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Background: In Canada, vaccination coverage for seasonal influenza among health care personnel remains below 50%. The objective of this review was to determine which seasonal influenza vaccination campaign or campaign components in health care settings were significantly associated with increases in influenza vaccination among staff.Methods: We identified articles in eight electronic databases and included randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies and studies with interrupted time series designs in our review. Two reviewers independently abstracted the data and assessed the risk of biases. We calculated risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for randomized controlled trials and controlled before-and-after studies and described interrupted time series studies.Results: We identified 99 studies evaluating influenza vaccination campaigns for health care workers, but only 12 of the studies were eligible for review. In nonhospital health care settings, including long-term care facilities, campaigns with a greater variety of components (including education or promotion, better access to vaccines, legislation or regulation and/or role models) were associated with higher risk ratios (i.e, favouring the intervention group). Within hospital settings, the results reported for various types of campaigns were mixed. Many of the criteria for assessing risk of bias were not reported.Interpretation: Campaigns involving only education or promotion resulted in minimal changes in vaccination rates. Further studies are needed to determine the appropriate components and combinations of components in influenza vaccination campaigns for health care personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify patient and physician characteristics associated with family physicians recording blood pressure (BP) measurements in the medical charts of their elderly patients.Design: Retrospective review of patients' charts during a 12-month period and baseline questionnaire on the sociodemographic and practice characteristics of family physicians participating in the Community Hypertension Assessment Trial. The chart review collected data on patients' demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, antihypertensive medications, number of visits to family physicians, and number of BP readings recorded.Setting: Non-academic family practices in Hamilton and Ottawa, Ont.Participants: Data were abstracted from the charts of 55 randomly selected regular elderly patients (65 years old and older) from each of 28 participating family practices (N = 1540 charts).Main Outcome Measure: Number of recordings of BP measurements in medical charts during a 12-month period.Results: About 16% (241/1540) of elderly patients had not had their BP recorded in their charts during the 12-month review period. Among this 16%, almost half (47%, 114/241) had not had a BP measurement recorded during the previous 24 months. Multivariate analysis indicated that the likelihood of BP recording increased with the number of visits made to family physicians and was greater among patients taking antihypertensive medications or diagnosed with hypertension. Physicians who had more recently graduated from medical school (< or = 24 years) were more likely to record BP measurements.Conclusion: Hypertension guidelines recommend that, for patients at risk, BP be measured and recorded at each office visit. Although more than 84% of older patients had at least 1 BP reading documented in their charts, patients who were already diagnosed with hypertension or who made frequent visits to the office were more likely to have their BP measured and recorded. A more systematic approach to monitoring elderly patients who visit their family physicians less frequently or who are not currently diagnosed with hypertension is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family physicians can play an important role in encouraging patients to participate in community-based health promotion initiatives designed to supplement and enhance their in-office care. Our objectives were to determine effective approaches to invite older family practice patients to attend cardiovascular health awareness sessions in community pharmacies, and to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a program incorporating invitation by physicians and feedback to physicians.~Background~Background~We conducted a prospective randomized trial with 1 family physician practice and 5 community pharmacies in Dundas, Ontario. Regular patients 65 years or older (n = 235) were randomly allocated to invitation by mail or telephone to attend pharmacy cardiovascular health awareness sessions led by volunteer peer health educators. A health record review captured blood pressure status, monitoring and control. At the sessions, volunteers helped patients to measure blood pressure using in-store machines and a validated portable device (BPM-100), and recorded blood pressure readings and self-reported cardiovascular risk factors. We compared attendance rates in the mail and telephone invitation groups and explored factors potentially associated with attendance.~Methods~Methods~The 119 patients invited by mail and 116 patients contacted by telephone had a mean age of 75.7 (SD, 6.4) years and 46.8% were male. Overall, 58.3% (137/235) of invitees attended a pharmacy cardiovascular health awareness session. Patients invited by telephone were more likely to attend than those invited by mail (72.3% vs. 44.0%, OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.9-5.7; p < 0.001).~Results~Results~While the attendance in response to a telephone invitation was higher, response to a single letter was substantial. Attendance rates indicated considerable interest in community-based cardiovascular health promotion activities. A large-scale trial of a pharmacy cardiovascular health awareness program for older primary care patients is feasible.~Conclusion~Conclusions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forward resuscitative surgery system (FRSS) is the Navy's most forward-deployed echelon II medical unit. Between March and August 2003, six FRSS teams were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). During the combat phase of OIF (March 21 to May 1, 2003), a total of 34 Marine Corps and 62 Iraqi patients underwent treatment at a FRSS. FRSS teams were assigned two distinct missions; "forward" FRSS teams operated with combat service support elements in direct support of regimental combat teams, and "jump" FRSS teams served as a forward element of a surgical company. This article presents the experiences of the FRSS teams in OIF, including a discussion of time to presentation from wounding, time to operation, time to evacuation, and lessons learned from the deployment of the FRSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are no established guidelines for transfusing platelets in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related intracranial hemorrhage for patients on pre-injury antiplatelet medications (APT). Existing literature has produced mixed results regarding the effectiveness of platelet transfusion in containing bleed size or avoiding craniotomy. We compared outcomes of patients on APT with an intracranial bleed due to trauma, between those who did and who did not receive routine platelet transfusion., Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients on APT with TBI-associated intracranial hemorrhage treated at a level II trauma center between 1/1/2014 and 7/31/2018: before March 2017, patients received routine platelet transfusion during initial management ("old protocol"). From March 2017 patients received platelets only if needing craniotomy ("new protocol"). Primary outcome was need for operative management. APT type, intracranial bleed type, bleed size and shift on CT scans, demographic and clinical variables were obtained., Results: Patients were in their mid-70's and most had sustained a fall. Old protocol patients were more likely to be on clopidogrel (32.5% vs. 18.2% for new protocol, p  = 0.016) and had larger bleeds on initial CT (10.1 vs. 6.9 for new protocol, p  = 0.038). When stratifying by aspirin only and clopidogrel±aspirin, old protocol and new protocol patients did not differ on need for operative management (aspirin only p  = 1.0; clopidogrel p  = 0.55), change in bleed size (aspirin only p  = 0.37, clopidogrel p  = 0.068), or other outcomes., Conclusions: We found no evidence that restricting platelet transfusion to patients needing operative management increased the risk of poor outcomes among patients on APT with TBI-associated intracranial hemorrhage., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Medical education is increasingly delivered at distributed sites away from Academic Health Sciences Centres. The Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine recommends schools develop resources and metrics to foster regional campus scholarly activity. Opportunities for distributed program trainees must support learning core skills in research and critical appraisal to comply with medical school accreditation standards and to develop their interests and skills in scholarly work for their future medical careers. We describe a scholarly activity program that is a template for distributed campuses or regional teaching sites seeking to increase learner and faculty engagement and research productivity., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report due to financial and personal relationships that could potentially bias their work., (© 2022 Bell, Khemani, Weera, Henderson, Chambers; licensee Synergies Partners.)

Background: Undergraduate medical students seek as much information as possible as to how residency programs select candidates. The Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) website is one of their primary sources of information. Students may be more competitive in the match if they know whether scholarly activity is used in the selection process by their preferred programs, as described on the CaRMS website., Methods: For all 17 Canadian faculties of medicine, 2019 R1 entry internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics program descriptions were reviewed on the CaRMS website looking for keywords related to scholarly activity., Results: Forty-one percent of family medicine, 65% of internal medicine and 71% of pediatric programs explicitly stated having interest in applicants with scholarly experience. In Western Canada, 80% of internal medicine and 60% of pediatrics programs included scholarly activity in their CaRMS description of criteria considered in ranking applications. Similarly, in Ontario, 66% of internal medicine and 83% of pediatrics programs mentioned scholarly activity as a valuable quality. In Quebec 100% of family medicine and 50% of pediatrics programs include scholarly activity in their descriptions. Pediatrics and family medicine programs (100%) in Atlantic Canada mentioned scholarly activities but neither of the two Atlantic Canada internal medicine programs mentioned scholarly activities., Conclusion: Undergraduate medical students can use this project to prioritize extracurricular activities and scholarly work to be competitive for application to family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics residency programs., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report due to financial and personal relationships that could potentially bias their work., (© 2020 Lukings, Bell, Stobbe, Basha, Brazier, Dragomir, Glibbery, Kearney, Knapp, Levin, Tucker, Weera, Chambers; licensee Synergies Partners.)

Objective: Efforts to achieve balance between effective pain management and opioid-related adverse events (ORAEs) have led to multimodal analgesia regimens. This study compared opioids delivered via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) plus liposomal bupivacaine, a long-acting local anesthetic with potential to be an effective component of such regimens, to opioids delivered through PCA alone or PCA plus subcutaneous bupivacaine infusion (ONQ), following laparotomy., Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial., Setting: Single, tertiary-care institution., Patients: One hundred patients undergoing nonemergent laparotomy., Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to one of three study treatments: PCA only (PCAO), PCA with ONQ, or PCA with injectable liposomal bupivacaine suspension (EXP)., Main Outcome Measures: Cumulative opioid use, daily mean patient-reported pain scores, and ORAEs through 72 hours postoperatively., Results: On average, the EXP (n = 31) group exhibited less than 50 percent of the total opioid consumption of the PCAO (n = 36) group, and less than 60 percent of that for the ONQ (n = 33) group. Postoperative days 1 and 3 pain scores were significantly lower for the EXP group as compared to the ONQ and PCAO groups (p ≤ 0.005). Fewer patients in the EXP group (19.4 percent) experienced ORAEs compared to the PCAO (41.1 percent) and ONQ (45.5 percent) groups (p = 0.002)., Conclusions: Laparotomy patients treated with liposomal bupivacaine as part of a multimodal regimen consumed less opioids, had lower pain scores, and had fewer ORAEs. The role of liposomal bupivacaine in the postoperative care of laparotomy patients merits further study.

Objectives: To engage persons with dementia, friends, family, caregivers, and health and social care providers to identify and prioritize their questions for research related to living with dementia and prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia., Design: The Canadian Dementia Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) followed James Lind Alliance PSP methods. Results were compared with the World Health Organization research prioritization exercise and the United Kingdom Dementia PSP., Setting: Canada., Participants: In the first survey, 1,217 individuals and groups from across Canada submitted their questions about dementia. 249 participated in the interim prioritization. For the final prioritization workshop, the 28 participants included persons with dementia, friends, family, caregivers, health and social care providers, Alzheimer Society representatives, and members of an organization representing long-term care home residents., Results: The Canadian Dementia PSP top 10 priorities relate to health, quality of life, societal issues, and dementia care. Five priorities overlap with one or both of the other two prioritization initiatives., Conclusion: These results provide researchers and research funding agencies with topics that individuals with personal or professional experience of dementia prioritize, but they are not intended to preclude research into other aspects of dementia., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.)

Objective: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires accredited residency programs to implement competency-based assessments of medical trainees based upon nationally established Milestones. Clinical competency committees (CCC) are required to prepare biannual reports using the Milestones and ensure reporting to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Previous research demonstrated a strong correlation between CCC and resident scores on the Milestones at 1 institution. We sought to evaluate a national sampling of general surgery residency programs and hypothesized that CCC and resident assessments are similar., Design: Details regarding the makeup and process of each CCC were obtained. Major disparities were defined as an absolute mean difference of ≥0.5 on the 4-point scale. A negative assessment disparity indicated that the residents evaluated themselves at a lower level than did the CCC. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon rank sum and Sign tests., Setting: CCCs and categorical general surgery residents from 15 residency programs completed the Milestones document independently during the spring of 2016., Results: Overall, 334 residents were included; 44 (13%) and 43 (13%) residents scored themselves ≥0.5 points higher and lower than the CCC, respectively. Female residents scored themselves a mean of 0.08 points lower, and male residents scored themselves a mean of 0.03 points higher than the CCC. Median assessment differences for postgraduate year (PGY) 1-5 were 0.03 (range: -0.94 to 1.28), -0.11 (range: -1.22 to 1.22), -0.08 (range: -1.28 to 0.81), 0.02 (range: -0.91 to 1.00), and -0.19 (range: -1.16 to 0.50), respectively. Residents in university vs. independent programs had higher rates of negative assessment differences in medical knowledge (15% vs. 6%; P = 0.015), patient care (17% vs. 5%; P = 0.002), professionalism (23% vs. 14%; P = 0.013), and system-based practice (18% vs. 9%; P = 0.031) competencies. Major assessment disparities by sex or PGY were similar among individual competencies., Conclusions: Surgery residents in this national cohort demonstrated self-awareness when compared to assessments by their respective CCCs. This was independent of program type, sex, or level of training. PGY 5 residents, female residents, and those from university programs consistently rated themselves lower than the CCC, but these were not major disparities and the significance of this is unclear., (Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The Alzheimer Society embarked on a project to improve ways that the 60 provincial and local Societies in Canada can work with local researchers to support recruitment of volunteers to clinical trials and studies. A Guide to assist these offices was produced to design ethical recruitment of research volunteers within their client populations., Methods: Consultations with individuals from provincial and local Societies, as well as researchers and leaders from health-related organizations, were conducted to identify in what ways these organizations are involved in study volunteer recruitment, what is and is not working, and what would be helpful to support future efforts. The Guide prototype used scenarios to illustrate study volunteer recruitment practices as they have been or could be applied in Societies. An implementable version of the Guide was produced with input from multiple internal and external reviewers including subject-matter experts and target users from Societies., Results: Society staff reported that benefits of using the Guide were that it served as a catalyst for conversation and reflection and identified the need for a policy. Also, it enabled Society readiness to respond to requests by persons with dementia and their caregivers wishing to participate in research. A majority (94%) of participating Society staff across Canada agreed that they would increase their capacity to support research recruitment., Discussion: Charitable organizations that raise funds for research have a role in promoting the recruitment of persons with dementia and their caregivers into clinical trials and studies. The Guide was produced to facilitate organizational change to both create a positive culture regarding research as well as practical solutions that can help organizations achieve this goal.

Paragangliomas of the mediastinum are rare, with only approximately 150 cases reported in the literature. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice; however, these tumors often lie near critical vascular structures. Here we present the case of a patient with a mediastinal paraganglioma discovered during a diagnostic procedure., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a newly implemented electronic web-based review system created at our institution for evaluating resident performance relative to established milestones., Design: Retrospective review of data collected from a survey of general surgery faculty and residents., Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital system and independent academic medical center., Participants: A total of 12 general surgery faculty and 17 general surgery residents participated in this study. The survey queried the level of satisfaction before and after the adoption of QuickNotes using several statements scored on a 5-point scale, with 1 being the lowest rating as "not satisfied," and 5 being the highest rating as "completely satisfied.", Results: The weighted average improvements from pre- to post-QuickNotes implementation for the faculty responding to the survey ranged from 10% to 40%; weighted average improvements for the residents responding to the survey ranged from 5% to 73%. For the survey of faculty, both sets of weighted averages tended to be higher than the weighted average for the resident's survey responses. The highest rated topic was the faculty's level of satisfaction with the "frequency to provide feedback" with a post-QuickNotes implementation weighted average of 4.25, closely followed by the residents' level of satisfaction with the "evaluation includes positive feedback" with a post-QuickNotes implementation weighted average of 4.24. The most notable increases in weighted averages from preimplementation to postimplementation were noted for "overall satisfaction" (20% increase for faculty, 37% for residents), "reflects actual criteria that matter" (36% increase for faculty, 73% for residents), faculty "opportunity for follow-up" (increase of 40%), resident "reflects overall trends" (increase of 37%), and resident "provides new information about my performance" (increase of 37%)., Conclusions: Our institutional adoption of QuickNotes into the resident evaluation process has been associated with an overall increased level of satisfaction in the evaluation process by both faculty and residents. The design of QuickNotes facilitates its integration into the resident training environment, as it is web based, easy to use, and has no additional cost over the standard New Innovations subscription. Although it is designed to capture snapshots of trainee behavior and performance, monthly reports through QuickNotes can be used effectively in conjunction with the more traditional end-of-rotation evaluations to show trends, identify areas of strength that should be reinforced, demonstrate areas needing improvement, allow for a more tailored individual education plan to be developed, and permit a more accurate determination of milestone progression., (Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite efforts to raise awareness and develop guidelines for care of individuals with dementia, reports of poor detection and inadequate management persist. This has led to a call for more identification of people with dementia, that is, screening individuals who may or may not complain of symptoms of dementia in both acute settings and primary care. The following should be considered before recommending screening for dementia among individuals in the general population. Dementia Tests . Low prevalence reduces positive predictive value of tests and screening tests will miss people who have dementia and identify people who do not have dementia in substantial numbers. Clinical Issues . The clinical course of dementia has not yet been shown to be amenable to intervention. Misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis can have significant long-term effects including stigmatization, loss of employment, and autonomy. Economic Issues . Health systems do not have the capacity to respond to increased demand resulting from screening. In conclusion, at present attention to life-course risk reduction and support in the community for frail and cognitively impaired older adults is a better use of limited healthcare resources than introduction of unevaluated dementia screening programs.

Background: To study the feasibility of down stage the borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) to resectable disease, we reported our institutional results using an intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) dose escalation approach to improve R0 resectability., Methods: We reviewed our past 7 years of experience of using neoadjuvant induction chemotherapy with Gemcitabine followed by concurrent chemoradiaiton for BRPC. During the concurrent, chemo was 5-FU and radiation were IMRT with SIB technique to target the key areas with dose escalation to 5600 in 28 fractions. The key areas were defined by PET positive area. This was followed by restaging imaging to rule out distant metastases before resection., Results: 25 finished dose escalation protocol. 2 of the 25 cases developed distant metastases, 23 (92%) patients without distant metastases underwent pancreatectomy. Among the those received pancreatectomy, 22 (95%) achieved negative margin (R0). The gastrointestinal toxicity > grade 2 was 8% and there was no grade 4 toxicity., Conclusion: Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine-based induction chemotherapy followed by 5-FU-based IMRT-SIB is a feasible option in improving the likelihood of R0 resection rate in BRPC without compromising the organs at risk for toxicity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Worldwide, there is concern that increases in the prevalence of dementia will result in large demands for caregivers and supportive services that will be challenging to address. Previous dementia projections have either been simple extrapolations of prevalence or macrosimulations based on dementia incidence., Methods: A population-based microsimulation model of Alzheimer's and related dementias (POHEM:Neurological) was created using Canadian demographic data, estimates of dementia incidence, health status (health-related quality of life and mortality risk), health care costs and informal caregiving use. Dementia prevalence and 12 other measures were projected to 2031., Results: Between 2011 and 2031, there was a projected two-fold increase in the number of people living with dementia in Canada (1.6-fold increase in prevalence rate). By 2031, the projected informal (unpaid) caregiving for dementia in Canada was two billion hours per year, or 100 h per year per Canadian of working age., Conclusions: The projected increase in dementia prevalence was largely related to the expected increase in older Canadians, with projections sensitive to changes in the age of dementia onset.

Unlabelled: Knowledge translation (KT) involves implementation of evidence-based strategies and guidelines into practice to improve the process of care and health outcomes for patients. Findings from pragmatic trials may be used in KT to provide patients, healthcare providers and policymakers with information to optimize healthcare decisions based on how a given strategy or intervention performs under the real world conditions. However, pragmatic trials have been criticized for having the following problems: i) high rates of loss to follow-up; ii) nonadherence to study intervention; iii) unblinded treatment and patient self-assessment, which can potentially create bias; iv) being less perfect experiments than efficacy trials; v) sacrificing internal validity to achieve generalizability; and vi) often requiring large sample sizes to detect small treatment effects in heterogeneous populations. In this paper, we discuss whether these criticisms hold merit, or if they are simply driven by confusion about the purpose of pragmatic trials. We use the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) trial--a community randomized pragmatic trial designed to assess whether offering a highly organized, community-based CHAP intervention compared to usual care can reduce cardiovascular disease-related outcomes--to address these specific criticisms and illustrate how to reduce this confusion., Trial Registration: Current controlled trials ISRCTN50550004 (9 May 2007).

Background: Healthcare personnel influenza immunization rates remain sub-optimal. Following multiple studies and expert consultations, the "Successful Influenza Immunization Programs for Healthcare Personnel: A Guide for Program Planners" was produced. This trial assessed the impact of the Guide with facilitation in improving healthcare personnel influenza immunization rates in Canadian healthcare organizations., Methods: A sample of 26 healthcare organizations across six Canadian provinces (ON, MB, NS, BC, SK, NL) was randomized to Intervention (n=13) or Control groups (n=13). Baseline influenza immunization rates were obtained for 2008-2009; the study groups were followed over two subsequent influenza seasons. The Intervention group received the Guide, facilitation support through workshops for managers and ongoing support. The Control groups conducted programs as usual. The Groups were compared using their reported influenza healthcare personnel influenza immunization rates and scores from a program assessment questionnaire., Findings: Twenty-six organizations agreed to participate. 35% (9/26) of sites were acute care hospitals, 19% (5/26) continuing care, long-term care organizations or nursing homes, and 46% (12/26) were mixed acute care hospitals and long-term care or regional health authorities. The median rate of influenza immunization among healthcare personnel for the Intervention group was 43%, 44%, and 51% at three points in time respectively, and in the, Control Group: 62%, 57%, and 55% respectively. No significant differences were observed between the groups at the three points in time. However, there was a 7% increase in the median rates between the Baseline Year and Year Two in the Intervention group, and a 6% decrease in the CONTROL GROUP over the same time period, which was statistically significant (0.071 versus -0.058, p < 0.001)., Interpretation: This pragmatic randomized trial of the Guide with facilitation of its implementation improved healthcare personnel immunization rates, but these rates continued to be sub-optimal and below rates achievable in programs requiring personnel to be immunized., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01207518.

Background: Hypertension is an important and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor that remains under-detected and under-treated, especially in the older individuals. Community-led interventions that integrate primary health care and local resources are promising approaches to improve awareness and management of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a community-based Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) on participants' blood pressure., Methods: This study followed a cohort of community residents that participated in CHAP across 22 mid-sized Ontario communities over an 18-month period. The participants' baseline risk factors, including blood pressure, and subsequent measures of blood pressure were recorded. We employed a bivariate linear mixed-effect model to estimate the change of systolic and diastolic blood pressure over time among the participants who attended more than two CHAP sessions., Results: Of 13,596 participants, 2498 attended more than two CHAP sessions. For those repeated participants (attending more than two sessions) initially identified with high blood pressure, the average reduction of systolic blood pressure was from 142 to 123 mmHg over an 18-month period, a monthly rate ratio of 0.992 (95% CI: 0.991,0.994; p < 0.01). Similarly, the average reduction of diastolic blood pressure was from 78 to 69 mmHg, a monthly rate ratio of 0.993 (95% CI: 0.991,0.994; p < 0.01). The average blood pressure of the participants with normal baseline blood pressure remained controlled and unchanged. We also found that older adult participants who lived alone, were diagnosed with hypertension, reported healthier eating habits, and presented with a higher baseline systolic blood pressure had significantly greater odds of attending more than one session., Conclusions: CHAP was associated with a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure for those participants who attended more than one session. The magnitude of blood pressure reductions was significant clinically and statistically.

Background: Accurate measurement of blood pressure is the foundation of appropriate diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of hypertension. The use of automated blood pressure devices in community settings such as pharmacies provide opportunities for additional blood pressure measurement; however, it is important to ensure that these measurements are comparable to those taken in physicians' offices using the same devices. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess whether blood pressure readings assessed by use of an automated device differed according to the setting, specifically in community pharmacies and family physicians' offices., Methods: We included adults aged 65 years and older who did not live in long-term care facilities or in hospital. The trial was administered by volunteer peer health educators, family physicians and pharmacists in 2 midsized communities in Ontario from April to September 2010. The 5 participating family physicians mailed invitations to their eligible patients. Those who gave informed consent were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 assessment sequences: group A had their blood pressure measured at their physician's office, then at a pharmacy, then again at their physician's office; those in group B had their blood pressure measured at a pharmacy, then at their physician's office, then again at a pharmacy. An automated blood pressure device (BpTRU) was used in both settings. We calculated the differences in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and we compared the readings at both settings and by sequence of assessment., Results: In total, 275 adults completed the trial (mean age 75.9 yr, 49.5% male, 46.9% with a self-reported diagnosis of hypertension). There were no statistically significant differences in systolic or diastolic blood pressure measurements associated with the sequence of assessment or the setting. There was a significant difference in the overall mean systolic blood pressure between the 2 assessment sequences (group A 122.0 v. group B 127.8 mm Hg, p < 0.001)., Interpretation: Automated devices used in pharmacies to measure blood pressure provide accurate and valid information that can be used in the diagnosis and management of hypertension among older adults in the community., Trial Registration: www.controlled-trials.com, no. ISRCTN91799042.

Background: Immunizing health care workers against influenza is important for preventing and reducing disease transmission in health care environments. We describe the ability of Canadian health care organizations to measure influenza immunization coverage among health care workers and identify factors associated with comprehensive influenza immunization measurement., Methods: A Web-based survey was distributed to influenza immunization campaign planners responsible for delivering the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine to health care workers working in acute care hospitals or long-term continuing care organizations. The primary outcome was the ability to comprehensively measure influenza immunization coverage., Results: Of the 1,127 health care organizations approached, 721 (64%) responded. Ninety-one percent had incomplete immunization coverage measurement; 7% could not measure coverage among any personnel. After multivariable adjustment, organizations with a written influenza immunization implementation plan (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.5) or a policy or procedure describing how to calculate or report immunization rates (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.9) were more likely to have comprehensive measurement of influenza immunization coverage than organizations without these practices., Conclusion: Most organizations demonstrated incomplete measurement of influenza immunization among health care workers. Given the use of influenza immunization coverage as a measure of quality of care, further work is needed to develop a standardized approach to improve its measurement., (Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of a community-wide approach integrated with primary care (Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program [CHAP]) to promote monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and awareness of cardiovascular disease risk., Design: Demonstration project., Setting: Two midsized Ontario communities., Participants: Community-dwelling seniors., Intervention: CHAP sessions were offered in pharmacies and promoted to seniors using advertising and personalized letters from physicians. Trained volunteers measured BP, completed risk profiles, and provided risk-specific education materials., Method: We examined the distribution of risk factors among participants and predictors of multiple visits and elevated BP., Results: Opinion leaders aided recruitment of family physicians (n  =  56/63) and pharmacists (n  =  18/19). Over 90 volunteers were recruited. Invitations were mailed to 4394 seniors. Over 10 weeks, there were 4165 assessments of 2350 unique participants (approximately 30% of senior residents). 37.5% of attendees had untreated (16%; 360/2247) or uncontrolled (21.5%; 482/2247) high BP. Participants who received a letter (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-3.0), had an initial elevated BP (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5), or reported current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.6) were more likely to attend multiple sessions (p ≤ .05 for all). Older age (≥ 70 years; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.8), BMI ≥ 30 (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-2.2), current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9), and diabetes (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.9-3.2) predicted elevated BP (p < .001 for all)., Conclusion: The program yielded learning about community mobilization and identified a substantial number of seniors with undiagnosed/uncontrolled high BP.

A rapid and feasible priority-setting method conducted within a limited budget was used to identify research topics that would have an influence on health services for older adults. Health and aging researchers, policy makers, and caregivers were recruited to complete Delphi surveys that generated and ranked topics and identified other potential researchers. An interdisciplinary team of researchers was selected to produce and submit a proposal to a peer-review-granting agency. This method can be adapted by organizations to determine the focus of their research agenda and to engage individuals for collaboration on future research projects.

Background: Influenza immunization for healthcare personnel reduces frequency and severity of nosocomial influenza outbreaks and influenza-associated morbidity and mortality among patients. The Ottawa Influenza Decision Aid (OIDA) was developed to assist undecided healthcare workers in deciding whether or not to be immunized., Aim: To assess the impact of the OIDA, and to ascertain whether its use would increase the level of confidence in healthcare workers' influenza immunization decision and positively affect their intent to be immunized., Methods: Single-centre, single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial., Findings: Eight per cent (151 of 1886) of the unimmunized healthcare personnel were randomized. Of 107 eligible respondents, 48 were in the Ottawa Influenza Decision Aid (OIDA) group and 59 in the control group. A statistically significant (P = 0.020) greater improvement in confidence in immunization decision was observed in the OIDA group compared with the control group. Whereas the odds of changing intent to be immunized from 'no/unsure' to 'yes' was 2.4 times greater in the OIDA group, this result did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for intent to be immunized at baseline. The post-OIDA intent to be immunized in the OIDA and control groups compared to the pre-OIDA intent to be immunized showed that the OIDA had a significant effect on reducing uncertainty (P = 0.035)., Conclusions: Using an accessible, balanced, understandable format for all healthcare personnel about their influenza immunization decision appears to have an impact on both healthcare personnel's confidence in their immunization decision and in their intent to be immunized., (Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A variety of methods are available for assessing diet; however, many are impractical for large research studies in an institutional environment. Technology, specifically digital imaging, can make diet estimations more feasible for research. Our goal was to compare a digital imaging method of estimating regular and modified-texture main plate food waste with traditional on-site visual estimations, in a continuing and long-term care setting using a meal-tray delivery service. Food waste was estimated for participants on regular (n=36) and modified-texture (n=42) diets. A tracking system to ensure collection and digital imaging of all main meal plates was developed. Four observers used a modified Comstock method to assess food waste for vegetables, starches, and main courses on 551 main meal plates. Intermodal, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were calculated using intraclass correlation for absolute agreement. Intermodal reliability was based on one rater's assessments. The digital imaging method results were in high agreement with the real-time visual method for both regular and modified-texture food (intraclass correlation=0.90 and 0.88, respectively). Agreements between observers for regular diets were higher than those for modified-texture food (range=0.91 to 0.94; 0.82 to 0.91, respectively). Intra-rater agreements were very high for both regular and modified-texture food (range=0.93 to 0.99; 0.91 to 0.98). The digital imaging method is a reliable alternative to estimating regular and modified-texture food waste for main meal plates when compared with real-time visual estimation. Color, shape, reheating, mixing, and use of sauces made modified-texture food waste slightly more difficult to estimate, regardless of estimation method., (Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ready-to-use modified-texture food (rMTF) products are commercially available and may have greater appeal than conventional in-house or commercial bulk modified-texture food (cMTF) products. A nine-month pilot study using a prospective interrupted time-series design where participants (n = 42) served as their own controls investigated the impact of cMTF + rMTF on weight goals, weight, food intake, and co-morbidity. Seventy-four per cent of participants achieved their weight goals at the end of six months on rMTF and, although insignificant, participants did have a trend towards weight gain while on rMTF (OR 3.5 p = .16). Main-plate food intake (grams) was not significantly different over time, but a downwards trajectory suggests decreased consumption that was compensated for by a significantly higher fat intake during the intervention period (p = .01). Increased co-morbidity and a decreasing volume of food consumed are common in older adults with dysphagia, and enhanced food products are needed to meet nutrient needs. Methodological issues encountered in this study can provide guidance for future work.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the community based Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) on morbidity from cardiovascular disease., Design: Community cluster randomised trial., Setting: 39 mid-sized communities in Ontario, Canada, stratified by location and population size., Participants: Community dwelling residents aged 65 years or over, family physicians, pharmacists, volunteers, community nurses, and local lead organisations., Intervention: Communities were randomised to receive CHAP (n = 20) or no intervention (n = 19). In CHAP communities, residents aged 65 or over were invited to attend volunteer run cardiovascular risk assessment and education sessions held in community based pharmacies over a 10 week period; automated blood pressure readings and self reported risk factor data were collected and shared with participants and their family physicians and pharmacists., Main Outcome Measure: Composite of hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and congestive heart failure among all community residents aged 65 and over in the year before compared with the year after implementation of CHAP., Results: All 20 intervention communities successfully implemented CHAP. A total of 1265 three hour long sessions were held in 129/145 (89%) pharmacies during the 10 week programme. 15,889 unique participants had a total of 27,358 cardiovascular assessments with the assistance of 577 peer volunteers. After adjustment for hospital admission rates in the year before the intervention, CHAP was associated with a 9% relative reduction in the composite end point (rate ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 0.97; P = 0.002) or 3.02 fewer annual hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease per 1000 people aged 65 and over. Statistically significant reductions favouring the intervention communities were seen in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (rate ratio 0.87, 0.79 to 0.97; P = 0.008) and congestive heart failure (0.90, 0.81 to 0.99; P = 0.029) but not for stroke (0.99, 0.88 to 1.12; P = 0.89)., Conclusions: A collaborative, multi-pronged, community based health promotion and prevention programme targeted at older adults can reduce cardiovascular morbidity at the population level. Trial registration Current controlled trials ISRCTN50550004.

Technologic advancements have allowed imaging modalities to become more useful in the diagnosis of hepatobiliary and pancreatic disorders. Computed tomography scanners now use multidetector row technology with contrast-delayed imaging for quicker and more accurate imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging with cholangiopancreatography can more clearly delineate liver lesions and the biliary and pancreatic ducts, and can diagnose pathologic conditions early in their course. Newer technologies, such as single-operator cholangioscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography, have sometimes shown superiority to traditional modalities. This article addresses the literature regarding available imaging techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of common surgical hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Ontario Seniors Health Research Transfer Network (SHRTN) aims to improve the health of older adults through increasing the knowledge capacity of 850 community care agencies and 620 long-term care homes. The SHRTN includes caregivers, researchers, policy makers, administrators, educators, and organizations. The SHRTN comprises communities of practice, a library service, a network of 7 research institutes, and local implementation teams. The SHRTN combines face-to-face meetings with information technology to promote change at the client care level in organizational and provincial policies and in the promotion of health services research.

Healthcare workers (HCW) experience decisional conflict or uncertainty of the best alternative when deciding about influenza immunization. Despite free and easy access to influenza vaccine, and resource consuming campaigns, immunization rates among HCW remain unacceptably low. This is in part due to decisional conflict, which may be alleviated by a decision aid. To address this issue we developed the Ottawa Influenza Decision Aid (OIDA) to help HCW make an informed decision about influenza immunization. The OIDA was tested in a large acute care hospital during the influenza immunization campaign. We recruited HCWs from the Orthopaedic Ward and Logistical Services, using block randomization, to complete the OIDA and a feedback questionnaire. The majority (85%) of respondents that completed the OIDA felt that immunization was very important to avoid getting influenza and 95% were sure of the best choice for them. In response to the feedback questionnaire, 84% of respondents found the information clear and 77% concluded the OIDA helped them to recognize a decision. Results of this study support the OIDA as a useful tool for HCWs considering influenza immunization. This study is an important step towards evaluating the usefulness of the OIDA within prevention campaigns. Recommendations include evaluation of the OIDA by incorporating it into large-scale influenza immunization campaigns.

Blood pressure (BP) measurements taken outside the routine office context may be a useful adjunct strategy to monitor BP. Community-based BP data can also provide estimates of the prevalence of elevated BP. We compared multiple readings taken on different days in pharmacies using an automated BpTRU device during a cardiovascular health programme targeting community-dwelling older adults. Mean systolic (S) and diastolic (D) BP values were compared over time using repeated measures analysis of variance for all participants with at least three separate sets of readings (n=317). BP variability was then examined among four subgroups based on report of antihypertensive medication or no treatment, and normal or elevated SBP at the initial visit (< or >or=140, or 130 if diabetes reported). Prevalence of elevated BP was compared across visits. Overall, mean SBP decreased between visits 1 and 2 (140.4 vs 137.1 mm Hg; P<0.001). Among participants with normal SBP at the initial visit, SBP did not vary significantly, whether or not antihypertensive treatment was reported. Those with initially elevated SBP experienced a significant decrease between visits 1 and 2, also regardless of treatment status. Prevalence of elevated BP decreased from visits 1 to 2 (55.8 vs 48.9%; P=0.026) and from visits 1 to 3 (55.8 vs 42.9%; P<0.001). Analyses of BP data from a community-based programme using an accurate device showed that initial readings may inflate the population estimate of elevated BP. Findings suggest that more than one set of BP readings measured on different occasions are needed, particularly if the first set is elevated.

Volunteers can support the delivery and sustainability of programs promoting chronic disease awareness to improve health at the community level. This paper describes the development of the peer education component of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) and assessment of the volunteer peer educator role in a community-wide demonstration project in two mid-sized Ontario communities. A case study approach was used incorporating process learning, a volunteer survey and debriefing discussions with volunteers. A post-program questionnaire was administered to 48 volunteers. Five debriefing discussions were conducted with 27 volunteers using a semi-structured interview guide. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Analysis used an editing approach to identify themes, taking into account the community-specific context. Volunteers reported an overall positive experience and identified rewarding aspects of their involvement. They felt well prepared but appreciated ongoing training and support and requested more refresher training. Understanding of program objectives increased volunteer satisfaction. Volunteers continued to develop their role during the program; however, organizational and logistical factors sometimes limited skill acquisition and contributions. The prospect of greater involvement in providing tailored health education resources addressing modifiable risk factors was acceptable to most volunteers. Continued refinement of strategies to recruit, train, retain and support volunteers strengthened the peer education component of CHAP. The experience and contributions of volunteers were influenced by the wider context of program delivery. Process evaluation allowed program planners to anticipate challenges, strengthen support for volunteer activities, and expand the peer educator role. This learning can inform similar peer-led health promotion initiatives.

Background: High blood pressure (BP) is an established and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor; however, awareness and management of this primarily asymptomatic disease remains suboptimal., Objectives: The Airdrie Community Hypertension Awareness and Management Program (A-CHAMP) was a community-based BP program for seniors designed to improve public and health care provider awareness and management of hypertension., Methods: Volunteer peer health educators (VPHEs) were recruited from the community and trained to manage BP screening sessions in local pharmacies. Airdrie (Alberta) residents 65 years of age and older were invited by their family physicians (FPs) to attend the A-CHAMP sessions. VPHEs identified participants' cardiovascular risk factors, assessed BP with a validated automated device and implemented a management algorithm. Participants with BP higher than 159/99 mmHg were directed to their pharmacists and FPs. All participants with elevated BP at the initial A-CHAMP session were invited to return to a follow-up session four to six months later., Results: Thirty VPHEs were recruited and trained. All 15 FPs and all six pharmacies in Airdrie participated. VPHEs assessed 406 seniors (approximately 40% of Airdrie seniors) during the three-month program. One hundred forty-eight participants (36.5%) had elevated BP at their first session. Of these, 71% returned for the follow-up session four to six months later. The mean (+/- SD) systolic BP decreased by 16.9+/-17.2 mmHg (P<0.05, n=105) compared with their first visit, and 56% of participants (59 of 105) reached Canadian targets for BP., Conclusions: A-CHAMP raised awareness, and identified and managed seniors with hypertension. At follow-up, BP showed statistically and clinically significant and sustained improvement. Participating health care providers and VPHEs indicated that A-CHAMP was effective and feasible in improving awareness and control of hypertension.