scholarly journals “One of My Basic Necessities of Life Is Work. That’s Just Broken Away.”—Explorative Triangulation of Personal and Work-Related Impacts for Supervisors and Disabled Employees in German Social Firms during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 8979
Author(s):  
Ann-Christin Kordsmeyer ◽  
Ilona Efimov ◽  
Julia Christine Lengen ◽  
Volker Harth ◽  
Stefanie Mache
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
The North ◽  
Personnel Planning ◽  
Additional Work ◽  
Disabled Employees

Social firms are located on the general labor market and employ 30–50% of severely disabled people. Findings on personal and work-related impacts for employees and supervisors during the COVID-19 pandemic are not yet available and will be investigated in the present study. Using the approach of a method triangulation, focus groups with employees and individual interviews with supervisors of several social firms from the North of Germany were combined and collected in parallel. Between July and November 2020, 16 semi-structured telephone interviews with supervisors and three focus groups with 3–6 employees each working within the same team (14 employees in total) were conducted. Both formats were recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed by using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. Because a large proportion of the employees and supervisors interviewed worked in the gastronomy sector, they were particularly affected by the “restriction of social contacts” beginning in March 2020. Hygiene and distance regulations were implemented and personnel planning and distribution of work were adapted. Challenges were raised for employees with disabilities due to the implementation of hygiene and distance regulations, a sudden loss of work, lacking routines, additional work, a lack of movement, social contacts and financial challenges. Both employees and supervisors reported fears of infection, conflicts, additional work and fears of job loss. Additionally, supervisors dealt with less staffing, challenges in detaching from work and a strained economic situation. Overall, new insights were gained into the work-related impacts for employees and supervisors in inclusive workplaces during the current COVID-19 pandemic but further research on health-promoting structures is needed.

scholarly journals Influences on GP coping and resilience: a qualitative study in primary care

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (659) ◽  
pp. e428-e436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Cheshire ◽  
Damien Ridge ◽  
John Hughes ◽  
David Peters ◽  
Maria Panagioti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Full Time ◽  
External Work ◽  
Workplace Change ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
One To One ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Background‘Neoliberal’ work policies, austerity, NHS restructuring, and increased GP consultation rates provide the backdrop against increasing reports of GP burnout and an impending shortage of GPs.AimTo explore GPs’ experiences of workplace challenges and stresses, and their coping strategies, particularly focusing on understanding the impact of recent NHS workplace change.Design and settingStudy design was qualitative, with data collected from two focus groups and seven one-to-one telephone interviews.MethodFocus groups and one-to-one telephone interviews explored the experiences of GPs currently practising in England, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview approach and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThere were 22 GP participants recruited: focus groups (n = 15) and interviews (n = 7). Interviewees understood GPs to be under intense and historically unprecedented pressures, which were tied to the contexts in which they work, with important moral implications for ‘good’ doctoring. Many reported that being a full-time GP was too stressful: work-related stress led to mood changes, sleep disruption, increases in anxiety, and tensions with loved ones. Some had subsequently sought ways to downsize their clinical workload. Workplace change resulted in little time for the things that helped GP resilience: a good work–life balance and better contact with colleagues. Although some GPs were coping better than others, GPs acknowledged that there was only so much an individual GP could do to manage their stress, given the external work issues they faced.ConclusionGPs experience their emotional lives and stresses as being meaningfully shaped by NHS factors. To support GPs to provide effective care, resilience building should move beyond the individual to include systemic work issues.

scholarly journals Promoting Resident Autonomy During Family-Centered Rounds: A Qualitative Study of Resident, Hospitalist, and Subspecialty Physicians

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy Beck ◽  
Terry Kind ◽  
Rebecca Meyer ◽  
Priti Bhansali
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Safe Patient Care ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Effective Teaching Strategies ◽  
Level Of Training ◽  
Teaching Responsibilities ◽  
Attending Physicians ◽  
Family Centered

ABSTRACT Background  Family-centered rounds (FCR) have become a leading model for pediatric inpatient rounding. Several studies have examined effective teaching strategies during FCR, but none have focused on promoting resident autonomy. Objective  The aim of this study was to identify strategies used by attending physicians to promote resident autonomy during FCR. Methods  We conducted a qualitative study of attending physicians and residents between December 2012 and February 2013 at an academic children's hospital, where FCR is the standard model for inpatient rounds. Attending physicians participated in individual interviews, and residents participated in 1 of 2 focus groups separated by level of training. Focus group and interview transcripts were coded and themed using qualitative content analysis. Results  Ten attending physicians and 14 residents participated in interviews and focus groups. Attending physician behaviors that promoted resident autonomy included setting clear expectations, preforming a prerounds huddle, deliberate positioning, and delegating teaching responsibilities. These were further categorized as occurring during 1 of 4 distinct periods: (1) at the start of the rotation; (2) before daily FCR; (3) during daily FCR; and (4) after daily FCR. Conclusions  Residents and attending physicians identified similar strategies to promote resident autonomy during FCR. These strategies occurred during several distinct periods that were not limited to rounds. The results suggest strategies for attending physicians to help balance appropriate and safe patient care with developing resident autonomy in the clinical setting.

Exploring perceptions of psychological services in a children's hospice in the United Kingdom

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Wray ◽  
Bruce Lindsay ◽  
Kenda Crozier ◽  
Lauren Andrews ◽  
Janet Leeson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Current Psychological

AbstractBackground:The provision of emotional and psychological support for all family members who need it is an essential element of holistic palliative care. Within East Anglia's Children's Hospice, teams of professionally trained and experienced workers offer psychosocial support to all family members at all times during the child's and family's journey. However, the effectiveness and appropriateness of current psychosocial provision is unclear, as is the requirement for any additional psychological services.Objective:The purpose of this study was to elicit perceptions about current psychological support within the hospice from a group of stakeholders (parents, hospice staff, and external professionals).Method:Forty-five parents participated in family focus groups, telephone interviews, individual interviews in their home, or a web-based survey. Ninety-five hospice staff (including nurses, carers, play specialists, therapists, and family support practitioners) and 28 external staff (including physicians, nurses, and commissioning managers) were seen using a mixture of focus group and individual meetings. Focus groups and meetings were held at the hospice building or at an external venue. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic coding.Results:Two main themes addressing perceptions of current psychological provision emerged: “understanding psychological support” and “unmet psychological need.” Subthemes linked to support included choice, staff roles and labels, communication, and flexibility, whereas the themes within unmet need had a stronger focus on people and problems.Significance of results:Understanding different user perspectives is an important first step in enhancing current psychological provision; operationalizing the findings will be challenging.

scholarly journals Job Demands, Resources and Strains of Outpatient Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3684
Author(s):  
Natascha Mojtahedzadeh ◽  
Tanja Wirth ◽  
Albert Nienhaus ◽  
Volker Harth ◽  
Stefanie Mache
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Important Work ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Personal Protection Equipment ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Emotional Demands

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health professionals in a special way, as they are responsible for the care of vulnerable groups. Little is known about how outpatient caregivers perceive their working conditions during the pandemic in Germany and about the difficulties they face. The aims of this study were (1) to examine specific job demands of outpatient caregivers in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) to illuminate their job resources they can rely on and (3) to identify potential strain reactions they experience. Fifteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with outpatient caregivers working in Northern Germany in the period May–June 2020. Interviews were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. Outpatient caregivers experienced daily mask obligation, lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) and stricter hygiene regulations as demanding during the pandemic. They also described a higher workload and emotional demands such as fear of infection or infecting others. They perceived team spirit and communication as important work-related resources. Depressive symptoms and feelings of stress were described as strain reactions. Outpatient care services need to be better prepared for sudden pandemic situations and provide their employees with sufficient PPE and education to reduce pandemic-related job demands leading to negative strain reactions.

scholarly journals Blending Indigenous Sharing Circle and Western Focus Group Methodologies for the Study of Indigenous Children’s Health: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 160940692110151
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Hunt ◽  
Nancy L. Young
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Community Advisory Board ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Sharing Circles

The primary objective of this systematic review was to investigate how Western focus groups and Indigenous sharing circles have been blended for the study of Indigenous children’s health. The secondary objective of this study was to propose recommendations for adapting focus groups to include elements of sharing circles. This systematic review was conducted using a systematic search of original research articles published between 2009 and 2020 that (a) focused on North American Indigenous children’s health and (b) used group-based qualitative methods including focus groups and sharing circles. Each of the articles was screened for relevance and quality. The methods sections were reviewed, subjected to qualitative content analysis, and codes were analyzed to identify common themes and synthesize results. We identified 29 articles, most of which followed a community-based participatory research approach. In these publications, most included a community advisory board, ethics approval was obtained, and in some cases, community members were included as research assistants. There was evidence that sharing circles and focus group methods had been blended in the recent Indigenous children’s health literature. This was particularly apparent in the authors’ approaches to recruitment, location, facilitation techniques, question format and reimbursement. Several groups have published results that describe approaches that successfully incorporated aspects of Indigenous sharing circles into Western focus groups, thus establishing a research method that is culturally safe and appropriate for the study of Indigenous children’s health.

scholarly journals Life-Changing Experiences of Mothers with School-Age Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focusing on Their Health Risk Perceptions and Health-Related Behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4523
Author(s):  
Hye Jin Yoo ◽  
JaeLan Shim ◽  
Namhee Kim
Keyword(s):  
Health Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
The Family ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Prevention Methods

This study aimed to explore health risk perceptions, changes in health-related behaviors, and life experiences of mothers with school-age children during the early coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Data were collected between 16 July and 10 September 2020, by individual interviews and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. After the twelve participants’ experiences were analyzed, four themes and ten sub-themes were derived. The four themes were: “Struggling to identify the substance of COVID-19,” “Taking the initiative to protect the health of the family,” “Frustrated by the brutal reality of no end in sight,” and “Trying to adjust wisely to an inevitable new lifestyle.” The findings suggest that while the world remains in an ongoing battle with COVID-19, national health institutions should prepare a health education system for specific infection prevention methods that can be practiced by individuals in daily life.

Counseling during Real Ear Measurements: The Clients' Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Ryall ◽  
Lorienne M. Jenstad ◽  
John Pumford ◽  
Tami Howe ◽  
Garnet Grosjean
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background When dispensing hearing aids, audiologists must follow validated fitting and verification procedures to ensure that the hearing aids are properly fitted to the client's hearing. Real ear measurements (REMs) are best practice for verifying hearing aids. Prior literature regarding REMs has mainly focused on the clinicians' perspective. Purpose This study investigated informational counseling throughout REMs by gathering perspectives of first-time hearing aid users regarding the content and format of counseling. Research Design The study used an interpretive description approach with focus groups. Study Sample There were 16 adult participants (4 males, 12 females) who were first-time hearing aid users and who all had memory of REMs occurring during their own hearing aid verification. Intervention We investigated the addition of informational counseling during REM verification. Data Collection and Analysis Four focus groups were conducted to elicit feedback on a demonstration of informational counseling during REM hearing aid verification. The data from the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Analysis revealed positive aspects, negative aspects, and suggested changes in relation to the verbal and visual information presented during the REM verification demonstration. These data fell into two broad categories: the interaction and transaction of informational counseling. Conclusion Most clients were interested in learning more about REMs if the information was accessible. Results provide recommendations for clinical audiologists and REM system manufacturers to make the information presented during informational counseling more client-friendly and individualized for client-centered care. To continue exploring this new inquiry, further experimental research is required to determine if there is any added value of incorporating informational counseling during REMs.

scholarly journals Psychosocial impact on frontline health and social care professionals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e047353
Author(s):  
Henry Aughterson ◽  
Alison R McKinlay ◽  
Daisy Fancourt ◽  
Alexandra Burton
Keyword(s):  
Personal Growth ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesTo explore the psychosocial well-being of health and social care professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignThis was a qualitative study deploying in-depth, individual interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for coding.ParticipantsThis study involved 25 participants from a range of frontline professions in health and social care.SettingInterviews were conducted over the phone or video call, depending on participant preference.ResultsFrom the analysis, we identified 5 overarching themes: communication challenges, work-related stressors, support structures, personal growth and individual resilience. The participants expressed difficulties such as communication challenges and changing work conditions, but also positive factors such as increased team unity at work, and a greater reflection on what matters in life.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence on the support needs of health and social care professionals amid continued and future disruptions caused by the pandemic. It also elucidates some of the successful strategies (such as mindfulness, hobbies, restricting news intake, virtual socialising activities) deployed by health and social care professionals that can support their resilience and well-being and be used to guide future interventions.

scholarly journals Quality of care for people with multimorbidity: a focus group study with patients and their relatives

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e047025
Author(s):  
Nadine Janis Pohontsch ◽  
Josefine Schulze ◽  
Charlotte Hoeflich ◽  
Katharina Glassen ◽  
Amanda Breckner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Treatment Standards ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Quality Aspects

BackgroundPrevalence of people with multimorbidity rises. Multimorbidity constitutes a challenge to the healthcare system, and treatment of patients with multimorbidity is prone to high-quality variations. Currently, no set of quality indicators (QIs) exists to assess quality of care, let alone incorporating the patient perspective. We therefore aim to identify aspects of quality of care relevant to the patients’ perspective and match them to a literature-based set of QIs.MethodsWe conducted eight focus groups with patients with multimorbidity and three focus groups with patients’ relatives using a semistructured guide. Data were analysed using Kuckartz’s qualitative content analysis. We derived deductive categories from the literature, added inductive categories (new quality aspects) and translated them into QI.ResultsWe created four new QIs based on the quality aspects relevant to patients/relatives. Two QIs (patient education/self-management, regular updates of medication plans) were consented by an expert panel, while two others were not (periodical check-ups, general practitioner-coordinated care). Half of the literature-based QIs, for example, assessment of biopsychosocial support needs, were supported by participants’ accounts, while more technical domains regarding assessment and treatment regimens were not addressed in the focus groups.ConclusionWe show that focus groups with patients and relatives adding relevant aspects in QI development should be incorporated by default in QI development processes and constitute a reasonable addition to traditional QI development. Our QI set constitutes a framework for assessing the quality of care in the German healthcare system. It will facilitate implementation of treatment standards and increase the use of existing guidelines, hereby helping to reduce overuse, underuse and misuse of healthcare resources in the treatment of patients with multimorbidity.Trial registration numberGerman clinical trials registry (DRKS00015718), Pre-Results.

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