ObjectiveDespite a high number of the internationally produced and implemented clinical guidelines, the adherence with them is still low in healthcare. This study aimed at exploring the perspectives and experiences of senior doctors and nurses towards the barriers of adherence to diabetes guideline.SettingThe Palestinian Primary Health Care-Ministry of Health (PHC-MoH) and Primary Health Care-United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (PHC- UNRWA) in Gaza Strip.ParticipantsIndividual face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 senior doctors and nurses who were purposefully selected.MethodsQualitative design was employed using the theoretical framework by Cabana et al to develop an interview guide. Semi-structural and audio-recorded interviews were conducted. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.ResultsThe key theme barriers identified by participants that emerged from the analysed data were in regard of the PHC-MoH lack reimbursement, lack of resources and lack of the guideline trustworthiness, and in regard of PHC-UNRWA the time constraints and the lack of the guideline trustworthiness. The two key subthemes elicited from the qualitative analysis were the outdated guideline and lack of auditing and feedback.ConclusionThe analysis identified a wide range of barriers against the adherence to diabetes guideline within the PHC-MoH and PHC-UNRWA. The environmental-related and guideline-related barriers were the most prominent factors influencing the guideline adherence. Our study can inform the policy makers and senior managers to develop a tailored interventions that can target the elicited barriers through a multifaceted implementation strategy.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the methodological quality of the Palestinian Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Mellitus using the Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II.DesignMethodological evaluation. A cross-cultural adaptation framework was followed to translate and develop a standardised Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II.SettingPalestinian Primary Healthcare Centres.ParticipantsSixteen appraisers independently evaluated the Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Mellitus using the Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II.Main outcome measuresMethodological quality of diabetic guideline.ResultsThe Translated Arabic Version of the AGREE II showed an acceptable reliability and validity. Internal consistency ranged between 0.67 and 0.88 (Cronbach’s α). Intra-class coefficient among appraisers ranged between 0.56 and 0.88. The quality of this guideline is low. Both domains ‘Scope and Purpose’ and ‘Clarity of Presentation’ had the highest quality scores (66.7% and 61.5%, respectively), whereas the scores for ‘Applicability’, ‘Stakeholder Involvement’, ‘Rigour of Development’ and ‘Editorial Independence’ were the lowest (27%, 35%, 36.5%, and 40%, respectively).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the quality of this Clinical Practice Guideline is disappointingly low. To improve the quality of current and future guidelines, the AGREE II instrument is extremely recommended to be incorporated as a gold standard for developing, evaluating or updating the Palestinian Clinical Practice Guidelines. Future guidelines can be improved by setting specific strategies to overcome implementation barriers with respect to economic considerations, engaging of all relevant end-users and patients, ensuring a rigorous methodology for searching, selecting and synthesising the evidences and recommendations, and addressing potential conflict of interests within the development group.

BackgroundDespite the huge numbers of the internationally produced and implemented Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), the compliance with them is still low in health care. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of Palestinian health-care professionals toward the most perceived factors influencing the adherence to the CPG for Diabetes Mellitus in the Primary Health-care centers of the Ministry of Health (PHC-MoH) and the Primary Health-care centers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (PHC-UNRWA) using a validated questionnaire.MethodsA cross-sectional design was employed with a census sample of all Palestinian family doctors and nurses (n = 323). The Cabana theoretical framework was used to develop a study questionnaire. A cross cultural adaptation framework was followed to develop the Arabic version questionnaire. The psychometric properties of Arabic version were finally assessed.ResultsThe Arabic version questionnaire showed a good construct validity and internal consistency reliability. The overall adherence level to the diabetic guideline was disappointingly suboptimal 51.5% (47.3% in the PHC-MoH and 55.5% in the PHC-UNRWA) P = 0.000. The most frequently perceived barriers in the PHC-MoH were lack of incentives, lack of resources, and lack of guideline trustworthiness, whereas the lack of time and the lack of guideline trustworthiness were the most prominent barriers in the PHC-UNRWA. In spite of the lack of trustworthiness of the diabetic guideline, most respondents in both settings had a positive attitude toward guidelines in general, but this attitude was not a predictor of guideline adherence.ConclusionThe good validity and reliability of our questionnaire can provide support for the accuracy of our findings. Multifaceted implementation strategies targeting the main barriers elicited from this study are required for addressing the lack of incentives, organizational resources, lack of confidence in the guideline, and time constraints.

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious chronic disease and an important public health issue. This study aimed to identify the predominant culture within the Palestinian Primary Healthcare Centers of the Ministry of Health (PHC-MoH) and the Primary Healthcare Centers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (PHC-UNRWA) by using the competing values framework (CVF) and examining its influence on the adherence to the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for DM.MethodsA cross-sectional design was employed with a census sample of all the Palestinian family doctors and nurses (n=323) who work within 71 PHC clinic. A cross-cultural adaptation framework was followed to develop the Arabic version of the CVF questionnaire.ResultsThe overall adherence level to the diabetic guideline was disappointingly suboptimal (51.5%, p<0.001; 47.3% in the PHC-MoH and 55.5% in the PHC-UNRWA). In the PHC-MoH, the clan/group culture was the most predominant (mean =41.13; standard deviation [SD] =8.92), followed by hierarchical (mean =33.14; SD=5.96), while in the PHC-UNRWA, hierarchical was the prevailing culture (mean =48.43; SD =12.51), followed by clan/group (mean =29.73; SD =8.37). Although a positively significant association between the adherence to CPG and the rational culture and a negatively significant association with the developmental archetype were detected in the PHC-MoH, no significant associations were found in the PHC-UNRWA.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that the organizational culture has a marginal influence on the adherence to the diabetic guideline. Future research should preferably mix quantitative and qualitative approaches and explore the use of more sensitive instruments to measure such a complex construct and its effects on guideline adherence in small-sized clinics.

The current qualitative case study aims to explore and map the concepts and the conditions for providing psychosocial support in kindergarten across two vastly different countries, Palestine and Norway. The global challenge of providing psychosocial support toward children is increasingly acknowledged. Although education is described as crucial for psychosocial support from the health sector, studies dealing with the educational perspective on this topic are rare. Data from 26 participants (10 from Gaza, 10 from Hebron and 6 from Norway) were collected in qualitative semi-structured interviews. Despite vastly different contexts, the analysis showed some important common features. Kindergarten teachers in both countries link psychosocial support conceptually to psychological and emotional knowledge. The teachers in both countries are concerned about the psychosocial support being performed repeatedly in everyday situations, such as establishing routines, paying extra attention, and calming children and creating everyday safe spaces. They give detailed descriptions of the quality of their long-term, yet professional relations with the child. Time and space are crucial challenges in both countries, and they call for more knowledge on mental health. A main difference between the two countries was the role of the community and relation to parents. The Palestinian teachers defined psychosocial support as a “set of community services,” the teachers were frustrated with the lack of parental collaboration. The Norwegian teachers downscaled or overlooked the importance of community or parents and community. The findings give overall presentations of the concepts and the conditions for providing psychosocial support in education Palestine and Norway. We argue that education not only represents sites for conducting health-directed interventions but represents important resources for developing the field of psychosocial support in collaboration with community services. Education – and especially kindergarten provides other values, knowledge, and structural resources for the development programs and knowledge on psychosocial support.