Recently published papers & articles

Heckman, G. A., Boscart, V., Quail, P., Keller, H., Ramsey, C., Vucea, V., King, S., Garland, A, et al. (2021). Applying the Knowledge-to-Action Framework to Engage Stakeholders and Solve Shared Challenges with Person-Centered Advance Care Planning in Long-Term Care Homes. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 1–11. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980820000410

Meisner, B. A., Boscart, V., Gaudreau, P., Stolee, P., Ebert, P., Heyer, M., Kadowaki, L., Wilson, K., et al. (2020). Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches Needed to Determine Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults and Aging: CAG/ACG and CJA/RCV Joint Statement. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 39(3), 333–343. Cambridge University Press. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980820000203

Pirrie, M., Agarwal, G. Older adults living in social housing in Canada: the next COVID-19 hotspot?. Can J Public Health (2021). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00462-8

Hewston P, Kennedy CC, Borhan S, Merom D, Santaguida P, Ioannidis G, Marr S, Santesso N, Thabane L, Bray S, Papaioannou A. Effects of dance on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age Ageing. 2020 Dec 19:afaa270. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaa270. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33338209.

Andrew, M.K., MacDonald, S., Godin, J., McElhaney, J.E., LeBlanc, J., Hatchette, T.F., Bowie, W., Katz, K., McGeer, A., Semret, M. and McNeil, S.A. (2021), Persistent Functional Decline Following Hospitalization with Influenza or Acute Respiratory Illness. J Am Geriatr Soc. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16950

McNally, M., Reid L., and Lahey, W. (2020). Frailty screening: Doing good and avoiding harm. Research OUTREACH. Available at: https://researchoutreach.org/articles/frailty-screening-doing-good-avoiding-harm/ (Accessed 2020/12/15)

McIsaac, Daniel I. MD, MPH, FRCPC; Aucoin, Sylvie D. MD, MSc, FRCPC; van Walraven, Carl MD, MSc, FRCPC A Bayesian Comparison of Frailty Instruments in Noncardiac Surgery: A Cohort Study, Anesthesia & Analgesia: November 30, 2020 – Volume – Issue – 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005290 doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005290

Nora Choi, Allan Garland, Clare Ramsey, Jessica Steer, Heather Keller, George Heckman, Vanessa Vucea, Ikdip Bains, Brittany Kroetsch, Patrick Quail, Seema King, Tatiana Oshchepkova, Tatiana Kalashnikova, Veronique Boscart, Michelle Heyer, Problems With Advance Care Planning Processes and Practices in Nursing Homes, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 21, Issue 12, 2020, Pages 2012-2013, ISSN 1525-8610,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2020.07.010. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861020306216)

Chi-Ling Joanna Sinn, PhD, George Heckman, MD MSc, Jeffrey W. Poss, PhD, Graziano Onder, MD PhD, Davide Liborio Vetrano, MD PhD, John Hirdes, PhD: A comparison of 3 frailty measures and adverse outcomes in the intake home care population: a retrospective cohort study. cmajo 8:E796-E809; published online December 1, 2020, doi:10.9778/cmajo.20200083

Rockwood, K, Andrew, MK, Aubertin‐Leheudre, M, et al. CCCDTD5: Reducing the risk of later‐life dementia. Evidence informing the Fifth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD‐5). Alzheimer’s Dement. 2020; 00:e12083. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12083

Jill Morrison-Koechl, Sarah A. Wu, Susan E. Slaughter, Christina O. Lengyel, Natalie Carrier, Heather H. Keller, Hungry for more: low resident social engagement is indirectly associated with poor energy intake and mealtime experience in long-term care homes, Appetite, 2020, 105044, ISSN 0195-6663,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105044.

Heather Keller, Jill Morrison Koechl, Celia Laur, Helen Chen, Lori Curtis, Joel A. Dubin, Leah Gramlich, Sumantra Ray, Renata Valaitis, Yang Yang, Jack Bell, More-2-Eat implementation demonstrates that screening, assessment and treatment of malnourished patients can be spread and sustained in acute care; a multi-site, pretest post-test time series study, Clinical Nutrition, 2020, ISSN 0261-5614, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.09.034.

Church S, Rogers E, Rockwood K, Theou O. A scoping review of the Clinical Frailty Scale. BMC Geriatr. 2020;20(1):393. Published 2020 Oct 7. doi:10.1186/s12877-020-01801-7

Hessey, E., Montgomery, C., Zuege, D.J.,  Rolfson, D., Stelfox, Henry, T., Fiest, Kirsten, M., Bagshaw, Shaw M. Sex-specific prevalence and outcomes of frailty in critically ill patients. j intensive care 8, 75 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40560-020-00494-9

Pérez-Zepeda, M. U., Godin, J., Armstrong, J. J., Andrew, M. K., Mitnitski, A., Kirkland, S., Rockwood, K., & Theou, O. (2020). Frailty among middle-aged and older Canadians: population norms for the frailty index using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Age and ageing, afaa144. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa144

Harasym, P., Brisbin, S., Afzaal, M., Sinnarajah, A., Venturato, L., Quail, P., Kaasalainen, S., Straus, S. E., Sussman, T., Virk, N., & Holroyd-Leduc, J. (2020). Barriers and facilitators to optimal supportive end-of-life palliative care in long-term care facilities: a qualitative descriptive study of community-based and specialist palliative care physicians’ experiences, perceptions and perspectives. BMJ open, 10(8), e037466. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037466

Montgomery, Carmel L. et al. The Impact of Preoperative Frailty on the Clinical and Cost Outcomes of Adult Cardiac Surgery in Alberta, Canada: A Cohort Study CJC Open, Volume 3, Issue 1, 54 – 61. September 13, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjco.2020.09.009 

Green, A.R., Boyd, C.M., Gleason, K.S., Reeve, Emily et al. Designing a Primary Care–Based Deprescribing Intervention for Patients with Dementia and Multiple Chronic Conditions: a Qualitative Study. J GEN INTERN MED (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-06063-y

Agbadjé, T.T., Elidor, H., Perin, M.S., Adekpedjou. R & Légaré . F  Towards a taxonomy of behavior change techniques for promoting shared decision making. Implementation Sci 15, 67 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-01015-w

Schumacher, C., Jones, A., & Costa, A. P. (2020). Home Care Nursing Visits and Same-Day Emergency Department Use: Which Patients Are Most at Risk? Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0844562120949426

McIsaac, Daniel I. et al. Frailty and long-term postoperative disability trajectories: a prospective multicentre cohort study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, Volume 0, Issue 0 2020 Aug 7. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2020.07.003

McIsaac DI, Taljaard M, Bryson GL, et al. Frailty as a Predictor of Death or New Disability After Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study. Ann Surg. 2020;271(2):283-289. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000002967

Lee, L., Jones, A., Costa, A., Hillier, L. M., Patel, T., Milligan, J., Pefanis, J., Giangregorio, L., Heckman, G. A., & Parikh, R. (2020). The C5-75 Program: Meeting the Need for Efficient, Pragmatic Frailty Screening and Management in Primary Care. Canadian journal on aging = La revue canadienne du vieillissement, 1–13. 2020 Jun 23;1-13. doi: 10.1017/S0714980820000161. Online ahead of print.

Moody, Elaine PhD, RN; Phinney, Alison PhD, RN; Boschma, Geertje PhD, RN; Baumbusch, Jennifer PhD, RN The Contribution of Documentation Systems to How Nurses Understand Older People’s Cognitive Function in Hospital, Advances in Nursing Science: July/September 2020 – Volume 43 – Issue 3 – p 278-289
doi: 10.1097/ANS.0000000000000315

Hoogendijk, E.O., Smit, A.P., van Dam, C., Schuster, N.A., de Breij, S., Holwerda, T.J., Huisman, M., Dent, E. and Andrew, M.K. (2020), Frailty Combined with Loneliness or Social Isolation: An Elevated Risk for Mortality in Later Life. J Am Geriatr Soc. doi:10.1111/jgs.16716

Kendell, C., Kotecha, J., Martin, M., R. Urquhart et al. Patient and caregiver perspectives on early identification for advance care planning in primary healthcare settings. BMC Fam Pract 21, 136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-020-01206-w

Dearing ME, Bowles S, Isenor J, Kits O, O’Donnell LK, Neville H, Hilmer Sarah, Toombs K, Sirois C, Hajizadeh M, Negus A, Rockwood K, Reeve E. Pharmacist-led intervention to improve medication use in older inpatients using the Drug Burden Index: a study protocol for a before/after intervention with a retrospective control group and multiple case analysis. BMJ Open 2020;10:e035656. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035656

Khadaroo RG, Warkentin LM, Wagg AS. Clinical Effectiveness of the Elder-Friendly Approaches to the Surgical Environment Initiative in Emergency General Surgery. JAMA Surg. February 12, 2020. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.6021

Coelho-Júnior HJ, Calvani R, Picca A, Gonçalves IO, Landi F, Bernabei R, Cesari M, Uchida MC, Marzetti E. Protein-Related Dietary Parameters and Frailty Status in Older Community-Dwellers across Different Frailty Instruments. Nutrients 2020, 12(2), 508; doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020508

AVOID Frailty. Zoomer. November 20, 2019.

Facing the Reality of Frailty. Zoomer. December 5, 2019.

Downar J, Fowler RA, Halko R, Davenport Huyer L, Hill AD, Gibson JL. Early experience with medical assistance in dying in Ontario, Canada: a cohort study. CMAJ. February 11, 2020 cmaj.200016; doi: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.200016

Keller H. New Canada’s Food Guide Doesn’t Work for Everyone. The Good Men Project. February 7, 2020.

Keller H. Nourishing body and soul: food and mealtimes in long-term care. The Hill Times. February 3, 2020.

Boscart V, Crutchlow LE, Sheiban Taucar L, Johnson K, Heyer M, Davey M, Costa AP, Heckman G. Chronic disease management models in nursing homes: a scoping review. BMJ Open. 2020;10:e032316. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032316

Crane D. How do we tell when a society is successful? A healthy life expectancy. The Hill Times.

Cauley JA, Giangregorio L. Physical activity and skeletal health in adults. The Lancet: Diabetes & Endocrinology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30351-1

Krewulak KD, Stelfox HT, Ely EW, Fiest KM. Risk factors and outcomes among delirium subtypes in adult ICUs: A systematic review. J Crit Care. 2020 Jan 15;56:257-264. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.01.017

Gibbs JC, McArthur C, Wark JD, Thabane L, Scherer SC, Prasad S, Papaioannou A, Mittmann N, Laprade J, Kim S, Khan A, Kendler DL, Hill KD, Cheung AM, Bleakney R, Ashe MC, Adachi JD, Giangregorio LM. The Effects of Home Exercise in Older Women With Vertebral Fractures: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Physical Therapy, pzz188. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz188

Muscedere J. The Need to Implement Frailty in the International Classification of Disease (ICD). The Journal of Frailty & Aging. doi: https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2020.2

Lafortune C, Elliott J, Egan MY, Stolee P. The Rest of the Story: A Qualitative Study of Complementing Standardized Assessment Data with Informal Interviews with Older Patients and Families. Patient. 2017 Apr;10(2):215-224. doi: 10.1007/s40271-016-0193-9.

Kehler DS, Giacomantonio N, Firth W, Blanchard CM, Rockwood K, Theou O. Association Between Cardiac Rehabilitation and Frailty. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2019.08.032

Logan Ellis H, Wan B, Yeung M, Rather A, Mannan I, Bond C, Harvey C, Raja N, Dutey-Magni P, Rockwood K, Davis D, Searle SD. Complementing chronic frailty assessment at hospital admission with an electronic frailty index (FI-Laboratory) comprising routine blood test results. CMAJ January 06, 2020 192 (1) E3-E8; doi: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190952

Barkema WS, Heckman GA, Slaughter SE, Carrier N, Lengyel CO, Keller HH. Medical diagnosis does not influence food intake in frail long-term care residents. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Sciences Volume 5, 2019. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2019.9

Carrier N, Villalon L, Lengyel C, Slaughter SE, Duizer L, Morrison-Koechl J, Keller H. Diet quality is associated with malnutrition and low calf circumference in Canadian long-term care residents. BMC Nutrition. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-019-0314-7

Trinica V, Morrison J, Slaughter S, Keller H. Making the Most of Mealtimes (M3): effect of eating occasions and other covariates on energy and protein intake among Canadian older adult residents in long‐term care. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12686

Muscedere J, Afilalo J, Araujo de Carvalho I, Cesari M, Clegg A, Eriksen HE, Evans KR, Heckman G, Hirdes JP, Kim PM, Laffon B, Lynn J, Martin F, Prorok JC, Rockwood K, Rodrigues Manas L, Rolfson D, Shaw G, Shea B, Sinha S, Theou O, Tugwell P, Valdiglesias V, Vellas B, Veronese N, Wallace LMK, Williamson PR, for the Canadian Frailty Network. Moving Towards Common Data Elements and Core Outcome Measures in Frailty Research. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2019.43

Abstract: With aging populations around the world, frailty is becoming more prevalent increasing the need for health systems and social systems to deliver optimal evidence based care. However, in spite of the growing number of frailty publications, high-quality evidence for decision making is often lacking. Inadequate descriptions of the populations enrolled including frailty severity and frailty conceptualization, lack of use of validated frailty assessment tools, utilization of different frailty instruments between studies, and variation in reported outcomes impairs the ability to interpret, generalize and implement the research findings. The utilization of common data elements (CDEs) and core outcome measures (COMs) in clinical trials is increasingly being adopted to address such concerns.

Robinson CA, Bottorff JL, Pesut B, Zerr J. Development and Implementation of the Family Caregiver Decision Guide. Qualitative Health Research. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319887166

Fernando SM, McIsaac DI, Rochwerg B, Cook DJ, Bagshaw SM, Muscedere J, Munshi L, Nolan JP, Perry JJ, Downar J, Dave C, Reardon PM, Tanuseputro P, Kyeremanteng K. Frailty and associated outcomes and resource utilization following in-hospital cardiac arrest. Resuscitation (2019). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2019.11.011

Holroyd-Leduc J, Harris C, Hamid JS, Ewusie JE, Quirk J, Osiowy K, Moore JE, Khan S, Liu B, Straus SE. Scaling-up implementation in community hospitals: a multisite interrupted time series design of the Mobilization of Vulnerable Elders (MOVE) program in Alberta. BMC Geriatr. 2019;19(1):288. Published 2019 Oct 25. doi: 10.1186/s12877-019-1311-z

Bellelli PG, Biotto M, Morandi A, Meagher D, Cesari M, Mazzola P, Annoni G, Zambon A. The Relationship Among Frailty, Delirium and Attentional Tests to Detect Delirium: A Cohort Study. European Journal of Internal Medicine. PMID: 31761505, doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2019.09.008

Watt JA, Goodarzi Z, Angeliki Veroniki A, Nincic V, Khan PA, Ghassemi M, Thompson Y, Tricco AC, Straus SE. Comparative Efficacy of Interventions for Aggressive and Agitated Behaviors in Dementia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(9):633-642. doi: 10.7326/M19-0993

Plante P, Angulo Mendoza GA, Archambault P. (En français) Analyse, développement et évaluation d’une formation médicale en ligne. Mediation & mediatisations. No. 2 (2019): https://revue-mediations.teluq.ca/index.php/Distances/article/view/95

Abstract (in French): Dans le cadre d’un projet intitulé “Evaluation of a context-adapted wiki-based decision aid supporting critically ill patients’ decisions about life-sustaining therapies,” financé par le Réseau canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, l’équipe de conception pédagogique de la Société pour l’apprentissage à vie (SAVIE) s’est joint au projet de recherche afin de développer une formation en ligne destinée aux médecins, aux étudiantes et aux étudiants tenant compte d’un certain nombre d’exigences techniques comme résultat d’une analyse de besoins. La formation a été développée par prototypage rapide.

Jayanama K, Theou O, Godin J, Cahill L, Rockwood K. Association of fatty acid consumption with frailty and mortality among middle-aged and older adults. Nutrition. 2019 Oct 11;70:110610. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2019.110610

Ploeg J, Yous M-L, Fraser K, Dufour S, Garland Baird L, Kaasalainen S, McAiney C, Markle-Reid M. Healthcare providers’ experiences in supporting community-living older adults to manage multiple chronic conditions: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatrics. (2019) 19:316 doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1345-2

Hill A, Ramsey C, Dodek P, Kozak J, Fransoo R, Fowler R, Doupe M, Wong H, Scales D, Garland A. Examining mechanisms for gender differences in admission to intensive care units. Wiley Online Library: Health Services Research, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13215

Abstract: Since the 1980 publication of the Black Report, there has been a growing awareness of social inequalities in health and health care use. Although ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status (SES), and others factors associated with health inequality have been identified, the mechanisms by which these factors work remain unclear. One example is the reported gender‐related difference in admission to intensive care units (ICUs). Despite the fact that women greatly outnumber men in older age‐groups, substantially more older men than older women are admitted to ICUs. This finding is present even after adjustment for differing rates of critical illness between older men and women.

Sawatzky R, Roberts D, Russell L, Bitschy A, Ho S, Desbiens J-F, Chan EKH, Tayler C, Stajduhar K. Self-Perceived Competence of Nurses and Care Aides Providing a Palliative Approach in Home, Hospital, and Residential Care Settings: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0844562119881043

Afilalo J. Evaluating and Treating Frailty in Cardiac Rehabilitation. ScienceDirect, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2019.07.002

Chamberlain SA, Duggleby W, Fast J, Teaster PB, Estabrooks CA. Incapacitated and Alone: Prevalence of Unbefriended Residents in Alberta Long-Term Care Homes. SAGE Journals, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019885127

Hoogendijk EO, Afilalo J, Ensrud KE, Kowal P, Onder G, Fried LP. Frailty: implications for clinical practice and public health. The Lancet, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32279-2.

McCaskell DS, Molloy AJ, Childerhose L, Costigan FA, Reid JC, McCaughan M, Clarke F, Cook DJ, Rudkowski JC, Farley C, Karachi T, Rochwerg B, Newman A, Fox-Robichaud A, Herridge MS, Lo V, Feltracco D, Burns K, Porteous R, Seely AJE, Ball I, Seczek A, Kho ME.  Project management lessons learned from the multicentre CYCLE pilot randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019;20(1):532. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3634-7

Abstract: Clinical trials management can be studied using project management theory. The CYCLE pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to determine the feasibility of a future rehabilitation trial of early in-bed cycling in the intensive care unit (ICU). In-bed cycling is a novel intervention, not typically available in ICUs. Implementation of this intervention requires personnel with specialized clinical expertise caring for critically ill patients and use of the in-bed cycle. Our objective was to describe the implementation and conduct of our pilot RCT using a project management approach.

Mansfield A, Danells CJ, Inness EL, Musselman K, Salbach NM. A survey of Canadian healthcare professionals’ practices regarding reactive balance training. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, doi: 10.1080/09593985.2019.1650856

Mann K, Lengyel CO, Slaughter SE, Carrier N, Keller H. Resident and Staff Mealtime Actions and Energy Intake of Long-Term Care Residents With Cognitive Impairment: Analysis of the Making the Most of Mealtimes Study. Journal of Gerontological Nursing. 2019;45(8):32-42. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20190709-04

Thompson MQ, Theou O, Tucker GR, Adams RJ, Visvanathan R. Recurrent Measurement of Frailty Is Important for Mortality Prediction: Findings from the North West Adelaide Health Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16066

Theou O, Andrew M, Suriani Ahip S, Squires E, McGarrigle L, Blodgett JM, Goldstein J, Hominick K, Godin J, Hougan G, Armstrong JJ, Wallace L, Ghazali Sazlina S, Moorhouse P, Fay S, Visvanathan R, Rockwood K. The Pictorial Fit-Frail Scale: Developing a Visual Scale to Assess Frailty. Can Geriatr J. 2019 Jun; 22(2): 64–74. 2019 Jun 30. doi: 10.5770/cgj.22.357

Harman LE, Guthrie DM, Cohen J, Declercq A, Fisher K, Goodridge D, Hirdes JP, Seow H. Potential quality indicators for seriously ill home care clients: a cross-sectional analysis using Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC) data for Ontario. BMC Palliat Care. 2019; 18: 3. 2019 Jan 9. doi: 10.1186/s12904-018-0389-y

Song Y, Hoben M, Weeks L, Bostrom A-M, Goodarzi ZS, Squires J, Doan H, Wagg A, Reid RC, Estabrooks C. Factors associated with the responsive behaviours of older adults living in long-term care homes towards staff: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open 2019;9:e028416. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028416

Ploeg J, Valaitis RK, Cleghorn L, Yous M-L, Gaber J, Agarwal G, Kastner M, Mangin D, Oliver D, Parascandalo F, Risdon C, Dolovich L. Perceptions of older adults in Ontario, Canada on the implementation and impact of a primary care programme, Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY): a descriptive qualitative study. BMJ Open 2019;9:e026257. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026257

Demery Varin MG, Stacey D, Baumbusch JL, Estabrooks C, Squires JE. Predictors of Nurses’ Research Use in Canadian Long-term Care Homes. The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.04.027

Fan-Lun C, Chung C, Lee EHG, Pek E, Ramsden R, Ethier C, Soong C. Reducing unnecessary sedative-hypnotic use among hospitalised older adults. BMJ Quality & Safety: 03 July 2019. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2018-009241

McDonald EG, Wu PE, Rashidi B, Forster AJ, Huang A, Pilote L, Papillon-Ferland L, Bonnici A, Tamblyn R, Whitty R, Porter S, Battu K, Downar J, Lee TC. The MedSafer Study: A Controlled Trial of an Electronic Decision Support Tool for Deprescribing in Acute Care. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: 27 June 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16040

Muscedere J, Barrie C, Chan K, Cooper B, Critchley K, Kim P, Lorbergs A, Mackenzie I, Martineau C, Noseworthy T, O’Neil M, Resin J, Sinha S, Williams R. Frailty and Aging: How the Danish Experience Might Inform Canada. Healthcare Quarterly 22(1) April 2019 : 14-21.doi:10.12927/hcq.2019.25841

Abstract: Scandinavian countries are widely acknowledged as leaders in innovative models of care for their aging populations. To learn what might be potentially applicable to the health system in Canada, the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) led a contingent of government, administrative, research and patient representatives to Denmark to directly observe Danish approaches for providing healthcare for older adults living with frailty. In this paper and based on what we learned from these observations, we discuss healthcare challenges faced by Canada’s aging population for which Danish strategies provide clues as to where and how to improve care and system efficiencies, thereby maximizing the value of Canadian healthcare. 

Click here to read about our Denmark initiative and how learning from this trip is being put into practice, and a return visit from Danish officials to Canada where they learned more about frailty innovations in the works here—such as those featured in CFN’s Innovation Showcase in September 2018, like the COACH program in PEI and the Hospital Without Walls in Ontario.

Jones A, Bronskill SE, Agarwal G, Seow H, Feeny D, Costa A. The primary care and other health system use of home care patients: a retrospective cohort analysis. CMAJ Open May 23, 2019 vol. 7 no. 2E360-E370 https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20190038

Stall NM, Campbell A, Reddy M, Rochon PA. Words Matter: The Language of Family Caregiving. The American Geriatrics Society May 21, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15988

Hebert PC, Morinville A, Costa A, Heckman G, Hirdes J. Regional variations of care in home care and long-term care: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open May 19, 2019 vol. 7 no. 2 E341-E350 https://doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20180086

Abstract: Many aging adults undergo progressive loss of autonomy, develop increasingly complex medical needs and experience multiple care transitions. We sought to determine the degree of variation in rates of transfer from home care services and long-term care in several Canadian jurisdictions.

Squires JE, Aloisio LD, Grimshaw JM, Bashir K, Dorrance K, Coughlin M, Hutchinson AM, Francis J, Michie S, Sales A, Brehaut J, Curran J, Ivers N, Lavis J, Noseworthy T, Vine J, Hillmer M, Graham ID. Attributes of context relevant to healthcare professionals’ use of research evidence in clinical practice: a multi-study analysis. Implementation Science 2019 14:52 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0900-8

McCarron TL, Moffat K, Wilkinson G, Zelinsky S, Boyd JM, White D, Hassay D, Lorenzetti DL, Marlett NJ, Noseworthy T. Understanding patient engagement in health system decision-making: a co-designed scoping review. Systematic Reviews 2019 8:97 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-0994-8

Adekpedjou R, Stacey D, Briere N, Freitas A, Garvelink MM, Joyce Dogba M, Durand PJ, Desroches S, Croteau J, Rivest L-P, Legare F. Engaging Caregivers in Health-Related Housing Decisions for Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: A Cluster Randomized Trial. The Gerontologist, gnz045, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz045

Abstract: Informal caregivers are rarely as involved as they want to be in the housing decisions of cognitively impaired older adults. Lack of awareness of available options and their benefits and risks may lead to decisions that do not reflect older adults’ preferences, and to guilt and regret. We assessed the effect of training home care teams in interprofessional shared decision-making (SDM) on the proportion of caregivers who report being active in this decision.

Maltais M, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Dray C, Fielding RA, Rolland Y, Cesari M, Vellas B. Highlights from the 2019 International Congress on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research. J Frailty Aging (2019). https://doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2019.13

Krawczyk M, Sawatzky R. Relational use of an electronic quality of life and practice support system in hospital palliative consult care: A pilot study. Palliat Support Care. 2018 Mar 8:1-6. doi: 10.1017/S1478951518000020

White DE, Virk N, Jackson M, Stelfox HT, Wasylak T, Ghali W. Experimenting with Governance: Alberta’s Strategic Clinical Networks. Healthcare Quarterly 21(4) January 2019; 37-42.doi:10.12927/hcq.2019.25742.

Gibbs JC, McArthur C, Milligan J, Clemson L, Lee L, Boscart VM, Heckman G, Stolee P, Giangregorio LM. Measuring the Implementation of Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise in Primary Care for Older Adults: Results of a Feasibility Study. Can J Aging. 2019 Apr 5:1-17; DOI: 10.1017/S0714980818000739.

Chamberlain SA, Duggleby W, Teaster P, Estabrooks C. Characteristics and unmet care needs of unbefriended residents in long-term care: a qualitative interview study. Aging & Mental Health 2019, DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2019.1566812

Chan J, Griffith LE, Costa AP, Leyenaar MS. Community paramedicine: A systematic review of program descriptions and training. CJEM March 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/cem.2019.14

Bagshaw S, Adhikari N, Burns K, Friedrich J, Bouchard J, Lamontagne F, McIntyre L, Cailhier J-F, Dodek P, Stelfox H, Herridge M, Lapinsky S, Muscedere J, Barton J, Griesdale D, Soth M, Ambosta A, Lebovic G, Wald R. Selection and Receipt of Kidney Replacement in Critically Ill Older Patients with AKI. CJASN March 2019, CJN.05530518; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.05530518

Morrison J, Laur C, Keller H. SCREEN III: working towards a condensed screening tool to detect nutrition risk in community-dwelling older adults using CLSA data. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-019-0411-3

Donald E, Stajduhar K. A scoping review of palliative care for persons with severe persistent mental illness. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951519000087

You JJ, Allatt P, Howard M, Carole A Robinson, Jessica Simon, Rebecca Sudore, Amy Tan, Carrie Bernard, Marilyn Swinton, Xuran Jiang, Doug Klein, Michael McKenzie, Gillian Fyles and Daren Keith Heyland. Short Graphic Values History Tool for decision making during serious illness. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001698

Stolee P, Elliott J, Byrne K, Sims-Gould J, Tong C, Chesworth B, Egan M, Ceci C, Forbes D. A Framework for Supporting Post-acute Care Transitions of Older Patients With Hip Fracture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.01.147

Zarrin A, Tourchian N, Heckman GA. Chronic Disease Self-Management Among Iranian Older Adults: A Scoping Review. DOI: 10.1177/0733464819832198

Chamberlain S, Hoben M, Squires J, Cummings G, Norton P, & Estabrooks C. (2019). Who Is (Still) Looking After Mom and Dad? Few Improvements in Care Aides’ Quality-of-Work Life. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 38(1), 35-50. doi:10.1017/S0714980818000338

Theou O, Jayanama K, Fernández-Garrido J, Buigues C, Pruimboom L, Hoogland AJ, Navarro-Martínez R, Rockwood K, Cauli O. Can a Prebiotic Formulation Reduce Frailty Levels in Older People? J Frailty Aging 2018;8(1):48-52

Van Scoy LJ, Day AG, Howard M, Sudore RL, Heyland DK. Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey for Surrogate Decision Makers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.01.008

Cho N, Boland L, McIsaac DI. The association of female sex with application of evidence-based practice recommendations for perioperative care in hip fracture surgery. CMAJ February 11, 2019 191 (6) E151-E158; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.180564

Kim DH, Afilalo J, Shi SM. Evaluation of Changes in Functional Status in the Year After Aortic Valve Replacement. JAMA Intern Med. February 4, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.6738

Campitelli MA, Maxwell CJ, Maclagan LC, Ko DT, Bell CM, Jeffs, L, Morris AM, Lapane KL, Daneman N, Bronskill SE. One-year survival and admission to hospital for cardiovascular events among older residents of long-term care facilities who were prescribed intensive- and moderate-dose statins. CMAJ January 14, 2019 191 (2) E32-E39; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.180853

Abstract: Statins are used widely in older adults, particularly those living in long-term care facilities (LTC). In Ontario, over one-third of all residents of LTC are statin users, including 28% of frail residents who have a limited likelihood of 1-year survival; nearly one-quarter of users received high doses. Historically, however, randomized clinical trials studying the efficacy and safety of statins rarely include adults aged 75 years and older, and most have not included LTC residents. This leaves clinicians with little guidance when making ongoing decisions about treatment with statins, such as the appropriate dosing. This study sought to examine the rates of 1-year survival and admission to hospital for cardiovascular events among older LTC residents who were prescribed intensive-dose statins compared with those receiving moderate-dose statins. A retrospective cohort study using population-based administrative data from Ontario identified 21 808 residents in LTC who were 76 years of age and older and were prevalent statin users, and categorized residents as intensive- or moderate-dose users. The rates of mortality and admission to hospital for cardiovascular events at 1 year were similar between LTC residents taking intensive-dose statins compared with those taking moderate-dose statins. This lack of benefit should be considered when prescribing statins to vulnerable LTC residents who are at potentially increased risk of statin-related adverse events.

Click here to learn more about this CFN-funded research.

Heckman GA, Hirdes JP, Hébert PC, Morinville A, Amaral ACKB, Costa A, McKelvie RS. Predicting Future Health Transitions Among Newly Admitted Nursing Home Residents With Heart Failure. JAMDA 2018 12 17 online (in press). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2018.10.031

Abstract: To understand how a heart failure diagnosis and admission health instability predict health transitions and outcomes among newly admitted nursing home residents, a retrospective cohort study of linked administrative data was conducted involving older adults, aged 65 years and above, admitted to nursing homes in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, Canada, from 2010 to 2016. The final sample included 143,067 residents. Adverse events were most common in the first 90 days. A diagnosis of heart failure predicted worsening health instability, hospitalizations, and mortality. The magnitude of the impact of a heart failure diagnosis was greatest for lower baseline health instability. Residents with the highest degree of health instability were also most likely to die in hospital. A diagnosis of heart failure and health instability provide complementary information to predict transfers, deaths, and adverse outcomes. Clearly identifying these at-risk patients may be useful in targeting interventions in nursing homes.

Click here to learn more about this CFN-funded research.

Barclay R, Webber S, Ripat J, Grant T, Jones C. A, Lix L M., Mayo N, van Ineveld C, Salbach N M. Safety and feasibility of an interactive workshop and facilitated outdoor walking group compared to a workshop alone in increasing outdoor walking activity among older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0367-4

Constantinescu A, Li H, Yu J, Hoggard C, Holroyd-Leduc J. Exploring Rural Family Physicians’ Challenges in Providing Dementia Care: A Qualitative Study.  Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 37(4), 390-399. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980818000417.

Dupuis-Blanchard S, Gould O. Nursing Homes Without Walls for Aging in Place. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 37(4), 442-449. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980818000272

Konietzny C, Kaasalainen S, Dal-Bello Haas V, Merla C, Te A, Di Sante E, . . . Hadjistavropoulos, T. (2018). Muscled by the System: Informal Caregivers’ Experiences of Transitioning an Older Adult into Long-term Care. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 37(4), 464-473. doi:10.1017/S0714980818000429

Rockwood K, Howlett SE. Fifteen years of progress in understanding frailty and health in aging. BMC Medicine201816:220. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1223-3

Giguère A, Farmanova E, Holroyd-Leduc JM, Straus SE, Urquhart R, Carnovale V, Breton E, Guo S, Maharaj N, Durand PJ, Légaré F, Turgeon AF, Aubin M. Key stakeholders’ views on the quality of care and services avilable to frail seniors in Canada. BMC Geriatrics 2018 18:290. BMC Geriatrics201818:290. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-0969-y