How did staffing strategies change amid COVID-19 and post pandemic? A qualitative study

Objectives and design
A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the nature of staffing strategies from the perspectives of nursing, medicine and health disciplines employed in a hospital setting.

Setting
Interviews were conducted in six hospitals in Canada between November 2022 and September 2023.

Results
118 healthcare professionals and leaders who experienced changes in staffing strategies participated in this study. Three themes emerged to describe new or adaptive staffing strategies: (1) valuing new roles and teams; (2) being redeployed; and (3) enhancing coverage.

Conclusions
Our study elucidates the staffing strategies that were employed during the COVID-19 pandemic that included creating new and adapting existing roles and teams; redeploying healthcare professionals; and enhancing coverage. Study findings can be used to guide leaders to use a proactive systematic approach to staffing models that includes adaptable and flexible staffing models within local contexts.

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Wearable device monitoring of HIV health in the face of climate change and weather exposures: protocol for a mixed-methods study

Introduction
Climate change and HIV are interconnected epidemics that increase vulnerability in people living with HIV (PLWH), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite their public health significance, research on the synergistic effects of these epidemics on the health of PLWH is limited. The advancement of non-invasive wearable technology offers an opportunity to leverage objective health data for large-scale research, addressing this knowledge gap. This study will examine the impact of weather events on distinct health variables of PLWH within the Siaya Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in rural Kenya.

Methods and analysis
Over a period of 6 months, we continuously monitored health parameters of a total of 200 participants including heart rate, activity and sleep, using consumer-grade wearable devices. We will correlate these health data with real-time weather parameters (ambient temperature, wet bulb globe temperature, precipitation level) from five weather stations within the HDSS area and compare between HIV-positive participants and an HIV-negative control group. Additionally, a convergent mixed-methods approach will explore participants’ perceptions of the impact of weather events on their health and personal experiences. The study aims to inform future research on the complex relationship between HIV and weather events, which are projected to increase in frequency in this region due to climate change and provide valuable insights for policymakers to develop effective measures to protect this vulnerable population amid the growing climate crisis.

Ethics and dissemination
This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committees at Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi (approved on 23 October 2023; SERU 4826) and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany (approved on 14 February 2023; S-824/2022). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrolment, with data anonymised and handled according to Kenyan and German data protection regulations. Research findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presented at scientific conferences.

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Understanding patients perceptions of chronic illness care, self-management support needs and their relationship with telehealth preferences: a cross-sectional study in Vietnamese primary care

Objectives
Chronic diseases pose significant challenges to primary care, requiring patient-centred strategies to improve chronic care delivery. As telehealth emerges as a promising tool, this study aims to examine patient experiences with chronic care and their preferences for self-management support (SMS) through telehealth services in primary care settings.

Design
A multicentre, cross-sectional survey was conducted (June–August 2022) using the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC), the Patient Assessment of Self-Management Tasks (PAST) and a telehealth preferences questionnaire. Linear regression assessed the association between PACIC and PAST scores. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with telehealth preferences, with variables selected according to Andersen’s model of healthcare utilisation.

Settings
Five diverse primary care settings in Central Vietnam, operating under Family Medicine principles.

Participants
290 individuals with hypertension and/or diabetes managed at primary care for at least 6 months.

Results
The average PACIC score was 2.52 (SD 0.7); 25.5% rated their care as high quality (PACIC score ≥3). Among PACIC domains, goal-setting and follow-up/coordination domains received the lowest ratings. Participants perceived lifestyle changes as their priority self-management tasks, followed by medical management, communication with providers and coping with disease consequences. Higher PACIC scores were significantly associated with greater engagement across most PAST domains. Live video conferencing and mobile health were the most preferred formats for SMS. Participants strongly preferred remote patient monitoring for medical management (OR 8.8, 95% CI 2.0 to 38.1). Rural residents were more likely to prefer other telehealth modalities (ORs 3.8–4.6), particularly for coping with disease consequences (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.8 to 9.4) and lifestyle changes (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 28.9). Telehealth preferences were associated with factors across Andersen’s domains, including education (predisposing), resident area and digital access (enabling), and pill count, disease control, and perceived care quality (need-related).

Conclusions
Most elements of the chronic care model remained unmet. Patients’ care experiences and self-management priorities aligned with their telehealth preferences, underscoring the need for personalised telehealth strategies to enhance SMS in primary care. Given the cross-sectional design and absence of patient and public involvement, further studies should incorporate these stakeholders and confirm associations in more diverse and underserved populations.

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Arterial stiffness in acute decompensated heart failure and acute kidney injury: a prospective observational cohort study protocol in a tertiary hospital setting

Introduction
The cardiovascular (circulatory) system is a closed-loop system. The dynamic interaction of the heart and vascular system plays a pivotal role in maintaining adequate cardiac output. Heart failure (HF) is commonly described as a problem of the pump, that is, mechanical myocardial failure causing poor perfusion to the body. Still, the contribution of the vasculature is often neglected. Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) carries a poor prognosis and is often accompanied by concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI), which inevitably lead to adverse outcomes. The interaction of the heart with the vasculature is conceptualised as ventricular–vascular (arterial) coupling. Arterial stiffness, a non-traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can be measured non-invasively using carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). High cf-PWV values mimicking increased arterial stiffness could be a causational factor towards precipitating ADHF or AKI. This study aims to assess whether cf-PWV is higher during the hospitalisation phase of patients with HF (ADHF) and CKD (AKI in CKD) compared with stable compensated HF and stable CKD.

Methods and analysis
This prospective non-randomised observational study aims to recruit 120 patients aged≥60 years. Arterial stiffness will be assessed in three groups. These groups are decompensated HF with reduced ejection fraction (n=40), decompensated HF with preserved ejection fraction (n=40) and AKI in CKD stage 3a, 3b and 4, n=40. After 4 weeks from hospital discharge, patients in a stable, compensated state will be asked to attend a follow-up clinic visit to repeat the cf-PWV measurement. The primary outcome measure is variation in cf-PWV during hospitalisation against follow-up.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval was granted in October 2021 (REC reference 21/EM/0239), recruitment started in February 2022 and the results are expected in late 2025. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number
NCT05012722.

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A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial in three culturally different middle-income countries (ASSIST global): protocol for a randomised feasibility study

Introduction
Around 80% of the world’s smokers live in lower-middle income countries and smoking rates in China, Philippines and Indonesia are very high. Evidence suggests that most people begin smoking or become habitual smokers before reaching adulthood. This highlights the need for a smoking prevention intervention focused on young people. ASSIST (A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial) is a ‘peer-led’, school-based smoking prevention intervention, shown to be effective in the UK. The aim of the study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale effectiveness evaluation of an adapted version of the ASSIST intervention in China, Indonesia or the Philippines. However, due to issues with obtaining relevant approvals, China was removed from the trial with the approval of the funder and Trial Steering Committee, and the study will only be completed in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Methods and analysis
A feasibility mixed-methods cluster randomised controlled trial in 10 schools (six intervention, four control) in each of the two countries. Participants will be students aged c13–14 in mainstream (‘lower secondary’) schools. In addition to their usual education on smoking, intervention schools will receive the ASSIST intervention which is based on ‘diffusion of innovation’ theory, with new norms and behaviours promoted through: (1) peer modelling by locally influential individuals; and (2) information disseminated by them through their social networks. Control schools will continue with their usual education around smoking prevention.
The key outcome of the study is whether prespecified progression criteria relating to recruitment, retention, acceptability and feasibility have been met in order to progress to a larger cluster randomised controlled effectiveness trial in one or more of the countries. A mixed-methods process evaluation will assess acceptability, feasibility and fidelity of intervention delivery, exposure to and reach of the intervention. The feasibility of trial processes including outcome measurement will be assessed. An economic evaluation will estimate the costs of the ASSIST intervention. Statistical analyses will focus on feasibility criteria, and qualitative data will be analysed using a framework approach. Outcomes assessed will include self-reported smoking behaviour (own and that of friends and family); vaping and other forms of nicotine use; smoking-related attitudes and knowledge; smoking norms; self-esteem; self-efficacy; (all at baseline and 7 month follow-up) and exhaled carbon monoxide concentration (at follow-up only).

Ethics and dissemination
The trial has been approved by the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS) Ethics Committee (ref: 200210204), the De La Salle University Research Ethics Review Committee (ref: 2023-012C) and the Medical and Health Research Ethics Committee (MHREC); Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing; Universitas Gadjah Mada (ref: KE/FK/1205/EC/2022). The trial is sponsored by the University of Glasgow (Head of Research Regulation and Compliance—debra.stuart@glasgow.ac.uk). The sponsor will not have input in data collection, management, analysis and interpretation; write up and submissions for publication.
The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in expert journals and conference presentations and targeted communications to schools, policymakers and the public.

Trial registration number
ISRCTN99140476.

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Associations of sleep characteristics with all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality among rural Chinese older adults: a cohort study

Study objectives
The longitudinal associations of sleep timing and time in bed (TIB) with all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality are unclear in Chinese rural populations.

Methods
This population-based cohort study included 2468 participants who were aged ≥60 years and residing in rural communities in western Shandong Province. Sleep timing and TIB were assessed using standard questionnaires at baseline in 2014. Mid-sleep time was defined as the halfway point between the bedtime and wake-up time. Vital status until December 2022 and causes of death for all participants were ascertained via death registry plus interviews with informants (eg, family members or village doctors). Data were analysed using restricted cubic splines (RCS) and Cox proportional-hazards models.

Results
During the mean follow-up of 7.36 (SD 2.03) years, 657 participants died. The RCS analysis showed non-linear relationships of sleep duration and mid-sleep time at baseline with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Specifically, when baseline sleep characteristics were categorised into tertiles, the multivariable-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality was higher for long sleep duration ( >8 vs 7–8 hours; HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.53), long TIB ( >9 vs

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