scholarly journals The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers’ Anxiety Levels: Protocol for a Meta-Analysis

10.2196/24136 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e24136
Author(s):  
Lunbo Zhang ◽  
Ming Yan ◽  
Kaito Takashima ◽  
Wenru Guo ◽  
Yuki Yamada

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been declared a public health emergency of international concern; this has caused excessive anxiety among health care workers. In addition, publication bias and low-quality publications have become widespread, which can result in the dissemination of unreliable findings. Objective This paper presents the protocol for a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias. Methods All related studies that were published/released from 2015 to 2020 will be searched in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsyArXiv, and medRxiv). The risk of bias in individual studies will be assessed using the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist. The heterogeneity of the studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. The effect size (prevalence rates of anxiety) and a 95% CI for each paper will also be calculated. We will use a moderator analysis to test for the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers’ anxiety levels and detect publication bias in COVID-19 studies. We will also assess publication bias using the funnel plot and Egger regression. In case of publication bias, if studies have no homogeneity, the trim-and-fill procedure will be applied to adjust for missing studies. Results Database searches will commence in November 2020. The meta-analysis will be completed within 2 months of the start date. Conclusions This meta-analysis aims to provide comprehensive evidence about whether COVID-19 increases the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and whether there has been an increase in publication bias and a deterioration in the quality of publications due to the pandemic. The results of this meta-analysis can provide evidence to help health managers to make informed decisions related to anxiety prevention in health care workers. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/24136


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lunbo Zhang ◽  
Ming Yan ◽  
Kaito Takashima ◽  
Wenru Guo ◽  
Yuki Yamada

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has been declared a public health emergency of international concern; this has caused excessive anxiety among health care workers. In addition, publication bias and low-quality publications have become widespread, which can result in the dissemination of unreliable findings. OBJECTIVE This paper presents the protocol for a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias. METHODS All related studies that were published/released from 2015 to 2020 will be searched in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsyArXiv, and medRxiv). The risk of bias in individual studies will be assessed using the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist. The heterogeneity of the studies will be assessed using the I<sup>2</sup> statistic. The effect size (prevalence rates of anxiety) and a 95% CI for each paper will also be calculated. We will use a moderator analysis to test for the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers’ anxiety levels and detect publication bias in COVID-19 studies. We will also assess publication bias using the funnel plot and Egger regression. In case of publication bias, if studies have no homogeneity, the trim-and-fill procedure will be applied to adjust for missing studies. RESULTS Database searches will commence in November 2020. The meta-analysis will be completed within 2 months of the start date. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis aims to provide comprehensive evidence about whether COVID-19 increases the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and whether there has been an increase in publication bias and a deterioration in the quality of publications due to the pandemic. The results of this meta-analysis can provide evidence to help health managers to make informed decisions related to anxiety prevention in health care workers. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/24136



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lunbo Zhang ◽  
Ming Yan ◽  
Kaito Takashima ◽  
Wenru Guo ◽  
Yuki Yamada

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has been declared a public health emergency of international concern; this has caused excessive anxiety among health care workers. In addition, publication bias and low-quality publications have become widespread, which can result in the dissemination of unreliable findings.  OBJECTIVE This paper presents the protocol for a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias.  METHODS All related studies that were published/released from 2015 to 2020 will be searched in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsyArXiv, and medRxiv). The risk of bias in individual studies will be assessed using the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist. The heterogeneity of the studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. The effect size (prevalence rates of anxiety) and a 95% CI for each paper will also be calculated. We will use a moderator analysis to test for the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers’ anxiety levels and detect publication bias in COVID-19 studies. We will also assess publication bias using the funnel plot and Egger regression. In case of publication bias, if studies have no homogeneity, the trim-and-fill procedure will be applied to adjust for missing studies. RESULTS The pooled meta-analysis prevalence was 35.3% (95% CI: 32.2%−38.4%). The moderator analysis revealed no significant difference between articles related to COVID-19 and those unrelated to COVID-19 (p = 0.831). Moreover, no significant difference was found between articles related to COVID-19 and preprints (p = 0.981). Significant heterogeneity was found in each subgroup. Egger’s tests revealed publication bias in articles related to COVID-19 and preprints (p < 0.001).  CONCLUSIONS Our study found no significant differences in the effect sizes (prevalence of anxiety) between studies related and those unrelated to COVID-19. Concluding whether the anxiety state of health care workers is altered by the COVID-19 pandemic currently is difficult. However, we have strong evidence that their anxiety levels are always high, although this could also be a false positive caused by a large publication bias. Moreover, without comparing the results with those of non-healthcare workers, we cannot be sure that their anxiety is particularly high. The present study highlights the need to generalize valid and reliable measurements to more accurately examine health care workers’ anxiety in the future. Furthermore, we found a large publication bias in studies; however, the quality of the studies is relatively stable and reliable. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/24136



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
lunbo zhang ◽  
YAN MING ◽  
Kaito Takashima ◽  
GUO WENRU ◽  
Yuki Yamada

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has been declared a public health emergency of international concern; this has caused excessive anxiety among health care workers. In addition, publication bias and low-quality publications have become widespread, which can result in the dissemination of unreliable findings.This paper performed a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias.Methods. All related studies published/released from 2015 to 2020 were searched in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsyArXiv, and medRxiv). The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. The effect size (prevalence rates of anxiety) and a 95% CI for each paper were also calculated. We used a moderator analysis to test for the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers’ anxiety levels and detect publication bias in COVID-19 studies. We also assessed publication bias using the funnel plot and Egger regression.Results.The pooled meta-analysis prevalence was 35.3% (95% CI: 32.2%−38.4%). The moderator analysis revealed no significant difference between articles related to COVID-19 and those unrelated to COVID-19 (p = 0.831). Moreover, no significant difference was found between articles related to COVID-19 and preprints (p = 0.981). Significant heterogeneity was found in each subgroup. Egger’s tests revealed publication bias in articles related to COVID-19 and preprints (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions. Concluding whether the anxiety state of health care workers is altered by the COVID-19 pandemic currently is difficult. However, we have strong evidence that their anxiety levels are always high, although this could also be a false positive caused by a large publication bias. Moreover, without comparing the results with those of non-health care workers, we cannot be sure that their anxiety is particularly high. Furthermore, we found a large publication bias in studies; however, the quality of the studies is relatively stable and reliable.



Heliyon ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e06972
Author(s):  
Haileyesus Gedamu ◽  
Teshager W/giorgis ◽  
Getasew Tesfa ◽  
Yilkal Tafere ◽  
Minichil Genet


2016 ◽  
Vol 188 (8) ◽  
pp. 567-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Smith ◽  
Colin C. MacDougall ◽  
Jennie Johnstone ◽  
Ray A. Copes ◽  
Brian Schwartz ◽  
...  


Vestnik ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 313-316
Author(s):  
И.Г. Турсумбай ◽  
Л.К. Кошербаева

Одним из последствий осуществления медицинской деятельности в разнообразных хозяйственных формах является изменение экономического положения работников здравоохранения. От количества и качества их труда зависит экономический результат деятельности лечебно-профилактических учреждений (ЛПУ) в целом. В статье приводится сравнительный анализ занимающихся подготовкой экономистов в области здравоохранения по различным критериям. Подчеркивается необходимость непрерывного совершенствования подготовки управленческих кадров в области экономики здравоохранения в современных условиях развития общества. One of the consequences of the implementation of medical activities in various economic forms is a change in the economic situation of health care workers. The number and quality of their work depends on the economic result of the activities of medical and preventive institutions (LPU) as a whole. The article presents a comparative analysis of the health economists who are engaged in training according to various criteria. The necessity of continuous improvement of training of managerial personnel in the field of health economics in the modern conditions of society development is emphasized.



Author(s):  
V. R. Kuchma ◽  
Svetlana B. Sokolova

Harmonization of European and Russian standards of the quality of the delivery of school health services and competencies for school health professionals allowed to justify the concept of the evaluation of the quality of the delivery of medical help to students in educational institutions. The concept does not prescribe a concrete methodfor the organizing school health services, unified process of the activity of health professionals. The concept consists of 7 groups of indices of quality and competences of health care workers. Quality criteria include the presence of a regulatory framework, indices of benevolence towards children, social equity and access to health care for students, requirements for premises, equipment of medical rooms in schools, cooperation with the administration and teachers of schools, parents and children, the medical community, the requirements for health care workers, a minimum list of services, covering both population and individual needs of students, the secure storage, the management and use ofpersonal medical data of children and adolescents. The competences of the staff of medical units are determined by provided medical services and technologies of the work. Properly medical competences of workers of medical care units for the delivery of medical aid to students are contributed by willingness to ensure the rights of children in the process of health care delivery in the educational organization, skills in the field of communication, sharing of information with children, parents and teachers, cooperation with colleagues, planning and coordination of the organization of medical care, the provision of sanitary epidemiological well-being of students, informational-elucidative activity for shaping of healthy lifestyle, research activity. Concept is the basis of the algorithm of the evaluation of the quality of the delivery of medical aid to students and quality assessment technology as well by medical organizations and institutions, as in the form of an independent audit of the quality of the delivery of medical aid to students in educational institutions.



2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razieh Behzadmehr ◽  
Abbas Balouchi ◽  
Mehran Hesaraki ◽  
Farshid Alazmani Noodeh ◽  
Hosein Rafiemanesh ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to needle needles daily. Despite individual studies, there is no statistics on the prevalence of unreported needle stick injuries (NSIs) have been reported. This study was performed to determine the prevalence and causes of unreported NSIs among HCWs. Content In present systematic review and meta-analysis study, three international databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed) were searched from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2018. The random model was used to determine the prevalence of unreported needle stick among HCWs. Summary and outlook Forty-one studies performed on 19,635 health care workers entered the final stage. Based-on random effect model, pooled prevalence of unreported needle stick injuries was 59.9% (95% CI: 52.0, 67.7; I2=98.9%). The most common cause of unreported NSIs was: They were not worried about NSIs (n=12). The high prevalence of unreported needle sticks injuries indicates the urgency and necessity of paying attention to strategies to improve reporting among health workers.



1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 372-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Mackay ◽  
John Bottomley ◽  
Gunvor Semb ◽  
Christopher Roberts

It is generally believed that studies of outcome for children with clefts of the lip and palate should be based on patients who are in their teens. This means that health care workers who look after these children would have to wait many years until the quality of treatment could be evaluated. In this study, significant differences between two centers, Oslo and Manchester, in facial form at the age of 5 years were detected. Based on cephalometric analysis, children from Manchester were more likely to have a retrognathic maxilla with the upper lip significantly behind the esthetic plane. An important future step may be the setting up of “reference centers” with a large archive of database information for each racial group. This would assist smaller centers in comparing their outcomes.



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