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Information-Giving Support and Training for Key Stakeholders: Ageing, Dementia and Navigating Health and Social Care Systems

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences & Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 6809

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andrew Harding

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Guest Editor

Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Health Innovation One, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4AT, UK
Interests: information-giving; ageing; dementia; health systems; social care; housing

Dr. Silvia Gonella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Direction of Health Professions, City of Health and Science University Hospital of Torino, Corso Bramante 88-90, 10126 Turin, Italy
2. Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Turin, Italy
Interests: communication; palliative care; systematic reviews
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health, social care and housing systems around the world are increasingly requiring active agency practices in order to access and engage with services and provision. In this context, information has a key role. Information-giving has roots in consumer and economic theory and is regarded as a mechanism and tool to support access and engagement with services and systems. Information-giving can take many forms depending on the context, but the practice is united by one main aim—to inform, empower and support decision-making. However, it has been noted that active agency practices and information-giving in the context of older people, ageing and dementia presents specific challenges for how information resources are used as a means of navigating and engaging with services and systems [1]. For health and related professionals working in an ageing and dementia context, information-giving in the form of training is also a key tool for reflexive, informed and evidence-based professional practice. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those that highlight novel approaches to information-giving support or training and or report innovative research practices.

Reference

[1] Harding, A. Older people, information-giving and active agency practices in health, social care and housing: theory, evidence and reflections. Website Online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001884 (accessed on 8th April 2022).

Dr. Andrew Harding
Dr. Silvia Gonella
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

information-giving
training
dementia
ageing
health
social care
inform
empowerment
decision-making

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 1149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Situation-Specific Theory of End-of-Life Communication in Nursing Homes

by Silvia Gonella, Sara Campagna and Valerio Dimonte

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010869 - 3 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2711

Abstract

High-quality end-of-life communication between healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients and/or their family caregivers (FCs) improves quality of life and reduces non-beneficial care at the end of life. Nursing homes (NHs) are among the contexts at the forefront of these conversations. Having a solid theoretical basis for the role of end-of-life communication in NHs in transitioning to palliative-oriented care can offer indications for research, practice, education, and policy related to geropalliative care. This study aimed to develop a situation-specific theory of end-of-life communication in NHs by refining an existing theory. A four-step integrative approach was employed that included: (1) checking the assumptions for theorization; (2) exploring the phenomenon through multiple sources; (3) theorizing; and (4) reporting. All elements of the existing end-of-life communication theory in NHs were confirmed: end-of-life communication improved the understanding of FCs about their relatives’ health conditions, shared decision-making, and reflections on the desired preferences of residents/FCs for care at the end of life. Furthermore, the family environment affected the burden of FCs in the decision-making process. Finally, time and resource constraints, regulations, visitation restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and social and cultural values influenced the quality and timing of communication. The study findings confirmed the impact of the political, historical, social, and cultural context on end-of-life communication, thus providing the basis for a situation-specific theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Information-Giving Support and Training for Key Stakeholders: Ageing, Dementia and Navigating Health and Social Care Systems)

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14 pages, 1179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting the Community to Embrace Individuals with Dementia and to Be More Inclusive: Findings of a Conceptual Framework Development Study

by Valentina Bressan, Allette Snijder, Henriette Hansen, Kim Koldby, Knud Damgaard Andersen, Natalia Allegretti, Federica Porcu, Sara Marsillas, Alvaro García and Alvisa Palese

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10335; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610335 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1655

Abstract

The number of community-dwelling people with dementia (PwD) is rising, and the role of their relatives is crucial in addressing and mitigating the implications of dementia on health care systems and on society. We developed a new conceptual framework to promote the collaboration of the community in supporting relatives who are caring for a PwD as well as a range of stakeholders in embracing dementia. A qualitatively driven, multi-method study divided into three phases was performed from 2019 to 2021. A qualitative descriptive study, a mixed-method systematic review and three consensus workshops were conducted, and their results were triangulated. The final version of the Community Collaboration Concept Framework is composed of three main domains based upon seven components: (1) embracing dementia; (2) creating empowerment and a sense of community; (3) collaborating through cocreation and design thinking. The new framework is based on the literature, the synthesis of empirical data and the consensus of a panel of international experts, supporting the global goal of improving community inclusiveness and collaboration. Further studies are needed to confirm its validity, how it should be implemented in practice in various settings and to propose improvements when designing projects based upon it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Information-Giving Support and Training for Key Stakeholders: Ageing, Dementia and Navigating Health and Social Care Systems)

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Other

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20 pages, 1109 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

The Impact of Health and Social Care Professionals’ Education on the Quality of Serious Illness Conversations in Nursing Homes: Study Protocol of a Quality Improvement Project

by Silvia Gonella, Paola Di Giulio, Paola Berchialla, Mario Bo, Paolo Cotogni, Giorgia Macchi, Sara Campagna and Valerio Dimonte

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010725 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1906

Abstract

Health and social care professionals (HCPs) who work in nursing homes (NHs) are increasingly required to sustain serious illness conversations about care goals and preferences. Although these conversations may also be challenging for experienced HCPs and the literature recognizes high-quality communication as key to providing patient-centered care, so far, no specific educational program has been developed for the NH setting to improve HCPs’ communication skills. Our study aims to test the feasibility and potential effectiveness of an innovative, blended communication skills training program (Teach-to-Communicate) targeting the HCPs who work in NHs. This program includes classroom-based theory, experiential learning, and e-learning, and relies on interdisciplinary contexts and several didactic methods. The study consists of two phases: phase I is the development of written resources that employ focus group discussion involving field experts and external feedback from key stakeholders. Phase II consists of a multicenter, pilot, pre-post study with nested qualitative study. The Teach-to-Communicate training program is expected to enhance the quality of communication in NH and HCPs’ confidence in sustaining serious illness conversations, reduce family carers’ psycho-emotional burden and improve their satisfaction with the care received, and increase advance care planning documentation. Our protocol will provide insight for future researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers and pave the way for blended educational approaches in the field of communication skills training. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Information-Giving Support and Training for Key Stakeholders: Ageing, Dementia and Navigating Health and Social Care Systems)

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