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Informal caregivers play an important role in chronic disease management but their experience is often neglected. The objective of this study was to explore the content validity of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) in caregivers of individuals with COPD in Canada and Portugal. Cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with informal caregivers of individuals with moderate to very severe COPD. Participants completed the ZBI and verbalised their thinking process to assess the adequacy of the questionnaire's content and instructions. Content validity was assessed using deductive content analysis of interviews and descriptive statistics of questionnaire responses. Nine caregivers from Canada (age = 67 ± 8 years) and 13 from Portugal (age = 69 ± 7 years) participated. For Canadian caregivers, 3/22 items were not understood, and 8/22 items were not relevant to at least 1/3 of them. For Portuguese caregivers, 1/22 items were not understood, and 20/22 items were not relevant to at least 1/3 of them. The distribution of response choices was approximately symmetrical for 17/22 items in the Canadian sample. The response option "no/never" was selected by at least 75% of Portuguese participants for 18/22 items. The instrument was well understood by caregivers of people with COPD, but its relevance is uncertain. Informal caregivers provide essential care for people living with disability and chronic disease, but their experience is often neglected. The Zarit Burden Interview assesses caregiver burden but has not been validated in caregivers of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In its current form, the Zarit Burden Interview does not adequately represent the experience of COPD caregivers. We recommend selecting tools that assess caregiver burden that have been validated in the caregiver population of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale Ventilator Assisted Individuals (VAIs) frequently remain in intensive care units (ICUs) for a prolonged period once clinically stable due to a lack of transition options. These VAIs occupy ICU beds and resources that patients with more acute needs could better utilize. Moreover, VAIs experience improved outcomes and quality of life in long-term and community-based environments. Objective To better understand the perspectives of healthcare providers (HCPs) working in an Ontario ICU regarding barriers and facilitators to referral and transition of VAIs from the ICU to a long-term setting. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten healthcare providers involved in VAI transitions. Main Results Perceived barriers included long wait times for long-term care settings, insufficient bed availability at discharge locations, medical complexity of patients, long waitlists, and a lack of transparency of waitlists. Facilitators included strong partnerships and trusting relationships between referring and discharge locations, a centralized referral system, and utilization of community partnerships across care sectors. Conclusions Insufficient resourcing of long-term care is a key barrier to transitioning VAIs from ICU to long-term settings; strong partnerships across care sectors are a facilitator. System-level approaches, such as a single-streamlined referral system, are needed to address key barriers to timely transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing sedentary behavior (SB) in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is being increasingly recognized as a novel health target. Understanding healthcare professionals (HCPs) behavior that influences a reduction in SB in this population could facilitate achieving this target. To explore the determinants of behavior related to HCPs targeting a reduction in SB in people with COPD. We used a qualitative semi-structured interview approach informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Sixteen HCPs were interviewed. Interview transcripts were mapped against the relevant TDF domain(s) and then higher order themes were generated. Directed content analysis resulted in mapping 949 quotes to the TDF domains with environmental context and resources being the most coded domain. Three higher order themes were identified: 1) HCPs need more knowledge on reducing SB; 2) Strategies suggested to include in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) to reduce SB; and 3) Barriers to adding SB to PR. Domains of environmental context and resources, knowledge, social/professional role and identity, reinforcement, social influences, skills and beliefs about capabilities were relevant to the study population to reduce SB in people with COPD. Knowledge of SB varied across participants. This study provided information on potential behavioral targets for future interventions that involve HCPs and aim to reduce SB among people with COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to elicit patients' views of research priorities related to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Method:We used a modified nominal group technique in which participants with chronic lung conditions who had completed PR attended one of five meetings during which they generated ideas, discussed them with the group, and prioritized their top three topics. Afterward, they completed member checking and satisfaction questionnaires. Results:Fourteen participants (mean age 71 years) prioritized 25 topics, which included music as a motivator, education about the reason for various assessments and exercises, and ongoing patient assessment and follow-up. Most participants "totally agreed" that the summarized topics matched what they thought was important in PR research (75%) and that the meeting was a positive experience (100%). Participants indicated that the findings of this study accurately reflected their priorities. Conclusions:Individuals who have completed PR may have questions about programme components including assessment, treatment, and strategies for promoting motivation. To inform future research projects and identify knowledge translation needs, we will distribute a questionnaire to a larger sample of former PR patients to further prioritize the 25 topics identified in the meetings. Objectif : connaître les points de vue des patients sur les priorités de la recherche en réadaptation pulmonaire (RP). Méthodologie : les chercheurs ont utilisé une technique de groupe nominale modifiée selon laquelle les participants atteints d'une pneumopathie chronique qui ont effectué une RP ont assisté à l'une des cinq rencontres pour générer des idées, en parler en groupe et prioriser leurs trois thèmes principaux. Ils ont ensuite rempli les questionnaires de vérification et de satisfaction des membres. Résultats : quatorze participants (d'un âge moyen de 71 ans) ont priorisé 25 thèmes, qui incluaient la musique comme élément motivateur, l'éducation sur la raison des diverses évaluations et des divers exercices ainsi que l'évaluation et le suivi continus des patients. La plupart des participants étaient « totalement d'accord » avec le fait que les thèmes résumés correspondaient à ce qu'ils considéraient comme important en recherche sur la RP (75 %) et que la rencontre était une expérience positive (100 %). Les participants ont indiqué que les résultats de cette étude étaient un reflet exact de leurs priorités. Conclusions : les personnes qui ont effectué la RP peuvent avoir des questions sur les éléments du programme, y compris l'évaluation, le traitement et les stratégies pour promouvoir la motivation. Afin d'éclairer les projets de recherche et de déterminer les besoins en application des connaissances, les chercheurs distribueront un questionnaire à un plus grand échantillon d'anciens patients en RP afin de mieux prioriser les 25 thèmes établis pendant les rencontres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]