scholarly journals Is a tailored work-related support intervention feasible in everyday clinical practice? The experience of healthcare professionals and patients with cancer

Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-884
Author(s):  
AnneClaire G.N.M. Zaman ◽  
Kristien M.A.J. Tytgat ◽  
Jean H.G. Klinkenbijl ◽  
Monique H.W. Frings-Dresen ◽  
Angela G.E.M. de Boer

BACKGROUND: Work is valued as an important feature in life, however patients diagnosed with cancer can experience work-related problems. We developed a work-related support intervention to support those in need. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the performed tailored GIRONA (Gastro Intestinal cancer patients Receiving Occupational support Near and After diagnosis) intervention and to describe the experiences of those receiving the work-related support and of those providing it. METHODS: An online questionnaire was used to survey the feasibility of the intervention of the support recipients (patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer) and the support providers (healthcare professionals including: oncology nurses and oncological occupational physicians). Five themes were covered: acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality and integration of Bowen’s feasibility model. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients, 14 oncology nurses and 4 oncological occupational physicians, shared their experiences about the tailored work-related support intervention. This intervention was generally perceived as positive and feasible by the participants. Some patients received work-related support despite not experiencing severe problems; others mentioned that they received no such support even though they did need it. Despite positive experiences, there are some barriers to tackle, such as length of consultation, timing of the initiation of work-related support and embedding the oncological occupational physician within the clinical setting. CONCLUSION: According to the healthcare professionals involved, GIRONA is feasible, however some practical barriers were mentioned. The intervention was perceived as positive by both patients and healthcare professionals, but the tailored component could be further improved to better support those in need of work-related support.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
AnneClaire G. N. M. Zaman ◽  
Kristien M. A. J. Tytgat ◽  
Jean H. G. Klinkenbijl ◽  
Angela G. E. M. de Boer ◽  
Monique H. W. Frings-Dresen

Abstract Purpose To perform a process evaluation of a tailored work-related support intervention for patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Methods The intervention comprised three tailored psychosocial work-related support meetings. To outline the process evaluation of this intervention, we used six key components: recruitment, context, reach, dose delivered, dose received and fidelity. Data were collected using questionnaires, checklists and research logbooks and were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results In total, 16 hospitals, 33 nurses and 7 oncological occupational physicians (OOPs) participated. Analysis of the six key components revealed that the inclusion rate of eligible patients was 47%. Thirty-eight intervention patients were included: 35 actually had a first meeting, 32 had a second and 17 had a third. For 31 patients (89%), the first meeting was face to face, as per protocol. However, in only 32% of the cases referred to support type A (oncological nurse) and 13% of the cases referred to support type B (OOP), the first meeting was before the start of the treatment, as per protocol. The average duration of the support type A meetings was around the pre-established 30 min; for the OOPs, the average was 50 min. Protocol was easy to follow according to the healthcare professionals. Overall, the patients considered the intervention useful. Conclusions This study has shown that the strategy of tailored work-related support is appreciated by both patients and healthcare professionals and applicable in clinical practice. Implications for Cancer survivors The intervention was appreciated by patients; however, whether the timing of the work-related support was adequate (i.e. before treatment was started) requires further research. Trial registration NTR5022.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 548
Author(s):  
Saad Alyahya ◽  
Fouad AboGazalah

Work-related stress can affect the quality of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the relationship between selected work-related stressors and stress levels among healthcare professionals providing preventive and curative services to people with COVID-19 symptoms in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia. A systematic random sampling using an online questionnaire approach was used to select healthcare professionals in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia during September 2020. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire including data on their sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, role conflict and ambiguity, social support, and stress. The results showed that role conflict and ambiguity were significant risk factors for stress, and social support was negatively associated with stress levels. Additionally, younger and non-Saudi healthcare professionals exhibited higher stress levels than their older and Saudi counterparts. In conclusion, role conflict, ambiguity, and social support can predict the risk of stress among healthcare professionals in the Fever Clinics in Saudi Arabia.


Author(s):  
Yu-Yin Lin ◽  
Yu-An Pan ◽  
Yi-Ling Hsieh ◽  
Meng-Hsuan Hsieh ◽  
Yun-Shiuan Chuang ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic results in a profound physical and mental burden on healthcare professionals. This study aims to evaluate burnout status and mood disorder of healthcare workers during this period. An online questionnaire was voluntarily answered by eligible adult employees in a COVID-19 specialized medical center. The major analysis included the burnout status and mood disorder. Factors related to more severe mood disorder were also identified. A total of 2029 participants completed the questionnaire. There were 901 (44.4%) and 923 (45.5%) participants with moderate to severe personal and work-related burnout status, respectively. Nurses working in the emergency room (ER), intensive care unit (ICU)/isolation wards, and general wards, as well as those with patient contact, had significantly higher scores for personal burnout, work-related burnout, and mood disorder. This investigation identified 271 participants (13.35%) with moderate to severe mood disorder linked to higher personal/work-related burnout scores and a more advanced burnout status. Univariate analysis revealed that nurses working in the ER and ICU/isolation wards were associated with moderate to severe mood disorder risk factors. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that working in the ER (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.14–6.90) was the only independent risk factor. More rest, perquisites, and an adequate supply of personal protection equipment were the most desired assistance from the hospital. Compared with the non-pandemic period (2019), employees working during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) have higher burnout scores and percentages of severe burnout. In conclusion, this study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on healthcare professionals. Adequate measures should be adopted as early as possible to support the healthcare system.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Martin ◽  
Bailey Thompson ◽  
Steven Lancaster

Tulpamancy is a practice that involves the creation of imagined sentient companions, tulpas, who abide within their human host's mind. The primary aim of our study was to examine the personality characteristics of tulpas and their hosts. Further, we examined the role of personality similarity in predicting relationship satisfaction. Individuals with tulpas completed an online questionnaire of host and tulpa personality and scales of host’s relationship satisfaction. Our pre-registered analyses (https://aspredicted.org/blind.php?x= bi484h) found that hosts reported positive experiences with their tulpas. While we predicted that the personalities of the host and tulpa would be complementary, our results indicated they were more consistent with a similarity perspective. Finally, our hypothesis that the personalities of hosts and tulpas would be related to perceived relationship satisfaction was supported for certain personality characteristics. Our results provide evidence that the tulpa-host relationship may function as a beneficial mechanism in the lives of the host.


Author(s):  
Pablo Monteiro Pereira ◽  
João Amaro ◽  
Bruno Tillmann Ribeiro ◽  
Ana Gomes ◽  
Paulo De De Oliveira ◽  
...  

Occupational-specific classifications of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are scarce and do not answer specific clinical questions. Thus, a specific classification was developed and proposed, covering criteria applicable to daily clinical activity. It was considered that the disorder development process is the same across all work-related MSDs (WRMSDs). Concepts of clinical pathology were applied to the characteristics of WRMSDs pathophysiology, cellular and tissue alterations. Then, the correlation of the inflammatory mechanisms with the injury onset mode was graded into four levels (MSDs 0–3). Criteria of legal, occupational and internal medicine, semiology, physiology and orthopaedics, image medicine and diagnostics were applied. Next, the classification was analysed by experts, two occupational physicians, two physiatrists and occupational physicians and one orthopaedist. This approach will allow WRMSD prevention and improve therapeutic management, preventing injuries from becoming chronic and facilitating communication between occupational health physicians and the other specialities. The four levels tool relate aetiopathogenic, clinical, occupational and radiological concepts into a single classification. This allows for improving the ability to determine a WRMSD and understanding what preventive and therapeutic measures should be taken, avoiding chronicity. The developed tool is straightforward, easy to understand and suitable for WRMSDs, facilitating communication between occupational physicians and physicians from other specialities.


Author(s):  
Shabboo Valipoor ◽  
Sheila J. Bosch

While healthcare design research has primarily focused on patient outcomes, there is a growing recognition that environmental interventions could do more by promoting the overall quality of care, and this requires expanding the focus to the health and well-being of those who deliver care to patients. Healthcare professionals are under high levels of stress, leading to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and poor patient care. Among other tools, mindfulness is recommended as a way of decreasing stress and helping workers function at higher levels. This article aims to identify potential environmental strategies for reducing work-related stressors and facilitating mindfulness in healthcare settings. By examining existing evidence on workplace mindfulness and stress-reducing design strategies, we highlight the power of the physical environment in not only alleviating stressful conditions but intentionally encouraging a mindful perspective. Strategies like minimizing distractions or avoiding overstimulation in the healthcare environment can be more effective if implemented along with the provision of designated spaces for mindfulness-based programs. Future research may explore optimal methods and hospital workers’ preferences for environments that support mindfulness and stress management. The long-term goal of all these efforts is to enhance healthcare professionals’ well-being, reignite their professional enthusiasm, and help them be resilient in times of stress.


2019 ◽  
Vol 160 (27) ◽  
pp. 1070-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dávid Sipos ◽  
Veronika Varga ◽  
Attila András Pandur ◽  
András Kedves ◽  
Melinda Petőné Csima ◽  
...  

Abstract: Introduction: Burnout can have a wide negative impact on the quality and the effectiveness of the health care system. The aim of our research was to assess the burnout level of the radiology department workers in Hungary. Method: Our quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive data collection lasted from June to September 2018 using an online questionnaire. Simple, non-random sampling was carried out among radiology department workers in Hungary. In addition to our self-made questionnaire which included socio-demographic and work-related questions, an internationally validated Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire was sent out. Results: After data cleaning, a total number of 404 (n = 404) respondents were included in the statistical analysis. The majority of the respondents works in county hospital, the average year spent in the healthcare system was 18.3 (SD 13,7). The sample’s values at the depersonalization and emotional exhaustion dimension were slightly elevated in contrast to the average values. Educational level, age and years spent in the healthcare system had a significant influence on all the three dimensions of burnout (p≤0.05). The group of workers being 31–35 years old and the group of those who spent 16–20 years in the healthcare system are considered to be the most compromised groups in all the three dimensions of burnout. Respondents with master degree had significantly lower emotional exhaustion values than their colleagues. Conclusion: The increased value of the depersonalization and the emotional exhaustion can be an indicator for employers. Our results are similar like described in the international literature. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(27): 1070–1077.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002580242110196
Author(s):  
Mohammed Madadin ◽  
Ibtisam M Alkhattaf ◽  
Fatima H Abutaki ◽  
Mohammed A Almarzooq ◽  
Fahad A Alzahrani ◽  
...  

Forensic mortuaries have always presented a potential threat to workers who come into contact with dead bodies. This research aims to identify hazards faced by forensic mortuary personnel, including forensic pathologists and technicians working in forensic mortuaries in forensic medicine centres throughout Saudi Arabia, to recognise the prevalence of exposure to workplace hazards and to discover the degree of awareness and use of safety practices. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a total of 20 forensic medicine centres, using an online questionnaire distributed among forensic mortuary personnel. A total of 113 participants responded to the questionnaire. Just over half (53%) of workplaces always provided personal protective equipment, and 75% of participants always used them. The most common hazards were needle-prick wounds and accidental slips or falls. Almost two thirds (64%) of participants witnessed or experienced a work-related accident in the forensic mortuary. The lack of previous studies concerning hazard exposure among forensic mortuary personnel in Saudi Arabia means that this study provides foundational evidence for future research concerning forensic autopsy-related work accidents in Saudi Arabia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Cabrita ◽  
Roos Bulthuis ◽  
Monique Tabak

Abstract Background: Most office workers were forced to work remotely due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, possibly leading to a reconfiguration of settled patterns of physical behavior, often characterized by a sedentary lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate the motivational profile, facilitators, and barriers that might have influenced a change in physical activity while working remotely due to the COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed in May-June 2020 including demographics, self-reported physical- and work behavior throughout the day before and during the lockdown, Sports Motivation Scale-II assessing motivation for being physically active, and rating on facilitators and barriers for engaging in physical activity during the lockdown. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test was computed to investigate differences between those participants who become more-, less-, and equally active during the COVID-19 lockdown.Results: Ninety-nine people (Female=66) completed the questionnaire. Forty-four percent of the participants considered themselves less active than before the lockdown. Respondents reporting becoming more physically active (28%) were more intrinsically motivated than the remaining participants. The most important facilitators for physical activity were ‘good weather’, ‘no work-related travel’, and ‘flexible work schedules’. The most important barriers were ‘no active transportation’, ‘closed facilities’, and ‘work fatigue’. Conclusions: Strategies that adapt to the weather and fit the work schedule could facilitate physical activity among remote office workers. The results of this study will be used to design interventions to promote an active lifestyle among office workers, personalized to their motivation profile, needs, and preferences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoyi Yang ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Zixian Geng ◽  
Huixin Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 epidemic affected the career choice of healthcare professionals and students. Career choice regret of healthcare professionals and students during COVID-19 outbreak and its affected factors are largely unexplored. Methods Convenience sample of nurses, doctors, and medical students were recruited from hospitals and universities nationwide. The data collected including demographic information, professional value before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and career choice regret level by an online questionnaire. Multinominal logistic regression was employed to explore the factors associated with career choice regret. Results In total, 9322 participants of convenience sampling were enrolled in, including 5786 nurses, 1664 doctors, and 1872 medical students. 6.7% participants had career choice regret. Multinominal logistic regression analysis showed, compared to participants with no regret, that as levels of psychological resilience increased, the odds of experiencing career choice regret decreased (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.94–0.96), while participants with lower professional value evaluation after the COVID-19 outbreak had higher probability to experience career choice regret (OR = 1.55,95% CI 1.50–1.61). Medical students were more likely to regret than nurses (OR = 1.65,95% CI 1.20–2.28), participants whose career/major choice was not their personal ideal had higher risk of experience career choice regret (OR = 1.59,95% CI 1.29–1.96), while participants who were very afraid of the coronavirus had higher risk to experience career choice regret then participants with no fear at all (OR = 2.00,95% CI 1.24–3.21). As for the medical students, results indicated that medical students major in nursing and undergraduates had higher risk to experience career choice regret compared to medical students major in clinical medicine and postgraduate (Master or PhD), with an odds ratios of 2.65(95% CI 1.56–4.49) and 6.85 (95% CI 2.48–18.91)respectively. Conclusions A minority of healthcare professionals and medical students regretted their career choices during the COVID-19 outbreak. Enhance personal psychological resilience and professional value would helpful to reduce career choice regret among healthcare professionals and students during pandemic.


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