Between the 21 and 24^th of May 2022, two simultaneous congresses were arranged by two communities within the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP) was responsible for organizing EuroHeartCare and the Heart failure association arranged Heart Failure.

Several members of Cesar attended the congresses and presented their research. Professor Tiny Jaarsma and Anna Strömberg had both oral presentations and ePosters and Professor Jaarsma also acted as moderator in different sessions. Doctor Leoni Klompstra and Ghassan Mourad also presented their research in different forums. PhD-students Emma Säfström, Sara Pettersson, Magda Eriksson-Liebon, Towe Hedbom and Hanna Allemann joined with e-Posters. Emma also had an oral presentation. All in all, Cesar members were successful in spreading their research in an international context. Keep an eye up for more reports from both these congresses!

After a few cancelled meetings, due to the pandemic, we were finally able to go through with a lunch-to-lunch-meeting for members in iCARE (the innovative Cardiac Arrest REsearch group). In total, 21 group members met up at Stadshotellet in Kalmar. We had prepared a program, including a lecture by Professor Johan Herlitz based on the most recent cardiac arrest research and data from the Swedish register of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In addition, the PhD students in iCARE presented and discussed their projects with the other members. Also, the recently published European https://cprguidelines.eu/ and Swedish (www.hlr.nu) resuscitation guidelines were highlighted, and several potentially important new research projects were discussed.

We are already looking forward to the next meeting! Many thanks to all participants! 😊

Kristofer Årestedt, Anders Bremer and Johan Israelsson

Nina Carlson will defend her thesis, Grief reactions in family members of persons who died from sudden cardiac arrest, 17 June at the Linnaeus University in Kalmar.   

Conclusions: Losing a close person following cardiac arrest means suddenly being in the borderland between life and death. These experiences are intertwined with the search for coherence and meaning in the transitions to proceed with life. The involved healthcare professionals have a unique opportunity to provide family members with answers that facilitate a coherent narration of their loss. Prolonged grief and psychological distress are significant problems in bereaved family members of persons who died from sudden cardiac arrest. This is especially true for spouses, those in need of support from healthcare professionals, and those with low social support. Family members should be offered bereavement support to reduce the risk for prolonged grief and psychological distress after unsuccessful resuscitation and sudden death from cardiac arrest.

Faculty: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Date: Friday June 17 2022 at 10.00 am 

Place: Room Lapis, Building Vita, Kalmar

External reviewer: Associate Professor Anita Kärner Köhler, Linköpings University

Examining committee: Associate professor Maria Fridrichsen, Region Östergötland, Associate professor Jimmie Kristensson, Lund University, Professor Elizabeth Hanson, Linnaeus University

Chairperson: Professor Mirjam Ekstedt, Linnaeus University

Main supervisor: Professor Kristofer Årestedt, Linnaeus University

Examiner: Professor Mirjam Ekstedt, Linnaeus University

Posting: Friday May 25 2022 at 10.00 am, University Library, Kalmar

Members of the Cesar Network takes matters concerning health of the heart seriously 😊!

In addition to contributing to important research on the matter, they are also concerned with taking care of their own hearts. On the 16:th of May, “Vårruset” took place in Norrköping, Sweden. “Vårruset” is the biggest exercise race in Sweden for women of all ages. It is aimed at contributing to a joy for movement and also to a sense of fellowship. It does not matter if you’re an experienced athlete or if your are a new beginner – it is for everyone. Professor Tiny Jaarsma was team leader for the group “Tiny’s LiU runners” including another two members from the Cesar network (Associate professor Anita Kärner Köhler, and PhD student Sara Pettersson).

On April 28^th a conference named BME@LIU was held, a conference that focuses on Biomedical Engineering at Linköping University. Ghassan Mourad, one of the Cesar members, was an invited speaker. He presented his recently published RCT entitled: The Effect of Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Versus Psychoeducation Only on Psychological Distress in Patients With Noncardiac Chest Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Several Cesar members participated in the Cardiovascular spring summit. Among these were several members of the Research Group for Digital Health & Care who presented not less than six different studies with the following titles, either as posters or moderated posters.

• The effect of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy vs. psychoeducation only on psychological distress in patients with non-cardiac chest pain: a randomized controlled trial
• Cost-effectiveness of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) in patients with cardiovascular disease and depressive symptoms
• Internet based cognitive behavioural therapy in depressed patients with cardiovascular disease  -Effects on self-efficacy and it´s associations to changes in self-efficacy, depression and physical activity. A secondary analysis of data collected in a randomized controlled trial
• The experience of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy among patients with non-cardiac chest pain
• Effects of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with cardiovascular disease and depression on quality of life: A sub-analysis of a randomized controlled trial
• The effect of ICBT om anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease. Secondary results from a randomized controlled trial

During the cardiovascular springmeeting in Malmö Christina Andreae was awarded Mona Schlyters clinical prize distributed by VIC.

During a long career as a nurse, Christina has made extensive and significant contributions in the cardiovascular field. Christina has carried out several quality or developmental project as well as nursing research that has increased the value for patients, relatives and health care professionals and inspired others to improve work in the healthcare system.

Congratulations Christina!

Kardiovaskulära vårmötet 6-8 April in Malmö, Sweden https://mkon.nu/varmotet/2022

Christina Andreae has been awarded with Mona Schlyters clinical award; Att förena klinik med forskning. The prize ceremony is held on the 7^th of April.

On the 7^th of April, Frida Andréasson will present the moderated poster “Co-designing an integrated online support program for informal carers of people with heart failure” Authors: F. Andréasson, H. Allemann, E. Hanson, L. Magnusson, T. Jaarsma, I. Thylen and A. Strömberg.

Maria Liljeroos will give two oral presentations during the Kardiovaskulära vårmötet; ”Egenvård vid förmaksflimmer – vem tar hand om det?” and ”Hjärtsviktsteamet – en underutnyttjad möjlighet Sjuksköterskans roll”

Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Meeting 29 April – 1 May in San Francisco, USA https://www.hrsonline.org/event/heart-rhythm-2022

Cesar member Jeroen Hendriks is an invited speaker to the Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Meeting for the following presentations “Integrated AF Care: Implementation of Novel Models of Care” (Symposium) and “Team-based Integrated Care: Current Evidence and Future Implications for Research” (Core Curriculum).

EuroHeartCare 22-23 May in Madrid, Spain

https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-&-Events/EuroHeartCare

Jeroen Hendriks is an invited speaker with the presentation “Novel models of integrated cardiovascular care delivery – what do the ESC guidelines say?” He will further attend as discussant: “Update on developments in complex interventions” and chair: “Patient simulation zone – management of arrhythmias” (ACNAP education).

Hanna Alleman is presenting: Co-designing an online support program for and with informal carers of people with heart failure. Authors: H. Allemann, F. Andréasson, E. Hanson, L. Magnusson, T. Jaarsma, I. Thylen and A. Strömberg.

On the 22^nd of May, Emma Säfström is presenting: “Development and psychometric properties of a short version of the Patient Continuity of Care Questionnaire”. Authors: E. Safstrom, K. Arestedt, H. Hadjistavropoulos, M. Liljeroos, L. Nordgren, T. Jaarsma, A. Stromberg.

Ghassan Mourad will present on the 23^rd: Cost-effectiveness of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease and depressive symptoms. Authors: G. Mourad, J. Lundgren, G. Andersson, M. Husberg, P. Johansson.

Heart Failure Congress 21-24 May in Madrid, Spain

https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-&-Events/Heart-Failure/About-the-congress

Tuesday 24^th of May, Tiny Jaarsma is giving the presentation: “Burning issues in heart failure management: Sex and heart failure: is it dangerous?”

On the 22^nd of May, Emma Säfström is presenting an e-poster: ‘Psychometric properties of a short version of the HeartQoL in Swedish patients with heart failure’. Authors: E. Safstrom, K. Arestedt, H. Hadjistavropoulos, M. Liljeroos, L. Nordgren, T. Jaarsma, A. Stromberg.

This summer Jeroen Hendriks, Cesar member and researcher at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia will be presented with the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame award.

Professor Jeroen Hendriks’ research focusses on the development of novel models of care, based on the concept of integrated care, for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and associated cardiovascular conditions, and also on the required redesigning process for implementation of such approaches in clinical practice. Based on this approach he and his team have developed specialised AF-Clinics with significant roles for nurses and allied professionals.

The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (ΣΘΤ) is the second-largest nursing organization in the world with approximately 135,000 active members. Since 2010 they have awarded nurse reserachers whose early career or long-term research has impacted the nursing profession. This year 32 professionals will be inducted in the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, following the 238 who has been regocnized earlier. “These inspiring, world-renowned nurse researchers represent the staggering, collective impact of nursing and nursing research on global healthcare,” said Sigma President Kenneth Dion, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, FAAN

The ceremony will be held at the 33rd International Nursing Research Congress in Edingburg, Scotland 21-25 July, and Jeroen will report from the congress.

In March 2022, the Cesar group hosted two international research weeks in Linköping, Sweden, arranged by Professor Anna Strömberg and Professor Tiny Jaarsma. The International Week aims to be a meeting point for junior and senior researchers to exchange experiences and knowledge, networking, and participate in different workshops. 

Three workshops are planned and cover the topics Co-design, Tele-rehabilitation, and Palliative care. The first workshop was on co-design and was attended by colleagues from Israel, Island, the Netherlands, and Cesar members from Sweden. During the first day of the co-design workshop, Anna Strömberg and Frida Andréasson introduced the concept of co-design. They shared their experiences of using co-design in different projects, which was later discussed with all participants. Presentations were also held by Sara Petterson on co-design in her project that aims to develop an educational program for foreign-born persons with diabetes, and Heleen Westland on her project on self-care in patients with CRT. 

“I found the workshop very inspiring. The presentations of the various co-design projects reflected the different ways in which co-design can be used. There was plenty of time to meet each other during the workshop and discuss specific issues/questions. The discussions of practical and methodological issues of co-design and its application to my project will definitely improve my project. Sharing our experiences and knowledge will continue after the workshop as we will start a co-design team in MS Team, “ Heleen says.

On the second day of the Co-design workshop, Jane Holstein presented the outline of her project on improving cultural competence in health care professionals. Brynja Ingadottir presented her co-design project including children when developing a health game to prepare preschool children for anesthesia. Link for Brynja’s paper https://games.jmir.org/2022/1/e31471

We are looking forward to the next workshop and are convinced that they will be as interesting as the first one! Hopefully, the international weeks will be an annual event that will appeal to both junior and senior researchers working within the area of cardiology.