scholarly journals ‘It’s a real fine balancing act’: directly employed care workers’ experiences of engaging with health services

Author(s):  
Jane Wilcock ◽  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Jo Moriarty ◽  
Steve Iliffe

Little is known of the experiences of directly employed care workers communicating with healthcare providers about the situations of their employers. We report findings from 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews with directly employed care workers in England undertaken in 2018–19. Findings relate to role content, communication with healthcare professionals and their own well-being. Directly employed care workers need to be flexible about the tasks they perform and the changing needs of those whom they support. Having to take on health liaison roles can be problematic, and the impact of care work on directly employed workers’ own health and well-being needs further investigation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1291-1299
Author(s):  
Joy Orpin ◽  
Shuby Puthussery ◽  
Barbara Burden

Abstract Objectives To explore healthcare providers’ perspectives of disrespect and abuse in maternity care and the impact on women’s health and well-being. Methods Qualitative interpretive approach using in-depth semi-structured interviews with sixteen healthcare providers in two public health facilities in Nigeria. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Results Healthcare providers’ accounts revealed awareness of what respectful maternity care encompassed in accordance with the existing guidelines. They considered disrespectful and abusive practices perpetrated or witnessed as violation of human rights, while highlighting women’s expectations of care as the basis for subjectivity of experiences. They perceived some practices as well-intended to ensure safety of mother and baby. Views reflected underlying gender-related notions and societal perceptions of women being considered weaker than men. There was recognition about adverse effects of disrespect and abuse including its impact on women, babies, and providers’ job satisfaction. Conclusions Healthcare providers need training on how to incorporate elements of respectful maternity care into practice including skills for rapport building and counselling. Women and family members should be educated about right to respectful care empowering them to report disrespectful practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
Z. Budayova ◽  
L. Ludvigh Cintulova

The research study analyses the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and identifies changes in the life satisfaction of seniors in social services facilities. The research sample consisted of 79 seniors in social services facilities, the sample consisted of ten participants, data collection took place in the period from November 2020 to April 2021, where the method of qualitative research was used in empirical research, through semi-structured interviews to determine the impact of Covid-19 on We collected the data collected by open coding and pointed to those dimensions of the lives of seniors that were most marked by pandemic measures against the spread of Covid-19.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Chirongoma

Through an exploration of the collapse of the Zimbabwean health delivery systems during the period 2000–2010, this article examines the Karanga people’s indigenous responses to utano (health and well-being). The first section explores the impact of Zimbabwe’s economic and sociopolitical development on people’s health and well-being. The next section foregrounds the ‘agency’ of the Karanga community in accessing and facilitating health care, especially their utilisation of multiple healthcare providers as well as providing health care through indigenous remedies such as traditional medicine and faith-healing. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 which aspires to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, the concluding section offers insights for developing an indigenous Karanga theology of utano utilising communal resources and illustrating that the concept of ‘development’ should not be confined to rigid Western development perspectives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S669-S670
Author(s):  
S Fourie ◽  
W Czuber-Dochan ◽  
C Norton

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects every aspect of one’s life, yet no routine assessment for the impact on sexuality is made. Our aim was to explore patients’ perspective on healthcare professionals (HCPs) addressing sexuality/sexual well-being concerns. Methods This was a qualitative narrative study. Inclusion criteria were any sexual orientation and with known IBD for longer than 18 months. Data were collected via semi structured interviews and anonymous narrative accounts submitted via Google Forms. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Fourteen adults, 4 male and 10 female, took part. Eleven participants were from the UK, one from the USA of America and one for South Africa. The following main themes and subthemes were identified: I cannot imagine talking about my sex life (a difficult topic; there is not enough time), Those who talked about sex, talked badly (nobody volunteered information; badly handled conversations), Still living whilst unwell (sex is an important part of my life; sex issues break down relationships, medicalised body), IBD ruined my sex life (feeling unattractive; feelings of shame and embarrassment), I feel unheard (HCPs don’t open the discussion; sex not taken seriously), I’m a person, not my IBD (holistic approach to care; time, space and ways to talk about sex). The findings reflect the importance of sexual well-being to those living with IBD, the experiences of such conversations, barriers to conversations with HCPs on sexual well-being, and suggestions on how HCPs should address their unmet needs. The importance of discussing intimacy and sexuality was emphasised, as participants felt their sexual well-being was considerably affected by IBD. The majority reported that HCPs did not initiate discussions on sexual well-being, nor did they understand the impact of IBD on sexual well-being, with a distinct accent on the perceived lack of a holistic approach to their care. Therefore, participants made suggestions for practice, such as provision of information related to sexual well-being in the form of leaflets, additionally to HCPs raising the issue. Conclusion Our findings indicate that communicating on sexuality/sexual well-being is a problematic area of IBD care. HCPs must be cognisant of the sexual well-being concerns and needs of those living with IBD, who want this topic discussed routinely, as part of a holistic approach to their clinical care.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Kek ◽  
W A Stewart ◽  
A Adisesh

Abstract Background Previous work on sickness absence has shown that conversations about return to work can be challenging. The perception of competing interests and multiple stakeholders in the return to work process may also complicate and erode trust, further impacting health and well-being. Aims This study aims to explore the themes arising from the experiences of physicians and patients on the impact of health and return to work. The goal was to use these results to develop a Medical Readers’ Theatre workshop focusing on negotiating challenging return to work scenarios to serve as an educational support for stakeholders. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 physicians and 15 patients from the Canadian Maritime Provinces on their experiences in return to work following an injury or illness. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Using the emergent themes, an educational workshop in the modality of Readers’ Theatre was developed. Results The findings confirm there are multiple stakeholders involved in the return to work process and the factors influencing successful return are not always medically related. Six recurring themes were identified for the patient group and five for the physicians’, allowing the development of storylines and four return to work scenarios. The scenarios have been used in teaching sessions. Conclusions The themes reinforced that challenges in return to work are not always medical in nature. This Readers’ Theatre adopts perspectives of patients, physicians and other stakeholders whilst focusing on return to work with the goal of providing engagement in reflective and purposeful discussion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 216495612098295
Author(s):  
Kanchibhotla Divya ◽  
Saisudha Bharathi ◽  
Ramrakhyani Somya ◽  
Mehta H Darshan

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for healthcare globally, the brunt of which has been borne by the health care providers (HCPs). These challenges are felt more keenly in India, as they stretch an insufficiently resourced healthcare system. The long hours, cross over of responsibilities, lack of resources to adequately care for patients, and concerns around safety of self and loves ones, have led to a spike in anxiety, depression, insomnia and other stress – related disorders in healthcare providers. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a mind-body intervention that has been studied in multiple clinical populations. Prior to this study, there has been no exploration of the impact of SKY on healthcare providers, specifically the impact of a mind-body intervention like SKY on HCPs during a pandemic. Objective This study aims to investigate the impact of SKY on the well-being of HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a pilot feasibility study with a single arm pre-post design. SKY was taught to participants in a 4-day online breath and meditation workshop. We measured outcomes related to depression, anxiety, resilience, life satisfaction, and quality of sleep. Results Ninety-two subjects completed the study survey before and after the intervention. A significant reduction was observed in the levels of stress, anxiety and depression immediately after the program. In addition, the participants reported sig1nificant improvement in life satisfaction, resilience, and the quality of their sleep. Conclusion The results indicate that SKY breathing technique had a positive impact on the well-being of healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Participants experienced improved quality of sleep, enhanced satisfaction with life, and increased resilience after SKY. This pilot study provides important data for future multi-site randomized controlled trials to study the impact of yogic techniques on well-being of the HCPs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11037-11037
Author(s):  
Ana Maria Lopez ◽  
Lisa Capparella ◽  
Miriam Pomerantz ◽  
Kristine Naputo ◽  
Amy Leader ◽  
...  

11037 Background: Burnout amongst healthcare professionals has been well-documented as a phenomenon that compromises the quality and viability of patient-centered care, particularly in oncology. Due to the extraordinary demands of the pandemic, burnout has emerged as a public health crisis that warrants immediate attention to preserve the wellbeing of healthcare staff. At the onset of the pandemic, The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) at Jefferson, an urban NCI-designated cancer center, translated its support offerings to virtual events. Initially, healthcare providers (HP) sought support by attending patient programs. In response, SKCC initiated virtual programming to support the well-being and needs of the HP team. Methods: Within weeks of the state shutdown due to the pandemic, programs were initiated to address HP self-reported distress: Coping Effectively and Mindfulness Moments Each 30-minute session was facilitated by a licensed psychologist and social worker. Coping Effectively offers strategies from evidence based treatment including Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to cope with distress and burnout. Mindful Moments draws from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction practices including observing breath and guided meditations. These programs have been offered consistently throughout the pandemic. Schwartz Rounds, geared towards supporting the human side of healthcare, provided “hot” topic moderated discussions, four of which focused on the pandemic These discussions allow for HP to come together to discuss difficult topics and emotions impacting a variety of professionals. All programming was evaluated with a single question to measure the impact of the session on reducing distress. Each program began and ended with a poll asking, “How distressed do you currently feel?” Attendees respond on a Likert scale from 0 to 10, in which10 indicated the highest level of distress. Results: Since March 31st, 340 staff have attended Mindful Moments and 236 staff have attended Coping Effectively. From March 2020-February 2021, 382 attendees measured their distress before and after attending a staff program. Schwartz Rounds hosted 471 HP from a variety of disciplines. Participants were asked to complete an evaluation following rounds. 31% of program participants’ completed an evaluation form and 89% rated the program exceptional/very good. Conclusions: Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the pivot to virtually create programs to support staff during the pandemic was swift and thoughtful. The increased attendance and the feedback from evaluations are promising indicators of decreasing burnout amongst HP. How Distressed do you Currently Feel? (Average Score scale 1-10)[Table: see text]


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreeja Das ◽  
Tushar Singh ◽  
Rahul Varma ◽  
Yogesh Kumar Arya

The COVID-19 epidemic has mushroomed globally, disrupting the existence of millions. Under this current pandemic situation, the frontline health care professionals are looped in the clutch of the virus and are relatively more exposed to the patients infected with the disease. In this precarious situation, the frontline health care professionals have contributed their best to provide utmost care to the patients infected with the ailment. The direct involvement of these professionals, however, has taken a toll on their physical health as well as on their mental well-being. Several studies conducted recently have reported that frontline health care workers engaged in direct diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19 are associated with a higher risk of symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues. Lack of personal protection equipment, unreasonable amounts of work, improper medicines, fear of contracting the disease, and lack of skilled training have interposed the frontline health care workers with unimaginable stress. Due to the widespread outbreak, the death count of the frontline health care professionals has also surged. However, studies exploring the physical and mental welfare of the frontline health care professionals and their families are very few and far behind. To address this aperture, the present paper attempts to highlight the psychological and physical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline health care professions and to understand the impact of the death of these frontline health care professionals on the psychological well-being, mourning process, and complicated grief among the family members of healthcare professionals. The paper also presents some recommendations for providing psychological support to healthcare professionals and their bereaved families.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1297-1306
Author(s):  
Nabila Hassan ◽  
Hina Akmal Memon ◽  
Noreen Hassan ◽  
Shobha Luxmi ◽  
Farhat Sultana

The study determines the effect of fear of being infected on anxiety and influence of anxiety on the disturbance of their mental well-being and to analyze the indirect effect of anxiety between fear of being infected and mental well-being. Cross-Sectional study carried out in the months of November –December 2020, by conducting a survey from health care workers (Doctors, Nurses and Trainees) covering hospitals from the region of Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Karachi. Analysis of the data done using two-step method of Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach. The findings of the study supported the positive and negative relationship fear of being infected to anxiety and anxiety to mental wellbeing respectively. In addition, the indirect relationship of anxiety also supported. Numerous unanswered queries pertinent to COVID-19 pandemic, and dubious situation leads towards huge size of disturbance in the lives of health care workers across the globe, therefore literature entails the necessity for researchers to study various factors that could have influence on mental well-being of an individual . The majority of relevant literature focused on mental well-being is from China, Europe, USA and other developed countries, however, fewer studies focused on South Asian region in general, and Pakistan in particular. So, present study fills the gap to unearth the factors of well-being for Pakistani health care workers. Pakistan have so far lost the lives of 58 healthcare providers to COVID-19 in the country and still counting while 240 healthcare providers are hospitalized. So there is intense need to study effect of mental well-being on health care workers as there is a need to save the survivors.


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