Suchergebnisse

Aging and multimorbid populations burden health services worldwide. Segmenting patients with similar health service needs into different groups and guiding care providers to tailor services to these groups could reduce this burden. Methods of patient segmentation have been based on, e.g., databases. However, the Finnish patient-segmentation innovation Navigator (Suuntima) considers patients' perspectives on their coping in everyday life, as well as professionals' views of the patients' state of health. The segmentation is based on questions. The resulting care pathway related to the group helps professionals to coordinate patients' health care and patients to utilize appropriate services.
This first part of Navigator's validation study evaluates its feasibility and content and face validity. We assess the web-service's user experiences at nurses' appointments with diabetic patients, time consumption, and Navigator's question relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility.
This mixed-methods study uses user experience questionnaires for both patients and professionals, and semi-structured focus-group interviews for professionals. We used descriptive statistics in the quantitative data analysis of the questionnaire study and thematic analysis to identify the codes and themes in the interview data.
All 304 Navigator queries were completed at appointments. Most patients found Navigator easy to use. It helped in considering their situation better and from new perspectives. Most patients did not find it too time-consuming. Most professionals found it easy to use and suitable for appointments and patient segmentation. The questions were easy and unambiguous, and they assisted in discussing new or sensitive issues. Most queries were completed in less than 19 mins and less time was used if the patient was assigned to the nurse. Thematic analysis raised five main themes: 1) Well-functioning web-service, 2) Stimulus for conversation and action, 3) Rationale to complete Navigator with a professional, 4) Training and experience ease the use of Navigator, and 5) Navigator's room for improvement. Subthemes were identified for three main themes.
We consider Navigator's feasibility and face validity to be favorable. We suggest user instructions and the clarification of concepts to support the questions' comprehensibility. Some patients may benefit from a nurse's presence when responding to Navigator's questions.

In Finland, the specialization programs in Medicine and Dentistry can be undertaken at all five university medical faculties in 50 specialization programs and in five programs for Dentistry. The specialist training requires 5 or 6 years (300–360 ECTS credits) of medical practice including 9 months of service in primary health care centers, theoretical substance specific education, management studies, and passing a national written exam. The renovation of the national curriculum for the specialization programs was implemented, first in 2008 and officially in August 2009, when theoretical multi-professional social, health management and leadership studies (10–30 ECTS credits) were added to the curriculum. According to European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), 1 ECTS credit (henceforth, simply "ECTS") means 27–30 h of academic work1 National guidelines for the multi-professional leadership training include the basics of organizational management and leadership, the social and healthcare system, human resources (HR) management, leadership interaction and organizational communication, healthcare economy, legislation (HR) and data management. Each medical faculty has implemented management studies autonomously but according to national guidelines. This paper will describe how the compulsory management studies (10 ECTS) have been executed at the Universities of Tampere and Turku. In Tampere, the 10 ECTS management studies follow a flexible design of six academic modules. Versatile modern teaching methods such as technology-assisted and student orientated learning are used. Advanced supplementary management studies (20 ECTS) are also available. In Turku, the 10 ECTS studies consist of academic lectures, portfolio and project work. Attendees select contact studies (4–6 ECTS) from yearly available 20 ECTS and proceed at their own pace. Portfolio and project comprise 2–5 ECTS each. The renovation of medical specializing physicians' management and leadership education has been a successful reform. It has been ...