Are the so-called “new” business models focused on “sharing” actually promoting new behaviour or are they simply using old behaviour of the provider/consumer in a new technological environment? Are the new tech companies in the sharing economy with their “new” business models grabbing too much power, unnoticeably?
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Background: Early childhood caries is considered one of the most prevalent diseases in childhood, affecting almost half of preschool-age children globally. In the Netherlands, approximately one-third of children aged 5 years already have dental caries, and dental care providers experience problems reaching out to these children. Objective: Within the proposed trial, we aim to test the hypothesis that, compared to children who receive usual care, children who receive the Toddler Oral Health Intervention as add-on care will have a reduced cumulative caries incidence and caries incidence density at the age of 48 months. Methods: This pragmatic, 2-arm, individually randomized controlled trial is being conducted in the Netherlands and has been approved by the Medical Ethics Research Board of University Medical Center Utrecht. Parents with children aged 6 to 12 months attending 1 of the 9 selected well-baby clinics are invited to participate. Only healthy children (ie, not requiring any form of specialized health care) with parents that have sufficient command of the Dutch language and have no plans to move outside the well-baby clinic region are eligible. Both groups receive conventional oral health education in well-baby clinics during regular well-baby clinic visits between the ages of 6 to 48 months. After concealed random allocation of interventions, the intervention group also receives the Toddler Oral Health Intervention from an oral health coach. The Toddler Oral Health Intervention combines behavioral interventions of proven effectiveness in caries prevention. Data are collected at baseline, at 24 months, and at 48 months. The primary study endpoint is cumulative caries incidence for children aged 48 months, and will be analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle. For children aged 48 months, the balance between costs and effects of the Toddler Oral Health Intervention will be evaluated, and for children aged 24 months, the effects of the Toddler Oral Health Intervention on behavioral determinants, alongside cumulative caries incidence, will be compared. Results: The first parent-child dyads were enrolled in June 2017, and recruitment was finished in June 2019. We enrolled 402 parent-child dyads. Conclusions: All follow-up interventions and data collection will be completed by the end of 2022, and the trial results are expected soon thereafter. Results will be shared at international conferences and via peer-reviewed publication.
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Background: Increasing health literacy (HL) in children could be an opportunity for a more health literate future generation. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of how HL is conceptualized and described in the context of health promotion in 9–12-year-old children. Methods: A systematic and comprehensive search for ‘health literacy’ and ‘children’ and ‘measure’ was performed in accordance with PRISMA ScR in PubMed, Embase.com and via Ebsco in CINAHL, APA PsycInfo and ERIC. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and evaluated full-text publications regarding eligibility. Data was extracted systematically, and the extracted descriptions of HL were analyzed qualitatively using deductive analysis based on previously published HL definitions. Results: The search provided 5,401 original titles, of which 26 eligible publications were included. We found a wide variation of descriptions of learning outcomes as well as competencies for HL. Most HL descriptions could be linked to commonly used definitions of HL in the literature, and some combined several HL dimensions. The descriptions varied between HL dimensions and were not always relevant to health promotion. The educational setting plays a prominent role in HL regarding health promotion. Conclusion: The description of HL is truly diverse and complex encompassing a wide range of topics. We recommend adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach to describe HL dimensions, particularly in the context of health promotion for children. By considering the diverse dimensions of HL and its integration within educational programs, children can learn HL skills and competencies from an early age.
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Background Evidence about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on existing health inequalities is emerging. This study explored differences in mental health, sense of coherence (SOC), sense of community coherence (SOCC), sense of national coherence (SONC), and social support between low and high socioeconomic (SES) groups, and the predictive value of these predictors for mental health. participants and procedure A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey in the Netherlands in October 2021, comprising a total of 91 respondents (n = 41, low SES; n = 50, high SES). results There were no differences in mental health, SOC, SOCC, SONC, and social support between the groups. SOC was a predictor for mental health in both groups and SOCC for the low SES group. conclusions We found that both SOC and SOCC predict mental health during the pandemic. In the article we reflect on possible pathways for strengthening these resources for mental health.
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Urban densification is a key strategy to accommodate rapid urban population growth, but emerging evidence suggests serious risks of urban densification for individuals’ mental health. To better understand the complex pathways from urban densification to mental health, we integrated interdisciplinary expert knowledge in a causal loop diagram via group model building techniques. Six subsystems were identified: five subsystems describing mechanisms on how changes in the urban system caused by urban densification may impact mental health, and one showing how changes in mental health may alter urban densification. The new insights can help to develop resilient, healthier cities for all.
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Background Literature on self-management innovations has studied their characteristics and position in healthcare systems. However, less attention has been paid to factors that contribute to successful implementation. This paper aims to answer the question: which factors play a role in a successful implementation of self-management health innovations? Methods We conducted a narrative review of academic literature to explore factors related to successful implementation of self-management health innovations. We further investigated the factors in a qualitative multiple case study to analyse their role in implementation success. Data were collected from nine self-management health projects in the Netherlands. Results Nine factors were found in the literature that foster the implementation of self-management health innovations: 1) involvement of end-users, 2) involvement of local and business partners, 3) involvement of stakeholders within the larger system, 4) tailoring of the innovation, 5) utilisation of multiple disciplines, 6) feedback on effectiveness, 7) availability of a feasible business model, 8) adaption to organisational changes, and 9) anticipation of changes required in the healthcare system. In the case studies, on average six of these factors could be identified. Three projects achieved a successful implementation of a self-management health innovation, but only in one case were all factors present. Conclusions For successful implementation of self-management health innovation projects, the factors identified in the literature are neither necessary nor sufficient. Therefore, it might be insightful to study how successful implementation works instead of solely focusing on the factors that could be helpful in this process.
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Background: In recent years, the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of digital health services for people with musculoskeletal conditions have increasingly been studied and show potential. Despite the potential of digital health services, their use in primary care is lagging. A thorough implementation is needed, including the development of implementation strategies that potentially improve the use of digital health services in primary care. The first step in designing implementation strategies that fit the local context is to gain insight into determinants that influence implementation for patients and health care professionals. Until now, no systematic overview has existed of barriers and facilitators influencing the implementation of digital health services for people with musculoskeletal conditions in the primary health care setting. Objective: This systematic literature review aims to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of digital health services for people with musculoskeletal conditions in the primary health care setting. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for eligible qualitative and mixed methods studies up to March 2024. Methodological quality of the qualitative component of the included studies was assessed with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A framework synthesis of barriers and facilitators to implementation was conducted using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). All identified CFIR constructs were given a reliability rating (high, medium, or low) to assess the consistency of reporting across each construct. Results: Overall, 35 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Methodological quality was high in 34 studies and medium in 1 study. Barriers (–) of and facilitators (+) to implementation were identified in all 5 CFIR domains: “digital health characteristics” (ie, commercial neutral [+], privacy and safety [–], specificity [+], and good usability [+]), “outer setting” (ie, acceptance by stakeholders [+], lack of health care guidelines [–], and external financial incentives [–]), “inner setting” (ie, change of treatment routines [+ and –], information incongruence (–), and support from colleagues [+]), “characteristics of the healthcare professionals” (ie, health care professionals’ acceptance [+ and –] and job satisfaction [+ and –]), and the “implementation process” (involvement [+] and justification and delegation [–]). All identified constructs and subconstructs of the CFIR had a high reliability rating. Some identified determinants that influence implementation may be facilitators in certain cases, whereas in others, they may be barriers. Conclusions: Barriers and facilitators were identified across all 5 CFIR domains, suggesting that the implementation process can be complex and requires implementation strategies across all CFIR domains. Stakeholders, including digital health intervention developers, health care professionals, health care organizations, health policy makers, health care funders, and researchers, can consider the identified barriers and facilitators to design tailored implementation strategies after prioritization has been carried out in their local context
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The traditional paternalistic approach in health care is increasingly developing towards a patient-centered care (PCC) approach. However, not all patients are able to take advantage of the positive effects of PCC. Inadequate health literacy (HL) is an important limiting factor in the ability of patients to take on an active role and exchange information with their health care provider effectively. A provenly effective approach to improvement of provider-patient interaction and health outcomes is the use of health-related questionnaires. The aim of the research project described within this thesis was to adapt the most frequently-used questionnaire in Dutch physical therapy practice and add information and communication technology to it. A Dutch and Turkish version of the tool called Talking Touch Screen Questionnaire (TTSQ) was developed and evaluated on both usability and validity aspects. The current prototype of the tool does not yet fully solve the problems native and minority patients with low (health) literacy have with completing the adapted questionnaire. Big challenges in future development and testing the TTSQ are the recruitment of vulnerable members of the hard-to-reach native and minority target populations and finding research methods that suit the abilities and needs of these participants. This is expected to be a very challenging, labor- and time-consuming process. On the other hand, having a usable, valid and reliable TTSQ may well save a lot of time and money in both research and clinical practice in the future.
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Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic created the need to use digital health resources (DR), as they sometimes were the only option to receive healthcare or social interaction. The aim of this research is to provide insight into the experiences during the lockdown of older people using DR for health in general and the points of improvement they see. A qualitative study was carried out using semistructured interviews with older persons by telephone. A total of 10 older adults participated, with a median age of 78 years, the majority having a chronic disease. The most important themes for motivation to use health-related DR were ‘urgency’ and ‘usefulness’. Experiences with DR were related to the themes ‘human contact’ and ‘communication’, which were experienced by respondents as facilitated by DR, and ‘time and energy’, which was two-sided. Additionally, most older persons worried about accessibility of DR by all older persons and the support needed. In conclusion, older persons are convinced of the urgency and the usefulness of digital technology for health and healthcare. Time and energy constraints can be alleviated by using DR on the one hand, but this can also be challenging if older persons are less digitally skilled or lack digital literacy. Good and sustained human support is therefore mandatory
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In most countries, maternal and newborn care is fragmented and focused on identification and treatment of pathology that affects only the minority of women and babies. Recently, a framework for quality maternal and newborn care was developed, which encourages a system-level shift to provide skilled care for all.This care includes preventive and supportive care that works to strengthen women’s capabilities and focuses on promotion of normal reproductive processes while ensuring access to emergency treatment when needed. Midwifery care is pivotal in this framework, which contains several elements that resonate with the main dimensions of primary care. Primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system where most of the population’s curative and preventive health needs can be fulfilled as close as possible to where people live and work. In this paper, we argue that midwifery as described in the framework requires the application of a primary care philosophy for all childbearing women and infants. Evaluation of the implementation of the framework should therefore include tools to monitor the performance of primary midwifery care.
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