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Biomedical subjects

Jennifer Medves

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer Medves.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The symptom of pain with heart failure: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most compelling reasons for seeking medical attention. Despite frequent hospitalizations and assessments, the symptom of pain is not often associated with heart failure (HF). The role of pain in exacerbations and hospitalization may be important. A systematic review to synthesize research related to reported pain in patients with HF was undertaken and factors considered to be related to the symptom of pain in this population were identified. METHODS AND RESULTS: Relevant articles were identified using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Included studies focused on patients with HF and reporting on pain. Nine descriptive studies were identified. Five studies focused specifically on patients with HF. The remaining studies examined a population of seriously ill patients including those with HF as an itemized subset. From 23% to 75% of patients with HF reported pain. Factors identified as related to pain include: anxiety, depression, quality of life rated as poor, dyspnea, and more dependencies in activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: People with HF report having pain but as a complex health group, the symptom of pain is not well understood. Pain could be a contributing factor in the breakdown of self-management and the cycle of exacerbations and hospitalization.

Heart Failure↗
PubMed2006

Core competencies for health care professionals: what medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy share.

This paper describes the amalgamation of the core competencies identified for medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy and the "harmonization" of these competencies into a framework for interprofessional education. The study was undertaken at a Canadian university with a Faculty of Health Sciences comprised of three schools (namely, medicine, nursing, and rehabilitation therapy). Leaders in interprofessional education began to identify the common standards for the core competencies expected of learners in all three schools at commensurate levels to facilitate the integration of educational curricula aimed at interprofessional education across the Faculty. The model that was created serves as a basis for curriculum design and assessment of individuals and groups of learners from different domains across and within the four professions. It particularly highlights the relevance of cross-disciplinary competency teaching and 360-degree evaluation in teams. Most importantly, it provides a launch pad for clarifying performance standards and expectations in interdisciplinary learning.

Competency-Based Education↗
PubMed2004

Supportive care needs of parents of children with cancer: transition from diagnosis to treatment.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To analyze research related to the pediatric oncology population supportive care needs from diagnosis to treatment. DATA SOURCES: Articles published from 1992-2002. DATA SYNTHESIS: 49 studies were included. All six categories of the Supportive Care Needs Framework were found, with most studies addressing one to three of the need categories. Informational (88%) and emotional (84%) needs were identified most frequently. CONCLUSIONS: No one study examined the entire range and types of supportive care needs from diagnosis to treatment. This knowledge is key to planning appropriate care and services. Future research should be directed at understanding the full constellation of needs encountered by parents during this time. Further refinement of the Supportive Care Needs Framework is required to fully define the categories of need. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Although more research is required, supportive care that focuses on informational and emotional support appears to be most important from diagnosis to treatment. Using a conceptual framework such as the Supportive Care Needs Framework provides a methodology for planning care based on needs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Home care or long-term care facility: factors that influence the decision.

In order to answer the research question--What factors determine if a long-term care client will be cared for at home or in a long-term care facility?--data were collected in five provinces in Canada in urban and rural sites, through focus groups with community care coordinators. A questionnaire provided information about the 89 participants and their workload. Factors are grouped under organizational, system, client, informal provider, formal provider, and case manager factors. Discussion focuses on changes needed to foster more long-term care in the home.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethical dilemmas in home care case management.

The role of case manager is fraught with challenges in a healthcare environment characterized by rapid aging of the population, a move against institutionalization of seniors, and the need to contain healthcare costs. This study examined experiences of 89 case managers through focus groups in five urban and five rural regions of Canada to identify ethical dilemmas and issues encountered in their role. Overall, the case managers expressed frustration for the lack of support for their work as evidenced by inadequate resources and few agency policies. The analysis of the focus group data revealed four main themes in relation to ethical concerns and dilemmas: (1) issues related to equity, (2) beneficence, (3) non-maleficence, and (4) autonomy and power imbalances. The situation facing these workers is grave and steps must be taken to provide them with ongoing training, support, and resources to continue in this vital role. System changes that would reduce some of the ethical conflicts experienced by case managers include funding for long-term care to keep pace with growing demands, better management of client waitlists to ensure that the most needy are given the highest priority, more supportive housing options that provide for some on-site coordination of services, better opportunities for health promotion, and better interdisciplinary teamwork so that case managers are not left making decisions in the absence of other key service providers.

Aged↗