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Introduction: Sweden has an extensive national child health care programme (CHCP) implying that all parents are offered support to raise their children and support them for healthy development. The programme is today built on personal physical contacts and digital components unusual. Although the digital world could be frightening and insecure, it also has benefits, because it is not dependent on face-to face meetings and is accessible more hours. In order to develop a digital channel to complement the CHPC, for the support of parents of children within child health care (CHC), parents' perspectives must be investigated. The aim of the study was therefore to describe parents' needs and expectations of digital support in the context of child health care.

Methods: The study had a qualitative approach using workshop discussions with parents as data. The interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: The main theme highlights that parents expected that a digital support channel would be something that might strengthen them towards independence concerning the care of their children, in a positive way. However, they also felt that they needed personal support and that relationships with other parents and the child health care nurse were significant and meaningful. Another parental desire that emerged was that a future digital channel would facilitate and simplify access to care and they suggested having both planned and urgent times available for parents to book. The digital channel was expected to make this possible and be a good complement to the physical contacts the traditional child health care currently offers.

Discussion/Conclusions: The parents in this study believed that digital solutions could increase their parental power in relation to the care of their children. Examples were given as digital nurse-led parent groups where parents with similar problems and experiences around their children could support each other and were expected to strengthen them over time. The parents stressed that a planned digital support channel also needs satisfactory solutions for both contact and response and have bookable digital meetings for both planned and urgent needs.

Objective: This study describes patterns of self-management ease and difficulty among older adults with long-term health conditions and the associations with gender, level of education, number of conditions, depression and/or health status.

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional data were collected between 2021–2022 in a municipality in northern Sweden. The survey included demographic and health-related questions. To assess self-management ease or difficulty and symptoms of depression, the Patient Reported Inventory of Self-Management of Chronic Conditions (PRISM-CC) and the Geriatric Depression Scale were used. 516 older adults between 72–73 years of age with long-term health conditions were included. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to describe patterns of self-management ease and difficulty and to examine which factors were associated with self-management difficulty.

Results: Most older adults did not experience self-management difficulty. There were, however, differences between the seven PRISM-CC domains. The Internal domain (managing negative emotions and stress) had the highest percentage (25.39%) of older adults with self-management difficulty. In all domains, there was also a subgroup of individuals (n = 26) that had noticeably lower PRISM-CC scores (more difficulty). A strong association between having depressive symptoms or having poor health status and self-management difficulty was found.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for regular mental health screenings and individualized self-management support for older adults. Future research should explore intervention strategies that integrate mental health support into self-management programs for individuals with long-term health conditions.

Background: Self-management is internationally recognized as important to maintain independence, quality of life and to minimize the risk of poor health outcomes, especially among persons with multi-morbidity. Self-management can be especially challenging for older adults, who have higher rates of multi-morbidity and experience diverse impacts of long-term health conditions on everyday life. Good measures of self-management are currently lacking. The Patient Reported Inventory of Self-Management of Chronic Conditions (PRISM-CC) is a new, generic, multidimensional measure of self-perceived ease or difficulty with self-management, that overcomes many of the limitations of existing measures.

Objectives: To test the structural validity and test-retest reliability of the Swedish version of the PRISM-CC among seventy-year-olds with long-term health conditions.

Methods: Translation of PRISM-CC items into Swedish followed the Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Consortium process. Survey data (n = 516 Swedish seventy-year-olds with ≥1 long-term health condition) was used to assess structural validity of the 36-item PRISM-CC using multidimensional item response theory (IRT) models. Test-retest reliability was assessed on a subsample of 58 individuals using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman Plots.

Results: The Swedish PRISM-CC demonstrated good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha >0.8 for all domains, and good fit to a graded response IRT model (RMSEA 0.034, SRMSR 0.050, CFI 0.952 and TLI 0.945). All 36 items had standardized loadings >0.7. ICC showed moderate to good test-retest reliability for all seven domains. The Bland-Altman plots showed minimal bias and good test-retest agreement for all domains.

Conclusion: The Swedish PRISM-CC showed good structural validity and test-retest reliability in this sample of relatively healthy seventy-year-olds with long-term health condition(s). Further validation in a population with more severe health issues is needed.

Background: Digitalization has profoundly transformed health care delivery, especially within primary health care, as a crucial avenue for providing accessible, cost-effective care. While eHealth services are frequently highlighted for improving health care availability and promoting equality, it is essential to recognize that digitalization can inadvertently exclude individuals who lack the prerequisites to use eHealth services, that is, those with low eHealth literacy. Previous research has identified lower eHealth literacy among older individuals, those with lower educational levels, and those who use the internet less frequently. However, in a Swedish context, only a few studies have investigated eHealth literacy. Objective: This study investigated eHealth literacy and its association with health-related internet use and sociodemographic characteristics among primary health care visitors. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a quantitative, descriptive approach. Swedish-speaking patients visiting a primary health care center participated by answering the multidimensional eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ) and questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics and internet usage. The study compared mean scores using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. A logistic regression analysis also explored the associations between eHealth literacy and significant independent variables identified in the univariate analyses. Results: As a group, the 172 participants rated highest in understanding and engagement with their health (median eHLQ score 3, IQR 2.8-3.4), as well as in feeling secure about the confidentiality of eHealth services (median eHLQ score 3, IQR 2-3), while they rated lower in motivation to use eHealth (median eHLQ score 2.6, IQR 2-3), the suitability of eHealth services to their personal needs (median eHLQ score 2.75, IQR 2-3), and their perceived ability to understand and use health-related internet information (median eHLQ score 2.6, IQR 2-3). The logistic regression analysis identified that lower eHealth literacy was associated with older age, particularly in domains related to finding, understanding, and using health-related internet information (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% CI 1-1.05; P=.03); digital technology use (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.08; P<.001); and accessing well-functioning eHealth services (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1-1.05; P=.03). Additionally, in the logistic regression analysis, perceiving health-related internet information as not useful was linked to lower literacy in all eHLQ domains except one. Conclusions: Our findings regarding the primary challenges within our sample underscore the importance of developing and tailoring eHealth services to accommodate users' individual needs better, enhancing motivation for eHealth use, and continuing efforts to improve overall health literacy. These measures, which both eHealth developers and health care professionals should consider, are crucial for addressing the digital divide and expanding access to eHealth services for as many people as possible.

Background: Moral distress is a problem and negative experience among health-care professionals. Various instruments have been developed to measure the level and underlying reasons for experienced moral distress. The moral distress thermometer (MDT) is a single-tool instrument to capture the level of moral distress experienced in real-time.

Aim: The aim of this study was to translate the MDT and adapt it to the Swedish cultural context. R

esearch design: The first part of this study concerns the translation of MDT to the Swedish context, and the second part the psychometric testing of the Swedish version.

Participants and research context: 89 healthcare professionals working at a hospital in northern Sweden participated. Convergent validity was tested between MDT and Measure of Moral Distress-Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP), and construct validity was tested by comparing MDT scores among healthcare professionals. MDT was compared with responses to the final questions in MMD-HP. One-way ANOVA, Welch’s ANOVA, Games–Howell post-hoc test and Pearson’s correlation analysis were done.

Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Swedish Ethics Review Authority (dnr 2020-04120) in accordance with Helsinki Declaration.

Results: The translated Swedish version of MDT was described as relevant to capture the experience of moral distress. The mean value for MDT was 2.26, with a median of 2 and a mode value of 0. The result showed moderate correlations between the MDT and MMD-HP total scores. There was a significant difference when comparing MDT and healthcare professionals who had never considered leaving their present position with those who had left and those who had considered leaving but had not done so, with the latter assessing significantly higher moral distress.

Conclusion: The MDT is an easily available instrument useful as an extension to MMD-HP to measure the real-time experience of moral distress among healthcare professionals in a Swedish context.

Assessment of self-conscious emotions is important to develop tailored interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previous instruments have largely been developed for mental health populations. The Self-Conscious Emotions in COPD Questionnaire was the first instrument to assess self-conscious emotions in people with COPD, but it was only available in English.

The aim was to translate the Self-Conscious Emotions in COPD Questionnaire into Swedish and to evaluate its psychometric properties and internal structure in a Swedish context.

The translation process included forward and backward translation, a multidisciplinary meeting, assessment of content validity, and cognitive interviews. The translated instrument was tested in a sample of 173 people with COPD between September 2021 and September 2022. Parallel analysis (PA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and test-retest reliability was performed.

The content validity index (CVI) for the instrument was 0.88. Based on the PA, an EFA with a two-factor solution was conducted, with a high Cronbach's alpha (0.786-0.821), and one item about self-blame was excluded. The two factors were labelled: The burden of living with a disability and The desire to hide vulnerability. Test-retest reliability showed no difference between scale scores on factor or item level, except for one item.

The Swedish Self-Conscious Emotions in COPD showed good validity and reliability. One item was excluded from the two subscales, indicating that the instrument needs to be further developed to cover the concept of self-blame. The instrument is expected to be a valuable tool for assessing self-conscious emotions in people with COPD.

Background: Moral distress has been described as moral constraints and uncertainty connected with guilty feelings of being unable to give care in accordance with one's values for good care. Various instruments to measure moral distress have been developed. The instrument measure of moral distress for healthcare professionals (MMD-HP) was developed to capture the experience and frequency of moral distress among various healthcare professionals. The MMD-HP has been translated and culturally adapted into the Swedish language and context; however, the translation has not been validated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Swedish version of the measure of moral distress for healthcare professionals (MMD-HP).

Methods: Eighty-nine staff from various professions at a hospital in northern Sweden participated in the study. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to check for consistency with the original version of the MMD-HP. To evaluate internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha was calculated for each domain and for the scale as a whole.

Results: The scale as a whole showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.96, with a range between 0.84 and 0.90 between the different subscales. A confirmatory factor analysis based on the original four-factor structure showed good fit indices with a χ²/df of 0.67, CFI at 1.00, TLI at 1.02 and NFI at 0.97. RMSEA was at 0.00, and SRMR was at 0.08. A comparison of the total score between three equally large groups of years of experience at the present workplace showed no significant differences (F = 0.09, df = 2, p = 0.912).

Conclusions: We found that the Swedish version of the MMD-HP has shown validity and reliability for use in a Swedish context for measuring moral distress among health personnel.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing digitalization in health care, an effective instrument is necessary to assess health care consumers' digital competencies-their "eHealth literacy." The 7-scale eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ), based on the theoretically robust eHealth Literacy Framework, has shown strong psychometric properties in Denmark and Australia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the eHLQ.

METHODS: We followed the Translation Integrity Procedure guidelines to translate and culturally adapt the questionnaire to Swedish using forward and backward translations, review by an expert panel, and cognitive interviewing. The psychometric properties of the Swedish eHLQ were investigated by evaluating its internal consistency (Cronbach α) and a priori-defined factor structure (confirmatory factor analysis).

RESULTS: A total of 236 primary health care patients and parents of hospitalized children were included in the validation analysis. The mean age was 48.5 years, and 129 (55%) were women. All 7 eHLQ scales showed good internal consistency, with the Cronbach α ranging from .82 to .92. Single-factor and 7-factor confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory model-fit values. With one exception, all items demonstrated satisfactory loadings on their respective factors.

CONCLUSIONS: The Swedish eHLQ demonstrated strong psychometric properties. It has the potential as a useful tool for a variety of purposes, including population surveys, intervention evaluations, and eHealth service implementations.

To support the incorporation of Family Systems Nursing (FSN) in clinical practice, more understanding is needed about the implementation of FSN in home health practice settings. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate nurses' perspectives about the implementation process of Family Systems Nursing Conversations (FSNCs) in home health care. A mixed-methods research design was used, integrating qualitative and quantitative data, and using triangulation as a methodological metaphor. The Quality Implementation Framework (QIF) was applied to guide the implementation process, and Proctor et al.'s taxonomy of implementation outcomes was used to evaluate the process. The findings demonstrated that FSN implementation was in progress. Overall, acceptability and appropriateness of FSNCs were evaluated as positive by home health nurses; however, some obstacles were found relating to feasibility, adoption, and fidelity. These results contribute to an increased understanding of the process and challenges of implementing FSNCs in home health care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet has been a major source of information for people to keep updated with news and guidelines. However, concerns have been raised about the ‘infodemic’, which includes the overabundance of online information and the spread of misleading information. Adequate eHealth literacy skills among world citizens have therefore been emphasized as vital during the pandemic. Persons with type 2 diabetes have been at increased risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19 disease. 

This study aimed to explore online COVID-19 information acquisition experiences among persons with type 2 diabetes and varying eHealth literacy. Fifty-eight participants filled out the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), along with a qualitative questionnaire with free-text questions. Additionally, 10 participants were interviewed. Thematic analysis was applied to identify patterns in participants’ experiences. Two domains were identified: perceived challenges with online information about COVID-19, and coping strategies to manage challenges. The perceived challenges were: being exposed to information overload, dealing with conflicting information, and being strongly emotionally affected. The related coping strategies were: protecting oneself, trusting authorities, taking command, and using common sense. 

These strategies often involved triangulation of the information obtained, including participants consulting their common sense, various sources, or family and friends. This paper highlights the crucial role of authorities in delivering online information, that according to health literacy principles, is easy to access, understand, and use. Furthermore, our results reinforce the importance of diabetes nurses, as well as healthcare professionals in general, in encouraging patients to share their Internet findings, promote information from reliable sources, and deliver tailored information that suits individual needs. Because our results underline the importance of social support in eHealth literacy and the assessment of online health information, the inclusion of family and friends needs to be increasingly considered in diabetes care. Due to the small homogenous sample, the results of this study cannot be generalized. However, the reader can assess the transferability to other situations and settings based on our contextual descriptions.