scholarly journals Evaluating the COVID-19 impact on surgical practice in Kurdistan Region, Iraq: A cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 692-703
Author(s):  
Dawan Hawzy ◽  
Azhi Kareem

Background and objective: Surgeons and surgical practice are influenced greatly by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic all over the world, and this impact affects patients who need surgery, especially in emergency cases. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on surgery in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Methods: A survey that consisted of four sections was prepared and sent by e-mail to over 1000 surgeons with different specialties. The survey was created by google forms and was kept online from 9 October 2020 to 9 November 2020. Results: A total of 207 surgeons have responded to the survey, 146 (70.5%) males and 61 (29.5%) females with different specialists. The data shows that both private and public hospitals were affected by the pandemic equally. Thirty five (16.9%) surgeons indicated that surgery has entirely collapsed in some hospitals. All phases of surgical practice have been affected from partial to complete abandonment of surgery. Conclusion: The pandemic greatly affected surgeons and surgical practice in the Kurdistan region. Additionally, few surgeons indicated that the pandemic did not affect the surgical practice and normal functioning of their hospital. However, most surgeons agreed that the pandemic significantly impels all stages of surgery and surgical practice. Most surgeons have adapted to the situation by using communication technology and new protective measures. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Kurdistan region; Pandemic effects; Surgery; Surgical practice.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-260
Author(s):  
KC Deepti ◽  
S Poudel ◽  
SB Hamal Thakuri ◽  
S Shrestha

Background: Following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease in 2019, the year 2020/21 has been an incredibly challenging one for all global health-care systems. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive research design was used to conduct the study. The study was carried out in all general private and public hospitals of Kaski district of Nepal. Data were collected from 25th October to 5th December, 2020 from the Hospital administrators using a semi structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Most (96.3%) of the hospitals reported that increased cost or expenses of the hospitals creating financial threat is the most challenging situation that hospitals are facing in this pandemic. In addition shortages of ventilators creating ethical dilemma for patient allocation and changing guidelines from authorities have been reported as a challenge by 88.9 percent of the hospitals respectively. All of the surveyed hospitals had developed the use of thermometers for screening at the hospital entrances to minimize the risk. Conclusion: Hospitals in this pandemic are facing a lot of challenges with regard to staff management, PPE management and so on. Hence they need to adopt best strategies in responding to the corona virus.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S184-S184
Author(s):  
M. Symeou ◽  
A. Evstathiou ◽  
G. Charalambous ◽  
E. Jelastopulu

IntroductionThe term emotional intelligence (EI) has gained more and more popularity in the last two decades and has been studied in various workplace settings.Objectives/aimsThe purpose of the present study was to estimate the EI in nursing personnel, to examine which factors are associated with EI and how EI correlates with their emotional state.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2016 in a representative sample of nursing personnel from seven public hospitals of Cyprus. A total of 585 nurses completed the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale (GEIS), consisting of 52 items measuring four basic emotional skills and scored on a 5-point Likert scale (from low (52) to high (260) EI). Furthermore, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) was applied. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS v.20.0.ResultsOverall mean EI scores were 184.11 for males and 184.82 for females. Being married and having children as well as having leading position was associated with higher EI (P = 0.024, P = 0.002, P = 0.012, respectively). The highest EI scores were identified between the middle aged nurses (36–50 years, EI = 191.5, P = 0.000) and nurses with more years of work (> 12 years, EI = 189.59, P = 0.000). The overall EI scores have moderate negative correlation with the emotional state of the nurses (P = 0.000).ConclusionsThe present study reveals under-optimal EI scores and confirms the negative relationship with the emotional state of nurses. Based on the literature, the EI can be developed, thus suitable programs could substantially improve the emotional skills in nursing personnel.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


Author(s):  
Skye N. Adams ◽  
Jaishika Seedat ◽  
Kim Coutts ◽  
Kelly-Ann Kater

Background: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on every South African but more specifically healthcare professionals, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa implemented a nationwide lockdown as confirmed cases continued to rise. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on SLPs has a three-fold purpose: to re-evaluate service provision, service delivery platforms and to identify the need for support to SLPs during a time of crisis. It is also crucial in guiding how policies and interventions need to be modified.Objectives: The study aimed to better understand how the workspace of SLPs in hospitals was impacted by COVID-19, how they experienced this process and the implications for them as healthcare professionals in both the private and public sector throughout South Africa.Methodology: An exploratory cross-sectional study design was used to meet the aims of the study. Thirty-nine SLPs from different provinces in South Africa, working in government and private hospitals during COVID-19, responded to the online survey. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis.Results: SLPs’ roles, responsibilities and service delivery were impacted by COVID-19. It was necessary for typical outpatient therapy services to be modified; there were changes to the role of the SLP in the hospital and inpatient services were curtailed.Conclusion: This study provides insightful information to SLPs employed in hospitals to know that they are experiencing similar challenges. It also confirms the resilience of healthcare professionals, including SLPs, when faced with novel and unprecedented situations.


2020 ◽  
pp. 003022282094724
Author(s):  
Bushra Akram ◽  
Bushra Bibi ◽  
Mirza Ashfaq Ahmed ◽  
Noreena Kausar

Recent studies have shown an increased level of suicidal behavior among physicians, not only in Pakistan but all over the world. In this cross-sectional study, 622 physicians, aged 32–55 years, participated from 50 private and public hospitals located in the seven cities of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Three standardized tools were used to assess suicidal ideation, perceived life satisfaction and work-family conflict of the participants. Results showed work-family conflict as positive whereas life satisfaction was shown to be a negative predictor of suicidal ideation among the physicians. Furthermore, findings suggested that, as a moderator, percieved life satisfaction holds a significant role in decreasing the levels of work-family conflict and suicidal ideation among the physicians. Therefore, it is recommendable to incoroporate a perceived life satisfaction enhancement program into the training of physicians so that suicidal ideation may be prevented and treated effectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim A Naqid ◽  
Dildar H Musa ◽  
Nashwan Ibrahim ◽  
Nawfal R Hussein ◽  
Zana Sidiq M.Saleem ◽  
...  

Background: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes of medical residency is an important concern. Currently, evidence regarding this issue is not sufficient. Objectives: The current study aimed to demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency training programs as well as its psychological consequences for both individuals and their families in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Methods: This online cross-sectional study was performed at the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, from 12 - 25 August 2020. In total, 275 residents participated. Data were collected online, and the items were sent through specific Facebook and Viber groups of residents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency and percentage). Besides, the Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the participants based on their sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Of 275 participants, 50.9% were female and mostly older than 30 years (52.4%). Surgical (36.4%) was the most commonly cited specialty, followed by medical (22.2%). Around 40% of residents were forced to changes the hospital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, 50% of them had close contact with COVID-19 patients, and only 12.7% had enough training for the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Moreover, 90% of the residents felt anxious and concerned about the situation. Nearly 10% of residents were infected with COVID-19, and 24% of them had an infected family member. Approximately 92% reported a reduction in training activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Of those with surgical specialties, 83% reported a significant reduction in the number of surgeries since the onset of the pandemic (P < 0.024). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high levels of psychological distress of medical residency. The combination of psychological disorders with high infection rates among students of residency in our region may cause a critical impact on the residency training program. Besides, the quality of programs may also be influenced. An urgent plan is required to reduce the psychological stress and protecting doctors against the infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laima Alam ◽  
Syed Kumail Hasan Kazmi ◽  
Mafaza Alam ◽  
Varqa Faraid

Objectives: 1) To explore the possible impact of the pandemic on the health seeking behavior of the patients, 2) To explore the relation of socio-demographics on the utility of health-care facilities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling all patients ≥15 years of age presenting to the Out-Patient-Department of three main public-hospitals after obtaining ethical committee approval. A questionnaire with validated Urdu translation was filled by each participant that included socio-demographic data, pre-Covid and Covid-19 era health seeking behaviors and the impact of the pandemic on the utilization of healthcare facilities. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.19. Results: A total of 393 patients were enrolled with a male preponderance (72%) and a median age range of 31-45 years. Fifty-eight percent of the study population was unemployed and 47.3% were seeking follow up care. The frequency of ER and multiple (>4 times) OPD visits were significantly decreased in the Covid-19 times whereas, the laboratory and radiology services were largely unaffected. A significant number of patients were not satisfied with the current healthcare facilities that was seen irrespective of the socio-demographic status. Emergency Room and radiology services were largely unaffected whereas, elective procedures and laboratory facilities were reported to be severely affected or delayed in relation to socio-demographic variables. Conclusions: Healthcare inequalities have widened and depression has shown a sharp rise during this pandemic. The over-burdened healthcare facilities at the verge of collapse may miss out on the chronic non-Covid patients which would ultimately lead to increased morbidity and mortality. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3536 How to cite this:Alam L, Kazmi SKH, Alam M, Faraid V. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, are non-COVID patients left in the lurch? Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(2):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3536 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Author(s):  
Jerrald Lau ◽  
David Hsien-Yung Tan ◽  
Gretel Jianlin Wong ◽  
Yii-Jen Lew ◽  
Ying-Xian Chua ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 430-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aizzat Mohd Nasurdin ◽  
Cheng Ling Tan ◽  
Sabrina Naseer Khan

Motivation is exceptionally crucial in influencing the quality of health care work outcomes. In view of the mounting challenges and stressful work environment faced by nurses, social support has been identified as an essential resource that helps promote their work motivation. The central aim of this study is to explore three forms of social support (perceived organizational support, perceived supervisory support, and perceived peer support) on nurses’ motivation. Cross-sectional data were collected via questionnaires from a sample of 354 nurses working in Malaysian public hospitals. The hypothesized model was tested using partial least squares method. Our results disclosed that all forms of social support have positive effects on motivation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 081-091
Author(s):  
Assefa Endalkachew Mekonnen ◽  
Janbo Adem ◽  
Ghiwot Yirgu

Objectives: We analyzed the indications of cesarean section (CS) using Robson Ten-Group. Classification Systems (RTGCS) and comparison between private and public health facilities in Addis Abeba hospitals, Ethiopia, 2017. Methods: Facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out between January 1 and December 31, 2017, including 2411 mothers who delivered by CS were classified using the RTGCS. Data were entered into SPSS version 20 for cleaning and analyzing. Binary logistic regression and AOR with 95% CI were used to assess the determinants of the CS. Results: The overall CS rate was 41% (34.8% and 66.8% in public & private respectively, p < .0001). The leading contributors for CS rate in the private were Robson groups 5,1,2,3 whereas in the public 5,1,3,2 on descending order. Robson group 1 (nulliparous, cephalic, term, spontaneous labor) and group 3 [Multiparous (excluding previous cesarean section), singleton, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks’ gestation& spontaneous labor], the CS rate was over two-fold higher in the private than the public sector. Women in Robson groups 1, 2, 5 & 9 are two and more times higher for the absolute contribution of CS in private than public. The top medical indications of CS were non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS, 39.1%) and repeat CS for previous CS scars (39.4%) in public and private respectively. Mothers who delivered by CS in private with history of previous CS scar (AOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4-6.2), clinical indications of maternal request (AOR 7.7, 95% CI 2.1-27.98) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6-10.7), induced labor (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.6) and pre-labored (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.0) were more likely to undergo CS than in public hospital. Conclusion: The prevalence of CS was found to be high, and was significantly higher in private hospitals than in a public hospital. Having CS scar [having previous CS scar, Robson group 5(Previous CS, singleton, cephalic, ≥ 37 weeks’ gestation) and an indication of repeat CS for previous CS scar] is the likely factor that increased the CS rate in private when compared within the public hospital. Recommendation: It is important that efforts to reduce the overall CS rate should focus on reducing the primary CS, encouraging vaginal birth after CS (VBAC). Policies should be directed at the private sector where CS indication seems not to be driven by medical reasons solely.


VASA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian-Alexander Behrendt ◽  
Tilo Kölbel ◽  
Thea Schwaneberg ◽  
Holger Diener ◽  
Ralf Hohnhold ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: Worldwide prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing and peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) has become the primary invasive treatment. There is evidence that multidisciplinary team decision-making (MTD) has an impact on in-hospital outcomes. This study aims to depict practice patterns and time changes regarding MTD of different medical specialties. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study design. 20,748 invasive, percutaneous PVI of PAD conducted in the metropolitan area of Hamburg (Germany) were consecutively collected between January 2004 and December 2014. Results: MTD prior to PVI was associated with lower odds of early unsuccessful termination of the procedures (Odds Ratio 0.662, p < 0.001). The proportion of MTD decreased over the study period (30.9 % until 2009 vs. 16.6 % from 2010, p < 0.001) while rates of critical limb-threatening ischemia (34.5 % vs. 42.1 %), patients´ age (70 vs. 72 years), PVI below-the-knee (BTK) (13.2 % vs. 22.4 %), and rates of severe TASC C/D lesions BTK (43.2 % vs. 54.2 %) increased (all p < 0.001). Utilization of MTD was different between medical specialties with lowest frequency in procedures performed by internists when compared to other medical specialties (7.1 % vs. 25.7 %, p < 0.001). Conclusions: MTD prior to PVI is associated with technical success of the procedure. Nonetheless, rates of MTD prior to PVI are decreasing during the study period. Future studies should address the impact of multidisciplinary vascular teams on long-term outcomes.


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