“We charge them; otherwise we cannot run the hospital” front line workers, clients and health financing policy implementation gaps in Ghana

ObjectivesTo gain insight into the experiences and concerns of front-line National Health Service (NHS) workers while caring for patients with COVID-19.DesignQualitative analysis of data collected through an anonymous website (www.covidconfidential) provided a repository of uncensored COVID-19 experiences of front-line NHS workers, accessed via a link advertised on the Twitter feed of two high profile medical tweeters and their retweets.SettingCommunity of NHS workers who accessed this social media.Participants54 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and physiotherapists, accessed the website and left a ‘story’.ResultsStories ranged from 1 word to 10 min in length. Thematic analysis identified common themes, with a central aspect being the experience and psychological consequence of trauma. Specific themes were: (1) the shock of the virus, (2) staff sacrifice and dedication, (3) collateral damage ranging from personal health concerns to the long-term impact on, and care of, discharged patients and (4) a hierarchy of power and inequality within the healthcare system.ConclusionsCOVID-19 confidential gave an outlet for unprompted and uncensored stories of healthcare workers in the context of COVID-19. In addition to personal experiences of trauma, there were perceptions that many operational difficulties stemmed from inequalities of power between management and front-line workers. Learning from these experiences will reduce staff distress and improve patient care in the face of further waves of the pandemic.

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Older adults’ philanthropic crafting of face masks during COVID-19

Craft Research ◽

10.1386/crre_00051_1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 223-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christine Guy Schnittka

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Social Media ◽

Virtual Community ◽

Well Being ◽

Moral Values ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Front Line ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Front Line Workers

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, people of all ages began sewing fabric face masks. Organized through separate grassroots movements, oftentimes using social media platforms, people pooled their resources to make masks for front line workers and others in desperate need. While some people sold these face masks, many participated in philanthropic crafting, donating them to hospitals and other health care centres. Older adults were identified early on as being particularly vulnerable to the effects of the virus, and so their response to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic through crafting was salient. This study investigated the experience of philanthropic hand crafting by older adults who were living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-seven older adults of age 60–87 who sewed masks for others were interviewed. A comprehensive data analysis of these interviews yielded 39 descriptive codes that were collapsed into eight themes: emotions, engagement, meaning, relationships, accomplishment, intellect, moral values and agency. One finding was that there were psychological, relational and existential benefits for the crafters. Making masks allowed participants to help other people, and it gave the participants a feeling of value, worthiness and purpose. Additionally, participants felt more in control in a chaotic world as they made masks to protect themselves, their loved ones, as well as strangers. The philanthropic crafting enhanced older adults’ well-being in many ways, and lessons learned from this study could be extended into ‘normal times’. For example, more older adults would be able to participate in craft-based philanthropy if they had access to the tools and materials. They would be more motivated if they received thank you notes and pictures of the recipients using their handmade gifts, and if they could express their creativity more. Finally, creating a physical or virtual community for older adults around craft philanthropy would help older adults feel more connected to and supported by their peers, and the community at large.

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Implementing healthy food environment policies in New Zealand: nine years of inaction

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-021-00809-8 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sally Mackay ◽

Sarah Gerritsen ◽

Fiona Sing ◽

Stefanie Vandevijvere ◽

Boyd Swinburn

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Policy Implementation ◽

Food Environment ◽

Best Practice ◽

Good Practice ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Government Officials ◽

Stimulate Action ◽

National Governments ◽

Implementation Gaps

Abstract Background The INFORMAS [International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, Monitoring and Action Support] Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) was developed to evaluate the degree of implementation of widely recommended food environment policies by national governments against international best practice, and has been applied in New Zealand in 2014, 2017 and 2020. This paper outlines the 2020 Food-EPI process and compares policy implementation and recommendations with the 2014 and 2017 Food-EPI. Methods In March–April 2020, a national panel of over 50 public health experts participated in Food-EPI. Experts rated the extent of implementation of 47 “good practice” policy and infrastructure support indicators compared to international best practice, using an extensive evidence document verified by government officials. Experts then proposed and prioritized concrete actions needed to address the critical implementation gaps identified. Progress on policy implementation and recommendations made over the three Food-EPIs was compared. Results In 2020, 60% of the indicators were rated as having “low” or “very little, if any” implementation compared to international benchmarks: less progress than 2017 (47%) and similar to 2014 (61%). Of the nine priority actions proposed in 2014, there was only noticeable action on one (Health Star Ratings). The majority of actions were therefore proposed again in 2017 and 2020. In 2020 the proposed actions were broader, reflecting the need for multisectoral action to improve the food environment, and the need for a mandatory approach in all policy areas. Conclusions There has been little to no progress in the past three terms of government (9 years) on the implementation of policies and infrastructure support for healthy food environments, with implementation overall regressing between 2017 and 2020. The proposed actions in 2020 have reflected a growing movement to locate nutrition within the wider context of planetary health and with recognition of the social determinants of health and nutrition, resulting in recommendations that will require the involvement of many government entities to overcome the existing policy inertia. The increase in food insecurity due to COVID-19 lockdowns may provide the impetus to stimulate action on food polices.

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Covid-19 Related Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Nurses Working as Front Line Workers in a Selected Hospital in Mumbai City

International Journal of Health Sciences and Research ◽

10.52403/ijhsr.20210526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 163-168

Author(s):

Sheryl Cornelio ◽

Saly Suseel ◽

Valsa Thomas

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Vital Role ◽

Emotional Impact ◽

Front Line ◽

Stress Scale ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Rapid Spread ◽

Front Line Workers ◽

Mumbai City

Background: Healthcare workers getting exposed to Covid-19 patients could be psychologically stressed. With the rapid spread of the disease, tremendous pressure and challenges are faced by the nurses. Purpose: The purpose/aim of the study was to assess the level of depression, anxiety and stress among Nurses working in the Covid-19 ICU and wards and Covid-19 clinic. Method: Quantitative approach with descriptive design was used for the study and convenient sampling was used with the sample size being 83. Standardized scale known as DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and stress scale) scale was used for the collection of data. Results: To analyze the data, inferential statistics was used. The major findings of the study showed that majority of the Nurses (34%) (N=28) had moderate anxiety. Also, majority of them (75%) (N=63) did not find any symptoms of depression. A majority of (48%) (N=40) had moderate level of stress. Conclusion/Implications: The findings of the study suggest that working in the Covid-19have both negative and positive impact on the emotional impact of the Nurses. Providing required basic needs and support both physical and psychological plays a vital role in maintaining the mental health of the Nurses. Key words: Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Nurses, Covid-19.

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Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers at a cancer care centre

10.1101/2021.02.28.21252181 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Atika Dogra ◽

Anuj Parkash ◽

Anurag Mehta ◽

Meenu Bhatia

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Front Line ◽

Care Workers ◽

Front Line Workers ◽

Severity Of The Disease ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Spread Of Infection ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe services of front-line health care workers (HCWs) have been paramount in the management of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Health care professionals have been at high occupational risk of getting disease and even dying of the disease, however; they have been the subject of very limited studies in terms of COVID-19. The objectives of this study are to examine the incidence and the impact of COVID-19 infection among HCWs in terms of recovery, productivity, quality of life (QOL) and post-COVID complications.Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective, questionnaire based study including demographic details, workplace characteristics, symptoms, source/ spread of infection, details of recovery and the consequences of COVID-19 comprising impaired productivity/ QOL, post-COVID-19 complications and others. The data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS software (Version 23, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results and ConclusionsOut of a total of 1482 employees, 18.3% (271) were laboratory confirmed to have contracted novel contagion during the study period of 5 months. The median age at diagnosis was 29 (range, 21-62) years. Front-line workers and female workers were the most infected personnel with COVID-19. Flu-like symptoms were the most frequently experienced symptoms. The median time for recovery was 20 (range, 2-150) days. The relationship between pre-existing comorbidities and age was highly significant. The QOL and productivity were associated with pre-existing comorbidities, severity of the disease, time for recovery and post-COVID syndrome. More than a half (51.8%) of all HCWs had suffered from post-COVID complications. There was no fatality reported due to COVID-19. The post-COVID complications were related to pre-existing comorbidities, severity of disease, time for recovery and status of recovery. Further research to explore the consequences of COVID-19 is warranted. The general public needs to be aware of symptoms and management of the post-COVID syndrome.

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