scholarly journals Health Communication needs of health professionals in Europe – the H-COM cross sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Zota ◽  
P Karnaki ◽  
A Veloudaki ◽  
T Tsiampalis ◽  
A Linos
Keyword(s):  
Health Communication ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Communication Needs

Abstract Background Effective communication between Health Professionals (HP) and patients is crucial for the overall functioning of the healthcare system with positive impacts on readmission rates, treatment outcomes, adherence and costs. However, health communication training is limited especially during medical training. In the framework of the EU H-COM project an exploration of health communication needs and gaps and preferred training methods was performed among HP. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 702 health professionals (Physicians: n = 315; Nurses: n = 258; Other: n = 129) through a purpose made questionnaire available in English, Greek, Polish, Spanish and German. Results Health communication training is considered necessary for physicians (89.8%) and nurses (89.7%), although 42.4% of them never received relevant training in the past. Professional status (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.079), gender (p = 0.090) and years of experience (p = 0.012) affected the likelihood of not having received such training, with physicians, HPs aged 45-54 years old, males and those having 6-10 years of experience being most in need. At least 50.0% reported encountering problems in communicating with their patients and facing several barriers either in primary health care settings and hospitals or in private practice. The ability to listen and answer patients, deliver bad news and obtain medical history were the most important communication skills identified, while the most suitable training method was learning relevant practical skills. The availability of such trainings is reported as being fair or poor at all educational levels by the majority. Conclusions Health communication training is considered important although currently not available to the extent needed. This research provides evidence concerning the preferred type, frequency and mode of health communication training providing also insight on differences between various HPs. Key messages Health communication training is crucial but inadequate in Europe. There are specific training needs and preferences among HP which need to be considered. Health communication training needs to be adapted and tailored to professionals’ age, experience and status.

scholarly journals Older and Wiser? The Need to Reexamine the Impact of Health Professionals Age and Experience on Competency-Based Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237796082110290
Author(s):  
Jing Xu ◽  
Kristen Hicks-Roof ◽  
Chloe E. Bailey ◽  
Hanadi Y. Hamadi
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Delivery of healthcare services makes up a complex system and it requires providers to be competent and to be able to integrate each of the institute of medicine’s (IOM) 5 core competencies into practice. However, healthcare providers are challenged with the task to be able to understand and apply the IOM core competencies into practice. Objective The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence health professional’s likelihood of accomplishing the IOM core competencies. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to administer a validated online survey to health providers. This survey was distributed to physicians, nursing professionals, specialists, and allied healthcare professionals. The final sample included 3,940 participants who completed the survey. Results The study findings show that younger health professionals more consistently practice daily competencies than their older counterparts, especially in the use of evidence-based practice, informatics, and working in interdisciplinary teams. Less experienced health professionals more consistently applied quality improvement methods but less consistently used evidence-based practice compared to their more experienced counterparts. Conclusion There is a need to understand how health professionals’ age and experience impact their engagement with IOM’s core competencies. This study highlights the need for educational resources on the competencies to be tailored to health providers’ age and experience.

Facebook support groups for pediatric rare diseases: opportunities, limitations and privacy concerns (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Catrin Titgemeyer ◽  
Christian Patrick Schaaf
Keyword(s):  
Rare Disease ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Rare Diseases ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Privacy Rights ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Group Members

BACKGROUND Due to the nature of rare diseases with affected individuals being widely geographically dispersed, finding an in-person/offline support group itself can be a challenge. Affected individuals therefore turn to social networking platforms such as Facebook for online support groups. OBJECTIVE We aim to put into perspective the opportunities Facebook offers as a tool for pediatric rare disease support groups by investigating its use, advantages and limitations including privacy concerns. We analyze group accessibility and usage, advantages specific to rare diseases, perceived privacy and views on using Facebook for communication between health professionals and parents, pharmaceutical companies and for study recruitment. METHODS We contacted twelve Facebook support groups for twelve respective rare diseases with pediatric onset and invited group members to participate in a cross-sectional online survey. RESULTS Of 231 respondents, 87.0% (n=201) respondents were female, 12.6% (n=29) were male and 1 respondent reported another sex (0.4%, n=1). Respondents’ mean age was 41.56 years (SEM=0.621, SD=9.375). 91.3% (n=211) respondents were parents (183 mothers, 27 fathers, 1 other sex). 59.7% (n=138) reported a self-initiated search for the Facebook group, 24.2% (n=56) received recommendations from their health professionals, 12.6% (n=29) recommendations from someone else affected by the disease. On average, support group members visited Facebook at least once a day, visited and passively participated (read/liked posts) several times a week and participated actively (commented/posted) once a month. 79,6% agreed that they would like to have health professionals as members of the respective Facebook group. Group members expressed more concern about privacy issues on Facebook in general than in their respective Facebook support groups, with concerns mostly related to Facebook itself and non-group-members. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirmed that Facebook enhances support group accessibility for parents of children with rare diseases. Group participants perceive a reduction and elimination of distance, a common challenge in rare disease, and Facebook support groups create an environment of perceived privacy. The group’s privacy setting can be a critical factor for active support group participation. Sharing personal information and pictures on Facebook is very common among group participants, which shows the importance of discussing and protecting children’s privacy rights in this context. CLINICALTRIAL DRKS00016067

scholarly journals Que(e) rying undergraduate medical curricula: a cross-sectional online survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer content inclusion in UK undergraduate medical education

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Tollemache ◽  
Duncan Shrewsbury ◽  
Carrie Llewellyn
Keyword(s):  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Survey Respondent ◽  
Lgbt Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
National Review ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Background Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals are more likely to have negative healthcare experiences and worse health outcomes when compared with their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. A key recommendation of the 2018 Stonewall-commissioned “LGBT in Britain” report was that the curricula, standards, and training provided by medical schools should be reviewed in order to encompass mandatory teaching about LGBT health inequalities and discrimination, LGBT-inclusive care and the use of appropriate language. The aim of our study was to conduct an in-depth national review of the content of LGBT teaching within the curricula of UK Medical Schools. Methods Course leads at all 37 UK Medical Schools with students currently enrolled in a primary undergraduate medical training course were asked between December 2019–March 2020 to complete a cross-sectional online survey comprised of 30 questions; divided into three sections relating to the current LGBT teaching (Part 1), any planned or future LGBT teaching (Part 2), and the opinions of the survey respondent about the coverage of LGBT topics (Part 3) at their institution. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Questionnaires were received from 19/37 institutions (response rate: 51%). The median estimated number of hours of LGBT-teaching across the entire undergraduate course was 11.0 (IQR: 12.25). Teaching on LGBT mental health, gender identity, sexual orientation, awareness of LGBT-health inequalities, and LGBT discrimination in healthcare were reported by almost all respondents, whilst maternity and childbirth, chronic disease and LGBT adolescent health were least represented within the curriculum. Almost all (18 medical schools; 95%) responding institutions were considering implementing new LGBT teaching within the next three academic years. A lack of space within the curriculum is a universally reported barrier to the implementation of LGBT teaching. Only 5 (26%) survey respondents consider their institution’s current coverage of LGBT topics to be “Good” or “Very good”. Conclusion Our study demonstrates a significant variation in the amount and breadth of content within the undergraduate curricula of UK medical schools. Recommendations for increasing the quantity and quality of LGBT content are provided, based upon areas of good practice.

scholarly journals Influenza Vaccination in Coronavirus Times: Intention to Be Vaccinated by Primary Care Professionals in Central Catalonia (VAGCOVID)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Muñoz-Miralles ◽  
Anna Bonet-Esteve ◽  
Anna Rufas Cebollero ◽  
Xavier Pelegrin Cruz ◽  
Josep Vidal Alaball
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
History Of ◽  
Primary Care Professionals

Abstract BackgroundInfluenza vaccination is the main measure of prevention against the epidemic flu, which annually produces a significant increase in the pressure on healthcare systems, in addition to influencing the absenteeism of health workers. Although it is recommended that health professionals be vaccinated, their vaccination coverage is low. The lack of knowledge about the evolution of influenza in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic led to the continued recommendation of influenza vaccination to people at risk and to professionals. The aim of the study is to determine the intention to vaccinate against seasonal flu of health professionals in the 2020-21 campaign in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and to analyse the factors that influence it.MethodsCross-sectional study through a structured online survey aimed at Primary Care professionals in the region of central Catalonia.ResultsA total of 610 participants responded to the survey, 65.7% of whom intended to be vaccinated against the flu in this campaign and 11.1% did not yet know or did not answer. The intention to be vaccinated against flu is associated with the professional category, the years of professional practice, the fact of making face-to-face guards, and the perception of the risk of suffering from flu. It is also related to a history of influenza vaccination in the previous year and to having been vaccinated on another occasion. The profile of professionals who intend to be vaccinated against flu includes professionals with a history of vaccination, who were on duty and perceived that their staff were at risk of becoming ill with flu.ConclusionsDuring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many professionals show a clear intention to get vaccinated against the flu, but there are still some who doubt it. In order to improve influenza vaccination coverage among health professionals, it is necessary to design strategies aimed at professionals who are hesitant or reluctant to vaccination.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical training of last year medical students in Mexico: a cross-sectional nationwide study

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximiliano Servin-Rojas ◽  
Antonio Olivas-Martinez ◽  
Michelle Dithurbide-Hernandez ◽  
Julio Chavez-Vela ◽  
Vera L. Petricevich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Clinical Instruction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to medical education. However, no data are available regarding the impact the pandemic may have on medical training in Mexico. The aim of our study was to evaluate and identify the medical school students’ perceptions of the changes in their clinical training due to the pandemic in Mexico. Methods This was a cross-sectional study where a previous validated online survey was translated and adapted by medical education experts and applied to senior medical students from March to April of 2021. The 16-item questionnaire was distributed online combining dichotomous, multiple-choice, and 5-point Likert response scale questions. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the student’s perceptions between public and private schools. Results A total of 671 responses were included in the study period. Most participants were from public schools (81%) and female (61%). Almost every respondent (94%) indicated it was necessary to obtain COVID-19 education, yet only half (54%) received such training. Students in private schools were less likely to have their clinical instruction canceled (53% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have access to virtual instruction (46% vs. 22%, p = 0.001) when compared to students from public schools. Four out of every five students considered their training inferior to that of previous generations, and most students (82%) would consider repeating their final year of clinical training. Conclusions The impact of the COVID-19 on medical education in Mexico has been significant. Most final-year medical students have been affected by the cancellation of their in-person clinical instruction, for which the majority would consider repeating their final year of training. Efforts to counterbalance this lack of clinical experience with virtual or simulation instruction are needed.

scholarly journals Pharmacist Intentions to Prescribe Hormonal Contraception Following New Legislative Authority in California

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Vu ◽  
Sally Rafie ◽  
Kate Grindlay ◽  
Hialy Gutierrez ◽  
Daniel Grossman
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Hormonal Contraception ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Legislative Authority ◽  
Protocol Development ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Access To Contraception

Objective: Following a California law expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice to include directly providing self-administered hormonal contraception to patients pursuant to a statewide protocol, this study aimed to assess California pharmacists’ intentions to provide this new service prior to the protocol development and implementation. Design: Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study. Setting: California between August and September 2014. Participants: California pharmacists working in community pharmacies. Intervention: Invitations to participate in the online survey were sent to 1774 pharmacists. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcomes included pharmacists’ current practices, intentions to prescribe hormonal contraception, comfort performing various activities, knowledge about contraceptive methods, training needs, and barriers to prescribing. Results: A total of 257 responses (14.5% response rate) were received. Of those, 121 respondents met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. About half of the respondents (49.6%) reported working in a community chain pharmacy, 46.3% in an independent pharmacy, and 4.1% in other community pharmacy settings. The majority (72.7%) of pharmacists reported that they would likely provide this new service. Respondents reported being comfortable educating patients on short-acting (94.2%) and long-acting reversible contraception (81.7%), as well as identifying drug interactions with hormonal contraception (96.7%). Respondents indicated time constraints (74.4%), lack of reimbursement (63.6%), and liability concerns (62.0%) as barriers to prescribing hormonal contraception. Conclusions: California pharmacists expressed strong intentions and comfort in prescribing hormonal contraception. Pharmacists’ additional training needs and barriers should be addressed for successful implementation. This new service has great potential to increase access to contraception, potentially fostering increased use and adherence.

scholarly journals Quality of life, its factors, and sociodemographic characteristics of Polish women with lipedema

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna E. Dudek ◽  
Wojciech Białaszek ◽  
Marcin Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Health

Abstract Background Lipedema is a type of subcutaneous adipose tissue disorder that affects mainly women. Its main symptom is bilateral fat accumulation on the extremities with associated pain in the affected areas. Despite growing interest in lipedema among patients and medical health professionals, lipedema is still often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and mistreated. To promote better understanding of lipedema, we aimed to investigate factors related to the quality of life and describe selected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of women with lipedema in Poland. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that was completed by 98 women with lipedema. The participants responded to questionnaires regarding quality of life, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and depression symptom severity. Results The participants reported low quality of life and high severity of depressive symptoms. The more severe the symptoms related to pain, heaviness, and swelling, the lower the quality of life. Further analyses showed that depression severity mediated this relationship. Conclusions The current study provides initial information on screening questions, lipedema symptoms, and comorbidities, pointing to the areas needing in-depth investigation. Further steps to improve quality of life in women with lipedema and to reduce health costs should include the education of medical health professionals, using diagnostic tools that allow for differentiation among diagnoses and precise health risk assessment, and creating Polish treatment guidelines for lipedema.

scholarly journals Social Work Graduates Entering the Field of Gerontology During COVID-19: Exploring Perceived Readiness and Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 390-390
Author(s):  
Susanny Beltran ◽  
Vivian Miller
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Gerontological Social Workers

Abstract Gerontological social workers (GSW) are on the frontlines supporting the biopsychosocial needs of older adults in hospitals, communities, and long-term care settings. However, it is unclear whether social workers (SW) are trained to meet the emerging needs of older adults during COVID-19. This study describes training received, perceived readiness, and training needs of GSWs new to the field during 2020. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with recent graduates from U.S. SW programs. Survey questions explored training received and ongoing needs, perceived self-efficacy (adapted from the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale), demographics, and confidence in ability to work with populations 55+. A total of 15 recent SW graduates specializing in gerontology completed the survey. Fifty-three percent of the sample held MSWs and over half (53.3%) were licensed social workers or registered interns. Nearly all participants (73.3%) reported taking an introductory aging course, and almost half (46.7%) completed coursework in aging and diversity, aging policy, and end-of-life care/bereavement; 80% completed fieldwork in aging. Participants report moderate skill in assessing issues related to losses or transitions (46.7%), and physical functioning (53.3%), and advanced skill in assessing cognitive functioning (60.0%), and caregiver stress/needs (53.3%). Nearly half of respondents who rated their training as good-excellent indicate being very-extremely confident (42.8%) in their ability to practice with older adults. Training needs among participants include disaster preparedness, telehealth, and coordination of scarce resources. Curriculum development and continuing education are necessary to support emerging gerontological social workers in their practice during COVID-19 and other emergencies.

scholarly journals Perceptions of hospital medical personnel on disaster preparedness

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Walczyszyn ◽  
Shalin Patel ◽  
Maly Oron ◽  
Bushra Mina
Keyword(s):  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hospital System

Objective: Natural disasters, domestic terrorism and other forms of catastrophe, though rare, pose a significant public health challenge when they do occur.  Hospital personnel must have the appropriate training to identify, treat, and possibly even oversee local disaster preparedness initiatives. Insufficient resources have been placed on the education received by healthcare providers in tertiary medical institutions. We intended to assess the current state of knowledge and interest in disaster preparedness among different tiers of hospital staff and training levels in order to identify potential barriers and areas for further training. Design: A cross-sectional online survey was given to hospital attending physicians, subspecialty fellows, residents, nurses, physician assistants, and their respective students. The survey questions were disseminated throughout the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Members and the North Shore Long Island Jewish (NSLIJ) hospital system via e-mail newsletters. Main results: A total of 572 individuals participated between October 2013 and May 2014. 85% of respondents expected to be dealing with a disaster during their career. 61.5% of respondents noted they would not feel comfortable leading and directing a local disaster management initiative.  Yet 51.9% of respondents treated victims of natural disasters, 56.5% of transportation disasters and 34.8% of a structural collapse.  When asked about level of formal disaster management training: 27.5% noted that no training was provided and 33% noted that they received 12 hours of training and only a quarter had more than 48 hours of formal training. 86.6% of respondents noted an interest in participating in a disaster management training workshop. Conclusions: Many of our respondents had low level of disaster management training, did not feel comfortable leading a disaster initiative, however many have had to take care of victims of disasters.  Based on our findings, hospital professionals feel under prepared for disaster management, and disaster preparedness should be considered an integral part of medical training.

scholarly journals Novel Predictors of COVID-19 Protective Behaviors Among US Adults: Cross-sectional Survey

10.2196/23488 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. e23488
Author(s):  
Ken Resnicow ◽  
Elizabeth Bacon ◽  
Penny Yang ◽  
Sarah Hawley ◽  
M Lee Van Horn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

Background A central component of the public health strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic involves encouraging mask wearing and social distancing to protect individuals from acquiring and transmitting the virus. Objective This study aims to understand the psychological factors that drive adoption or rejection of these protective behaviors, which can inform public health interventions to control the pandemic. Methods We conducted an online survey of a representative sample of 1074 US adults and assessed three novel potential predictors of COVID-19 behaviors: trait reactance, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, and COVID-19 apocalypse beliefs. Key outcomes (dependent variables) included an index of COVID-19 protective behaviors, the number of trips taken from the home, and COVID-19 knowledge. Results In bivariate analyses, all three predictors were significantly correlated in the hypothesized direction with the three COVID-19 outcomes. Specifically, each predictor was negatively (P<.01) correlated with the COVID-19 protective behaviors index and COVID-19 knowledge score, and positively correlated with trips taken from home per week (more of which was considered higher risk). COVID-19 protective behaviors and COVID-19 knowledge were significantly lower in the top median compared to the bottom median for all three predictors. In general, these findings remained significant after adjusting for all novel predictors plus age, gender, income, education, race, political party, and religiosity. Self-identified Republicans (vs other political affiliations) reported the highest values for each of the novel predictors. Conclusions This study can inform the development of health communication interventions to encourage the adoption of COVID-19 protective behaviors. Interestingly, we found that higher scores of all three novel predictors were associated with lower COVID-19 knowledge, suggesting that lack of an accurate understanding of the virus may be driving some of these attitudes; although, it is also possible that these attributes may interfere with one’s willingness or ability to seek and absorb accurate health information. These individuals may be particularly immune to accepting new information and yielding their beliefs. Health communication professionals may apply lessons learned from countering similar beliefs around climate change and vaccine hesitancy. Messages designed for individuals prone to reactance may be more effective if they minimize controlling language and emphasize the individual’s independence in adopting these behavioral recommendations. Messaging for those who possess conspiracy beliefs should similarly not assume that providing evidence contrary to these beliefs will alone alter behavior. Other communication techniques such as rolling with resistance, a strategy used in motivational interviewing, may be helpful. Messaging for those with apocalyptic beliefs may require using religious leaders as the message source and using scripture that would support the adoption of COVID-19 protection behaviors.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document