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Strategizing A Vibrant and Competitive Market Integration of Biosimilars: A Health Care Provider Clinical Adoption Plan.
No full textAs of the end of the twentieth century, biological drug therapies were at the forefront of health research for treating life-threatening diseases. Despite their therapeutical benefits stemming from providing great treatment hope against lethal diseases, biological drugs end up placing a financial burden on the American healthcare system. In the last decade, biological drug skyrocketing prices have significantly impacted net drug expenditures. The biological drug market needs more competitors. This impacted the passage of the Biological Price Competition and Innovation Act in 2010, introducing biosimilars, the highly safe and effective but less expensive biological copycat alternative drugs. However, a decade after biosimilars introduction, healthcare administration barriers limit American pharmacists and physicians from adopting biosimilars. Hence, the current low American health care provider biosimilar adoption rate must be improved to realize significant healthcare savings. Although many literature studies have examined biosimilar clinical adoption hurdles among American pharmacists and physicians in their siloed medical care settings, they have yet to focus on creating a comprehensive un-siloed biosimilar adoption plan based on their inputs. Therefore, to determine the essential elements to boost biosimilar adoption, this qualitative exploratory study thoroughly examined the literature. It then gathered the viewpoints of pharmacists and physicians who were acquainted with biosimilars by conducting semi-structured question interviews with 13 pharmacists and 8 physicians for a total of 21 participants. The findings of this study suggest that to create a dynamic and competitive biosimilar comprehensive clinical adoption plan, increasing HCPP education, having sufficient healthcare reimbursement, improving the roles of essential stakeholders, and increasing communication among key stakeholders are all necessary to increase biosimilars\u27 trust and adoption, facilitating the U.S. healthcare system transition to a value-based care model
Massed and Distributed Practice Applied to Swimming
Get PDFThis paper examines how massed and distributed practice models affect skill acquisition and performance in competitive swimming. By classifying swimming skills as continuous, discrete, or serial, the author analyzes which practice structure best supports retention and transfer of skills from training to competition. The study concludes that distributed practice is optimal for continuous skills like strokes and underwater kicks, while massed practice benefits discrete skills such as starts and turns. Serial skills, exemplified by the breaststroke pullout, require a combination of both approaches. The findings offer practical guidance for swim coaches seeking to maximize athlete performance through targeted training methods.[Abstract generated by AI.
Fall Prevention in Behavioral Health
Get PDFProblem:
Falls in hospital settings pose significant safety and financial risks, particularly in Behavioral Health Units (BHU), where fall rates often exceed national averages. Despite traditional fall prevention practices, such as risk assessments and post-fall huddles, the target BH unit continued to experience high fall rates, failing to meet the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) standards. The lack of alignment between fall prevention strategies and the unique needs of behavioral health patients contributed to these unmet targets.
Aim of the Project:
This project aimed to reduce the number of falls in a 41-bed BH unit by 20% over eight weeks through the implementation of an evidence-based bedside shift report (BSR) checklist. The intervention sought to improve communication, continuity of care, and patient engagement to reduce fall risks and promote patient safety.
Review of the Evidence:
Research indicates that fall prevention strategies, such as patient involvement, nurse-led interventions, and standardized risk assessments, effectively reduce fall rates. Evidence shows that bedside shift reports enhance communication between nursing staff and patients, improving fall prevention. Studies by Richardson et al. (2020) and Rohm et al. (2020) demonstrated significant fall reductions through multidisciplinary approaches, including patient engagement and staff education.
Project Design:
The project utilized the OhioHealth Change Model (OHCM) and the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework. These models allowed for iterative testing and adjustments to ensure the effective implementation of the BSR intervention. Weekly evaluations were conducted to monitor compliance and refine processes based on staff feedback.
Intervention:
The intervention involved the introduction of an evidence-based BSR checklist for nursing staff during shift changes. Educational sessions were conducted for staff to ensure competency, and visual reminders were strategically placed to improve compliance with documentation during the bedside shift reports.
Significant Findings/Outcomes:
The project achieved a 66.6% reduction in the total number of falls, though the overall fall rate remained consistent. Compliance with BSRs reached 92%, demonstrating improved communication and patient safety.
Implications for Nursing:
This project underscores the importance of integrating evidence-based practices, such as bedside shift reports, into daily nursing routines. It highlights the need for ongoing education, patient engagement, and continuous quality improvement to enhance fall prevention and improve overall patient outcomes in behavioral health settings
Reducing Falls Through Enhanced Staff Compliance with the Fall Bundle
Get PDFProblem:
Patient falls represent a critical issue that incurs significant health and economic burdens for both individuals and healthcare organizations. Annually, falls and fall-related injuries are responsible for nearly 3 million emergency room visits and 1 million hospitalizations, costing an estimated $50 billion. Evidence suggests that a multi-factorial approach—often referred to as a fall bundle —is effective in reducing the incidence of falls. However, staff non-compliance with this bundle can undermine its effectiveness.
Aim of the Project:
The project aimed to reduce the incidence of falls by enhancing staff compliance with fall prevention measures through audits and feedback conducted by designated fall champions.
Review of the Evidence:
A comprehensive literature review indicates that conducting audits and providing feedback are effective strategies for enhancing staff compliance with care standards, such as the fall bundle. Additionally, engaging fall champions has been shown to improve compliance and reduce the incidence of falls.
Project Design:
This quality improvement project utilized the OhioHealth Change Management Model to develop and train the change team, enhance role clarity, outline execution plans, and assess both team and staff readiness. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was employed to conduct data reviews, implement modifications, and evaluate outcomes.
Intervention:
The fall champions utilized an audit tool to conduct weekly audits to assess staff compliance with the fall prevention bundle. Feedback was provided as needed to reinforce the importance of these measures and their role in enhancing patient safety.
Significant Findings/Outcomes:
The unit achieved a compliance rate exceeding 70% with the fall prevention bundle, and there were no fall incidents during the project. However, the team did not examine the impact of the timing of audits, such as differences between day and night shifts or weekdays versus weekends.
Implications for Nursing:
Achieving a high compliance rate with the fall prevention bundle, along with the absence of falls during the project implementation, suggests that the interventions were effective. This project aligns with the Institute of Medicine’s Six Domains of Healthcare Quality by reducing the number of patient falls, thereby enhancing patient safety and overall care quality
Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Into Adult Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions
Get PDFThis conceptual article provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration and its influence on adult education. It discusses generative AI technologies and their potential applications in adult education settings, examines the opportunities and ethical challenges associated with integrating AI, and provides insights into emerging trends. The article consists of five sections. The introduction provides a rationale as to why AI should be integrated into adult education. Second, it describes evolving AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLM) for personalized learning, Machine Learning Algorithms for adaptive learning systems, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) for immersive learning experiences, Chatbots and virtual assistants for learner support and guidance, and Data Learning Analytics (DLA) for tracking learner progress and performance into adult education. Section three explores the ethical implications of AI in adult education, including academic honesty and integrity, data privacy, and algorithmic bias. In section four, emerging trends and future directions are discussed. The final section considers policy implications and makes recommendations for adult educators working to develop AI-enriched adult education
Cultural Competency Development Among Nonprofit Board Members and Perceived Organizational Success: An Exploratory Study
No full textCultural competency has gained significant attention in the past two decades, particularly within human services nonprofits. These nonprofits often operate under the governance of white, affluent, college-educated individuals while providing services to minority populations with limited financial resources and education. These differences may create cultural understanding challenges. This study endeavored to shed light on the effective cultural competency approaches employed by these organizations in serving a diverse population. Using qualitative comparative analysis, this research examined the disparities among human services agencies in terms of successful strategies for fostering cultural competency within their board of directors. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 28 directors from human services agencies categorized into two groups based on their annual revenue: agencies with an annual revenue between 999,999 and those agencies with $1 million and higher. The findings showed that 25 of the 28 agencies described themselves as successful and implemented cultural competency building efforts among their board members. Of the 25 successful agencies, 13 directly linked their success to their cultural competency building efforts. The other 12 successful agencies stated they could not directly link their success to their cultural competency efforts. These results implicate the need for additional research that looks at a larger sample with broader demographics and other approaches that allow for deeper probing of cultural competency training efforts
Enhancing Psychological and Physical Services to Teenagers and Young Adults in the State of New York’s Child Welfare System
No full textThousands of teenagers and young adults are confirmed victims, and many more are at risk of maltreatment and neglect. Foster care is a temporary solution by providing 24/7 care for these victims in kinship and non-kinship foster boarding homes. The study examined child welfare social workers in New York State in the child welfare field on their experiences that impact the delivery of quality healthcare and mental health services for teenagers and young adults in foster care. The qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of child welfare caseworkers in New York\u27s child welfare system regarding providing psychological and medical services to teenagers and young adults. By conducting interviews with professionals from various child welfare non-profit organizations, the research aimed to identify common themes and subthemes that impact the delivery of quality healthcare and mental health services to this vulnerable population. The researcher interviewed 15 child welfare caseworkers who coordinated providing needed psychological and medical services for teenagers (ages 13-19) and young adults (ages 20-21) in the state of New York’s child welfare system. The Zoom media platform was utilized while all security protocols were followed by the researcher. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The interview transcriptions were coded using ATLAS.ti to assist in identifying common themes and subthemes pertaining to the key issues affecting child welfare caseworkers and the delivery of psychological and physical medical services to teenagers and young adults
The Problem of Teaching the Science of Climate Change: A Call for Critical Thinking in Teacher Education and Professional Development
Get PDFThis article discusses how to teach the science of climate change as a call for introducing critical thinking in science teacher education programs and professional development. It can be argued that to get a science student to develop his/her critical thinking skills to think outside the box, teachers must work to overcome the student’s and their own dogmatic beliefs, hardened biases, and motivated and/or distorted reasoning. The article shows how teacher education programs and professional development providers should change their methods and strategies by providing a framework to overcome the key elements of the problem of teaching the science of climate change, and by providing some high-quality resources to teach this topic with practical ideas made available for teachers at all levels
Implementation of Barcode Medication Administration to Reduce Vaccine Errors
Get PDFProblem: In the project organization, a large ambulatory medical group, there have been high rates of vaccine administration errors, particularly within family practice locations, which have the most variety of vaccines given.
Aim of the Project: This project aimed to improve the safety of vaccine administration by implementing barcode medication administration (BCMA) in two family practice locations.
Review of the Evidence: BCMA is increasingly recommended for outpatient settings by patient safety groups like the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (2022). Studies show BCMA can save time, improve vaccine data capture and can decrease medication errors by up to 74% (Evanson et al., 2020; Holder et al., 2021; Owens et al., 2020).
Project Design: This project utilized the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement framework and the OhioHealth Change Management Model. Plan-do-study-act cycles guided BCMA workflow development, while OhioHealth\u27s model engaged stakeholders in the transition (IHI, n.d.; OhioHealth, 2021). Vaccine error rates and clinic throughput times were monitored before and after implementation and medication scan rates and compliance with workflow were measured after BCMA go-live to measure project results.
Intervention: This QI project implemented BCMA in two family practice offices. Site A was selected due to its proximity to Site B and its lower than organizational average vaccine error rate. Site B was chosen to address its error rate, which was the highest in the organization. Nurses at both sites helped develop new workflows prior to spread to the rest of the organization.
Significant Findings/Outcomes: The vaccine error rates at both sites during project implementation was zero, but error rates were trending downward prior to BCMA initiation. Scan rates remained above 90% in site A, but were less consistent in site B. Despite problems with audit completion in site B, workflow compliance rates were above 90% in both sites. Nurses stated they prefer BCMA over the previous medication administration process.
Implications for Nursing: This project underscores the importance of engaging nurses in the design and execution of technological changes, fostering a culture of safety, and promoting the integration of evidence-based practices in ambulatory care settings
A Comparative Study of At-Risk Students in Cohort and Non-Cohort Programs at a Community College
No full textResearch shows that the at-risk population entering college dropout or land on probation within their first year in college. Through a longitudinal comparative research design, this study examines at-risk students\u27 academic standing, retention, graduation, and tutoring usage within a cohort program compared to a non-cohort initiative at a community college. The analysis focuses on the at-risk population, exploring community college attendance, online education, student involvement, and social and academic integration. The study yielded several insights relevant to the impact of cohort design on a comprehensive approach that includes educational and non-academic support contributing to the development of evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for at-risk students. The findings can assist in enhancing the academic success, retention, and graduation rates of at-risk students. The study results can also help policymakers and higher education institutions make informed decisions about the effectiveness and potential benefits of cohort and non-cohort programs for at-risk students