Open the Black Box: Paradoxes and Lacunas in Swedish Health Care Reforms

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Å. Gustafsson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Labor Process ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Health Care Reforms ◽  
Swedish Health Care ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
The Welfare State

The idea of using contracting-out as a means for improving public administration dates back to the 1850s, but was then found to be infeasible. The same idea has now become a major building-block in Sweden's health care reforms. Driven by a productivity-focused political discourse and the premises of neoclassical economics, these reforms ignore motivational structures among health care staff. The result may be a delegitimizing of the welfare state from within—either through the extinction of care rationality and its replacement by wage rationality, or, at worst, through the spread of a commercial spirit among health care staff and/or staff frustration at the unavoidable downward adjustments in remuneration rates. The author points to three strategic choices that arise when insights from a labor-process perspective are taken into consideration.

scholarly journals ReCOV: recovery and rehabilitation during and after COVID-19 – a study protocol of a longitudinal observational study on patients, next of kin and health care staff

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Rydwik ◽  
L. Anmyr ◽  
M. Regardt ◽  
A. McAllister ◽  
R. Zarenoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Next Of Kin ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Long Term Consequences

Abstract Background The knowledge of the long-term consequences of covid-19 is limited. In patients, symptoms such as fatigue, decreased physical, psychological, and cognitive function, and nutritional problems have been reported. How the disease has affected next of kin, as well as staff involved in the care of patients with covid-19, is also largely unknown. The overall aim of this study is therefore three-fold: (1) to describe and evaluate predictors of patient recovery, the type of rehabilitation received and patients’ experiences of specialized rehabilitation following COVID-19 infection; (2) to study how next of kin experienced the hospital care of their relative and their experiences of the psychosocial support they received as well as their psychological wellbeing; (3) to describe experiences of caring for patients with COVID-19 and evaluate psychological wellbeing, coping mechanisms and predictors for development of psychological distress over time in health care staff. Methods This observational longitudinal study consists of three cohorts; patients, next of kin, and health care staff. The assessments for the patients consist of physical tests (lung function, muscle strength, physical capacity) and questionnaires (communication and swallowing, nutritional status, hearing, activities of daily living, physical activity, fatigue, cognition) longitudinally at 3, 6 and 12 months. Patient records auditing (care, rehabilitation) will be done retrospectively at 12 months. Patients (3, 6 and 12 months), next of kin (6 months) and health care staff (baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months) will receive questionnaires regarding, health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and post-traumatic stress. Staff will also answer questionnaires about burnout and coping strategies. Interviews will be conducted in all three cohorts. Discussion This study will be able to answer different research questions from a quantitative and qualitative perspective, by describing and evaluating long-term consequences and their associations with recovery, as well as exploring patients’, next of kins’ and staffs’ views and experiences of the disease and its consequences. This will form a base for a deeper and better understanding of the consequences of the disease from different perspectives as well as helping the society to better prepare for a future pandemic.

Supporting Health Care Staff With Family Meals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110035
Author(s):  
Jennifer Utter ◽  
Sally McCray
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Family Meals ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Wellness Program ◽  
Marketing Department

Family meals provide a unique opportunity for families to eat well and engage positively with each other. In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, a new initiative to support health care staff to share healthy meals with their families was developed. At a hospital in Queensland, Australia, dietetic staff collaborated with the on-site food service retailer to develop and offer a range of hot meals that staff could take home for their families at the end of their day. The meals were nutritious, reasonably priced, and designed to feed a family of four. The dietetic staff worked with the hospital marketing department and staff health and wellness program to promote the initiative. Over the 3 months that it has been running, nearly 300 meals have been purchased. Anecdotal comments from the food service retailer highlighted that the initiative was a good thing to do for staff to maintain a positive reputation of the business. The staff evening meal initiative is a healthy, affordable, educational, and socially engaging alternative to takeaway meals and food delivery by app, and it is mutually beneficial for health care staff and the on-site food retailer. The initiative also offers a unique opportunity for promoting nutrition and social engagement during stressful times.

Health care staff responses to disinvestment—A systematic search and qualitative thematic synthesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Deb Mitchell ◽  
Kelly-Ann Bowles ◽  
Lisa O'Brien ◽  
Anne Bardoel ◽  
Terry Haines
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Thematic Synthesis

Measuring Attitudes of Mental Health Care Staff Toward Suicidal Patients

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Aish ◽  
Inga-Lill Ramberg ◽  
Danuta Wasserman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Suicidal Patients

scholarly journals Can the Health-Care System Meet the Challenge of Pandemic Flu? Planning, Ethical, and Workforce Considerations

2007 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Levin ◽  
Eric N. Gebbie ◽  
Kristine Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Care Delivery Systems ◽  
The Impact

The federal pandemic influenza plan predicts that 30% of the population could be infected. The impact of this pandemic would quickly overwhelm the public health and health-care delivery systems in the U.S. and throughout the world. Surge capacity for staffing, availability of drugs and supplies, and alternate means to provide care must be included in detailed plans that are tested and drilled ahead of time. Accurate information on the disease must be made available to health-care staff and the public to reduce fear. Spokespersons must provide clear, consistent messages about the disease, including actions to be taken to contain its spread and treat the afflicted. Home care will be especially important, as hospitals will be quickly overwhelmed. Staff must be prepared ahead of time to assure their ability and willingness to report to work, and public health must plan ahead to adequately confront ethical issues that will arise concerning the availability of treatment resources. The entire community must work together to meet the challenges posed by an epidemic. Identification and resolution of these challenges and issues are essential to achieve adequate public health preparedness.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document