Ann Elizabeth Kurth's additional information
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Publications
International consensus-based policy recommendations to advance universal palliative care access from the American Academy of Nursing Expert Panels
AbstractRosa, W. E., Buck, H. G., Squires, A. P., Kozachik, S. L., Huijer, H. A. S., Bakitas, M., Boit, J. M. G., Bradley, P. K., Cacchione, P. Z., Chan, G. K., Crisp, N., Dahlin, C., Daoust, P., Davidson, P. M., Davis, S., Doumit, M. A., Fink, R. M., Herr, K. A., Hinds, P. S., … Ferrell, B. R. (2022). Nursing Outlook, 70(1), 36-46. 10.1016/j.outlook.2021.06.018AbstractThe purpose of this consensus paper was to convene leaders and scholars from eight Expert Panels of the American Academy of Nursing and provide recommendations to advance nursing's roles and responsibility to ensure universal access to palliative care. On behalf of the Academy, these evidence-based recommendations will guide nurses, policy makers, government representatives, professional associations, and interdisciplinary and community partners to integrate palliative nursing services across health and social care settings. Through improved palliative nursing education, nurse-led research, nurse engagement in policy making, enhanced intersectoral partnerships with nursing, and an increased profile and visibility of palliative care nurses worldwide, nurses can assume leading roles in delivering high-quality palliative care globally, particularly for minoritized, marginalized, and other at-risk populations. Part II herein provides a summary of international responses and policy options that have sought to enhance universal palliative care and palliative nursing access to date. Additionally, we provide ten policy, education, research, and clinical practice recommendations based on the rationale and background information found in Part I. The consensus paper's 43 authors represent eight countries (Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, South Africa, United States of America) and extensive international health experience, thus providing a global context for the subject matter.American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel consensus statement on nursing's roles in ensuring universal palliative care access
AbstractRosa, W. E., Buck, H. G., Squires, A. P., Kozachik, S. L., Huijer, H. A. S., Bakitas, M., Boit, J. M. G., Bradley, P. K., Cacchione, P. Z., Chan, G. K., Crisp, N., Dahlin, C., Daoust, P., Davidson, P. M., Davis, S., Doumit, M. A., Fink, R. M., Herr, K. A., Hinds, P. S., … Ferrell, B. R. (2021). Nursing Outlook, 69(6), 961-968. 10.1016/j.outlook.2021.06.011AbstractThe purpose of this consensus paper was to convene leaders and scholars from eight Expert Panels of the American Academy of Nursing and provide recommendations to advance nursing's roles and responsibility to ensure universal access to palliative care. Part I of this consensus paper herein provides the rationale and background to support the policy, education, research, and clinical practice recommendations put forward in Part II. On behalf of the Academy, the evidence-based recommendations will guide nurses, policy makers, government representatives, professional associations, and interdisciplinary and community partners to integrate palliative nursing services across health and social care settings. The consensus paper's 43 authors represent eight countries (Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, South Africa, United States of America) and extensive international health experience, thus providing a global context for the subject matter. The authors recommend greater investments in palliative nursing education and nurse-led research, nurse engagement in policy making, enhanced intersectoral partnerships with nursing, and an increased profile and visibility of palliative nurses worldwide. By enacting these recommendations, nurses working in all settings can assume leading roles in delivering high-quality palliative care globally, particularly for minoritized, marginalized, and other at-risk populations.The Green Print: Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare
AbstractSherman, J. D., Thiel, C., MacNeill, A., Eckelman, M. J., Dubrow, R., Hopf, H., Lagasse, R., Bialowitz, J., Costello, A., Forbes, M., Stancliffe, R., Anastas, P., Anderko, L., Baratz, M., Barna, S., Bhatnagar, U., Burnham, J., Cai, Y., Cassels-Brown, A., … Bilec, M. M. (2020). Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 161. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104882AbstractHealthcare is a major emitter of environmental pollutants that adversely affect health. Within the healthcare community, awareness of these effects is low, and recognition of the duty to address them is only beginning to gain traction. Healthcare sustainability science explores dimensions of resource consumption and environmental emissions associated with healthcare activities. This emerging field provides tools and metrics to quantify the unintended consequences of healthcare delivery and evaluate effective approaches that improve patient safety while protecting public health. This narrative review describes the scope of healthcare sustainability research, identifies knowledge gaps, introduces a framework for applications of existing research methods and tools to the healthcare context, and establishes research priorities to improve the environmental performance of healthcare services. The framework was developed through review of the current state of healthcare sustainability science and expert consensus by the Working Group for Environmental Sustainability in Clinical Care. Key recommendations include: development of a comprehensive life cycle inventory database for medical devices and drugs; application of standardized sustainability performance metrics for clinician, hospital/health system, and national levels; revision of infection control standards driving non-evidence-based uptake of single-use disposable devices; call for increased federal research funding; and formation of a Global Commission on the Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare. There is urgent need for research that informs policy and practice to address the public health crisis arising from healthcare pollution. A transformational vision is required to align research priorities to achieve a sustainable healthcare system that advances quality, safety and value.Nursing and midwifery advocacy to lead the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda
AbstractRosa, W. E., Kurth, A. E., Sullivan-Marx, E., Shamian, J., Shaw, H. K., Wilson, L. L., & Crisp, N. (2019). Nursing Outlook, 67(6), 628-641. 10.1016/j.outlook.2019.06.013AbstractThe United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was implemented on January 1, 2016 and is composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further delineated by 169 targets. This article offers background information on the 2030 Agenda as it relates to nursing and midwifery, professional organizational initiatives currently advancing the SDGs, the ethos of global citizenship, the urgency to respond to dwindling planetary health, the salience of nursing and midwifery advocacy in SDG attainment, and the myriad opportunities for nurses to lead and collaborate toward realizing these Global Goals. A US-based perspective is employed to underscore the Agenda's relevance to the US nursing workforce and healthcare system. The SDGs, with their holistic bio-psycho-social-environmental approach to health, present enormous opportunities for nurses and midwives. The SDG framework is naturally aligned with the foundational philosophy and purpose of our professions.Interdisciplinary Collaborations in Global Health Research
Kurth, A., Squires, A., Shedlin, M., & Kiarie, J. (2018). In Global Health Nursing in the 21st Century (1–). Springer Publishing Company. 10.1891/9780826118721.0031Accuracy and Acceptability of Oral Fluid HIV Self-Testing in a General Adult Population in Kenya
AbstractKurth, A. E., Cleland, C. M., Chhun, N., Sidle, J. E., Were, E., Naanyu, V., Emonyi, W., Macharia, S. M., Sang, E., & Siika, A. M. (2016). AIDS and Behavior, 20(4), 870-879. 10.1007/s10461-015-1213-9AbstractWe evaluated performance, accuracy, and acceptability parameters of unsupervised oral fluid (OF) HIV self-testing (HIVST) in a general population in western Kenya. In a prospective validation design, we enrolled 240 adults to perform rapid OF HIVST and compared results to staff administered OF and rapid fingerstick tests. All reactive, discrepant, and a proportion of negative results were confirmed with lab ELISA. Twenty participants were video-recorded conducting self-testing. All participants completed a staff administered survey before and after HIVST to assess attitudes towards OF HIVST acceptability. HIV prevalence was 14.6 %. Thirty-six of the 239 HIVSTs were invalid (15.1 %; 95 % CI 11.1–20.1 %), with males twice as likely to have invalid results as females. HIVST sensitivity was 89.7 % (95 % CI 73–98 %) and specificity was 98 % (95 % CI 89–99 %). Although sensitivity was somewhat lower than expected, there is clear interest in, and high acceptability (94 %) of OF HIV self-testing.Linguistic and cultural adaptation of a computer-based counseling program (CARE+ Spanish) to support HIV treatment adherence and risk reduction for people living with HIV/AIDS: A randomized controlled trial
AbstractKurth, A. E., Chhun, N., Cleland, C. M., Crespo-Fierro, M., Parés-Avila, J. A., Lizcano, J. A., GNorman, R., Shedlin, M. G., Johnston, B. E., & Sharp, V. L. (2016). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(7). 10.2196/jmir.5830AbstractBackground: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease in the United States disproportionately affects minorities, including Latinos. Barriers including language are associated with lower antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence seen among Latinos, yet ART and interventions for clinic visit adherence are rarely developed or delivered in Spanish. Objective: The aim was to adapt a computer-based counseling tool, demonstrated to reduce HIV-1 viral load and sexual risk transmission in a population of English-speaking adults, for use during routine clinical visits for an HIV-positive Spanish-speaking population (CARE+ Spanish); the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was the theoretical framework guiding program development. Methods: A longitudinal randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 4, 2010 to March 29, 2012. Participants were recruited from a comprehensive HIV treatment center comprising three clinics in New York City. Eligibility criteria were (1) adults (age ≥18 years), (2) Latino birth or ancestry, (3) speaks Spanish (mono- or multilingual), and (4) on antiretrovirals. Linear and generalized mixed linear effects models were used to analyze primary outcomes, which included ART adherence, sexual transmission risk behaviors, and HIV-1 viral loads. Exit interviews were offered to purposively selected intervention participants to explore cultural acceptability of the tool among participants, and focus groups explored the acceptability and system efficiency issues among clinic providers, using the TAM framework. Results: A total of 494 Spanish-speaking HIV clinic attendees were enrolled and randomly assigned to the intervention (arm A: n=253) or risk assessment-only control (arm B, n=241) group and followed up at 3-month intervals for one year. Gender distribution was 296 (68.4%) male, 110 (25.4%) female, and 10 (2.3%) transgender. By study end, 433 of 494 (87.7%) participants were retained. Although intervention participants had reduced viral loads, increased ART adherence and decreased sexual transmission risk behaviors over time, these findings were not statistically significant. We also conducted 61 qualitative exit interviews with participants and two focus groups with a total of 16 providers. Conclusions: A computer-based counseling tool grounded in the TAM theoretical model and delivered in Spanish was acceptable and feasible to implement in a high-volume HIV clinic setting. It was able to provide evidence-based, linguistically appropriate ART adherence support without requiring additional staff time, bilingual status, or translation services. We found that language preferences and cultural acceptability of a computer-based counseling tool exist on a continuum in our urban Spanish-speaking population. Theoretical frameworks of technology's usefulness for behavioral modification need further exploration in other languages and cultures.Response to "Oral PrEP for young African women and men"
Celum, C. L., Delany-Moretlwe, S., McConnell, M., Van Rooyen, H., Bekker, L. G., Kurth, A., Bukusi, E., Desmond, C., Morton, J., & Baeten, J. M. (2016, February 25). In Journal of the International AIDS Society (Vols. 19, Issue 1). 10.7448/IAS.19.1.20861Screening for depression in children and adolescents: U.S. Preventive services task force recommendation statement
Failed generating bibliography.AbstractAbstractDescription: Update of the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents. Methods: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening; the accuracy of primary care-feasible screening tests; and the benefits and harms of treatment with psychotherapy, medications, and collaborative care models in patients aged 7 to 18 years. Population: This recommendation applies to children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger who do not have a diagnosis of MDD. Recommendation: The USPSTF recommends screening for MDD in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Screening should be implemented with adequate systems in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate follow-up. (B recommendation) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for MDD in children aged 11 years or younger. (I statement).Screening for impaired visual acuity in older adults: US preventive services task force recommendation statement
AbstractSiu, A. L., Bibbins-Domingo, K., Grossman, D. C., Baumann, L. C., Davidson, K. W., Ebell, M., García, F. A., Gillman, M., Herzstein, J., Kemper, A. R., Krist, A. H., Kurth, A. E., Owens, D. K., Phillips, W. R., Phipps, M. G., & Pignone, M. P. (2016). JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association, 315(9), 908-914. 10.1001/jama.2016.0763AbstractDescription Update of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for impaired visual acuity in older adults. Methods The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on screening for visual acuity impairment associated with uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration among adults 65 years or older in the primary care setting; the benefits and harms of screening; the accuracy of screening; and the benefits and harms of treatment of early vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. Population This recommendation applies to asymptomatic adults 65 years or older who do not present to their primary care clinician with vision problems. Recommendation The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for impaired visual acuity in older adults.