Use of a smartphone app to inform healthcare workers of hospital policy during a pandemic such as COVID-19: A mixed methods observational study

Objective To evaluate the use of a COVID-19 app containing relevant information for healthcare workers (HCWs) in hospitals and to determine user experience. Methods A smartphone app (Firstline) was adapted to exclusively contain local COVID-19 policy documents and treatment protocols. This COVID-19 app was offered to all HCWs of a 900-bed tertiary care hospital. App use was evaluated with user analytics and user experience in an online questionnaire. Results A total number of 1168 HCWs subscribed to the COVID-19 app which was used 3903 times with an average of 1 minute and 20 seconds per session during a three-month period. The number of active users peaked in April 2020 with 1017 users. Users included medical specialists (22.3%), residents (16.5%), nurses (22.2%), management (6.2%) and other (26.5%). Information for HCWs such as when to test for SARS-CoV-2 (1214), latest updates (1181), the COVID-19 telephone list (418) and the SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 guideline (280) were the most frequently accessed advice. Seventy-one users with a mean age of 46.1 years from 19 different departments completed the questionnaire. Respondents considered the COVID-19 app clear (54/59; 92%), easy-to-use (46/55; 84%), fast (46/52; 88%), useful (52/56; 93%), and had faith in the information (58/70; 83%). The COVID-19 app was used to quickly look up something (43/68; 63%), when no computer was available (15/68; 22%), look up / dial COVID-related phone numbers (15/68; 22%) or when walking from A to B (11/68; 16%). Few respondents felt app use cost time (5/68; 7%). Conclusions Our COVID-19 app proved to be a relatively simple yet innovative tool that was used by HCWs from all disciplines involved in taking care of COVID-19 patients. The up-to-date app was used for different topics and had high user satisfaction amongst questionnaire respondents. An app with local hospital policy could be an invaluable tool during a pandemic.

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ASSESSMENT OF NOVEL CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19) AWARENESS AMONG MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGIST IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN DELHI: A QUESTIONANAIRE BASED SURVEY

10.36106/ijsr/7532029 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Anjali Sharma ◽

Manju Kumari ◽

Heena Heena ◽

Mukul Singh ◽

Sunil Ranga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Medical Laboratory ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Major Health Problem ◽

Effective Interventions ◽

Care Workers

Introduction: COVID-19 is rapidly spreading all over the world and is a major health problem in the current scenario. The aim of this study is to assess the awareness of related to COVID-19 disease among the health care workers. Material and methods: This is an online questionnaire based study comprising of 24 questions related to COVID-19 and included 89 health care workers. The responses were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There were 50 females and 39 males. Among these 35 were trained and 54 were untrained. On analysis we found that females (96.0%) were more aware than males (92.3%). The response of trained persons were more accurate than those of untrained but was not significant (p=0.98). The most aware age group was 51-60 and most aware department was blood bank followed by microbiology. Conclusion: Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers is low regarding the coronavirus infection. There is need of urgent effective interventions and training programs for various healthcare workers.

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COVID19 infection in health care professionals: risks, work-safety and psychological issues.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-36362/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yogesh Dabholkar ◽

Bhagyashree Sagane ◽

Twinkle Dabholkar ◽

Shivakumar Divity

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Work Place ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Psychological Parameters

Abstract Introduction: (COVID-19) infection has spread widely over past 5 months to become a pandemic of global proportions affecting almost every country. While HCPs are expected to tackle this crisis by working in hospital and intensive care setting, there is real risk of them contracting infection and even dying. This article aims to report cases of healthcare personnel (HCPs) contracting COVID19 in various settings in a tertiary care hospital, a designated COVID centre, with view to disseminate information and review safety and psychological health issues of healthcare professionals.Methods: This study is a cross-sectional hospital-based survey from April 2020-June 2020. Data on demographics, workplace safety and psychological parameters from HCPs was collected by both interview and an online questionnaire form.Results: A total of 40 healthcare workers were infected in the hospital in a period of 2 months since the first COVID case was admitted in the hospital. Almost 57.5 % reported positive on several psychological parameters like anxiety, fear, anger, irritability and insomnia. About 42.5 % had no psychological counselling after testing positive.Discussion: These cases illustrate work-place risks for healthcare workers of acquiring COVID19 and highlight the problems faced in terms of risks of transmission to patients and colleagues, isolation of contacts in departments leading to near-breakdown of services and psychological stress to healthcare workers.Conclusion: Healthcare workers being at frontline of exposure to corona patients are at increased risk of developing COVID19 infections. Healthcare workers are working under tremendous stress in this pandemic and it is necessary to combat fear with facts and work towards safe work atmosphere so that they can discharge their duties to best of their ability.

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H1N1 2009 influenza among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital in Thailand

Journal of Hospital Infection ◽

10.1016/j.jhin.2009.11.001 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 300-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

S. Kiertiburanakul ◽

S. Apivanich ◽

T. Muntajit ◽

S. Sukkra ◽

S. Sirinavin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Hospital

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Use of Personal Protective Equipment and Operating Room Behaviors in Four Surgical Subspecialties: Personal Protective Equipment and Behaviors in Surgery

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/501601 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 20 (02) ◽

pp. 110-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Deniz Akduman ◽

Lynn E. Kim ◽

Rodney L. Parks ◽

Paul B. L'Ecuyer ◽

Sunita Mutha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Operating Room ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Hand Surgery ◽

Occupational Exposures ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Exposure Rate ◽

Total Exposure

AbstractObjective:To evaluate Universal Precautions (UP) compliance in the operating room (OR).Design:Prospective observational cohort. Trained observers recorded information about (1) personal protective equipment used by OR staff; (2) eyewear, glove, or gown breaks; (3) the nature of sharps transfers; (4) risk-taking behaviors of the OR staff; and (5) needlestick injuries and other blood and body-fluid exposures.Setting:Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1,000-bed, tertiary-care hospital affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri.Participants:OR personnel in four surgical specialties (gynecologic, orthopedic, cardiothoracic, and general). Procedures eligible for the study were selected randomly. Hand surgery and procedures requiring no or a very small incision (eg, arthroscopy, laparoscopy) were excluded.Results:A total of 597 healthcare workers' procedures were observed in 76 surgical cases (200 hours). Of the 597 healthcare workers, 32% wore regular glasses, and 24% used no eye protection. Scrub nurses and medical students were more likely than other healthcare workers to wear goggles. Only 28% of healthcare workers double gloved, with orthopedic surgery personnel being the most compliant. Sharps passages were not announced in 91% of the surgical procedures. In 65 cases (86%), sharps were adjusted manually. Three percutaneous and 14 cutaneous exposures occurred, for a total exposure rate of 22%.Conclusion:OR personnel had poor compliance with UP. Although there was significant variation in use of personal protective equipment between groups, the total exposure rate was high (22%), indicating the need for further training and reinforcement of UP to reduce occupational exposures.

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Influenza vaccine uptake, determinants, motivators, and barriers of the vaccine receipt among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia

Journal of Hospital Infection ◽

10.1016/j.jhin.2017.02.005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 96 (3) ◽

pp. 268-275 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

H.K. Haridi ◽

K.A. Salman ◽

E.A. Basaif ◽

D.K. Al-Skaibi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Influenza Vaccine ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Care Hospital

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Bacterial contamination of the smartphones of healthcare workers in a German tertiary-care hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

American Journal of Infection Control ◽

10.1016/j.ajic.2021.09.025 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Romy Tannhäuser ◽

Olaf Nickel ◽

Margareta Lindner ◽

Angela Bethge ◽

Johannes Wolf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Bacterial Contamination ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Hospital

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Antimicrobial prescribing patterns in surgical inpatient of tertiary care hospital in Eastern India

International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology ◽

10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20193199 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. 1902

Author(s):

Sumit Kumar Gupta ◽

Siddhartha Ghosh

Keyword(s):

Tertiary Care ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Prescribing Patterns ◽

Antibiotic Prescribing ◽

Antibiotic Administration ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Beta Lactam ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Before And After ◽

Surgery Department

Background: Antimicrobials form the cornerstone of prescriptions for treating infection. Surgical management cannot be possible without the use of antibiotics. Severity of infection, suspected spectrum of organisms and their sensitivity, co-morbidities of the patient, route of antibiotic administration are the important parameter to consider before selecting antibiotic.Methods: Cross-sectional, hospital based, descriptive study was conducted in the ward of Surgery Department of IQ City Medical college, Durgapur over a period of 1 year. The relevant information was entered into the pretested preformats (containing name, age, sex, diagnosis, ongoing treatment as recorded from patients’ prescription slips or CRFs) and analyzed. Necessary permission was granted by the Institutional Ethical Committee and written informed consent was obtained from the patients prior to collecting their prescription slips/CRF.Results: Commonest cause of hospitalization was cholelithiasis (318 (32.7%)). Antimicrobials were the most commonly prescribed drugs (1626 (31.6%)). Single antibiotic prescribing frequency are similar to two antibiotic prescribing (both 44%). Piperacillin+Tazobactum combination most commonly prescribe antibiotic.Conclusions: Beta lactam antibiotic specifically Piperacillin (ATC class: J01D) were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic agents both before and after surgical procedures.

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