scholarly journals Work-Related Accumulated Fatigue among Doctors in Tertiary Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Six Provinces of China

Author(s):  
Changmin Tang ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Pengqian Fang ◽  
Yuanxi Xiang ◽  
Rui Min

Objectives: “Karoshi” (death due to overwork) of doctors occurred frequently and attracted increasing attention in recent years in China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of work-related accumulated fatigue of doctors and its associated factors in tertiary hospitals of China. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 1729 full-time doctors employed by 24 tertiary hospitals across eastern developed, central developing, and western underdeveloped regions of China. Accumulated fatigue was categorized into four levels using the “Self-diagnosis Checklist for Assessment of Workers’ Accumulated Fatigue” rated on a scale matrix considering both overwork and fatigue symptoms. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with work-related accumulated fatigue. Results: About 78.8% of respondents reported a “high level” of work-related accumulated fatigue, including 42.0% at a “very high” level. Male doctors and those aged between 30 and 45 years and who had a professional title were found to have higher levels of accumulative fatigue than others. Low salary and poor working conditions (in the western region) were also significantly associated with high levels of work-related accumulated fatigue (p < 0.05). Conclusion: High levels of work-related accumulated fatigue are prevalent in doctors working in tertiary hospitals in China. Male doctors establishing their early- and mid-careers are the high-risk group. Poor working conditions are associated with work-related accumulated fatigue.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Hoedl ◽  
Doris Eglseer ◽  
Silvia Bauer

Background: The results of several projects on the effects of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been published since the outbreak of COVID-19. It is known that wearing PPE, and specifically face masks, has physcial consequences like headache and pain, which can increase stress among nursing staff. However, none of these studies placed a focus on PPE and nursing staff, although nurses are the only members of the health care profession who are at the patients bedsides 24/7, and PPE is the only way to protect them from a COVID-19 infection. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the association between the use of PPE and stress among nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted, which we distributed using snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of (inter-)national recommendations as well as the international literature. We used the perceived level of stress scale to measure the nursing staff members stress levels. Results We included data collected from 2600 nurses in this analysis. Nearly all nursing staff wore face masks. We showed that more than two-thirds of the nurses had moderate to high levels of stress. No statistically significant association between the use of PPE and stress was detected. However, we show a statistically significant association between the duration of mask usage and stress. Discussion and conclusions Nearly all participating nurses wore face masks or FFP masks to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection. This observation might indicate that Austrian nurses display a high level of compliance with national and international regulations and play a key role in such pandemics. Our results also show that increased mask-wearing time led to increased stress levels. These results suggest that (inter-)national regulations on how and when to use PPE should include a maximum duration of time for wearing each type of mask. Such regulations could help to prevent work-related stress, particularly in the case of future epidemics, and avoid burnout among nursing staff or even nurses leaving their jobs. The consequences of both of these negative outcomes should be considered in light of the predicted expected future shortage of health care workers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 860-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Khavanin ◽  
Hillary Jenny ◽  
Diana S. Jodeh ◽  
Michelle A. Scott ◽  
S. Alex Rottgers ◽  
...  

Objective: To better understand the capacity for orthodontic care, service features, and finances among members of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: ACPA-approved multidisciplinary cleft teams. Participants: Cleft team coordinators. Interventions: Coordinators were asked to complete the survey working together with their orthodontists. Main Outcome Measure: Model for orthodontic care. Results: Coordinators from 82 out of 167 teams certified by ACPA completed the survey (response rate = 49.1%). Most orthodontists were private practice volunteers (48%) followed by university/hospital employed (22.8%). Care was often delivered in community private practice facilities (44.2%) or combination of university and private practice facilities (39.0%). Half of teams reported offering presurgical infant orthopedics (PSIO), with nasoalveolar molding being the most common. Cleft/craniofacial patients typically comprise 25% or less of the orthodontists’ practices. The presence of a university/hospital-based orthodontist was associated with higher rates of offering PSIO ( P < .001) and an increased percentage dedication of their practice to cleft/craniofacial care ( P < .001). Conclusion: Orthodontic models across ACPA-certified teams are highly varied. The employment of full-time craniofacial orthodontists is less common but is highly correlated with a practice with a high percentage of cleft care and the offering of advanced services such as PSIO. Future work should focus on how to effectively promote such roles for orthodontists to ensure high-level care for cleft/craniofacial patients requiring treatment from infancy through skeletal maturity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Mills ◽  
Nathaniel Lewis ◽  
Benjamin Owens ◽  
Adrian Guta

Abstract Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals experience high rates of adverse mental health outcomes due to the stressors they experience in families, communities, and society more broadly. Work and workplaces also have the potential to influence these outcomes given the substantial amount of time spent at work, and the ability of work to further influence social and economic wellbeing in this already vulnerable population. This study aims to identify how sociodemographic characteristics and characteristics of work, including industry, work environment and degree of precarity, influence self-reported mental health among LGBTQ people in two Canadian cities.Methods: Self-identified LGBTQ workers ≥16 years of age (n = 531) in Sudbury and Windsor, Ontario, Canada were surveyed. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) to evaluate differences in gender identity, age, income, industry, social precarity, work environment, and substance use among workers who reported poor or neutral mental health, compared with a referent group that reported good mental health.Results: Compared with a referent group with good mental health, LGBTQ workers with poor or neutral mental health had greater odds of: being cisgender women or trans compared with being cisgender men; being aged <35 years compared with ≥35 years; working in low-wage service sectors compared with blue collar jobs; earning <$20,000/year compared with ≥20,000; working in a non-standard work situation or being unemployed compared with working in full-time permanent employment; feeling often or always unable to schedule time with friends due to work; feeling unsure or negative about their work environment; and using substances to cope with work.Conclusions: LGBTQ workers reporting poorer mental health had higher odds of being unemployed or working in jobs that were more precarious and less supportive of their gender identity or sexual orientation.


10.2196/16644 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e16644
Author(s):  
Rendong Huang ◽  
Mei Xu ◽  
Xiuting Li ◽  
Yinping Wang ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
...  

Background China is currently piloting a “Sharing Nurse” program that aims to increase the accessibility of nursing services to at-home patients by enabling patients to order nursing services using mobile apps or online platforms. Objective This study aims to assess nurses’ perceptions of the Sharing Nurse program, including their acceptance, concerns, needs, and willingness to take part in the program. Methods A total of 694 nurses participated in the questionnaire survey. The survey collected their sociodemographic and work-related information and their perceptions of the Sharing Nurse program using a self-developed questionnaire. Results The 694 respondents agreed that the Sharing Nurse program could provide patients with better access to nursing care (n=483, 69.6%). Their main concerns about the program were unclear liability division when medical disputes occur (n=637, 90.3%) and potential personal safety issues (n=604, 87%). They reported that insurance (n=611, 88%), permits from their affiliated hospital (n=562, 81.0%), clear instructions concerning rights and duties (n=580, 83.6%), real time positioning while delivering the service (n=567, 81.7%), and one-key alarm equipment (n=590, 85.0%) were necessary for better implementation of the program. More than half of the respondents (n=416, 60%) had an optimistic attitude toward the development of the Sharing Nurse program in China. However, only 19.4% (n=135) of the respondents expressed their willingness to be a “shared nurse.” Further analyses found that nurses with a master’s degree or above (χ23=28.835, P<.001) or from tertiary hospitals (χ23=18.669, P<.001) were more likely to be aware of the Sharing Nurse program and that male nurses were more willing to be shared nurses (Z=–2.275, P=.02). Conclusions The Chinese Sharing Nurse program is still in its infancy and many refinements are needed before it can be implemented nationwide. Generally, Chinese nurses are positive about the Sharing Nurse program and are willing to participate if the program is thoroughly regulated and supervised.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rendong Huang ◽  
Mei Xu ◽  
Xiuting Li ◽  
Yinping Wang ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND China is currently piloting a “Sharing Nurse” program that aims to increase the accessibility of nursing services to at-home patients by enabling patients to order nursing services using mobile apps or online platforms. OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess nurses’ perceptions of the Sharing Nurse program, including their acceptance, concerns, needs, and willingness to take part in the program. METHODS A total of 694 nurses participated in the questionnaire survey. The survey collected their sociodemographic and work-related information and their perceptions of the Sharing Nurse program using a self-developed questionnaire. RESULTS The 694 respondents agreed that the Sharing Nurse program could provide patients with better access to nursing care (n=483, 69.6%). Their main concerns about the program were unclear liability division when medical disputes occur (n=637, 90.3%) and potential personal safety issues (n=604, 87%). They reported that insurance (n=611, 88%), permits from their affiliated hospital (n=562, 81.0%), clear instructions concerning rights and duties (n=580, 83.6%), real time positioning while delivering the service (n=567, 81.7%), and one-key alarm equipment (n=590, 85.0%) were necessary for better implementation of the program. More than half of the respondents (n=416, 60%) had an optimistic attitude toward the development of the Sharing Nurse program in China. However, only 19.4% (n=135) of the respondents expressed their willingness to be a “shared nurse.” Further analyses found that nurses with a master’s degree or above (χ<sup>2</sup><sub>3</sub>=28.835, <i>P</i>&lt;.001) or from tertiary hospitals (χ<sup>2</sup><sub>3</sub>=18.669, <i>P</i>&lt;.001) were more likely to be aware of the Sharing Nurse program and that male nurses were more willing to be shared nurses (<i>Z</i>=–2.275, <i>P</i>=.02). CONCLUSIONS The Chinese Sharing Nurse program is still in its infancy and many refinements are needed before it can be implemented nationwide. Generally, Chinese nurses are positive about the Sharing Nurse program and are willing to participate if the program is thoroughly regulated and supervised.


Author(s):  
José Vítor Gonçalves ◽  
Luísa Castro ◽  
Guilhermina Rêgo ◽  
Rui Nunes

Nurses working in palliative care are at risk of burnout. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to determine burnout levels of nurses working in the Portuguese national network of palliative care. We evaluated the contribution of personal, work, and COVID-19 variables in three burnout subclasses: personal, work, and patient-related. A cross-sectional, exploratory, and quantitative design was employed and participants were sampled using convenience and snowball technique. An online survey was conducted and 153 nurses participated in our study. Socio-demographic characterization was conducted, levels of burnout and determinants were explored through multiple linear regression models for its three dimensions. High levels of personal, working, and patient burnout were present in 71 (46%), 68 (44%), and 33 nurses (22%), respectively. Most of them agreed that COVID-19 had an impact on their activities. Significant personal and work related burnout factors found were specialization in palliative care, self-perceived health status, unit type, weekly hours of work, and allocation to COVID-19 units. Gender was found to be a significant factor in patient-related burnout. There is a high level of burnout among nurses working in the Portuguese national network of palliative care. Measures for identification and mitigation of burnout are necessary to protect health care professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beibei Feng ◽  
Kedi Chen ◽  
Xiaoxia Zhu ◽  
Wing-Yuk Ip ◽  
Lars L. Andersen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common cause of pain, numbness and tingling in the wrist and hand region and is associated with repetitive wrist and hand use in office workers. However, scarce knowledge exists about the epidemiology of clinically confirmed CTS among Chinese office workers. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of wrist/hand symptoms and CTS in office workers in China and to identify associated risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out in a metropolitan city in China involving 969 respondents (aged 17–49 years) from 30 workplaces. A questionnaire was distributed to each participant to collect their demographic, work-related physical and psychosocial factors, and wrist and hand symptoms. The wrist and hand pain/numbness symptoms were marked on a body chart and the nature and intensity of symptoms, nocturnal symptoms, as well as aggravating activities were also recorded. Clinically confirmed CTS cases were screened based on the history, Phalen’s test, Tinel Sign and skin sensation testing among symptomatic respondents. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the occurrence of self-reported wrist and hand symptoms and clinically confirmed CTS. Results The clinically confirmed CTS prevalence was 9.6%. The prevalence of wrist and hand symptoms were 22 and 15%, respectively. Frequently working in pain was associated with higher odds of CTS. Multivariate modelling adjusted for age and gender showed that prolonged computer use time and working without breaks were associated with presence of wrist/hand symptoms (adjusted ORs: 1.11 (95% CI 1.02–1.22) and 1.88 (95% CI 1.12–3.14)). Educational level was inversely associated with CTS and smoking was associated with wrist/hand complaints (adjusted OR: 2.20 (95% CI 1.19–4.07)). Conclusions The prevalence of work-related clinically confirmed CTS symptoms among young office workers in China is high. Frequently working in pain is closely associated with clinically confirmed CTS. Intense computer use and no breaks at work are associated with wrist and hand symptoms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rousset ◽  
G Voglino ◽  
E Boietti ◽  
A Corradi ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Infectious diseases are more common and severe in patients with HIV, which show different response to vaccines and a diminished protection. It is therefore very important to assess knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination in people with HIV, since precise vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy are not well established in this subgroup of patients. Methods A sample of 119 patients with HIV completed a cross-sectional survey. Patients were recruited during their routine medical examination at the infectious diseases clinic in Turin. The survey explored these main areas: demographics and history of HIV infection, vaccination history, attitudes towards vaccination, confidence in the public health system, contagion risk and disease seriousness perception. In this preliminary phase descriptive analysis were conducted. Results Preliminary data show that mean age of the participants was 49.51 years, 80% were males. The median of HIV infection duration was 10 years, while the median of the lymphocyte count was 762.50 cells/mm3. The disease with the highest vaccination coverage was tetanus (88.7%), considered a serious or very serious disease by 85.6% of the participants, despite low or very low contagion risk perception (84.1%). The disease with the lowest vaccination coverage was Herpes Zoster (7.3%), despite high or very high seriousness perception (70%). Furthermore, 99.1% of the participants showed high or very high confidence toward public health system professionals, and the majority of them (59.5%) stated that vaccines are more useful for the community than for the single person. Conclusions Vaccination coverage is still not fully satisfactory regarding diseases considered infrequent or mild. Considering the high level of confidence toward the public health system that has emerged, it is necessary to implement informative and operative strategies about vaccination for European HIV patients, which are particularly at risk regarding infectious diseases. Key messages Vaccination coverage and risk perception in HIV patients is not satisfactory for many diseases and an effort to implement informative strategies in Europe is needed. The role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases in HIV patients should be recognized and strengthened by relying on the high level of confidence toward European public health systems.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-154
Author(s):  
Heather M. Fitzgerald ◽  
Jason Shepherd ◽  
Hollie Bailey ◽  
Mia Berry ◽  
Jack Wright ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPatient preferences in schizophrenia (SCZ), including identification of key goals and outcomes for treatment and relative importance of certain treatment goals to patients, have been assessed by several studies. However, there continues to be a lack of sufficient evidence on US patient attitudes and perceptions towards treatment goals and pharmacotherapy options in SCZ, especially taking into context long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) in this disease area. This lack of evidence is further pronounced in caregivers of individuals with SCZ. The objective of this analysis was to characterize patients with SCZ on LAIs vs patients on oral antipsychotics (OAPs) and evaluate the treatment goals of patients in each group.MethodsThis was a real-world, cross-sectional survey of US psychiatrists, patients =18 years old with a diagnosis of SCZ, and caregivers. Data was collected using the Disease Specific Programme (DSP) methodology, which has been previously published. Psychiatrists (n=120) completed detailed record forms for next 8 consecutive outpatients and 2 inpatients matching inclusion criteria, including non-interventional clinical and subjective assessments. The same patients and their caregivers, if present, were invited by their psychiatrist to voluntarily complete a separate survey.ResultsOf 1135 patients on treatment where the physician provided survey data; 251 were on an LAI, and 884 were on an OAP. Mean (SD) time to SCZ diagnosis for those on an LAI was 10.3 (12.0) years vs 7.8 (10.5) years for those on OAPs. More patients in the LAI vs OAP group were being treated as an inpatient (27.1% vs 15.7%, respectively; p<0.0001). Patients on an LAI reported being on their current medication regimen for less time (mean 1.7 years) vs those on OAPs (mean 2.5 years) (p=0.0093). More patients on LAIs were unemployed due to disability vs those on OAPs (56.1% vs 39.5%, respectively), and less patients on LAIs were able to work part-time or full-time (21.1% or 4.1%) vs those on OAPs (23.2% or 11.4%). More patients on an LAI had a caregiver vs those on OAPs (37.3% vs 26.1%, respectively; p=0.0011). Regarding the most important treatment goals reported by patients, both groups reported similar preferences for decrease in disease symptoms (62% on LAI vs 65% on OAPs) and thinking more clearly (53% on LAI vs 46% on OAPs); however, a numerically higher proportion of LAI patients reported that the current medication helped decrease hospitalizations due to relapse vs those on OAPs (38% vs 32%, respectively).DiscussionGiven the characteristics of patients participating in this real-world survey, those on LAIs exhibited qualities which indicate a higher severity of illness vs those on OAPs. Results suggest that treatment with LAIs is still mainly being provided to patients later in the disease course and/or who have adherence problems, despite a growing body of evidence of utility in younger patients earlier in the course of illness.FundingOtsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. and Lundbeck LLC


Author(s):  
Hasan Saeed Alamri ◽  
Wesam F. Mousa ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Megahid ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
...  

Background: This study aims to investigate the mental health of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out targeting confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Due to travel and time constraints as well as the accessibility of patients, cases were included from East Jeddah Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, and the Oncology Center in Jeddah. The data were collected using a predesigned self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed COVID-19 cases, personal data, medical history, smoking, traveling abroad, and work-related conditions. Additionally, data regarding contact level with COVID-19 cases were considered. The mental health statuses of the patients were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. The study included 261 COVID-19 patients whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. Results: The survey findings revealed that 13% of COVID-19 patients had a borderline level of anxiety, 26.8% were considered anxiety cases, while 60.2% were normal. The findings also revealed that 29.9% had a borderline level of depression, 18.4% were considered depression cases, while 51.7% were normal. Conclusions: This study concluded that COVID-19 patients experience anxiety and depression, and as the COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread, the results of the study are particularly useful in developing a strategy to psychologically support COVID-19 patients.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document