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Background: People with an acquired brain injury (ABI) find it challenging to use social media due to changes in their cognition and communication skills. Using social media can provide opportunities for positive connection, but there is a lack of interventions specifically designed to support safe and successful social media use after ABI. Aims: To investigate the outcomes of completing a social media skills intervention and identify barriers and facilitators for future implementation. Methods & Procedures: The study used a mixed‐methods, pre‐post‐intervention design. A total of 17 adults with an ABI were recruited. Participants completed an intervention that included a short self‐guided course about social media skills (social‐ABI‐lity course), and then participated in a private, moderated Facebook group over a 12‐week period (social‐ABI‐lity Facebook group). Data were collected over this period through observation of group activity and weekly surveys. They were also collected on social media use and quality of life at pre‐intervention, post‐intervention and after 3 months. Participants provided feedback on the experience of participating in the programme via a post‐intervention interview. Outcomes & Results: At post‐intervention, there were significant improvements in confidence in using Facebook (p = 0.002) and enjoyment of using Facebook to connect with others (p = 0.013). There was no significant change in reported quality of life, although participants described the multiple benefits of connection they perceived from involvement in the group. Observational data and feedback interviews were informative about the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Conclusions & Implications: This pilot study provided preliminary evidence that an intervention comprising a short, self‐guided training course and a private, moderated Facebook group improved outcomes for people with ABI. Key recommendations for future implementation include embedding active peer moderators within groups and taking an individualized approach to delivery of the intervention. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Research has documented the challenges that people with ABI experience in using social media, and the difficulty for rehabilitation clinicians in providing appropriate support in this field. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This pilot study reports the outcomes of people with ABI completing a short, self‐guided social media skills course and participating in a private, moderated Facebook group. After the intervention, participants reported significantly increased confidence and enjoyment in using Facebook, described the benefits of connection found in the groups, and suggested potential improvements for future implementation. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: With the growing use of social media for connection and participation, there is a professional obligation to address social media communication skills in cognitive–communication rehabilitation for people with ABI. The findings of this study will inform interventions and future research to assist people with ABI to build their social media skills for communication, social support and a sense of connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: People who have an acquired brain injury (ABI) experience challenges using social media. Inversely, rehabilitation clinicians report feeling inadequately prepared to support them in its use. We aimed to develop a collaboratively designed, evidence-based online training resource to support people with an ABI to learn about using social media. Key recommendations for course design have previously been identified through a mixed methods approach, including (a) qualitative exploration of the experiences of people who use social media after ABI, (b) a scoping review to identify key features and effective teaching approaches from existing social media skills training programs. Method: Further design recommendations were obtained in this mixed methods study through (c) collaborative design of course content and features with 23 people, including people with living experience of ABI and other key stakeholders, and (d) a pilot trial of the course prototype with four participants who had an ABI (two men, two women; aged 28–69 years). Results: Training needs to be interactive, including practical components addressing online safety and wellbeing, and to explain how to use social media platforms to connect with others. The first social-ABI-lity prototype incorporated these findings. Pilot data indicated that the prototype was beneficial, with participants demonstrating small increases in social media confidence and knowledge. Areas for further refinement were also identified. Conclusion: The social-ABI-lity self-directed online course is the first of its kind to support people with an ABI in using social media and will be a valuable resource for rehabilitation clinicians internationally. This resource may drive sustainable changes in participation by helping people with ABI to build their social media mastery and to participate in supportive online networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Social Brain Toolkit is a novel suite of web-based interventions to support people with acquired brain injury and their close others with communication difficulties post-injury. The aim of this study was to investigate potential impacts of the Toolkit’s wider political, economic, regulatory, professional, and sociocultural context on its implementation, scalability, and sustainability. Nine people with academic, healthcare or industry experience implementing digital health interventions prior to and during COVID-19 were individually interviewed. Data were deductively analysed according to the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scaleup, Spread and Sustainability framework, with a focus on the domain of the ‘Wider system’. Results indicated that COVID-19 facilitated a pivot to virtual care models which was timely for the implementation of the Social Brain Toolkit; political and economic changes were entwined; and risk management, data compliance and governance were key considerations for healthcare professionals and organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired brain injuries (ABI) commonly cause cogn itive, behavioural, and communication changes that can dramatically alter the lives and relationships of affected individuals, their families, friends, and communities. The Social Brain Toolkit is a suite of online, evidence-based interventions to improve the in-person and online communication skills of people with ABI and their communication partners. However, even clinically effective electronic health interventions frequently fail to be sustained in real-world clinical settings. Therefore, speech-language pathologists seeking to use evidence-based online interventions like the Social Brain Toolkit need to be aware of potential implementation challenges if these interventions are to become part of routine clinical care. To this end, we use the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability theoretical framework to (a) describe developers' efforts to support implementation, and (b) outline and explain potential implementation considerations for clinicians seeking to use evidence-based online interventions like the Social Brain Toolkit in their everyday clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Molecular assays based on reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) provide reliable results for the detection of respiratory pathogens, although diagnostic agreement varies. This study determined the agreement between the RT‐PCR assays (Xpert® Flu/RSV vs Allplex™ RP1) in detecting influenza A, influenza B, and respiratory syncytial viruses (RSVs) in clinical practice. Methods: We retrospectively identified 914 patient encounters where testing with both Xpert® Flu/RSV and Allplex™ RP1 was undertaken between October 2015 and September 2019 in seven hospitals across New South Wales, Australia. The diagnostic agreement of the two assays was evaluated using positive percent agreement, negative percent agreement, and prevalence and bias‐adjusted kappa. Results: The positive percent agreement was 95.1% for influenza A, 87.5% for influenza B, and 77.8% for RSV. The negative percent agreement was 99.4% for influenza A, 99.9% for influenza B, and 100% for RSV. The prevalence and bias‐adjusted kappa was 0.98 for influenza A, 0.99 for influenza B, and 0.97 for RSV. In a sensitivity analysis, the positive percent agreement values were significantly higher during the non‐influenza season than the influenza season for influenza B and RSV. Conclusions: The Xpert® Flu/RSV and Allplex™ RP1 demonstrated a high diagnostic agreement for all three viruses assessed. The seasonal variation in the positive percent agreement of the two assays for influenza B and RSV may have been due to lower numbers assessed, variability in the virology of infections outside the peak season, or changes in the physiology of the infected host in different seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient-centred care and the empowerment of patients through shared clinical decision-making is a key goal of healthcare systems internationally. The Emergency Department is one of the first opportunities for shared decision-making to occur, with information exchanged between patient and clinician, between clinical disciplines, across the continuum of care, and between clinicians and ancillary departments including radiology and pathology laboratories. The successful development and implementation of sustainable health information technology (HIT) to support shared decision-making in Emergency care requires an understanding of the factors affecting this context. From a purposive, maximum variation sample of clinicians and a convenience sample of patients across three metropolitan and regional Emergency Departments in Australia, we identified three divergent discourses from an in-depth qualitative exploration of issues around shared decision-making. This allowed us to identify unanticipated factors affecting patient-centred care to inform context-sensitive implementation of HIT in the Emergency Department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although clinical practice guidelines can facilitate evidence-based practice and improve the health outcomes of stroke patients, they continue to be underutilised. There is limited research into the reasons for this, especially in speech pathology. This study provides the first in-depth, qualitative examination of the barriers and facilitators that speech pathologists perceive and experience when implementing guidelines. Methods: A maximum variation sample of eight speech pathologists participated in a semi-structured interview concerning the implementation of the National Stroke Foundation's Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2010. Interviews were transcribed, thematically analysed and member checked before overall themes were identified. Results: Three main themes and ten subthemes were identified. The first main theme, making implementation explicit, reflected the necessity of accessing and understanding guideline recommendations, and focussing specifically on implementation in context. In the second theme, demand versus ability to change, the size of changes required was compared with available resources and collaboration. The final theme, Speech pathologist motivation to implement guidelines, demonstrated the influence of individual perception of the guidelines and personal commitment to improved practice. Conclusions: Factors affecting implementation are complex, and are not exclusively barriers or facilitators. Some potential implementation strategies are suggested. Further research is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A subject index is presented for Volumes 1-8 of "The International Journal on Media Management."