of knowledge expectations were assessed with linear mixed model analysis. Results Patients (N = 133, mean age 69.8 (±9.7) years, 80 % men) had high knowledge expectations, which for 83 % of them were unfulfilled. Predictors for fulfillment of knowledge expectations were access to knowledge from healthcare professionals (β 0.74, 95 % CI: 0.42–1.10), educational level (β −0.30, 95 % CI: −0.52 to −0.07) and knowledge expectations (β -1.03, 95 % CI: −1.30 to −0.80). Healthcare professionals were the main information source (89 %), 74 % of patients received written information, and 19 % had used the Internet. Conclusions Patients receive less knowledge than they expect, and individual factors and communication with healthcare professionals are related to their experience. Face-to-face is the most common method of delivering education. Practice implications Healthcare professionals should assess patients’ expectations for information and consider implementing more diversity in their educational practices., Funding Agencies|Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund [A-2014-12]; Icelandic Nurses Association Research Fund: the Research Fund of Ingibjorg Magnusdottir in Iceland; Medtronic Vingmed AB in Sweden; Abbott Medical Sweden AB in Sweden; Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Nursing Scholarship

Background During the recent decade “Lean production” has become a prevalent rationalization methodology in healthcare. A commonly applied Lean tool is Value Stream Mapping (VSM). It is a participatory tool, i.a. used to identify non-Value-Adding-Work (non-VAW) in patient flows. The process results in an Action Plan suggesting interventions aiming at minimizing non-VAW in order to increase the proportion of value creation. Scientific evidence indicates that non-VAW often represents periods of physical and mental recovery. Reduction of nonVAW may therefore cause ”Work intensification”. On this background the VSM tool has been complemented by an ergonomic module (ErgoVSM) to be used in the healthcare sector (Jarebrant et al., 2010). The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in Action Plans regarding expected impact on ergonomics and performance issues when using ErgoVSM rather than VSM. Material and Methods Fourteen hospital wards were investigated, six in Denmark, two in Iceland and six in Sweden (one VSM ward refused to complete). In each country half the wards used VSM according to their ordinary Lean routines and the other half used ErgoVSM. All action plans were collected and each proposal was analysed based on triangulations between different stakeholder assessments. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test of contingency tables of impact on four factors: Work Environment (WE, +/0/-), task/job content/system and efficiency according to VSM/ErgoVSM. Results Of a total of 175 proposals from all the investigated wards 106 were assessed as causing WE+, 8 WE-, 20 WE0, and 41 Not Assessable. Of the 106 WE+ proposals 78% aimed at system level changes (job content and work situation), the remaining at task level changes or not assessable. This is in contrast to the intervention proposals generally investigated in the ergonomic intervention literature focusing almost exclusively interventions at task and individua

Background Active patient participation is a patient safety priority for health care. Yet, patients and their preferences are less understood. The aim of the study was to explore hospitalised patients’ preferences on participation in their care and safety activities in Sweden. Methods Exploratory qualitative study. Data were collected over a four-month period in 2013 and 2014. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients who were admitted to one of four medical wards at a university hospital in Sweden. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Nine men and eleven women, whose median age was 72 years (range 22–89), were included in the study. Five themes emerged with the thematic analysis: endorsing participation; understanding enables participation; enacting patient safety by participation; impediments to participation; and the significance of participation. This study demonstrated that patients wanted to be active participants in their care and safety activities by having a voice and being a part of the decision-making process, sharing information and possessing knowledge about their conditions. These factors were all enablers for patient participation. However, a number of barriers hampered participation, such as power imbalances, lack of patient acuity and patient uncertainty. Patients’ participation in care and patient safety activities seemed to determine whether patients were feeling safe or ignored. Conclusion This study contributes to the existing literature with fundamental evidence of patients’ willingness to participate in care and safety activities. Promoting patient participation begins by understanding the patients’ unique preferences and needs for care, establishing a good relationship and paying attention to each patient’s ability to participate despite their illness.

ErgoVSM is an intervention process tool stimulating a dialogue for creating more sustainable value streams at hospital wards. It represents a complement to traditional Value Stream Mapping. Work environment issues are integrated in the Lean-management method Value Stream Mapping. The focus is to describe the current state through dialogue and visualisation followed by designing a future state and developing an action plan. During this process, performance, physical ergonomics and work content are considered.

Introduction: The impact of ergonomic interventions may be offset by other changes at the work place, primarily rationalizations. These have previously been shown to imply a dominant negative effect on health and risk factors, thus causing effect modification (Westgaard & Winkel 2011). The present paper aims to present assessment of potential effect modifiers in intervention studies at hospital wards in Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Material and methods: The effect modifiers were assessed by a newly developed method (the EMA method; Edwards & Winkel 2016). It is a type of group interview including 3-6 participants representing all occupational groups in the investigated organization. The group is asked to write down significant changes at the workplace during the investigated period. The method also includes a semi-qualitative assessment of the potential Work Environment (WE) impact of each modifier. It aims to capture both the individual and collective account of all significant events that may have caused a significant impact in relation to the specific aim of the investigated intervention. Thirteen hospital wards went through interventions based on either the lean tool VSM (Value Stream Mapping) (6 wards) or the ErgoVSM method (Jarebrant et al, 2010) where additional focus is on ergonomic issues (7 wards). Results: In total 120 interventions were implemented. However, 322 significant modifiers were assessed to have occurred during the intervention period. Of these, 120 were assessed to imply impaired WE, 166 a positive impact, 33 no impact and 3 were not assessable. The number of significant modifier events varied between wards from 8-48, while the number of implemented interventions varied from 0-28. The semi-qualitative assessments suggested a major impact on WE due to modifiers. At seven wards the dominating impact of the modifiers was estimated to improve WE; at two wards the modifiers were estimated mainly to i

BACKGROUND:Cardiac self-efficacy is a person's belief in his/her ability to manage the challenges posed by a coronary disease, and its role has been evaluated in several coronary populations using the Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE Scale). Self-efficacy has an important role in person-centred care, however there is a lack of appropriate instruments that evaluate person-centred interventions.AIM:The purpose of this study was to validate the CSE Scale by examining its psychometric properties as a first step in evaluating a person-centred care intervention in persons with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).METHODS:The study sample consisted of 288 persons (72 women, 216 men) who completed the Swedish version of the CSE Scale two months after hospitalisation for an ACS event. Construct validity was psychometrically evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity were tested using correlation analyses.RESULTS:The results revealed that the CSE Scale was represented by three dimensions (control symptoms, control illness and maintain functioning). The analyses also showed that the CSE Scale is suitable for providing a total summary score that represents a global cardiac self-efficacy dimension. Evaluation of convergent and discriminant validity showed the expected correlations.CONCLUSION:The CSE Scale is a valid and reliable measure when evaluating self-efficacy in patients with ACS. It also seems to be a useful tool to promote person-centred care in clinical practice since it may offer useful guidance in the dialogue with the patient in the common creation of a personal health plan., Published online before print August 22, 2014

Treatment for chronic heart failure (CHF) has improved, and symptom burden has been identified as an important treatment goal. Because patient-centered care may ease the burden, we need to know its benefits for patients with CHF, hence this systematic literature review. We found that one benefit of person-centered care is an increase in quality of life in patients with CHF. Improvements were found in self-care, physical and mental status, health care costs, general uncertainty regarding illness and recovery, patient dignity, treatment, and systems of care. Improvements also were observed in symptom burden, self-efficacy, and quality of life. These findings indicate that person-centered care is a powerful approach to current and future health care. However, because an appropriate tool to measure person-centered care does not yet exist, it will be a challenge to determine whether the goal has been reached from a long-term and patient perspective.

Aim: The study aims to examine the associations between leader–member exchange (LMX) and psychosocial factors at work. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was undertaken at four units in two not-for-profit hospitals in southwestern Sweden. The study sample included 240 employees. Results: Significant correlations were found between LMX items and most of the psychosocial domains and dimensions. The strongest correlations were found between the LMX item affect and rewards/recognition, role clarity and predictability, and the LMX item loyalty and rewards/recognition. In sum, high-quality LMX was associated with good psychosocial work conditions experienced by the employees. Conclusions: The results support possible ways for managers and employees to strengthen their relationships and this may in turn lead to more sustainable systems in health care.