scholarly journals COVID-19 Impact Among Spine Surgeons in Latin America

2020 ◽  
pp. 219256822092803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Guiroy ◽  
Martín Gagliardi ◽  
Nicolas Coombes ◽  
Federico Landriel ◽  
Carlos Zanardi ◽  
...  

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in spine surgeons in Latin America. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to Latin American spine surgeons from April 4 to 6, 2020. Surgeon characteristics were recorded. The impact of COVID-19 on economic well-being, work, and mental health were also determined. All variables were compared and analyzed. Results: Two hundred four surgeons answered the complete survey; most of them were male (96.6%), the average age was 47.7 years; 58.8% (n = 120) were orthopedic surgeons and 41.2% (n = 84) were neurosurgeons. The majority of the respondents were from Argentina (59.8%, n = 122), followed by Brazil (17.2%, n = 35), Chile (6.4%, n = 13), and Mexico (5.9%, n = 12). Most of the surgeons reported performing emergency procedures only during the pandemic (76.5%, n = 156). Half used telemedicine or online consultation modalities (54.4%, n = 111). The average concern about the financial situation due to the pandemic was 7.53 in a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst scenario). Twenty-two percent (n = 45) of the surgeons had a score over 10 in the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; scores higher than 10 needs referral to confirm depression diagnosis). Young age and neurosurgery as a specialty were associated with higher PHQ-9 scores. Conclusions: COVID-19 has an impact in the daily working practice and financial situation of spine surgeons in Latin America. The long-term psychological impact should be taken into consideration to avoid a heavier burden for health care providers.

Author(s):  
Hasan Saeed Alamri ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Shehata ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
Nada N. Alshehri ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on public mental health. Our objective was to assess prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the general population in Saudi Arabia during this pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used targeting all accessible populations in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from participants using an electronic pre-structured questionnaire. Psychological impact was assessed using the Arabic version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). A total of 1597 participants completed the survey. In total, 17.1% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 10% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 12% reported moderate to severe stress levels. Depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher among females, younger respondents, and health care providers. Depression was higher among smokers, singles, and non-working respondents. Anxiety was higher among those reporting contacts with COVID-19 positive cases, previously quarantined and those with chronic health problems. Our findings reaffirm the importance of providing appropriate knowledge and specialized interventions to promote the mental well-being of the Saudi population, paying particular attention to high-risk groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Garay ◽  
Paul A. Camacho ◽  
Jose Lopez-Lopez ◽  
Juliana Alvernia ◽  
Marcela Garcia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Prediabetes has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite the clinical importance of prediabetes, little is known about the level of knowledge, beliefs and barriers to screening and treating prediabetes amongst care health providers in Latin America. The aim of the present survey was to evaluate the knowledge and beliefs about prediabetes amongst in Latin American health care providers. Methodology In a cross-sectional study, we adapted the written survey designed by the Johns Hopkins University group, and applied it to health care providers across Latin America during three meetings, in 2017, and with physicians from primary care centers in Bucaramanga, Colombia convened in 2017. The survey consisted of questions under four headings, diabetes screening, management of prediabetes, pharmacological treatment—metformin use, and demographic information. We perform a descriptive analysis to determine the differences in responses between different medical specialties. Results The majority of the care providers that answered the survey were Colombian physicians, 54.5% of respondents had 10 years or more since completing their training and more women responded. Only 9.5% identified the 12 prediabetes risk factors described in the literature. The most common risk factor identified was a family history of diabetes, followed by overweight, a sedentary lifestyle and dyslipidemia, while ethnicity was the risk factor least commonly. 47.1% answered that laboratory tests to detect prediabetes are fasting glucose and HbA1C, 82.5% correctly identified fasting plasma glucose as the best test, 35.9% correctly responded that to the recommended weight loss goal is 5 to 7% and 49.1% that 150 min is considered the minimum level of physical activity per week. 78% agreed that the identification and treatment of prediabetes is important. 56% believed that patients with prediabetes progress more rapidly to diabetes and 40.6% considered that metformin could reduce the risk of diabetes in patients already diagnosed with prediabetes. Conclusion These results demonstrate that there are important gaps in the knowledge of the diagnosis, clinical implications and management of prediabetes amongst Latin America health providers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11014-11014
Author(s):  
Ana I. Velazquez Manana ◽  
Carolina Bernabe Ramirez ◽  
Coral Olazagasti ◽  
Paulo Gustavo Bergerot ◽  
Enrique Soto Perez De Celis ◽  
...  

11014 Background: The well-being of oncology providers (OP) is in jeopardy with increasing workload, limited resources, and personal challenges that result from the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on work-related (WR) satisfaction and fatigue among OP in Latin America. Methods: We conducted an international cross-sectional online survey of OP practicing in Latin America. The survey was administered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results: In August 2020, 704 OP from 20 Latin American countries completed the survey (77% of 913 who started the survey). Table outlines baseline characteristics. Higher frequency of WR fatigue (67% vs. 58%, p=0.010) and exhaustion (81% vs. 70%, p=0.001) were reported by OP who cared for patients with COVID-19, compared to OP who cared for patients without COVID-19. Providers that observed delays in referrals to radiation (p=0.002) and surgery (p=0.04) reported WR fatigue at higher rates than their counterparts. Higher exhaustion (p=0.016) and dissatisfaction (p=0.046) were reported by OP who lacked access to supportive services, as social work. A significantly higher proportion of women reported WR fatigue (72% vs. 56%, p=0.003) and exhaustion (86% vs. 68%, p=0.001), when compared to men. Women were more likely than men to endorse higher current levels of fatigue when compared to pre-COVID-19 (61% vs. 46%, p=0.0001). To reduce stress, women were more likely than men to cut the time spent watching the news (p=0.002). Both genders declined research collaborations and speaking opportunities. Conclusions: Fatigue and dissatisfaction with work-life were prevalent among OP in Latin America. Higher rates of WR fatigue were seen in women, OP caring for patients with COVID-19, and OP with patients who experienced cancer care delays. Our data imply that OP may be a prime target for psychosocial support, particularly as current challenges will continue for the foreseen future. Baseline characteristics (N=704).[Table: see text]


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 123-123
Author(s):  
Ken Schwartz ◽  
Robert Madan ◽  
Anna Berall ◽  
Marsha Natadira ◽  
Anna Santiago

Background:Responsive behaviours in dementia are associated with poor outcomes for the person with dementia (PWD) and caregiver burnout. Family caregivers need a variety of tools to manage responsive behaviours. The Baycrest Quick-Response Caregiver Tool was developed to provide caregivers with a tool that can be used in real time. In this study, the feasibility, impact, and effectiveness of this new tool were studied in family caregivers and health care providers (HCP) using quantitative and qualitative measures.Methods:Family caregivers were recruited and were asked to complete a pre-survey before being sent the link to the educational tool. One month after the telephone survey, caregivers were sent an online post-survey to gather their feedback on the tool and the impact of the tool on caregiver well -being. Healthcare providers were also recruited and reviewed the tool through an online feedback survey. The feasibility, impact, and effectiveness of the tool were assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures.Results:Caregivers had a moderate degree of and reported a high level of competence - these scores were maintained throughout the study. Caregivers reported that tool positively impacted their compassion towards the person with dementia (PWD), and that their interactions with improved. 100% of HCP who completed the feedback survey would recommend the tool to other HCP and to caregivers of PWD. The caregivers and HCP provided specific suggestions for improvement.Conclusions:The Baycrest Quick-Response Caregiver Tool was found to be feasible and helpful. It provides caregivers and HCP with an additional approach for responsive behaviours.


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Mariangela Valentina Puci ◽  
Guido Nosari ◽  
Federica Loi ◽  
Giulia Virginia Puci ◽  
Cristina Montomoli ◽  
...  

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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith M. Pechacek ◽  
Diana Drake ◽  
Carrie Ann Terrell ◽  
Carolyn Torkelson

Understanding the impact interprofessional teamwork has on patient outcomes is of great interest to health care providers, educators, and administrators. This article describes one clinical team, Women’s Health Specialists, and their implementation of an interprofessional health intervention course: “Mindfulness and Well-being: The Mature Woman” (MW: MW) to support mature women’s health needs in midlife (age 40–70 years) and empower patient involvement in self-care. The provider team works to understand how their interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) interventions focused on supporting midlife women are associated with improved quality and clinical outcomes. This case study describes the work of the Women’s Health Specialists clinic in partnership with the National Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice to study the impact an interprofessional team has on the health needs of women in midlife. This article summarizes the project structure, processes, outputs, and outcomes. Data collection, analysis, strategy, and next steps for future midlife women’s projects are also discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Anikeeva ◽  
Paul Arbon ◽  
Kathryn Zeitz ◽  
Murk Bottema ◽  
Adam Lund ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionMass gatherings are complex events that present a unique set of challenges to attendees’ health and well-being. There are numerous factors that influence the number and type of injuries and illnesses that occur at these events, including weather, event and venue type, and crowd demographics and behavior.ProblemWhile the impact of some factors, such as weather conditions and the availability of alcohol, on patient presentations at mass gatherings have been described previously, the influence of many other variables, including crowd demographics, crowd behavior, and event type, is poorly understood. Furthermore, a large number of studies reporting on the influence of these variables on patient presentations are based on anecdotal evidence at a single mass-gathering event.MethodsData were collected by trained fieldworkers at 15 mass gatherings in South Australia and included event characteristics, crowd demographics, and weather. De-identified patient records were obtained from on-site health care providers. Data analysis included the calculation of patient proportions in each variable category, as well as the total number of patient presentations per event and the patient presentation rate (PPR).ResultsThe total number of expected attendees at the 15 mass gatherings was 303,500, of which 146 presented to on-site health care services. The majority of patient presentations occurred at events with a mean temperature between 20°C and 25°C. The PPR was more than double at events with a predominantly male crowd compared to events with a more equal sex distribution. Almost 90.0% of patient presentations occurred at events where alcohol was available.Conclusion:The results of the study suggest that several weather, crowd, and event variables influence the type and number of patient presentations observed at mass-gathering events. Given that the study sample size did not allow for these interactions to be quantified, further research is warranted to investigate the relationships between alcohol availability, crowd demographics, crowd mobility, venue design, and injuries and illnesses.Anikeeva O, Arbon P, Zeitz K, Bottema M, Lund A, Turris S, Steenkamp M. Patient presentation trends at 15 mass-gathering events in South Australia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):368–374.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 457-466
Author(s):  
Rose McCloskey ◽  
Cindy Donovan ◽  
Alicia Donovan

This article reports on a study examining staff activities being performed when incidents were reported to have occurred. The risk for injury among health care providers who engage in patient handling activities is widely acknowledged. For those working in long-term care, the risk of occupational injury is particularly high. Although injuries and injury prevention have been widely studied, the work has generally focused on incident rates and the impact of specific assistive devices on worker safety. The purpose of this study was to examine reported staff incidents in relation to staff activities. A multicenter cross-sectional exploratory study used retrospective data from reported staff incidents (2010, 2011, and 2012) and prospective data from 360 hours of staff observations in five long-term care facilities during 2013. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. A total of 898 staff incidents were reviewed from the facilities. Incidents were most likely to occur in resident rooms. Resident aides were more likely to be engaged in high-risk activities than other care providers. Times when staff incidents were reported to have occurred were not associated with periods of high staff-to-resident contact. Safe handling during low and moderate risk activities should be promoted. Education on what constitutes a reportable incident and strategies to ensure compliance with reporting policies and procedures may be needed to ensure accuracy and completeness of incident data.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Baron Nelson ◽  
Kathy Riley ◽  
Kimberly Arellano

Childhood brain tumors often present profound challenges to patients and families. To address these challenges, the California Chapter of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation provides hospital-based support services to parents of children with brain tumors from a Veteran Parent (VP). This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention using validated tools to compare parental resilience and impact of illness on the family between parents who met with the VP and those who did not. Two-tailed t tests assessed significant differences in scores on the PedsQL Family Impact module and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). Additional qualitative data gleaned from focus groups with stakeholders (health care providers and parents) were analyzed using key constructs of social support theory with Atlas.ti. Although there were no significant differences in overall scores on the PedsQL Family Impact module or CD-RISC-25 between groups, parents in the intervention group scored better on items related to handling difficult decisions and painful feelings. Overarching themes emerged from focus groups around participants’ experiences with the program and included informational and emotional support, peer parent relatedness, changed outlook, and empowerment. Results reveal the impact of peer parent support and need for emotional and instrumental support.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satriya Wijaya

Abstrak Pelaksanaan JKN di Indonesia menghadapi berbagai tantangan, dari sisi pemberi layanan kesehatan, pengelola jaminan kesehatan, masyarakat sebagai pengguna, serta pemerintah sebagai regulator program. Berbagai studi telah dilakukan untuk menelaah dampak JKN pada pelayanan kesehatan di Indonesia, namun pemanfaatan hasil studi tersebut untuk menyempurnakan kebijakan masih terbatas. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian deskriptif eksploratif, yang menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif serta penelaahan dokumen. Desain penelitian adalah cross-sectional dengan pendekatan retrospektif. Sampel penelitian ini adalah seluruh stakeholder kunci yang berada di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Wiyung yang terkait erat dengan pelaksanaan JKN. Analisa dan pengumpulan data dilakukan untuk memvalidasi: informasi dari institusi responden, indepth interview dengan stake holder kebijakan dan pelaksana program, kemudian cek silang oleh enumerator lapangan ke beberapa responden untuk temuan yang memerlukan, dan refleksi tim dalam bentuk pertemuan validasi data. Informasi yang diperoleh dari hasil indepth interview stake holder kebijakan dan pelaksana program, informasi cek silang dari enumerator lapangan maupun data sekunder akan diintegrasikan dengan informasi kualitatif yang terkumpul. Hasil analisis menunjukkan tidak semua pengunjung Puskesmas Wiyung telah menjadi peserta BPJS. Sistem administrasi dianggap rumit untuk dipahami dengan mudah oleh masyarakat.  Perlu sosialisasi kepada masyarakat tentang kepesertaan BPJS dan penguatan koordinasi dengan pihak BPJS apabila ada masalah anggota kepesertaan pasien BPJS.   Kata kunci: implementasi JKN, program JKN, kepesertaan BPJS Abstract   Implementation of National Health Insurance (JKN) in Indonesia faces various challenges, from the side of health care providers, health insurance managers, the community as users, and the government as the program regulator. Various studies have been conducted to examine the impact of JKN on health services in Indonesia, but the use of the results of these studies to improve policies is still limited. This type of research is explorative descriptive research, which uses qualitative descriptive methods and document review. The study design was cross-sectional with a retrospective approach. The sample of this study is all key stakeholders in the Wiyung Health Center working area which are closely related to JKN implementation. Analysis and data collection were carried out to validate: information from the respondent's institution, in-depth interviews with policy stakeholders and program implementers, then cross-check by field enumerators to several respondents for findings that needed, and team reflection in the form of data validation meetings. Information obtained from the results of an in-depth interview of policy stakeholders and program implementers, cross check information from field enumerators and secondary data will be integrated with qualitative information collected. The results of the analysis showed that not all visitors to the Wiyung Health Center had become BPJS participants. The administrative system is considered complicated to be easily understood by the community. Need to disseminate information to the public about BPJS membership and strengthening coordination with BPJS if there are problems with membership of BPJS patients.  Keywords: implementation of JKN, JKN program, BPJS membership


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