Physician Wellness Is an Ethical and Public Health Issue

2018 ◽  
Vol 158 (6) ◽  
pp. 970-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosandra Walker ◽  
Harold Pine
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Physician Burnout ◽  
Sustainable Change ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Physician Wellness ◽  
Hospital Systems ◽  
The Impact

Attention to physician well-being has traditionally focused on substance abuse, usually with disciplinary implications. But, in recent years, greater notice has been granted toward physician burnout and overall wellness. Burnout and its sequelae not only affect physicians and physicians-in-training as individuals, but the impact then multiplies as it affects these physicians’ patients, colleagues, and hospital systems. In addition, the American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics charges physicians with a responsibility to maintain their own health and wellness as well as promote that of their colleagues. Therefore, the question of physician wellness has both public health and ethical implications. The causes of burnout are multifactorial, and the solutions to sustainable change are multitiered.

scholarly journals The Value of Urban Nature in Terms of Providing Ecosystem Services Related to Health and Well-Being: An Empirical Comparative Pilot Study of Cities in Germany and the Czech Republic

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Ralf-Uwe Syrbe ◽  
Ina Neumann ◽  
Karsten Grunewald ◽  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Jiři Louda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Urban Nature ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The quality of life in our cities critically depends on the intelligent planning and shaping of urban living space, in particular urban nature. By providing a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), urban nature essentially contributes to the well-being of city dwellers and plays a major role in avoiding common diseases through its positive impact on physical and mental health. Health is one of the most important factors underlying human welfare and is, thus, vital to sustainable development. The ES of urban green space provide other social-cultural functions alongside public health, for example by fostering environmental justice and citizenship participation. Thus, they should always be considered when searching for solutions to urban problems. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of green areas in three selected cities on the health and well-being of people by self-reporting of green areas’ visitors. To this end, we posed the research question: which types and characteristics of urban green space are most appreciated by city dwellers? Based on our findings, we have drawn up recommendations for practices to promote better living conditions. We have also pinpointed obstacles to and opportunities for leisure time activities as well as ways of supporting the public health of citizens.

scholarly journals Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12225
Author(s):  
Silvio Cristiano ◽  
Samuele Zilio
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Urban Health ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

An increasing interest has been present in scientific literature and policy making for the links between urban environments and health, as also learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration between urban planning and public health is therefore critical for enhancing the capabilities of a city to promote the well-being of its people. However, what leverage potential for urban health can be found in existing plans, policies, and strategies that address urban health? Starting from the relationship between urban systems and health issues, the purpose of this contribution is to broaden the systemic knowledge of urban systems and health so as to try to figure out the impact potential of local urban governance on public health. Considering the systemic nature of health issues, as defined by the World Health Organisation, this is done through a systems thinking epistemological approach. Urban health proposals are studied and assessed in four European cities (Copenhagen, London, Berlin, and Vienna). Current criticalities are found, starting from the guiding goal of such proposals, yet a systemic approach is suggested aimed at supporting and evaluating lasting and healthy urban planning and management strategies.

O’Cionnfaola v. the Wellcome Foundation and Daniel McCarthy

2018 ◽  
pp. 126-143
Author(s):  
Michael Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Active Immunization ◽  
Free State ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Childhood Immunization ◽  
Immunization Programme ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vaccine Confidence ◽  
The Impact

Chapter six argues that by the end of 1936, the Irish Free State had come close to incepting an operational national anti-diphtheria immunization scheme. This is a noteworthy achievement, as state-backed anti-diphtheria schemes were not introduced as an intervention against this pressing public health issue in the rest of Europe until 1938 and were only pursued with any vigour when wartime conditions exacerbated the problem from 1940 onwards. If it had progressed unimpeded, the Free State intervention seemed destined to eliminate diphtheria, and to become the first established national childhood immunization programme in Europe. However, the death of Siobhán O’Cionnfaola in April 1937, and the subsequent controversy surrounding the Ring incident, asked serious questions of active immunization and ultimately undermined vaccine confidence among parents, practitioners, and politicians. This chapter will evaluate the impact of the Ring controversy and the social, political and medical implications left in the wake of the incident.

Obesity in obstetric and gynaecological practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 96-106
Author(s):  
Sukhwinder Sahota ◽  
Tahir Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Major Public Health Issue ◽  
Health And Well Being

Obesity is a complex multifactorial disorder, which has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. It affects all aspects of an individual’s life: physical, social, emotional, and psychological. Although it is largely preventable, obesity is now a major public health issue and has a significant impact on the health and well-being of an individual throughout their lifespan. Obesity is associated with multiple adverse outcomes not only during the reproductive phase of a woman’s life but during the post-reproductive era as well. Obesity also increases risks for non-obstetrical and gynaecological illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and non-gynaecological cancers. Obesity thus is a cause of major societal economic burden.

scholarly journals Steps Towards Comprehensive Heat Communication in the Frame of a Heat Health Warning System in Slovenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5829
Author(s):  
Tjaša Pogačar ◽  
Zala Žnidaršič ◽  
Lučka Kajfež Bogataj ◽  
Zalika Črepinšek
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Health Warning ◽  
Health Measures

Occupational heat stress has an important negative impact on the well-being, health and productivity of workers and should; therefore, be recognized as a public health issue in Europe. There is no comprehensive heat health warning system in Slovenia combining public health measures with meteorological forecasts. The aim of this research was to provide insight into the development of such a system in Slovenia, turning the communication from the current meteoalarm into a broader system that has more information for different social groups. To achieve this goal, the following steps were used: Analysis of summer temperatures and issued meteoalarms, a survey of the general knowledge about heat among the public, organization and management of two stakeholder symposia, and a final survey on workers’ opinions on heat stress and measures, supplemented by interviews with employers. Summer average daily temperature distributions in Slovenia changed during the investigated period (1961–2019) and the mean values increased over time by 2–3 °C. Additionally, the number of days with fulfilled yellow (potentially dangerous) and especially orange (dangerous) meteoalarm conditions increased significantly after 1990. The survey of the general public about heat stress and warnings showed that efforts to raise awareness of heat issues need to be intensified and that public health measures should effectively target vulnerable groups. Stakeholder symposia and further surveys have shown that awareness and understanding of the negative effects of heat stress on health and productivity are still quite low, so effective ways of disseminating information to different sectors while striking the best balance between efficiency, feasibility and economic cost have to be found.

Faculty wellness in academic medicine: Addressing stressors in the workplace

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Claudia Finkelstein ◽  
Anne Ordway ◽  
Kurt L. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Professional Autonomy ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
System Level ◽  
Physician Burnout ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physician Wellness ◽  
Promotion System

BACKGROUND: Burnout is widely regarded as a syndrome resulting from chronic occupational stress. While physician burnout has been the subject of extensive research, physician wellness has been proposed as an alternative framework for understanding physician distress. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the organizational context of faculty wellness within an academic health care system. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 chairs of clinical and non-clinical departments in a US university school of medicine. RESULTS: Chairs described several system-level factors perceived to interfere with faculty wellness such as a stricter regulatory environment, the loss of professional autonomy, the up or out promotion system, limitless hours, and the rise of shadow work. While all chairs articulated some degree of responsibility for the wellness of their faculty, some said they lacked the skills or knowledge of resources to fully engage in this role. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study are consistent with recent research on physician burnout, which has pivoted from describing burnout as an individual responsibility to including the professional, organizational, and societal factors which likely contribute to physician job satisfaction and well-being. As health care organizations, including academic medical centers, move toward systems-based solutions for physician occupational health, it will be incumbent upon organizational leaders to make administrative decisions favoring physician wellness.

scholarly journals The prevention of female genital mutilation in England: what can be done?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. e261-e266 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Plugge ◽  
S Adam ◽  
L El Hindi ◽  
J Gitau ◽  
N Shodunke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Criminal Offence ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Awareness Raising ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Female Genital

Abstract Background Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a global public health issue. Women in the UK are at risk of FGM and its adverse health consequences but little is known about its practice. Since 1985 it has been a criminal offence to perform FGM in the UK and further legislation has tightened the law but FGM continues. Methods Four community researchers from the Kenyan, Nigerian, Somalian and Sudanese communities in Oxford conducted focus groups and interviews with 53 people to understand the communities’ beliefs about how best to prevent FGM. Results Participants believed that the current UK legislation alone was not sufficient to tackle FGM and might in fact be counterproductive by alienating communities through its perceived imposition. They felt that there had been insufficient consultation with affected communities, awareness raising and education about the legislation. Community-led solutions were the most effective way to tackle FGM. Conclusions FGM adversely affects communities globally. In the UK, researchers from affected communities gathered data demonstrating the feasibility and importance of involving communities in FGM prevention work. Further research is needed to understand how best to prevent FGM in affected communities and, very importantly, to examine the impact of the UK legislation relating to FGM.

scholarly journals The Impact of Edentulism on Oral and General Health

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Emami ◽  
Raphael Freitas de Souza ◽  
Marla Kabawat ◽  
Jocelyne S. Feine
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
General Health ◽  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Preventive Dentistry ◽  
Disease Indicators ◽  
The Impact

An adequate dentition is of importance for well-being and life quality. Despite advances in preventive dentistry, edentulism is still a major public health problem worldwide. In this narrative review, we provide a perspective on the pathways that link oral to general health. A better understanding of disease indicators is necessary for establishing a solid strategy through an organized oral health care system to prevent and treat this morbid chronic condition.

scholarly journals Immigrant Mental Health, A Public Health Issue: Looking Back and Moving Forward

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha George ◽  
Mary S. Thomson ◽  
Ferzana Chaze ◽  
Sepali Guruge
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Immigrants And Refugees ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) strategy calls for promoting the health and wellbeing of all Canadians and to improve mental health outcomes. Each year, one in every five Canadians experiences one or more mental health problems, creating a significant cost to the health system. Mental health is pivotal to holistic health and wellbeing. This paper presents the key findings of a comprehensive literature review of Canadian research on the relationship between settlement experiences and the mental health and well-being of immigrants and refugees. A scoping review was conducted following a framework provided by Arskey and O’Malley (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19–32, 2005). Over two decades of relevant literature on immigrants’ health in Canada was searched. These included English language peer-reviewed publications from relevant online databases Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Healthstar, ERIC and CINAHL between 1990 and 2015. The findings revealed three important ways in which settlement affects the mental health of immigrants and refugees: through acculturation related stressors, economic uncertainty and ethnic discrimination. The recommendations for public health practice and policy are discussed.

scholarly journals Somewhere to go: Assessing the impact of public restroom interventions on reports of open defecation in San Francisco, California from 2014 to 2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Kathleen Amato ◽  
Douglas Martin ◽  
Christopher Michael Hoover ◽  
Jay Paul Graham
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Fecal Contamination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Open Defecation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Open defecation due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities remains a public health issue in the United States. People experiencing homelessness face barriers to accessing sanitation facilities, and are often forced to practice open defecation on streets and sidewalks. Exposed feces may contain harmful pathogens posing a significant threat to public health, especially among unhoused persons living near open defecation sites. The City of San Francisco’s Department of Public Works implemented the Pit Stop Program to provide the unhoused and the general public with improved access to sanitation with the goal of reducing fecal contamination on streets and sidewalks. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of these public restroom interventions on reports of exposed feces in San Francisco, California. Methods We evaluated the impact of various public restroom interventions implemented from January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2020 on reports of exposed feces, captured through a 311 municipal service. Publicly available 311 reports of exposed feces were spatially and temporally matched to 31 Pit Stop restroom interventions in ten San Francisco neighborhoods. We conducted an interrupted time-series analysis to compare pre- versus post-intervention rates of feces reports near the restrooms. Results Feces reports declined by 12.47 reports per week after the installation of 13 Pit Stop restrooms (p-value = 0.0002). The rate of reports per week declined from the six-month pre-intervention period to the post-intervention period (slope change=-0.024 [95% CI=-0.033, -0.014]). Reports also declined after new restroom installations in the Mission and Golden Gate Park, and after the provision of attendants in the Mission, Castro/Upper Market, and Financial District/South Beach. Conclusions Increased access to public toilets and the addition of restroom attendants reduced fecal contamination in San Francisco, especially in neighborhoods with people experiencing homelessness. Programs that improve access to public restrooms should be evaluated at the neighborhood level in order to tailor sanitation interventions to neighborhood-specific needs.

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