Beneficence or Bucks: Focus on Bioethics

The ongoing pandemic scenario, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has had a considerable impact on public health all over the world. Italy was one of the most affected countries, as the first European full-blown outbreak occurred there. The exposure of the Italian health care workers to COVID-19 may be an important risk factor for psychological distress. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe worries and risk perception of being infected among Italian Health Care Workers (HCWs) during the first wave of the pandemic. In total, 2078 HCWs participated in a web survey (78.8% were females). The highest percentage of respondents were physicians (40.75%) and nurses (32.15%), followed by medical (18.00%), health care support (4.50%) and administrative (4.60%) staff. In a score range between 0 (not worried) and 4 (very worried), our results showed that participants declared that they were worried about the Coronavirus infection with a median score of 3 (IQR 2-3) and for 59.19% the risk perception of being infected was very high. In addition, HCWs reported they suffered from sleep disturbances (63.43%). From the analysis of the psychological aspect, a possible divergence emerged between the perceived need for psychological support (83.85%) and the relative lack of this service among health care providers emerged (9.38%). Our findings highlight the importance of psychological and psychiatric support services not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) scenarios. These services may be useful for health authorities and policymakers to ensure the psychological well-being of health care professionals and to promote precautionary behaviors among them.

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The mental health of health care workers in Oman during the COVID-19 pandemic

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764020939596 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002076402093959 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Abdallah Badahdah ◽

Faryal Khamis ◽

Nawal Al Mahyijari ◽

Marwa Al Balushi ◽

Hashil Al Hatmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Care Providers ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Care Workers

Background: COVID-19 disease is one of the most destructive events that humanity has witnessed in the 21st century. It has impacted all aspects of life and all segments of populations, including already vulnerable health care providers. Aims: This study sought to detect the prevalence of mental health issues in sample of physicians and nurses working in several health facilities in Oman. Method: We gauged the mental health conditions of 509 physicians (38.1%) and nurses (61.9 %) using the Perceived Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and World Health Organization Well-Being Index. Results: The study revealed a high prevalence of stress, anxiety and poor psychological well-being, especially among females, young health care workers and those who interacted with known or suspected COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study support the handful of studies published during this global health crisis that have found that the mental health of health care workers has been harshly affected and predicted that it will continue, to various degrees, to be affected in the foreseeable future. The results of this study highlight the urgency of providing administrative and psychological support as well as current and accurate information on COVID-19 to health care workers.

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Covid-19 and its financial effects on the dental fraternity and health-care workers: A literature review

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.2883 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 628-631

Author(s):

Devangi Agrawal ◽

Namisha Khara ◽

Bhushan Mundada ◽

Nitin Bhola ◽

Rajiv Borle

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Dental Procedures ◽

Care Workers ◽

Dental Practices ◽

Precautionary Measures ◽

The Government ◽

Set Up

In the wake of the current outbreak of novel Covid-19, which is now declared as a 'pandemic' by the WHO, people around the globe have been dealing with a lot of difficulties. This virus had come into light in December 2019 and since then has only grown exponentially. Amongst the most affected are the ones who have been working extremely hard to eradicate it, which includes the hospitals, dental fraternity and the health-care workers. These people are financially burdened due to limited practise. In the case of dentistry, to avoid the spread of the virus, only emergency treatments are being approved, and the rest of the standard procedures have been put on hold. In some cases, as the number of covid cases is rising, many countries are even trying to eliminate the emergency dental procedures to divert the finances towards the treatment of covid suffering patients. What we need to realise is that this is probably not the last time that we are facing such a situation. Instead of going down, we should set up guidelines with appropriate precautionary measures together with the use of standardised PPEs. The government should also establish specific policies to support dental practices and other health-care providers. Together, we can fight this pandemic and come out stronger.

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Evaluation of Sensitization Program on Occupational Health Hazards for Nursing and Allied Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Health Care Setting

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.669179 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Manisha Naithani ◽

Meenakshi Khapre ◽

Rajesh Kathrotia ◽

Puneet Kumar Gupta ◽

Vandana Kumar Dhingra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Occupational Health ◽

Training Program ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Needlestick Injury ◽

Incident Reporting ◽

Health Hazards ◽

Care Providers ◽

Care Workers

Background: Occupational health hazard pertaining to health care providers is one of the neglected areas that need serious attention. Any compromise in their safety would result in reduction in workforce, which may affect patient care, keeping in mind the wide gap between the required number and actual health care workers (HCWs) available in the world over.Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate the change in knowledge through a sensitization training program on occupational health hazards and vaccination for HCWs.Materials and Methods: Participants of the study included nursing and allied HCWs of a tertiary care health institute in Uttarakhand, India. Multiple training sessions, each of around 180 min, were held periodically in small groups with 20–40 participants over 2 years. Participants were assessed with pretest and posttest questionnaires, and feedback was taken. Questionnaires comprised three categories: general safety and ergonomics, biological hazards, and chemical and radiation hazards. Data of incident reporting for needlestick injury from 2017 to 2019 were retrieved. All data were compiled in Excel sheet and analyzed.Results: A total of 352 participants were included in the study. Mean ± SD for pretest and posttest scores were 5.3 ± 2.13 and 11.22 ± 2.15, respectively. There was considerable improvement in knowledge, which was found to be statistically significant with p-value of 0.001 for all categories. Participants in their feedback suggested for inclusion of psychosocial aspect in further training programs.Conclusion: Low baseline knowledge prior to attending the course highlights a need for an intervention through such structured sensitization program to create awareness and educate HCWs on common occupational health hazards and vaccination. Statistically significant improvement in posttest knowledge highlights effectiveness of the training program. A drastic rise in incident reporting for needlestick injury reflects fairly good impact of training program. Regular and appropriate form of training can reduce injuries resulting from occupational hazards and ensure healthy workforce contributing toward a positive impact on national economy.

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Level of physical activity and its correlates among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019

10.21203/rs.2.19544/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Tigist Demssew Adane ◽

Birhan Gebresillassie Gebregiorgis ◽

Elda Mekonnen Nigussie ◽

Abate Dargie Wubetu

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Associated Factors ◽

P Value ◽

Care Providers ◽

Care Workers ◽

Study Participants

Abstract Background These days, engaging at sufficient regular physical activity strongly recommended for good health and physical functioning. Physical activity can increase the self-confidence of the health professionals and they would become fit for daily activities with patients. Knowing the level of physical activity can help health care professionals to plan for physical activity programs. This study aimed to measure the level of physical activity and associated factors among adult health professionals at Tirunesh Beijing general hospital.Objective The aim of this study was to assess the level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019.Methods Institution based cross-sectional study conducted level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019. Two hundred nighty seven adult health professionals were participated, which was a 97.4% response rate. The global physical activity questionnaire used to measure the level of physical activity. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses was done to affirm the variables characteristics. A predictor variable with a p-value of less than 0.2 exported to multivariate analysis. During multivariate analysis, statistical significance declared at a p-value of < 0.05.Results In general, the majority of the study participants, 89.2% (95% CI: 85.9-92.6) were achieved recommended levels of physical activity. Regarding the intensity of the physical activity, the overall mean time score was 518.4 mints per week or 2352.6 MET/week. For moderate-intensity physical activity, 83.5% of the study participants were physically active, (≥150 minutes/week). In the case of vigorous activity, about 32.7% of the study participants were physically active and engaged in vigorous physical activity (≥75 minutes /week). The study participants, who had self-motivation for physical activity, had a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2 and aged < 40 years were physically active.Conclusions Health care providers’ habit of physical activity improved as compared with the previous studies. However, the current level of physical activity of health professionals is not adequate. Health care providers’ age, body mass index and self-motivation attribute to physical activity. The level of physical activity can increase by enhancing staff motivation towards physical activity.

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Violence against health care workers in China, 2013–2016: evidence from the national judgment documents

Human Resources for Health ◽

10.1186/s12960-019-0440-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ruilie Cai ◽

Ji Tang ◽

Chenhui Deng ◽

Guofan Lv ◽

Xiaohe Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Health Workers ◽

National Level ◽

Care Providers ◽

Public Attention ◽

Online System ◽

Care Workers

Abstract Background Incidents of patient-initiated workplace violence against health care workers have been a subject of substantial public attention in China. Patient-initiated violence not only represents a risk of harm to health care providers but is also indicative of general tensions between doctors and patients which pose a challenge to improving health system access and quality. This study aims to provide a systematic, national-level characterization of serious workplace violence against health care workers in China. Methods This study extracted data from the China Judgment Online System, a comprehensive database of judgment documents. Three key phrases, “criminal case,” “health care institution,” and “health care worker” were used to search the China Judgment Online System for relevant cases between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016. Data extracted from identified cases was used to document the occurrence, the degree of risk, and the factors associated with serious workplace violence. Results In total, 459 criminal cases involving patient-initiated workplace violence against health care workers in China were reported and processed. The analysis revealed geographic heterogeneity in the occurrence of serious workplace violence, with lower incidence in western provinces compared to central and eastern provinces. Primary hospitals experienced the highest rates of serious workplace violence and emergency departments and doctors were at higher risk compared with other departments and health workers. Perpetrators were primarily male farmers aged 18 to 44 with low levels of education. The most frequently reported reasons of serious patient-initiated workplace violence included perceived medical malpractice by the perpetrator after the death of a patient, death of a patient with no other reason given, failures of the compensation negotiations after the death of a patient, and dissatisfaction with the treatment outcomes. Conclusions Serious workplace violence against providers varies across regions and types of health care institutions in China. Perception of low-quality care is the most reported reason for violence. Efforts should be made to improve quality of care in the low-level health institutions and strengthen the doctor-patient communication during the whole course of service.

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The psychosocial effects of being quarantined following exposure to COVID-19: A qualitative study of Lebanese health care workers

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764020932202 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (6) ◽

pp. 560-565 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mirna Fawaz ◽

Ali Samaha

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Control Measures ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Care Providers ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Psychosocial Effects ◽

Care Workers

Background: Since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), health care professionals in Lebanon have been diligently serving as the frontline of defense. In the light of challenging economic and political circumstances, putting their community wellbeing as a priority, and abiding by quarantine and strict infection control measures, health care professionals risk both their physical and mental wellbeing. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the psychosocial effects of being quarantined following exposure to COVID-19 among Lebanese health care professionals. Method: An exploratory qualitative research design was employed, where semi-structured interviews were carried out involving a sample of 13 Lebanese health care providers working at various COVID-19 units. Results: The qualitative analysis has revealed four themes namely ‘Fears of contracting and spreading the virus’, ‘Conflict between professional duty and family obligation’, ‘Stigma of being infected’, and ‘Inadequate or inaccurate information’. Conclusion: COVID-19 quarantine has been posing intense psychological challenges among Lebanese health care workers which are worsened at times by the economic instability; thus, health care policymakers are urged to take proper action nationwide to alleviate longlisting implications and support the health care providers in fulfilling their mission.

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Hepatitis B virus genotype E infection among Egyptian health care workers

Journal of Translational Internal Medicine ◽

10.1515/jtim-2017-0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 100-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Reem Elmaghloub ◽

Ashraf Elbahrawy ◽

Gamal El Didamony ◽

Ahmed Elwassief ◽

Abdel-Gawad Saied Mohammad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Care Work ◽

Care Providers ◽

Health Care Work ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Mean

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesHealth Care Workers (HCWs) are at a high risk of needle stick injuries and HBV infection in Egypt; this problem is further aggravated by low Hepatitis B (HB) vaccination coverage. Limited data are available on the prevalence of HBV infection in Egyptian HCWs. In this study, we aimed to assess the HBV infection rate and genotypes among Egyptian HCWs.MethodsFive hundred and sixty-four (564) HCWs were included. Of them, 258 (45.74%) were health care providers and 306 (54.25%) were non-health care providers. All HCWs completed both the study questionnaires and provided a blood sample for HBV testing. Indeed, all HCWs were tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to Hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HBVDNA was checked for HCWs who tested positive for HBsAg and/or anti-HBc, by nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). HBVDNA positive HCWs were further subjected to HBV genotyping.ResultsThe mean age of included HCWs was 33.0 ± 9.8 years, of whom 319 (56.56%) were males. The mean duration of health care work was 9.3 ± 6.7 years. The frequency of HBsAg and anti-HBc were 1.4%, and 24.5%, respectively. Old age and prolonged duration of health care work were significantly associated with anti-HBc seropositivity. Among 140 HCWs positive for HBsAg and/or anti-HBc, 14 (10 %) had positive HBVDNA by PCR. HBV/E (n= 7), HBV/D (n= 3) and co-infection with E and D (n= 4) genotypes were detected.ConclusionEgyptian HCWs have a significantly high rate of HBV exposure. The detection of HBV/E genotype among Egyptian HCWs suggests prevalent transmission of HBV/E among Egyptian populations.

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Evaluating Safe Patient Handling Systems: Is There a Better Way?

10.26686/wgtn.16948675 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Heidi Elizabeth Borner

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Care Organizations ◽

Well Being ◽

Small Sample ◽

Workplace Culture ◽

Care Providers ◽

Patient Handling ◽

Safe Patient Handling ◽

Care Workers

<p>The literature presented here shows that injuries suffered by staff and patients due to patient handling are preventable but patient handling injuries to health care workers and patients remain a costly problem to health care organizations in many countries. "No Lifting" patient handling policies have been adopted yet health care organizations currently sit amongst the top three worst performing industries in terms of disabling injuries to their employees. A factor that contributes to this situation is the lack of tools for evaluating patient handling systems including workplace culture and climate. This observational study analyzes the responses of 38 nurses from two similar units that use different patient handling systems to test the reliability and validity of the Safe Patient Handling Survey (TM) SPH Survey(TM), a perception survey and improvement tool for employees and employers. The survey contains 55 questions divided into 6 clusters, staff and patient injury and violence questions, and picture questions depicting unsafe techniques. The data were analyzed to see how the SPH Survey(TM) scores correlate with incidents, and its ability to detect differences between the two units. The results of the Pearson and Cronbach(TM) alpha tests show strong reliability, validity and consistency of the SPH Survey(TM). ANOVA comparison of means and Spearman(TM) rho tests shows that higher (better) scores on the SPH Survey(TM) clusters correlate with lower numbers of patient injuries, lower reports of verbal and physical violence episodes, and lower staff injuries. Differences were detected between the units with Unit 2 scoring higher than Unit 1 in all SPH Survey(TM) clusters and scoring lower in staff and patient injuries and violence incidents. Although the analysis was limited by the small sample size, the study has created a sound basis for further investigation. Health care organizations, unions, government bodies, insurers, educational institutions, and researchers must continue to reduce patient handling risk for both health care workers and for patients. The SPH Survey(TM) is shown to be an easy way to reliably evaluate patient handling systems and workplace culture, target improvement initiatives, and continually monitor the level of patient handling risk in the workplace. Low-risk patient handling gives health care providers the means to focus on delivering high quality patient care, without endangering their own health and well-being.</p>

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Evaluating Safe Patient Handling Systems: Is There a Better Way?

10.26686/wgtn.16948675.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Heidi Elizabeth Borner

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Care Organizations ◽

Well Being ◽

Small Sample ◽

Workplace Culture ◽

Care Providers ◽

Patient Handling ◽

Safe Patient Handling ◽

Care Workers

<p>The literature presented here shows that injuries suffered by staff and patients due to patient handling are preventable but patient handling injuries to health care workers and patients remain a costly problem to health care organizations in many countries. "No Lifting" patient handling policies have been adopted yet health care organizations currently sit amongst the top three worst performing industries in terms of disabling injuries to their employees. A factor that contributes to this situation is the lack of tools for evaluating patient handling systems including workplace culture and climate. This observational study analyzes the responses of 38 nurses from two similar units that use different patient handling systems to test the reliability and validity of the Safe Patient Handling Survey (TM) SPH Survey(TM), a perception survey and improvement tool for employees and employers. The survey contains 55 questions divided into 6 clusters, staff and patient injury and violence questions, and picture questions depicting unsafe techniques. The data were analyzed to see how the SPH Survey(TM) scores correlate with incidents, and its ability to detect differences between the two units. The results of the Pearson and Cronbach(TM) alpha tests show strong reliability, validity and consistency of the SPH Survey(TM). ANOVA comparison of means and Spearman(TM) rho tests shows that higher (better) scores on the SPH Survey(TM) clusters correlate with lower numbers of patient injuries, lower reports of verbal and physical violence episodes, and lower staff injuries. Differences were detected between the units with Unit 2 scoring higher than Unit 1 in all SPH Survey(TM) clusters and scoring lower in staff and patient injuries and violence incidents. Although the analysis was limited by the small sample size, the study has created a sound basis for further investigation. Health care organizations, unions, government bodies, insurers, educational institutions, and researchers must continue to reduce patient handling risk for both health care workers and for patients. The SPH Survey(TM) is shown to be an easy way to reliably evaluate patient handling systems and workplace culture, target improvement initiatives, and continually monitor the level of patient handling risk in the workplace. Low-risk patient handling gives health care providers the means to focus on delivering high quality patient care, without endangering their own health and well-being.</p>

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