scholarly journals STAFF ABSENTEEISM AND DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT WIKTOR DEGA ORTHOPEDIC AND REHABILITATION CLINICAL HOSPITAL IN POZNAŃ, POLAND

Author(s):  
Agnieszka Wareńczak ◽  
Ewa Chlebuś ◽  
Przemysław Daroszewski ◽  
Dagna Dreczka ◽  
Przemysław Lisiński

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has led to various interruptions in the implementation of healthcare services provided by hospitals. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the staff absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic at Wiktor Dega Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital in Poznań as well as to present the standard of providing the healthcare services assigned to the Hospital under the contract with the National Health Fund. Material and methods Work attendance of more than 700 hospital employees at Wiktor Dega Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital in Poznań was evaluated. The assessment of the number of medical services that were provided during the study time was based on monthly reports prepared for the national payer of health services. A retrospective analysis covered the period of JanuaryApril 2019 and January-April 2020. Results In the months of March and April 2020, a significant increase in staff absenteeism was reported. An evaluation of the relative values of the implementation rate of medical services for the months January-April of 2019 and 2020 showed that in April 2020, there was a substantial reduction (10%) in the implementation rate of medical services on orthopaedic wards, while on rehabilitation wards, the reduction in the implementation rate started in March 2020 and was also reported in April 2020 (6%). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in higher staff absenteeism rates in various professional groups working in our hospital. A reduction in the performance of healthcare procedures in our hospital, both orthopaedic and rehabilitation, will lead to a re-analysis of costs and will result in applying economizing mechanisms. Keywords:COVID-19, hospitals, health services, absenteeism, healthcare, hospital employees.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
F R Rab ◽  
S S Stranges ◽  
A D Thind ◽  
S S Sohani

Abstract Background Over 34 million people in Afghanistan have suffered from death and devastation for the last four decades as a result of conflict. Women and children have borne the brunt of this devastation. Afghanistan has some of the poorest health indicators in the world for women and children. In the midst of armed conflict, providing essential healthcare in remote regions in the throws of conflict remains a challenge, which is being addressed the Mobile Health Teams through Afghan Red Crescent (ARCS). To overcome socio-cultural barriers, ARCS MHTs have used local knowledge to hire female staff as part of the MHTs along with their male relatives as part of MHT staff. The present study was conducted to explore the impact of engaging female health workers as part of MHTs in conflict zones within Afghanistan on access, availability and utilization of maternal and child health care. Methods Quantitative descriptive and time-trend analysis were used to evaluate impact of introduction of female health workers. Qualitative data is being analyzed to assess the possibilities and implications of engaging female health workers in the delivery of health services. Results Preliminary results show a 96% increase in uptake of services for expectant mothers over the last four years. Average of 18 thousand services provided each month by MHTs, 70% for women and children. Service delivery for women and children significantly increased over time (p < 0.05) after inclusion of female health workers in MHTs. Delivery of maternity care services showed a more significant increase (p < 0.001). Time trend and qualitative analyses is ongoing. Conclusions Introduction of female health workers significantly improved uptake of health care services for women and children especially in extremely isolated areas controlled by armed groups in Afghanistan. Engaging with local stakeholders is essential for delivery of health services for vulnerable populations in fragile settings like Afghanistan. Key messages Understanding cultural norms results in socially acceptable solutions to barriers in delivery of healthcare services and leads to improvements in access for women and children in fragile settings. Building local partnerships and capacities and using local resources result in safe, efficient and sustainable delivery of healthcare services for vulnerable populations in fragile settings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce F. Walker ◽  
Norman J. Stomski ◽  
Anne Price ◽  
Elizabeth Jackson-Barrett

Aim To identify Indigenous people’s views about gaps and practical solutions for the delivery of healthcare services in the Pilbara. Methods A structured guide was used to interview three Indigenous language groups from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The responses were analysed with the use of content analysis. In the first stage, codes were developed by assigning names to small sections of the interview transcripts. Next, the most salient incisive codes were identified and developed into themes that captured the most important issues. Results Many respondents said that there were insufficient health professionals near country, which was compounded by a lack of adequate transport to reach healthcare services. Moreover, respondents commonly indicated that they would be unable to secure adequate accommodation for themselves and any carer when needing to leave country to undergo medical care. The importance of secondary healthcare interventions was highlighted, particularly health promotion initiatives that improved diet and exercise levels and reduced substance abuse. Assuming responsibility for one’s own health was seen as integral to improving the overall health of communities. The respondents saw role models as the most important influence in leading people to take responsibility for improving their own health. Conclusion This study provides Indigenous perspectives about gaps and solutions in healthcare service delivery in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Although initiatives have commenced to address the shortfall in health professionals and inadequate transport to healthcare, there are still gaps in service provision. Mobile health services were strongly supported as an integral measure to address these gaps. What is known about this topic? About two out of every three Indigenous adults in the Pilbara experience a chronic health condition. Moreover, compared with non-Indigenous people in the region, Indigenous people experience a significantly higher mortality rate for numerous chronic health conditions. Although some information is available about the provision of health services for Indigenous people in the Pilbara, little is known about Indigenous people’s perspectives about its adequacy or how it should be delivered. What does this paper add? This study details three local language groups’ views about the gaps and solutions to delivery of healthcare for Indigenous people in the Pilbara. It highlights the need for secondary healthcare interventions given difficulties around providing adequate primary care in remote settings. What are the implications for practitioners? Health promotion initiatives need to be prioritised to improve the health of Australian Indigenous people in the Pilbara and the initiatives should be delivered with the involvement of the local communities. Innovative solutions are required to improve the continuity of healthcare in the Pilbara, including increased use of mobile services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (68) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
George Iancu ◽  
Nicolae Gică ◽  
Radu Botezatu ◽  
Anca Maria Panaitescu ◽  
Gheorghe Peltecu

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Ndwiga

BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION: The Kenyan constitution seeks to guarantee every citizen the right to quality healthcare services. Quite often this delivery is hampered by geographical location, socio-economic statuses among other factors. The country has a high mobile phone penetration rate. Digitalization of the healthcare sector is a vital aspect that contributes to effective delivery of care services. This study set out to assess the impact of mobile technology in closing the gaps within the health care service delivery. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of mobile phone technology in bridging the gap in healthcare service delivery in Kenya with a focus on Nairobi, Kibera informal settlements. Hypothesis testing using P-value of 0.05 also showed that use of mobile phone technology positively impacted the delivery of healthcare services. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of mobile phone technology in bridging the gap in healthcare service delivery in Kenya with a focus on Nairobi, Kibera informal settlements. Hypothesis testing using P-value of 0.05 also showed that use of mobile phone technology positively impacted the delivery of healthcare services. METHODS The target population were patients visiting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in Kibera informal settlements. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Purposive and simple random sampling method was used to select the study sample of 210 participants and 3 healthcare providers. Data were collected using survey questionnaire that was provider-administered and Data were analyzed using SPSS version. RESULTS The characteristics of the respondents were general (mean age, education level, social economic status) to only patients who visited the clinics for HIV tests and other related services such as going for ARVs. The main findings showed that 66.12% of the respondents (14.29% strongly agreed + 55.24% agreed) that the use of mobile phone technology improved their access to healthcare services. Using chi square, there was a statistical difference due to the positive impact of mobile technology on healthcare delivery (p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study findings showed that 66.12% of the respondents agreed that the use of mobile phone technology and SMS improved their access to healthcare services. The results hypothesis also proved that use of mobile phone technology positively impacts the delivery of healthcare services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Fausiah Fausiah

The number of inpatient visits in RSU Anutapura Palu, where in 2015 inpatient visits of 5,640, then in 2016 patient visits decreased to 5,451, in 2017 also decreased to 3,999 and in 2018 also decreased Drastic to 1,146 patient visits. This research aims to determine the utilization of health services in patients in general hospitalization in RSU Anutapura Palu. This type of research is quantitative descriptive. Research was conducted from May-June 2019. The population in the study is a visitor (number of hospitalizations) at the General Hospital (RSU) Anutapura Palu. In this case the people who use health services in the General Hospital (RSU) Anutapura Palu recorded as many as 1,146 visitors (patients) in the year 2018. Primary data collection is through questionnaires and secondary data through the study of patient record documents and other supporting documents. The utilization of health services in patients in general hospitalization in RSU Anutapura Palu is well from the aspects of health beliefs, abilities and needs. RSU Anutapura Palu is expected to be able to improve the promotion of health services so that people use the health services provided.  


2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102771
Author(s):  
Margo Mountjoy ◽  
Jane Moran ◽  
Hosny Ahmed ◽  
Stephane Bermon ◽  
Xavier Bigard ◽  
...  

All sport events have inherent injury and illness risks for participants. Healthcare services for sport events should be planned and delivered to mitigate these risks which is the ethical responsibility of all sport event organisers. The objective of this paper was to develop consensus-driven guidelines describing the basic standards of services necessary to protect athlete health and safety during large sporting events. By using the Knowledge Translation Scheme Framework, a gap in International Federation healthcare programming for sport events was identified. Event healthcare content areas were determined through a narrative review of the scientific literature. Content experts were systematically identified. Following a literature search, an iterative consensus process was undertaken. The outcome document was written by the knowledge translation expert writing group, with the assistance of a focus group consisting of a cohort of International Federation Medical Chairpersons. Athletes were recruited to review and provide comment. The Healthcare Guidelines for International Federation Events document was developed including content-related to (i) pre-event planning (eg, sport medical risk assessment, public health requirements, environmental considerations), (ii) event safety (eg, venue medical services, emergency action plan, emergency transport, safety and security) and (iii) additional considerations (eg, event health research, spectator medical services). We developed a generic standardised template guide to facilitate the planning and delivery of medical services at international sport events. The organisers of medical services should adapt, evaluate and modify this guide to meet the sport-specific local context.


Author(s):  
Natalia Rekhter ◽  
Natalia Ermasova

Abstract Objective: This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic at its early stages is associated with people’s perception of their health, the need for healthcare services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health. Methods: The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the ANOVA test. Results: Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services. Conclusions: Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic’s early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand utilization patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients’ care-seeking behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeer Alharbi ◽  
Joharah Alzuwaed ◽  
Hind Qasem

Abstract Background The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia is expanding the country’s telemedicine services by using advanced technology in health services. In doing so, an e-health application (app), Seha, was introduced in 2018 that allows individuals to have face-to-face visual medical consultations with their doctors on their smartphones. Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of the app in improving healthcare delivery by ensuring patient satisfaction with the care given, increasing access to care, and improving efficiency in the healthcare system. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the perceptions of users of the Seha app and non-users who continued with traditional health services. The data were collected using an online survey via Google Forms between June 2020 and September 2020. Independent t tests and chi-square (χ2) tests were conducted to answer the research questions. Results There was a significant difference between users and non-users in terms of ease of access to health services (t =  − 9.38, p < 0.05), with app users having a higher mean score (4.19 ± 0.91) than non-users (3.41 ± 1.00); satisfaction with health services (t =  − 6.33, p < 0.05), with users having a higher mean score (3.96 ± 0.91) than non-users (3.45 ± 0.94); and efficiency (only one visit needed for treatment) (t =  − 3.20, p < 0.05), with users having a higher mean score (3.71 ± 0.93) than non-users (3.45 ± 0.93). There were significant associations between the use of the Seha app and age (χ2 = 8.79, p < 0.05), gender (χ2 = 22.19, p < 0.05), region (χ2 = 19.74, p < 0.05), and occupation (χ2 = 22.05, p < 0.05). There were significant relationships between the three items (on access, satisfaction, and efficiency) and experiencing technical issues (t = 4.47, t = 8.11, and t = 3.24, respectively, p < 0.05), with users who faced technical problems having significantly lower mean scores for all three items. Conclusion This study provided evidence that the Seha app improved the delivery of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Users of the app had a better health experience in terms of their perceived ease of access to healthcare services; their satisfaction with healthcare services; and the efficiency of the system, measured by the number of required doctor visits. Other factors that appeared to influence the use of the app included age, gender, usual source of care, and technical difficulties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenelle M. Clarke ◽  
Justin Waring ◽  
Simon Bishop ◽  
Jean Hartley ◽  
Mark Exworthy ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The implementation of strategic health system change is often complicated by informal ‘politics’ in healthcare organisations. Leadership development programmes increasingly call for the development and use of ‘political skill’ as a means for understanding and managing the politics of healthcare organisations. The primary purpose of this review is to determine how political skill contributes to the implementation of health services change, within and across organisations. The secondary purpose is to demonstrate the conceptual variations within the literature. Methods The article is based upon a narrative synthesis that included quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research papers, review articles and professional commentaries that deployed the concept of political skill (or associated terms) to describe and analyse the implementation of change in healthcare services. Results Sixty-two papers were included for review drawn from over four decades of empirically and conceptually diverse research. The literature is comprised of four distinct literatures with a lack of conceptual coherence. Within and across these domains, political skill is described as influencing health services change through five dimensions of leadership: personal performance; contextual awareness; inter-personal influence; stakeholder engagement, networks and alliances; and influence on policy processes. Conclusion There is a growing body of evidence showing how political skill can contribute to the implementation of health services change, but the evidence on explanatory processes is weak. Moreover, the conceptualisation of political skill is variable making comparative analysis difficult, with research often favouring individual-level psychological and behavioural properties over more social or group processes.


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