What is the Impact of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Orthopedic Surgeons?: Experience from a Single Institution of South Korea

Abstract Background: This study aimed to investigate the cancellation rate and trend of orthopedic surgery at the main institution in Daegu, Korean epicenter of novel coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), and to analyze the psychologic status of the healthcare workers in the orthopedic division during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we sought to assess the outcomes of the preventive surgeries underwent in patients suspected to have COVID-19.Methods: Cancellation rates of elective surgeries over three months since the first confirmed COVID-19 case in South Korea on January 20, 2020 were investigated. Moreover, the number of elective surgeries conducted in the same period over the last two years was compared. Four different questionnaires were used to investigate psychologic impact among health care workers in the orthopedic department. The surveyed outcomes according to occupation and type of work were compared. Urgent preventive surgeries underwent in patients who could not wait for the results of the COVID-19 diagnosis were also investigated.Results: During the pandemic, spine and hip surgery had relatively lower cancellation rates, and elective surgeries were significantly reduced compared to the same period in the last two years. The surveyed outcomes of the psychological questionnaires were within the normal range and there were no significant differences between groups. After preventive surgeries, the virus did not spread to all medical staff involved.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation rate of orthopedic elective surgeries was significantly higher than in the same period of the previous year, and was different for each subdivision depending on the degree of pain or disability experienced by the patient. Health care workers in the orthopedic division did not seem to have significant psychological distress; rather, a decrease in workload appears to be a positive factor in their mental health. Preventive surgery performed in specialized facilities did not spread the virus to involved medical staff.

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The impact of novel COVID-19 initial pandemic on orthopedic healthcare: an experience from a single institution of South Korea

Journal of Korean Medical Association ◽

10.5124/jkma.2021.64.11.778 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 64 (11) ◽

pp. 778-787

Author(s):

Gun Woo Lee ◽

Gi Beom Kim ◽

In Jun Lee

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

The Novel ◽

Preventive Surgery ◽

Care Workers ◽

Cancellation Rate ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Impact

Background: This study was to investigate the cancellation rate and trend of orthopedic surgeries during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Moreover, we assessed the psychologic status of orthopedic healthcare workers, and investigated the details of the preventive surgeries underwent in COVID-19-positive patients.Methods: For 3 months after January 20, 2020, cancellation rates of elective surgeries were investigated, and the number of elective surgeries conducted in the same period over the last two years was compared. Four different questionnaires were used to investigate psychologic status among the orthopedic health care workers. We compared the outcomes according to occupation (physician or nurse), and type of work (faculty staff or resident physician). Outcomes according to occupation and type of work were compared. Preventive surgeries underwent in patients who could not wait for the results of the COVID-19 diagnosis were investigated.Results: Spine and hip surgery had relatively lower cancellation rates, and elective surgeries were significantly reduced. During the initial pandemic, the cancellation rate of orthopedic elective surgeries was significantly higher than in the same period of the previous year and was different for each subdivision depending on the degree of pain or disability. The psychological outcomes were within the normal range and there were no significant differences between groups. After preventive surgery, all medical staff involved in the operation tested negative.Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation rate of orthopedic elective surgeries was significantly higher than in the same period of the previous year. Orthopedic health care workers did not seem to have significant psychological distress. As a result of the preventive surgery in specialized facilities, all the medical staff who participated in the operation tested negative.

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Cultural sensitivity in brain death determination: a necessity in end-of-life decisions in Japan

BMC Medical Ethics ◽

10.1186/s12910-021-00626-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuri Terunuma ◽

Bryan J. Mathis

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

South Korea ◽

Brain Death ◽

End Of Life ◽

Family Involvement ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Main Body ◽

Brain Death Diagnosis ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background In an increasingly globalized world, legal protocols related to health care that are both effective and culturally sensitive are paramount in providing excellent quality of care as well as protection for physicians tasked with decision making. Here, we analyze the current medicolegal status of brain death diagnosis with regard to end-of-life care in Japan, China, and South Korea from the perspectives of front-line health care workers. Main body Japan has legally wrestled with the concept of brain death for decades. An inability to declare brain death without consent from family coupled with cultural expectations of family involvement in medical care is mirrored in other Confucian-based cultures (China and South Korea) and may complicate care for patients from these countries when traveling or working overseas. Within Japan, China, and South Korea, medicolegal shortcomings in the diagnosis of brain death (and organ donation) act as a great source of stress for physicians and expose them to potential public and legal scorn. Here, we detail the medicolegal status of brain death diagnosis within Japan and compare it to China and South Korea to find common ground and elucidate the impact of legal ambiguity on health care workers. Conclusion The Confucian cultural foundation of multiple Asian countries raises common issues of family involvement with diagnosis and cultural considerations that must be met. Leveraging public education systems may increase awareness of brain death issues and lead to evolving laws that clarify such end-of-life issues while protecting physicians from sociocultural backlash.

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A Study On Impact Of Work Life Related Factors On Employee Engagement In Health Care Sector Workers In Dindigul District.

Restaurant Business ◽

10.26643/rb.v118i7.7242 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 118 (7) ◽

pp. 20-26

Author(s):

S. JAYARAMAN ◽

R. Sindhya ◽

P. Vijiyalakshmi

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Employee Engagement ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Health Care Sector ◽

Work Life ◽

Primary Data ◽

Related Factors ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

this research aims to find out the intensity of Employee Engagement of the health care sector workers and the relationship between the Work life factors and Employee Engagement of Health care sector workers in Dindigul District. Primary data were used in this research, were collected from 298 Health care workers from Dindigul District. Questionnaire was the major tool used to gather the primary data from the selected sample respondents. For this purpose, a well structured questionnaire was constructed with the help of professionals and the practiced employees of various health care units in Dindigul District. The health care employees were chosen by simple random sampling method. The investigative measures of regression Path analysis, and simple percentage analysis were utilized to find the impact of work life related factors with the Employee Engagement. The maximum Health care workers were generally satisfied with their jobs. The analytical procedure of path analysis multiple regressions was utilized to determine the predicting strength among Work life factors and the employee engagement. This study provides an another view about the importance of Work life factors and Employee engagement for organizational effectiveness and performance .

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COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6076

Author(s):

Hasan S. Alamri ◽

Wesam F. Mousa ◽

Abdullah Algarni ◽

Shehata F. Megahid ◽

Ali Al Bshabshe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

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Smoking behavior and beliefs about the impact of smoking on anti-tuberculosis treatment among health care workers

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease ◽

10.5588/ijtld.17.0023 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (9) ◽

pp. 1049-1055 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. J. Magee ◽

L. Darchia ◽

M. Kipiani ◽

T. Chakhaia ◽

R. R. Kempker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Smoking Behavior ◽

Tuberculosis Treatment ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

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Occupational blood exposures in health care workers: incidence, characteristics, and transmission of bloodborne pathogens in South Korea

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-017-4844-0 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ju Hyun Lee ◽

Junhyeon Cho ◽

Yung Jung Kim ◽

Sang Hyuk Im ◽

Eun Sun Jang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

South Korea ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Bloodborne Pathogens ◽

Care Workers

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The risk of vicarious trauma among front-line and non-front-line midwives and nurses

Aegean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ◽

10.46328/aejog.v2i2.40 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Süleyman Cemil Oğlak ◽

Mehmet Obut

Keyword(s):

Health Care Workers ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Vicarious Trauma ◽

Vicarious Traumatization ◽

Physiological Responses ◽

Descriptive Study ◽

Front Line ◽

Care Workers ◽

Hospital Wards ◽

The Impact

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of caring with pandemic patients on health care workers who worked in the front line versus their collegues from the same institution who remained in their usual hospital wards. Material and methods: This prospective descriptive study was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic from June 25, 2020 to July 03, 2020. A total of 107 licensed registered nurses enrolled the study. 58 of them were front-line nurses and 49 of them were nurses remained in their usual wards. All participants evaluated by the vicarious traumatization (VT) evaluation scale. Results: The VT scores of the front-line nurses were significantly higher than those of the non-front-line nurses (p<0.001). When the domains in the VT score were evaluated, it was seen that the psychological responses and physiological responses of the front-line nurses were significantly higher compared to the non-front-line nurses (p<0.001). Conclusion: Medical staff working on the FL for Covid-19 patients had higher scores of vicarious traumatization compared to medical staff serving in their usual wards. The challenges of prolonged care of Covid-19 patients will put pressure on these professionals, and the leadership must emphasize the importance of medical staff mental health for the better control of the pandemic.

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The experience of European hospital-based health care workers on following infection prevention and control procedures for COVID-19

10.1101/2020.12.23.20248793 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Denise van Hout ◽

Paul Hutchinson ◽

Marta Wanat ◽

Caitlin Pilbeam ◽

Herman Goossens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Infection Risk ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Emotional Wellbeing ◽

Care Workers ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundWorking under pandemic conditions exposes health care workers (HCWs) to infection risk and psychological strain. Protecting the physical and psychological health of HCWs is a key priority. This study assessed the perceptions of European hospital HCWs of local infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on their emotional wellbeing.MethodsWe performed two rounds of an international cross-sectional survey, between 31 March and 17 April 2020 via existing research networks (round 1), and between 14 May and 31 August 2020 via online convenience sampling (round 2). Main outcome measures were (1) behavioural determinants of HCW adherence with IPC procedures, (2) WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a validated scale of 0-100 reflecting emotional wellbeing. The WHO-5 was interpreted as a score below or above 50 points, a cut-off score used in previous literature to screen for depression.Results2,289 HCWs (round 1: n=190, round 2: n=2,099) from 40 countries in Europe participated. Mean age of respondents was 42 (±11) years, 66% were female, 47% and 39% were medical doctors and nurses, respectively. 74% (n=1699) of HCWs were directly treating patients with COVID-19, of which 32% (n=527) reported they were fearful of caring for these patients. HCWs reported high levels of concern about COVID-19 infection risk to themselves (71%) and their family (82%) as a result of their job. 40% of HCWs considered that getting infected with COVID-19 was not within their control. This was more common among junior than senior HCWs (46% versus 38%, P value <.01). Sufficient COVID-19-specific IPC training, confidence in PPE use and institutional trust were positively associated with the feeling that becoming infected with COVID-19 was within their control. Female HCWs were more likely than males to report a WHO-5 score below 50 points (aOR 1.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.8).ConclusionsIn Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a differential impact on those providing direct COVID-19 patient care, junior staff and women. Health facilities must be aware of these differential impacts, build trust and provide tailored support for this vital workforce during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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Emerging Viral Disease and Orthopaedic Surgeons: COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Research Journal of Health Sciences ◽

10.4314/rejhs.v9i2.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 121-132

Author(s):

E.O. Edomwonyi ◽

U.E. Anyaehie ◽

J.E. Onuminya

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Viral Disease ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Orthopaedic Practice ◽

Care Workers ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Impact ◽

Made In

Background: COVID-19 is caused by novel Coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (SARS-Cov-2). It is purported to have originated from bat in Wuhan province of China in December, 2019. The epidemic spreads rapidly, reaching a pandemic proportion in January, 2020. The economic implications of the pandemic and burden on health care are enormous. We, therefore, review the impact of this disease to orthopaedic practice.Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature, using suitable keywords, such as COVID -19, viral disease, orthopaedic surgery, on the search engines of PUBMED, Google Scholar and SCOPUS in June 2020.Results: The current treatment of COVID-19 is largely supportive. Lockdown, social distancing, are among many social preventive measures that had been adopted in an attempt to halt the spread of this disease. These Social adjustments, are achieving remarkable results. Intensive monitoring is key. Profound modifications had been made in all spheres of orthopaedic practice, suspending elective surgical cases and modifying the handling of inpatients and outpatients.Conclusions: Globally, orthopaedic practice has been altered in elaborate terms, to accommodate peculiarities of this emerging viral disease, COVID-19. Whilst not neglecting the needs of our patients who depend on us for due care, strict precautions have been adopted to protect patients and health care workers or halt the spread of the disease. Key words: COVID-19, pandemic, orthopaedic surgeon

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Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers at a cancer care centre

10.1101/2021.02.28.21252181 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Atika Dogra ◽

Anuj Parkash ◽

Anurag Mehta ◽

Meenu Bhatia

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Front Line ◽

Care Workers ◽

Front Line Workers ◽

Severity Of The Disease ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Spread Of Infection ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe services of front-line health care workers (HCWs) have been paramount in the management of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Health care professionals have been at high occupational risk of getting disease and even dying of the disease, however; they have been the subject of very limited studies in terms of COVID-19. The objectives of this study are to examine the incidence and the impact of COVID-19 infection among HCWs in terms of recovery, productivity, quality of life (QOL) and post-COVID complications.Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective, questionnaire based study including demographic details, workplace characteristics, symptoms, source/ spread of infection, details of recovery and the consequences of COVID-19 comprising impaired productivity/ QOL, post-COVID-19 complications and others. The data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS software (Version 23, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results and ConclusionsOut of a total of 1482 employees, 18.3% (271) were laboratory confirmed to have contracted novel contagion during the study period of 5 months. The median age at diagnosis was 29 (range, 21-62) years. Front-line workers and female workers were the most infected personnel with COVID-19. Flu-like symptoms were the most frequently experienced symptoms. The median time for recovery was 20 (range, 2-150) days. The relationship between pre-existing comorbidities and age was highly significant. The QOL and productivity were associated with pre-existing comorbidities, severity of the disease, time for recovery and post-COVID syndrome. More than a half (51.8%) of all HCWs had suffered from post-COVID complications. There was no fatality reported due to COVID-19. The post-COVID complications were related to pre-existing comorbidities, severity of disease, time for recovery and status of recovery. Further research to explore the consequences of COVID-19 is warranted. The general public needs to be aware of symptoms and management of the post-COVID syndrome.

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