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Background: There is little evidence on experiences in psychiatric care treatment among patients with immigrant or ethnic minority background. Knowledge about their experiences is crucial in the development of equal and high-quality services and is needed to validate instruments applied in national patient experience surveys in Norway. The aim of this scoping review is to assess and summarize current evidence on immigrant and ethnic minorities' experiences in psychiatric care treatment in Europe. Methods: Guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed and the research process adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The literature search was carried out in Medline, Cinahl, Web of Science, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Embase, and APA PsychInfo, up to Dec 2022, for articles on immigrant patients' experiences in psychiatric care. Reference lists of included articles were screened for additional relevant articles. Titles and abstracts were screened, and potentially relevant articles read in full-text, by two researchers. Evidence was extracted using an a priori extraction form and summarized in tables and text. Any disagreement between the reviewers regarding inclusion of articles or extracted information details were resolved through discussion between authors. Results: We included eight studies in the scoping review. Immigrant and ethnic minority background patients did not differ from the general population in quantitative satisfaction questionnaires. However, qualitative studies showed that they experience a lack of understanding and respect of own culture and related needs, and difficulties in communication, which do not seem to be captured in questionnaire-based studies. Conclusion: Raising awareness about the importance of respect and understanding for patients' cultural background and communication needs for treatment satisfaction should be addressed in future quality improvement work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients receiving chemotherapy require ongoing symptom monitoring and management to optimize their outcomes. In recent years, digital remote monitoring interventions have emerged to provide enhanced cancer care delivery experiences to patients and clinicians. However, patient and clinician experiential evaluations of these technologies are rare. Therefore, we explored user experiences and perceptions of one such intervention-Advanced Symptom Management System (ASyMS)-after its scaled deployment in the context of the Electronic Symptom Management System Remote Technology (eSMART) trial. The eSMART trial was a large, multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of ASyMS in 12 clinical sites in 5 European countries., Objective: In this qualitative study, both patients' and clinicians' experiences of using ASyMS for up to 6 cycles of chemotherapy were explored to understand the impact of ASyMS on patients' experiences, clinical practice, and supportive care delivery., Methods: For this analysis, individual, semistructured, one-to-one interviews with 29 patients with breast, colorectal, and hematological cancers and 18 clinicians from Austria, Greece, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom were conducted. Interviews focused on patients' and clinicians' experiences of using ASyMS, care organization and changes in practice following the introduction of ASyMS, perceived changes in care associated with the use of ASyMS, and its potential for future integration into routine chemotherapy care pathways., Results: Thematic analysis identified several themes that describe patients' and clinicians' experiences using ASyMS. One central orienting theme-ASyMS as a facilitator of change-was supported by 5 key themes associated with human and technology monitoring: reassurance, enhanced communications and relationships, knowing what is "normal" and what is to be expected, enhancing cancer care experiences, and informing future cancer care., Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate both patients' and clinicians' experiences of using a digital health intervention to remotely monitor chemotherapy symptoms across 5 countries. Experiences with ASyMS were positive from both patients' and clinicians' perspectives, although some improvements to support the wider-scale rollout and sustained implementation were identified. Overall, this study demonstrates that real-time remote monitoring systems can help patients feel more reassured during their chemotherapy treatments and can help clinicians provide the right care, at the right time, and in the right place., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02356081; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02356081., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015016., (©Lisa McCann, Liane Lewis, Olubukola Oduntan, Jenny Harris, Andrew Darley, Geir V Berg, Simone Lubowitzki, Katy Cheevers, Morven Miller, Jo Armes, Emma Ream, Patricia Fox, Eileen Patricia Furlong, Alexander Gaiger, Grigorios Kotronoulas, Elisabeth Patiraki, Stylianos Katsaragakis, Paul McCrone, Christine Miaskowski, Antonella Cardone, Dawn Orr, Adrian Flowerday, Simon Skene, Margaret Moore, Nicosha De Souza, Peter Donnan, Roma Maguire. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 03.12.2024.)

To investigate practice type and location of native and immigrant general practitioners (GPs); effects of migration status concordance between GPs and patients on experiences of patients in key areas of primary care quality and discrimination. Secondary analysis of GP and patient survey data from QUALICOPC (Quality and Costs of Primary Care), a cross-sectional study of GPs and their patients in 34 countries, performed between 2011 and 2013. We explored practice type and location of native and immigrant GPs and the experiences of native patients and patients with a migration background of communication, continuity, comprehensiveness, accessibility, and discrimination, using multilevel analysis. Concordance was modelled as a cross-level interaction between migration status of GPs and patients. Percentages of immigrant GPs varied widely. In Europe, this was highest in England and Luxemburg (40% of GPs born abroad) and lowest in Bulgaria and Romania (1%). The practice population of immigrant GPs more often included an above average proportion of people from ethnic minorities. There were no differences in main effects of patient experiences following a visit to an immigrant or native GP, in four core areas of primary care or in discrimination. However, people from first-generation migrant background more often experienced discrimination, in particular when visiting a native GP. Patient experiences did not vary with GPs' migration status. Although experience of discrimination was uncommon, first-generation migrant patients experienced more discrimination. Primary care should provide non-discriminatory care, through GP awareness of unconscious bias and training to address this. There were large differences in percentage of migrant GPs between countries. Migrant GPs' practices had an above average proportion of people from ethnic minorities. In general, patients' experienced discrimination from GPs and practice staff was low, but first-generation migrant patients more often experienced discrimination. First-generation migrant patients more often experienced discrimination when they visited a native GP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is limited evidence on health promotion interventions in people with hereditary cancer syndromes or on their main sources of support and information. This study aimed to understand these patients' experiences and needs, including their information needs, their views on prevention and mental health, and the support they want from nurses., Methods: This qualitative study included 22 people (8 previvors and 14 survivors) with hereditary breast and ovarian syndrome or Lynch syndrome from 10 European countries. Participants underwent individual semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed for reflexive thematic analysis. The patient and public involvement panel provided input on study design and thematic analysis., Results: Patient experiences were similar regardless of the country and access to testing and screening. Participants reported receiving little information on the importance of health behaviors for cancer risk and expressed their wish to be followed by cancer professionals. They felt compelled to seek support and information from the internet and patient groups. The main themes identified were: (unmet) informational and support needs, seeing life in a different way, and limitations of health care providers., Conclusions: People with hereditary cancer syndromes need professionals to be involved in their long-term management and to provide reliable information. As genomics are increasingly integrated in oncology, the need for professionals to support these populations will increase., Implications for Nursing Practice: Nurses are crucial for promoting self-management and advocating for patient decision-making; however, they need skills and knowledge to do so. There is a need for nurses to get more involved in understanding hereditary cancer syndromes and an opportunity to take the lead in the care of these people., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The EU COST Action 15111 collaboration on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) aims to assess current research and identify knowledge gaps in Europe. Presently, our purpose is to map the effects of non-pharmacological therapies (NPTs) for ME/CFS, and what patients find important in the treatment process. A scoping mixed methods literature review of European studies identified 16 papers fulfiling our inclusion criteria. The quantitative and qualitative studies were synthesized separately in tables. Additionally, extracts from the qualitative studies were subjected to translational analysis. Effect studies addressed cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT, n = 4), multimodal rehabilitation (n = 2) and activity-pacing (n = 2). CBT reduced fatigue scores more than usual care or waiting list controls. The effects of rehabilitation and activity-pacing were inconsistent. The contents, assessment methods and effects of rehabilitation and activity pacing studies varied. For patients, health professionals' recognition of ME/CFS and support were crucial, but they expressed ambiguous experiences of what the NPTs entail. Methodological differences make comparisons across NPTs impossible, and from a patient perspective the relevance of the specific contents of NPTs are unclear. Future well-designed studies should focus on developing NPTs tailored to patients' concerns and evaluation tools reflecting what is essential for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient satisfaction with remote patient monitoring (RPM) of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) seems to be high, yet knowledge on long‐term patient experiences is limited. The European REMOTE‐CIED study explored patients' experiences with RPM, examined patient's preferences for ICD follow‐up, and identified determinants of patient's preferences in the first 2 years postimplantation. Methods: European heart failure patients (N = 300; median age = 66 years [interquartile range (IQR) = 59‐73], and 22% female) with a first‐time ICD received a Boston Scientific LATITUDE RPM system (Marlborough, MA, USA) and had scheduled in‐clinic follow‐ups once a year. Patients completed questionnaires at 1‐2 weeks and also at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postimplantation and clinical data were obtained from their medical records. Patient evaluation data were analyzed descriptively, and Student's t‐tests/Man‐Whitney U tests or Chi‐square tests/Fisher's exact tests were performed to examine determinants of patient preferences. Results: At 2 years postimplantation, the median patient satisfaction score with the RPM system was 9 out of 10 (IQR = 8‐10), despite 53% of the patients experiencing issues (eg, failure to transmit data). Of the 221 patients who reported their follow‐up preferences, 43% preferred RPM and 19% preferred in‐clinic follow‐up. Patients with a preference for RPM were more likely to be higher educated (P = 0.04), employed (P = 0.04), and equipped with a new LATITUDE model (P = 0.04), but less likely to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = 0.009). Conclusion: In general, patients were highly satisfied with RPM, but a subgroup preferred in‐clinic follow‐up. Therefore, physicians should include patients' concerns and preferences in the decision‐making process, to tailor device follow‐up to individual patients' needs and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of people living with advanced cancer and chronic disease has increased worldwide. Many of these patients could benefit from palliative care, focusing on optimising the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems resulting from lifethreatening diseases. However, fragmentation and discontinuity of palliative care services often result in suboptimal palliative care. In order to overcome these problems, models using an integrated care approach are increasingly advocated in palliative care services. Although several models and definitions of Integrated Palliative Care (IPC) have been developed, the effects of integrated care are still under-investigated. Knowledge of the key components that constitute successful palliative care integration is still lacking. This mixed methods study will examine the experiences of patients, family caregivers and professional caregivers in order to provide insight into the mechanisms that constitute successful palliative care integration. Methods/Design Prospective multiple embedded case study. Three to five integrated palliative care initiatives will be selected in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Data collection will involve Social Network Analysis (SNA), a patient diary, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires: Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS), Canhelp Lite, Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA). Patients and family caregivers will be followed in 4 consecutive contact moments over 3 months. The diary will be kept weekly by patients. One focus group per initiative will be conducted with professional caregivers. Interviews and focus groups will be tape recorded, transcribed and qualitatively analysed using NVivo 10. SPSS Statistics 20 will be used for statistical analysis. Discussion This study will provide valuable knowledge about barriers, opportunities and good practices in palliative care integration in the selected initiatives across countries. This knowledge can be used in the benchmark of integrated palliative care initiatives across Europe. It will add to the scientific evidence for IPC services internationally and will contribute to improvements in the quality of care and the quality of living and dying of severely ill patients and their relatives in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient experience is an important indicator of quality of health care. In Norway, little is known about the quality of health care for immigrants. The aim of this study was to compare patient-reported experiences with general practice between the Norwegian-born population and immigrant groups., Methods: We performed secondary analyses of data from a national survey on patient experiences with general practice, including assessments of general practitioners (GPs) and their GP offices. The survey was carried out in Norway in 2018-19. The total number of respondents was 2029, with a response rate of 42.6%. Region of birth was available for 1981 participants, and these were included in the analyses ("Norway" (N = 1756), "Asia, Africa or South America" (N = 95), "Eastern Europe" (N = 70) and "Western Europe, North America or Oceania" (N = 60)). Five indicators of patient experiences were used as dependent variables in bivariate and multivariate analyses, with region of birth as the main exposure variable and other background variables about the patient as adjustment variables: "the GP" (measures related to communication and competency), "auxiliary staff" (politeness, competency, organization), "accessibility" (waiting times), "coordination" (with other services) and `enablement` (GP facilitates coping with/understanding illness)., Results: Immigrants as a whole reported poorer experiences with general practice than the majority population, with significantly poorer scores on four of five patient experience indicators. Patients from Asia/Africa/South America reported poorer experiences than those from Norway on the indicators "GP", "auxiliary staff", "accessibility" and "coordination": on a scale from 0 to 100 where 100 is the best, the difference ranged from 7.8 (GP) to 20.3 (accessibility). Patients from Eastern Europe reported lower scores on "GP" and patients from Western Europe/North America/Oceania reported lower scores on "auxiliary staff". These associations were still significant after adjustment for sex, age, self-rated physical and mental health, number of contacts with the GP and education., Conclusions: For countries with a substantial proportion of foreign-born patients in the health system, immigrant background is an important parameter in quality improvement work. Immigrant background is also an important parameter in health service research.

Background: In Western healthcare policies, promotion of self-management of patients is an important topic. Currently, there is also a worldwide interest in the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine into integrative medicine. This article explores the contribution of anthroposophic medicine (AM) to the promotion of self-management of patients., Material and Methods: The scientific literature on concepts of, evidence on and experiences of patients with AM was explored., Results: The AM approach contributes to: (1) a patient-centered, collaborative promotion of patient self-management by means of application of basic values (equivalence, servitude, and presence of mind) and specific methods; (2) a better coping with health-related issues by providing a spiritual worldview that serves as a coping strategy; by treating patients in such a way that they (further) develop self-regulating functioning, both on the physiological and the psychosocial level, thus enabling the self-management of disease-related symptoms; and by treating with (non-verbal) therapies that improve emotion-focused coping skills; and (3) a better self-monitoring of: one's own activity during treatment and in dealing with treatment- and health-related issues, and the physiological and/or psychological responses to these (self-reflection) activities., Conclusion: AM provides specific contributions to promoting self-management of patients., (© 2017 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.)