Frontiers in health services最新文献

{"title":"Exploring the knowledge gaps and reporting procedures for adverse events among professional nurses: evidence from Mopani district, Limpopo province, South Africa.","authors":"Manyoga Blantina Mathoto, Tebogo Maria Mothiba, Masenyani Oupa Mbombi, Mxolisi Welcome Ngwenya, Livhuwani Muthelo","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1951525","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1951525","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adverse events refer to incidents or mistakes that cause harm to patients due to medical management, rather than being a result of the patient's illness or its complications. These events can occur at any point during the care process. Reporting adverse events is a key strategy in their prevention, and having a clear understanding of what qualifies as an adverse event, along with the correct reporting procedures, is essential for ensuring effective reporting practices.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study explored the extent to which professional nurses at selected public hospitals in Mopani District, Limpopo Province, South Africa understand adverse events and the reporting procedures of adverse events.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 26 professional nurses, selected using purposive sampling. Data were analysed thematically using both deductive and Tesch's open coding method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While most participants demonstrated awareness of adverse events and reporting processes, notable knowledge gaps were identified. Some participants did not understand what constitute an adverse event and conflated adverse events with near misses. Additionally, inconsistencies regarding reporting procedures, responsible personnel for reporting and reporting timelines were evident.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study revealed insufficient knowledge among professional nurses regarding adverse events, reporting procedures, and different types of patient safety incidents. To address these gaps, targeted educational interventions and reinforcement of standard operating procedures are recommended to enhance reporting practices and promote patient safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1951525"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646140/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strengthening patient safety through biosafety and infection prevention measures during COVID-19: a policy and practice review.","authors":"Zixuan Gao, Shiyu Wang, Yaqin Zhang, Shuojie Wang, Dianya Qiu, Linmei Yao, Tianyu Ma, Weihua Cao, Wen Deng, Xin Wei, Minghui Li, Yao Xie","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1914377","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1914377","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) placed substantial pressure on global healthcare systems, biosafety management, and the delivery of safe clinical services. As a critical component of infection prevention and control (IPC), biosafety contributes not only to limiting pathogen exposure but also to protecting healthcare workers, maintaining reliable diagnostic pathways, and supporting patient safety and health-service continuity. This Policy and Practice Review presents a structured narrative synthesis of a sample of literature published primarily between January 2020 and August 2026, supplemented by selected earlier foundational studies and relevant public-health guidance. The review focuses on respiratory exposure control, appropriate use and oversight of personal protective equipment (PPE), airway-management safety, emergency respirator decontamination and reuse strategies including ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), specimen collection and transport, laboratory biosafety, and emerging diagnostic technologies. The evidence indicates that safe practice requires layered, risk-based measures adapted to the exposure context and specific clinical or laboratory activity. During severe PPE shortages, UVGI was investigated as a contingency strategy for respirator decontamination, but microbial inactivation, preservation of filtration performance, and maintenance of fit or seal integrity represent distinct outcomes and require separate validation. Safe specimen pathways similarly depend on validated collection, transport, storage, and laboratory procedures that preserve both worker safety and diagnostic reliability. Emerging CRISPR- and nanomaterial-enabled technologies may improve diagnostic accessibility or turnaround time, but their contribution to patient safety depends on clinical validation, quality assurance, regulatory oversight, and successful integration into healthcare workflows. Overall, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic support a multilayered, activity-specific approach to biosafety that integrates occupational protection, diagnostic safety, patient safety, and health-system resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1914377"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646449/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing a multi-centre hypoglycaemia management surveillance model through a co-designed approach to develop actionable insights in the UK.","authors":"Sam Sherratt-Mayhew, Aashritha Buchipudi, Charles Page, Amanda Ling Jie Yee, Kalyaani Persad, Aqeelah Khatoon, Mariam Idrissi, Amrit Rakkar, Sara Abdi Osman, Sanna Waheed, Faiz Ahmed, Alexandra Solomon, Rajeev Raghavan, Lakshmi Rengarajan, Ahmed Iqbal, Pratik Choudhary, Punith Kempegowda","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1862035","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1862035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Severe hypoglycaemia is associated with increased mortality. While considered a never event, severe hypoglycaemias continue occurring in people admitted to hospital. Inconsistent data collection and surveillance limits our ability to assess trends, identify risk factors and implement targeted interventions. This study aimed to (1) co-design a multicentre audit model for inpatient hypoglycaemia (2), evaluate its acceptability and feasibility and (3) analyse hypoglycaemia management to inform quality improvement initiatives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A hypoglycaemia audit system was co-designed with diabetes specialists, resident doctors and medical students, guided by ERIC study recommendations and the CFIR framework. Piloted at one site, it then expanded to ten hospitals, where feasibility and acceptability were evaluated using stakeholder feedback and system performance. The model was delivered via Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and train-the-trainer methods. Data on demographics, precipitants, treatments, and outcomes of clinically significant hypoglycaemias in people with diabetes were analysed to identify risk factors and adherence to guidelines. End-user and expert feedback informed system validation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The system was refined via stakeholder input and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to ensure usability before expanding to ten hospitals, where it achieved high acceptability. Over 11 months, 1,451 severe hypoglycaemias in 945 patients were recorded. Common precipitants included illness and missed meals. Management varied significantly between hospitals, e.g., glucagon use ranged from 2.6% (Hospital C) to 38.7% (Hospital E). Two hospitals within the same NHS trust showed differences in hypoglycaemia severity, treatment choices and mortality despite similar patient demographics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The co-designed multicentre digital evaluation model for in-hospital hypoglycaemia was successfully implemented with high acceptability and feasibility. Key findings highlight gaps in management, including suboptimal treatment adherence and high recurrence rates. Addressing these issues through real-time monitoring, targeted interventions and improved guideline adherence could enhance patient outcomes. This standardised model could address differences in healthcare regionally and nationally for other conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1862035"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646156/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A process evaluation of everyday life rehabilitation: a critical discourse analysis of housing staff perspectives.","authors":"André Sjöberg, Linda Richter Sundberg, Maria Lindström","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1771613","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1771613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Residents in supported accommodation often lead lonely and sedentary lives, with limited influence on everyday decisions. In addition, long-term outreach-based rehabilitative efforts and integrated care remain uncommon in this setting. The intervention, Everyday Life Rehabilitation (ELR), was developed specifically for this setting and has demonstrated robust effectiveness in an experimental trial. Yet implementation of similar interventions often meets resistance. This study examines how organisational discourse and contextual determinants shape the implementation of recovery-oriented interventions in supported accommodation.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This is an embedded process evaluation following a randomised controlled trial of ELR in Sweden. Focus group interviews were conducted with housing staff (<i>n</i> = 23) across seven supported accommodation units. Transcribed interviews were analysed using critical discourse analysis to examine how language, power relations, and organisational context shaped staff's understandings of the implementation process.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Our interpretation is that the core discourses among housing staff revealed how they diminished the intervention's perceived novelty and legitimised existing practices to cope with change. The discourses often constrained resident's potential to maintain control over collective resources in accordance with organisational norms. Across the corpus, staff discourses protected the boundary between insiders and outsiders, potentially generating tensions regarding collaboration, ownership, and power. Finally, vague leadership often blurred the lines of accountability, requiring staff and occupational therapists to negotiate responsibilities within organisational constraints.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Discourse analysis can be a valuable methodology for understanding how implementation barriers emerge and are sustained in supported accommodation. We argue that the identified barriers did not reflect staff resistance to the intervention but rather how the implementation process was framed within the organisation. Our interpretation is that structural limitations, including vague leadership and unclear accountability for implementation, constrained staff agency and contributed to discursive strategies that legitimised resistance and gatekeeping.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1771613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13646057/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discursive constructions of employee mental health in South African labour legislation and organizational policy: implications for psychosocial safety climate.","authors":"Nthabeleng Innocentia Mdhluli","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1879780","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1879780","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>South African labour legislation and organizational policies provide fragmented and largely reactive entry points for employee mental health protection, yet the discursive mechanisms through which this pattern is reproduced remain underexamined. This study reports a qualitative documentary analysis of how legislative and organizational policy texts construct employee mental health in South Africa and considers the implications of these constructions for psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and the constitutional rights to dignity, equality, and access to healthcare services. A Fairclough-informed critical discourse analysis was applied to four principal employment statutes, namely the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and Employment Equity Act, and twelve purposively sampled organizational mental health policies from the public, private and non-profit sectors across five provinces. The analysis was structured by three regulatory dimensions: psychosocial hazard prevention, reasonable accommodation for psychosocial disability and protection from mental health-related discrimination. Although the statutes provide partial and indirect protections, mental health was constructed predominantly through discourses of incapacity, physical safety, and residual disability, with limited textual emphasis on proactive psychosocial risk prevention. The organizational policies largely reproduced these constructions and reflected cultural invisibility and a lack of comprehensive accountability mechanisms. Employees were positioned primarily as recipients of discretionary, individually initiated support rather than as rights-bearers entitled to structural protection. Trade unions and other collective mechanisms were also largely absent from mental health governance. These patterns may constrain the regulatory and organizational conditions associated with a strong PSC, although PSC and employee outcomes were not measured. The study recommends explicit psychosocial risk provisions, strengthened accommodation for psychosocial disability, culturally responsive policy design, preventative human resource practices and the inclusion of psychosocial working conditions within collective bargaining. The findings demonstrate how legislative and policy discourse may shape organizational mental health governance in an upper-middle-income economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1879780"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13643223/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"October 2026-academization of psychotherapy training in Austria.","authors":"Sara Plimon-Rohm, Thomas Probst","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1829383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2026.1829383","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>According to the Psychotherapy Act 2024, a new psychotherapy training program will start in Austria in October 2026. This is a paradigm shift towards the academization of psychotherapy training. The new psychotherapy training program consists of three phases: various qualifications as the first training phase, a new master's program in psychotherapy at universities as the second training phase (500 study places at public universities across Austria will be funded annually by the government), and a postgraduate third training phase in one of the accredited psychotherapeutic methods or clusters at a licensed psychotherapeutic professional association. The new psychotherapy training program could reduce financial costs for trainees compared to the old psychotherapy training system in Austria. Moreover, the new master's program in psychotherapy may lead to more professorships and academic staff for psychotherapy at universities and university outpatient psychotherapy clinics. This could boost psychotherapy research in Austria with international visibility. Despite these opportunities, there remain challenges to be addressed in the future. This perspective describes the new psychotherapy training program in Austria and discusses its opportunities and problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1829383"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657034/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149186540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Continuous labor support by doulas and nurses and its impact on birth outcomes: a systematic review.","authors":"Mirfat Mohamed Labib Elkashif, Doaa Mostafa Sheashaa, Magda Mahmoud Mohammad Elgameel, Mohamed Sayed Abdellatif, Ahmed Abd-Elrahman Mohamed, Sally Abd-Elrahman Mohamed","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1889587","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1889587","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Continuous labor support provided by doulas, nurses, or midwives is increasingly recognized as an important component of respectful, woman-centered maternity care. Evidence suggests that continuous support during labor may improve maternal and neonatal outcomes by enhancing emotional support, facilitating labor progress, and reducing unnecessary obstetric interventions. However, variations in intervention models and healthcare settings have resulted in inconsistent findings regarding the effectiveness of different support providers. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of continuous labor support provided by doulas, nurses, or midwives on maternal and neonatal outcomes and to identify current evidence gaps to inform clinical practice and future research.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines. Electronic searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science to identify eligible studies published between January 2008 and December 2025. Only peer-reviewed primary empirical studies published in English were included. Eligible studies evaluated continuous labor support provided by doulas, nurses, midwives, or trained birth companions and reported maternal and/or neonatal outcomes. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were synthesized narratively according to study characteristics, intervention type, and reported outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Overall, continuous labor support was associated with improved maternal and selected neonatal outcomes across diverse healthcare settings. The most consistent maternal benefits included increased spontaneous vaginal birth, reduced cesarean delivery, shorter labor duration, lower use of obstetric interventions, improved maternal satisfaction, and enhanced breastfeeding initiation. Midwife-led continuous support demonstrated favorable effects on labor progression, whereas community-based doula programs showed particular benefits for socially disadvantaged and migrant women by improving access to culturally responsive maternity care. Evidence regarding nurse-led continuous labor support remained limited. Although neonatal outcomes generally showed positive trends, findings for Apgar scores and neonatal intensive care unit admission were less consistent across studies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Continuous labor support appears to be an effective, woman-centered strategy for improving childbirth outcomes and maternal experiences. Integrating doulas, nurses, and midwives into models of continuous labor support may contribute to reducing unnecessary obstetric interventions and promoting respectful maternity care. However, heterogeneity among intervention models and outcome measures limits direct comparison between studies. Future research should prioritize high-quality comparative trials evaluati","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1889587"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13643227/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149129375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived social support and life engagement among older adults using thermal health tourism services: the moderating role of aging anxiety.","authors":"Kadriye Sönmez","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1901204","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1901204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Life engagement is a central dimension of psychological functioning in later life. Its association with perceived social support varies across levels of aging-related concern, and evidence from thermal health tourism settings remains limited.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examined the associations of perceived social support and aging anxiety with life engagement among older adults using thermal health tourism services, including the interaction between perceived social support and aging anxiety. Source-specific support analyses described the relative contributions of significant-other, family, and friend support.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study used 415 deduplicated questionnaires from adults aged 65 years and older at one thermal health tourism facility. Scale scores required at least 80% item completion. Pearson correlations and ordinary least squares regression with HC3 heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors formed the primary analysis. Robust regression, median quantile regression, bootstrap estimation, strict complete-item scoring, source-specific models, dominance analysis, and commonality analysis provided sensitivity and secondary results. The primary adjusted model included 384 complete cases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Perceived social support was positively associated with life engagement [b = 0.106, 95% CI (0.048, 0.164), <i>p</i> < .001], and aging anxiety was negatively associated with life engagement [b = -0.326, 95% CI (-0.474, -0.179), <i>p</i> < .001]. The interaction was negative [b = -0.061, 95% CI (-0.118, -0.005), <i>p</i> = .034], with an incremental R² of.014. The positive support-life engagement association was statistically significant below an aging-anxiety score of 3.15. The interaction confidence interval included zero in the strict complete-item and median quantile sensitivity analyses. The three support sources were highly correlated, and their combined incremental R² was.028 in the source-specific analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Among voluntary users of one thermal health tourism facility, higher perceived social support and lower aging anxiety were associated with higher life engagement. The support-life engagement association was smaller at higher aging-anxiety levels. The cross-sectional interaction was modest and sensitive to the missing-item rule and conditional-distribution model.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1901204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13642745/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How do existing HRSN assessment tools assess social needs for older adults? A systematic review.","authors":"Scott E Wilks, Laura Ainsworth, R J Bardales, Julia Trahan","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1952389","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1952389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Health related social needs (HRSNs) limit access to healthcare and contribute to significant health disparities among older adults. The Louisiana-Mississippi Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (LAMS-GWEP) is a federally funded program that educates and trains healthcare professionals to address the needs of older adults living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their care partners. Given that HRSNs compound caregiving stress and may limit access to dementia-related healthcare, understanding how to accurately assess these needs in geriatric context is essential to the aims of LAMS-GWEP. Accordingly, we (the LAMS-GWEP team) conducted a systematic review with a threefold purpose: (a) to identify studies that applied an HRSN-focused empirical measure with older adult samples; (b) to assess the methodological rigor of these studies; and (c) to examine psychometric properties and utility from the HRSN assessment tools among these studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using the PRISMA methodology, inclusion criteria included publication within 10 years; use of an HRSN focused assessment tool; and geriatric samples in the healthcare setting. Exclusion criteria included gray literature, or publications not controlled by traditional commercial publishing; and psychiatric care settings. Each study was assessed for methodological rigor using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adaptation for cross-sectional analysis. The studies were reviewed for findings of their respective HRSN psychometric properties: reliability, validity, cultural adaptability, acceptability, feasibility, and responsiveness.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven studies (<i>N</i> = 7) met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methodological rigor of the studies' designs was high, and the sample of studies mentioned six HRSN assessment tools. Regarding psychometric properties and utility, none of the seven studies reported any statistics related to reliability. Two studies reported at least one type of validity with the geriatric population.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Literature that assesses geriatric-related social needs using HRSN assessment tools is scarce. Further, the tools used in this limited body of knowledge overwhelmingly lack adequate psychometric testing and understanding. Implications from this review address the need for formal testing of these tools with older adult samples to ensure empirically accurate representation of HRSNs within geriatric communities. This enhanced understanding should increase age-friendly initiatives endorsed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and other geriatrics organizations.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1952389"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13642715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149129396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dyadic capability in post-stroke transitional care: a study protocol for instrument development and longitudinal evaluation.","authors":"Eleonora Lombardi, Gianluca Pucciarelli, Federico Cortese, Vincenzo Damico, Belen Gutierrez-Baena, Rosaria Alvaro, Ercole Vellone, Francesco Petrosino, Davide Bartoli","doi":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1924597","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frhs.2026.1924597","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Stroke represents a major burden for both survivors and caregivers. Although caregiver preparedness has been widely studied, it is typically assessed through self-reported measures that capture subjective perceptions rather than real-life adaptive functioning. Conventional training approaches, focused on knowledge and technical skills, often fail to support sustainable long-term care. The concept of capability may offer a more comprehensive framework for evaluating caregiving; however, it remains insufficiently operationalized and empirically validated in stroke populations.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To develop, operationalize, and empirically evaluate dyadic capability in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Building on a completed and separately published systematic review and integrated concept analysis, this mixed-methods longitudinal study protocol comprises four linked empirical phases: qualitative exploration, instrument development and validation, longitudinal observational evaluation, and intervention evaluation. The protocol has been prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/sjdzp. Qualitative data will be analysed using conventional content analysis and integrated through triangulation. Psychometric evaluation will include Delphi consensus procedures and factor analyses. Quantitative data will be collected at five timepoints (pre-intervention baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months) and analysed using linear mixed-effects and dyadic (Actor-Partner Interdependence) models.</p><p><strong>Expected results: </strong>The Dyadic Capability Scale is expected to support the assessment of dyadic capability and the empirical refinement of the proposed conceptual framework for adaptive post-stroke care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This protocol proposes a theoretically grounded and clinically applicable conceptual framework for assessing dyadic capability in post-stroke care.</p>","PeriodicalId":73088,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in health services","volume":"6 ","pages":"1924597"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13642719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149139609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}