scholarly journals Healthcare workers’ legal liability and immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nasser Hammad Al-Azri
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Legal Liability ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
The Public ◽  
Healthcare Workforce ◽  
Healthcare Practice

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is the most unprecedented crisis facing modern healthcare governance in a century. Many healthcare activities are attracting scrutiny from ethical and legal perspectives. Therefore, healthcare professionals are concerned about legal ambiguity regarding legal liability and immunity in their areas of practice. Law is a key response activity that promotes a sense of safety and security among healthcare workers. This article describes why it is important formally to address issues of altered operations in healthcare practice during emergencies. Furthermore, this article provides suggestions regarding solutions to the issue of legal liability during disasters. Implementing ethical and legal clarity during disaster response is a necessity for a strong healthcare system at every level from international to local in order to achieve a stable healthcare workforce operating for the public good within a safe and secure working environment.

Need for Recognition of Pharmacists as Front Liners in Covid-19 Pandemic: An Indian Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1226-1229
Author(s):  
Subhrojyoti Bhowmick ◽  
Asish Kumar Saha ◽  
Shubham Jana ◽  
Nipun Patil ◽  
Mohseenkhan Munshi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Developing Nation ◽  
Healthcare Workforce ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Indian Perspective

Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 or Covid-19 Pandemic has become a globally recognized public-health phenomenon. As of September 2020, over 30 million people have been affected worldwide, and more than 1 million deaths have been registered. Healthcare professionals & researchers around the world are working hand in hand to find a vaccine or an efficient cure for this disease. Till then, a large part of the globe remains under lock down, and people are advised to follow certain guidelines like social distancing, practicing hand hygiene, etc. Pharmacists are one of the key healthcare workers who are working to fight this Pandemic. This commentary is an effort to describe their role in combating this Pandemic in a developing nation India. They are responsible for manufacturing/ supplying/dispensing of drugs to the ailing patients in the hospitals and community. In rural areas, pharmacists are expected to provide medical guidance. They play a vital role in medical information services within the hospital, along with providing Pharmacovigilance activities related to Covid-19 drugs. The essentiality of the presence of clinical pharmacists is being felt increasingly in India, where the healthcare workforce is limited. The safety of these caregivers during this Pandemic should be a priority so that this healthcare force can be efficiently utilized in managing the Pandemic in the country in the coming days.

scholarly journals Side Effects Reported by Jordanian Healthcare Workers Who Received COVID-19 Vaccines

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 577
Author(s):  
Osama Abu-Hammad ◽  
Hamza Alduraidi ◽  
Shaden Abu-Hammad ◽  
Ahmed Alnazzawi ◽  
Hamzah Babkair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
The Public ◽  
Systemic Side Effects ◽  
The Common ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Local Side

Background Distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has been surrounded by suspicions and rumors making it necessary to provide the public with accurate reports from trustworthy experts such as healthcare professionals. Methods We distributed a questionnaire in Jordan among physicians, dentists and nurses who received a COVID-19 vaccine to explore the side effects (SE) they encountered after the first or the second dose of one of three vaccines namely: AstraZeneca Vaxzevria (AZ), Pfizer-BioNTeck (PB), and SinoPharm (SP) vaccines. Results A total of 409 professionals participated. Approximately 18% and 31% of participants reported no SE after the first dose and second dose, respectively. The remainder had mostly local side effects related to injection site (74%). Systemic side effects in the form of fatigue (52%), myalgia (44%), headache (42%), and fever (35%) prevailed mainly after the first dose. These were significantly associated with AZ vaccine, and age ≤ 45 years (p = 0.000 and 0.01, respectively). No serious SE were reported. Conclusions We can conclude that SE of COVID-19 vaccines distributed in Jordan are within the common range known so far for these vaccines. Further studies are needed to include larger sample size and longer follow-up period to monitor possible serious and long-term SE of the vaccines.

scholarly journals Challenges Faced by Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-92
Author(s):  
Pratibha Wankhede ◽  
Mayur Wanjari ◽  
Sampada Late ◽  
Hina Rodge
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
Private Healthcare ◽  
Ventilatory Assistance ◽  
The World ◽  
Pandemic Response

Introduction: On March 11, 2020, the WHO formally declared the new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks a pandemic by publishing public health guidelines to guide pandemic response. Serious illnesses may necessitate hospitalization and ventilatory assistance. The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed new concerns for healthcare workers around the world. However, in many developing nations, including India, information is scarce concerning these issues. Healthcare facilities are one-of-a-kind and difficult to understand. The Indian healthcare system consists of both governmental and private healthcare facilities. Healthcare practitioners face a variety of obstacles daily. The unexpected appearance of COVID-19 created a new threat to an already overburdened healthcare system. The pandemic altered the healthcare dilemma by introducing new employment and societal obstacles to healthcare workers. The goal of this review research is to uncover the causes of the workplace and societal issues that healthcare workers encounter.

scholarly journals Turkey’s response to COVID-19 in terms of mental health

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Öğütlü
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health System ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
The Many ◽  
Intrinsic Strength

Coronavirus disease (also known as COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world. In Turkey, which has a strong health system, most hospitals have been turned into pandemic hospitals, elective procedures have been postponed, and doctors have been reassigned to treat COVID-19. Efforts to limit spread of COVID-19 have been effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Behind this success was not only the intrinsic strength of the health system but also the strict changes in everyday life wrought by the crisis. It is an inescapable fact that these new measures, such as the imposition of curfew and lockdown, have had a significant effect on the mental health of the general population. Anxiety caused by COVID-19 has spread to the mental state of everyone. Although coronavirus-related diseases will end soon, it is predicted that serious psychiatric disorders will be a lasting consequence of the pandemic. Despite the many negatives brought by COVID-19, it has led to a positive unity between the public and healthcare professionals, and in spite of significant risks to their own health, healthcare workers have risen to the challenge of COVID-19.

Choosing Wisely in the COVID-19 Era: Preventing Harm to Healthcare Workers

10.12788/3457 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 360-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyung J Cho ◽  
Leonard S Feldman ◽  
Sara Keller ◽  
Ari Hoffman ◽  
Amit K Pahwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
The United States ◽  
Choosing Wisely ◽  
Limited Time ◽  
Changing Environment ◽  
The Public ◽  
System 1

With more than 3 million people diagnosed and more than 200,000 deaths worldwide at the time this article was written, coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) poses an unprecedented challenge to the public and to our healthcare system.1 The United States has surpassed every other country in the total number of COVID-19 cases. Hospitals in hotspots are operating beyond capacity, while others prepare for a predicted surge of patients suffering from COVID-19. Now more than ever, clinicians need to prioritize limited time and resources wisely in this rapidly changing environment. Our most precious limited resource, healthcare workers (HCWs), bravely care for patients while trying to avoid acquiring the infection. With each test and treatment, clinicians must carefully consider harms and benefits, including exposing themselves and other HCWs to SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing this disease.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among healthcare professionals in anaesthesiology and intensive care

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Owais Mushtaq Shah ◽  
Nabil Alaouabda
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Theatre Staff ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Background/Aims This quality improvement study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among healthcare professionals working in the department of anaesthesiology and intensive care at University Hospital Ayr. Methods A questionnaire was adapted from the April 2020 guidelines for healthcare workers issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Protection Scotland and Public Health Scotland. A total of 70 healthcare workers completed the questionnaire, including doctors, intensive care nurses and operation theatre staff. Continuous variables were analysed using the student's independent t-test and analysis of variance, while categorical variables were compared using either the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean knowledge, positive attitude and good practice scores were 14.86, 12.25 and 12.96 out of 19 (respectively) among all staff. Analysis showed statistically significant differences between scores dependent on job category, particularly in their knowledge of key terms, personal protective equipment use and the latest COVID-19 guidelines. Consultants scored significantly higher than other staff members, while operating theatre staff and redeployed intensive care unit nurses tended to score lower on average. Conclusions Healthcare staff require more professional support, with more emphasis placed on their physical and psychological wellbeing. This can be achieved through periodic training to increase knowledge and confidence. Clearer communication and a more positive working environment is also needed.

scholarly journals Article Commentary: Integral Healthcare: The Benefits and Challenges of Integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine with a Conventional Healthcare Practice

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. IMI.S2239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina L. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Public ◽  
Integrative Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Practice

Today's medicine is in the midst of an undeniable crisis. Calls to reform healthcare are in the forefront of economic and political discussions worldwide. Economic pressures reduce the amount of time physicians can spend with patients contributing to burnout among medical staff and endangering the patient iatrogenically. Politicians are getting involved as the public is calling for more affordable healthcare. A new paradigm must be embraced in order to address all aspects of this dilemma. It is clear that science and technology have resulted in vastly improved understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, but the emphasis on science and technology to the exclusion of other elements of healing has also served to limit the development of a model that humanizes healthcare. The healing of a patient must include more than the biology and chemistry of their physical body; by necessity, it must include the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Because of these challenges, the development of an integral healthcare system that is rooted in appropriate regulation and supported by rigorous scientific evidence is the direction that many models of integrative healthcare are moving towards in the 21st century.

Positional Commitments and the Public Good: Perceptions of a Defecting Group Leader

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Sibicky ◽  
Cortney B. Richardson ◽  
Anna M. Gruntz ◽  
Timothy J. Binegar ◽  
David A. Schroeder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Group Leader ◽  
The Public
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