scholarly journals The New Normal of ENT OPD - Adapting Safe Practices.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Yeolekar ◽  
Sudhir Bhalerao ◽  
Maya Bhalerao
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
High Viral Load ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Practice Plan ◽  
Cross Transmission ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Transmission Of Disease

Abstract The COVID-19 epidemic originating in China has spread rapidly worldwide and converted to pandemic proportions in March 2020. In India and densely populated countries like Brazil and USA the numbers are still rising. Clinicians all over the world are trying to contain it by minimizing the cross-transmission of disease among hospital staff members. In the field of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) the doctors are exposed to high viral load while examining the patients. Therefore contingency plans are required for dealing with patients in outpatient clinics, and while performing diagnostic endoscopies, minor procedures in OPD and surgeries in operating rooms. Infected patients may shed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV- 2) particles into their environment via body secretions. Therefore, Otolaryngologists should be vigilant. In this submission, we share our experience of an innovative practice plan in redesigning the ENT OPD setup, endoscopy set up and OT so as to reduce the risk of transmission of virus not only to doctors but other healthcare workers. We hope that our modifications will serve as a guide for every Otolaryngologist throughout India towards performing their clinical duties confidently without any apprehension and ensuring adequate safety during this testing times in their small set-up/ clinical establishments.

scholarly journals Understanding the Dynamics of Staff Reallocation to Clinical Practice During the First Wave of COVID-19 – a Qualitative Study

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rie Laurine Rosenthal Johansen ◽  
Anita Sørensen ◽  
Mads Seit Jespersen ◽  
Kamilla Hesthaven Mikkelsen ◽  
Christina Emme
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Sequential Data ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Set Up

Abstract BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, one responsive strategy to ensure hospital staff capacity was reallocation of staff between departments. Unpredicted factors may influence how the strategy is executed. Knowledge of potential moderating factors is essential to improve future staff contingency plans. To understand barriers and promoters of staff realloctation, this study explored the dynamics of reallocating staff from departments with low activity to clinical practice during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at a 530-bed university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. MethodsWe used a mixed-methods explanatory design with sequential data collection and analysis. This paper primarily describes the qualitative part of the study, which consisted of six interviews with staff reallocated to clinical practice as part of the staff contingency plan, and seven interviews with leaders of departments that contributed with staff for reallocation. Data was analyzed using inductive content analysis.ResultsThe results showed that the execution of a staff contingency plan during a pandemic is influenced by a complex set of structural, perceptional, social, individual, and psychological moderating factors. Although staff felt obligated and motivated to cover shifts, their actual behavior and experience was influenced by factors such as uncertainty about tasks, family obligations, other work-related tasks, the contingency plan set-up, how the contingency plan, roles, and sense of urgency were interpreted by staff and leaders, and how the leaders prioritized tasks and staff time. Introduction to the unit and tasks, the feeling of being needed, voluntary participation, transparency, collegial sparring, and familiarity with the workplace were factors that promoted a positive experience.ConclusionsThis study identified a variety of complex moderating factors, which should be considered when hospital contingency plans are developed. The study highlights the importance of understanding how reallocated staff and leaders experience and make interpretations and adjustments to a given plan, as this may have great significance for how the contingency plan is put into practice. Future staff contingency plans should take these factors into consideration to make better use of human resources in times of a crisis and to improve staff’s experience with reallocation.

scholarly journals A Mobile-Based Patient-Centric Passive System for Guiding Patients Through the Hospital Workflow: Design and Development (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chalee Vorakulpipat ◽  
Ekkachan Rattanalerdnusorn ◽  
Soontorn Sirapaisan ◽  
Visut Savangsuk ◽  
Natsuda Kasisopha
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Hospital Data ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Wireless Communication Network ◽  
High Investment ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Set Up

BACKGROUND A hospital is an unfamiliar place to patients because of its style, atmosphere, and procedures. These hospital characteristics cause patients to become confused about responding to protocols, which slows down the procedural flows. Some additional information technology infrastructure facilities and human resources may be needed to solve these problems. However, this solution needs high investment and cannot guarantee an accuracy of information sent to patients. To handle this limitation, EasyHos has been developed to help patients recognize their status (for example, “waiting for an appointment at 11am“) during their stay in a hospital using all existing infrastructure and hospital data and without changing existing hospital's process. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to provide a design of the EasyHos system and the case study in hospitals in Thailand. The design is usable and repeatable for small- and medium-sized hospitals where internet infrastructure is in place. METHODS The EasyHos system has been designed based on existing infrastructure, hospital data and hospital processes. The main components include mobile devices, existing hospital data, wireless communication network. The EasyHos was deployed at 2 hospitals in Thailand, one small and the other with a medium size. The experimental process was focused on solving the problem of unfamiliarity in the hospital. The criteria and pretest conditions regarding the unexpected problem have been defined before the experiment. RESULTS The results are presented in terms of criteria, pretest conditions, posttest conditions in the hospitals. The posttest conditions show the experimental results and impact of the system on users such as hospital nurses/staff and patients. For example, the questions from patients were reduced by 83.3% after using EasyHos system while nurses/hospital staff had 5 min more to do their routine work each day. In addition, another impact is that hospitals can create new information values from existing data, which now can be visible and valuable to patients. CONCLUSIONS Hospitals' unexpected problems have been reduced by the EasyHos system. The EasyHos system has been developed with self-service and patient-centered concepts to assist patients with necessary information. The system makes interaction easier for nurses/hospital staff members and patients working or waiting in the hospital. The nurses/hospital staff members would have more time to do their routine works. Hospitals can easily set up the EasyHos system, which will have a low or nearly zero implementation cost.

scholarly journals Demographic and occupational determinants of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity in hospital staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A Martin ◽  
Prashanth Patel ◽  
Charles Goss ◽  
David R Jenkins ◽  
Arthur Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Front Line ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Acute Medicine ◽  
Occupational Factors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Staff Members

Abstract Background Although evidence suggests that demographic characteristics including minority ethnicity increase the risk of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is unclear whether these characteristics, together with occupational factors, influence anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroprevalence in hospital staff. Methods We conducted cross-sectional surveillance examining seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG amongst staff at University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust. We quantified seroprevalence stratified by ethnicity, occupation and seniority of practitioner and used logistic regression to examine demographic and occupational factors associated with seropositivity. Results A total of 1148/10662 (10.8%) hospital staff members were seropositive. Compared to White staff (seroprevalence 9.1%), seroprevalence was higher in South Asian (12.3%) and Black (21.2%) staff. The occupations and department with the highest seroprevalence were nurses/healthcare assistants (13.7%) and the Emergency Department (ED)/Acute Medicine (17.5%), respectively. Seroprevalence decreased with seniority in medical/nursing practitioners. Minority ethnicity was associated with seropositivity on an adjusted analysis (South Asian: aOR 1.26; 95%CI: 1.07–1.49 and Black: 2.42; 1.90–3.09). Anaesthetics/ICU staff members were less likely to be seropositive than ED/Acute medicine staff (0.41; 0.27–0.61). Conclusions Ethnicity and occupational factors, including specialty and seniority, are associated with seropositivity for anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgG. These findings could be used to inform occupational risk assessments for front-line healthcare workers.

scholarly journals An Analysis of The Hospital Bylaws Policies to Protect Healthcare Workers Against Indictments of Adverse Events

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ade Leana ◽  
Adang Bachtiar
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Event ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Operational Policies

One of the functions of hospital bylaws are a means to provide legal protection for all all parties that are related to the hospital. Legal protection is essential for prosecuted hospital staff members. One of the reasons for indictments is adverse events. The goal of this research is to discover how the hospital by-laws protects the hospital staff in the event of an indictment based on an adverse event and how the by-laws adhere to the guidelines in a comprehensive way. The research design used the qualitative method. The results of this research indicates that the hospital by-laws of RSKO Jakarta, although it has served as a protective method, it still needs further technical-operational policies as a supplement, and there are still discrepancies compared to the guidelines. We suggest that the by-laws of RSKO Jakarta are amended to adhere to the governmental guidelines and to establish supplementing technical-operational policies.

viewpoint TIME TO RESTART: PROTOCOL OF RESUMPTION OF ACTIVITIES OF A DERMATOLOGICAL CLINIC OF A LEVEL II HOSPITAL IN THE COVID-19 ERA. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Diotallevi ◽  
Anna Campanati ◽  
Giulia Radi ◽  
Oriana Simonetti ◽  
Emanuela Martina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Level Ii ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Spread Of Infection ◽  
Hospital Wards ◽  
Medical And Healthcare

UNSTRUCTURED Two months have passed since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic of the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, on March 11, 2020. Medical and healthcare workers have continued to be on the frontline to defeat this disease, however, continual changes are being made to their working habits which are proving to be difficult. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a major reorganisation of all hospital wards, including dermatological wards, has been carried out in order to make medical and nursing staff available in COVID wards and to prevent the spread of infection. These strategies, which were also adopted in our clinic, proved to be effective, as no staff members or patients were infected by the virus. Now, thanks to the global decrease in SARS-CovV2 infections, it is necessary to make dermatological wards accessible to patients again, but it is also essential to adopt specific protocols to avoid a new wave of infections.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic and Behavioral Correlates of COVID-19 Infections among Hospital Workers in the Greater Jakarta Area, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5048
Author(s):  
Adrianna Bella ◽  
Mochamad Thoriq Akbar ◽  
Gita Kusnadi ◽  
Olivia Herlinda ◽  
Putri Aprilia Regita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Worker ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Household Size ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Hospital Workers ◽  
Behavioral Correlates ◽  
Cross Sectional

(1) Background: because of close contacts with COVID-19 patients, hospital workers are among the highest risk groups for infection. This study examined the socioeconomic and behavioral correlates of COVID-19 infection among hospital workers in Indonesia, the country hardest-hit by the disease in the Southeast Asia region. (2) Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study, which collected data from 1397 hospital staff from eight hospitals in the Greater Jakarta area during April–July 2020. The data was collected using an online self-administered questionnaire and Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests. We employed descriptive statistics and adjusted and unadjusted logistic regressions to analyze the data of hospital workers as well as the subgroups of healthcare and non-healthcare workers. (3) Results: from a total of 1397 hospital staff in the study, 22 (1.6%) were infected. In terms of correlates, being a healthcare worker (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 8.31, 95% CI 1.27–54.54) and having a household size of more than five (AOR = 4.09, 1.02–16.43) were significantly associated with a higher risk of infection. On the other hand, those with middle- and upper-expenditure levels were shown to have a lower risk of infection (AOR = 0.06, 0.01–0.66). Behavioral factors associated with COVID-19 infection among healthcare and non-healthcare workers included knowledge of standard personal protective equipment (PPE) (AOR = 0.08, 0.01–0.54) and application of the six-step handwashing technique (AOR = 0.32, 0.12–0.83). (4) Conclusion: among hospital staff, correlates of COVID-19 infection included being a healthcare worker, household size, expenditure level, knowledge and use of PPE, and application of appropriate hand washing techniques.

scholarly journals Maintaining an Adult Hematology/Oncology Service at a Tertiary Care Center during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An Eight-Week-Experience with a Newly Implemented Procedural Plan

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Philipp G. Hemmati ◽  
Dorothea Fischer ◽  
Frank Breywisch ◽  
Sabine Wohlfarth ◽  
Matthias Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Oncology Service ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Vulnerable Patient ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Oncology Unit

Treatment of cancer patients has become challenging when large parts of hospital services need to be shut down as a consequence of a local COVID-19 outbreak that requires rapid containment measures, in conjunction with the shifting of priorities to vital services. Reports providing conceptual frameworks and first experiences on how to maintain a clinical hematology/oncology service during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic are scarce. Here, we report our first 8 weeks of experience after implementing a procedural plan at a hematology/oncology unit with its associated cancer center at a large academic teaching hospital in Germany. By strictly separating team workflows and implementing vigorous testing for SARS-CoV-2 infections for all patients and staff members irrespective of clinical symptoms, we were successful in maintaining a comprehensive hematology/oncology service to allow for the continuation of treatment for our patients. Notably, this was achieved without introducing or further transmitting SARS-CoV-2 infections within the unit and the entire center. Although challenging, our approach appears safe and feasible and may help others to set up or optimize their procedures for cancer treatment or for other exceedingly vulnerable patient cohorts.

scholarly journals Building Drainage System Design for Tall Buildings: Current Limitations and Public Health Implications

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Michael Gormley ◽  
David Kelly ◽  
David Campbell ◽  
Yunpeng Xue ◽  
Colin Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
System Design ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Tall Buildings ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Water Trap ◽  
Current Design ◽  
Cross Transmission ◽  
Transmission Of Disease

National design guides provide essential guidance for the design of building drainage systems, which primarily ensure the basic objectives of preventing odor ingress and cross-transmission of disease through water-trap seal retention. Current building drainage system design guides only extend to buildings of 30 floors, while modern tall buildings frequently extend to over 100 floors, exceeding the predictive capability of current design guides in terms of operating system conditions. However, the same design guides are being used for tall buildings as would be used for low-rise buildings. A complicating factor is the historic roots of current design guides and standards (including the interpretation of the governing fluid mechanics principles and margins of safety), causing many design differences to exist for the same conditions internationally, such as minimum trap seal retention requirements, stack-to-vent cross-vent spacing, and even stack diameter. The design guides also differ in the size and scale of the systems they cover, and most make no allowance for the specific building drainage system requirements of tall buildings. This paper assesses the limitations of applying current building drainage system design guides when applied to the case of tall buildings. Primarily, the assessments used in this research are based on codes from Europe, the USA and Australia/New Zealand as representative of the most common approaches and from which many other codes and standards are derived. The numerical simulation model, AIRNET, was used as the analysis tool. Our findings confirm that current design guides, which have been out of date for a number of decades, are now in urgent need of updating as code-compliant systems have been shown to be susceptible to water-trap seal depletion, a risk to cross-transmission of disease, which is a major public health concern, particularly in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospital Experience with Varicella-Zoster Virus

1986 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 312-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Krasinski ◽  
Robert S. Holzman ◽  
Rita LaCouture ◽  
Alfred Florman
Keyword(s):  
Infection Control ◽  
Varicella Zoster Virus ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Varicella Zoster ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Serologic Testing ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
History Of

AbstractVaricella-zoster virus (VZV), one of the most common highly communicable agents of disease, stimulates aggressive infection control measures. In a 1-year period, at one hospital, at least 93 inpatients (82 adult patients, 11 pediatric patients) and 2 hospital staff with active varicella-zoster infections served as potential sources of nosocomial infection. Six incidents of exposure to the virus that occurred without the protection of standard infection control precautions were investigated by the infection control surveillance team. One hundred fifty-six patients and 353 hospital staff were exposed. Fifty-one patients had no history of varicella-zoster infection, but only five were susceptible by serologic testing. One hundred one staff members had no history of varicella-zoster, but only 11 were susceptible by serologic testing. These exposures resulted in three secondary varicella-zoster infections, six courses of varicella-zoster immune globulin prophylaxis and furlough of 13 staff members. Epidemiologic investigation consumed approximately 356 hours of staff time, and management of exposed persons cost approximately $41,500. Prospective knowledge of the immune status of health care workers would vastly decrease the time and effort required to control hospital VZV exposures.

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