scholarly journals Compilation Study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seniha Avcil

In the Covid-19 epidemic, the increasing demand for health services, quarantine practices, and the effective and efficient use of health resources have been tried to ensure the sustainability of health services. While healthcare professionals play an important role in the sustainability of the service and the protection of public health, they have been the occupational group that felt the occupational and social effects of Covid-19 most closely. For this reason, studies on health workers have been examined in terms of different variables. It is important for sustainable development that health workers can be provided with effective and efficient service with measures to be taken at the institutional level. This study was designed as a compilation study, and the studies in which "The effect of Covid-19 on healthcare workers" were examined. With this compilation study, it has been determined that the managers of health institutions should attach importance to the measures to be taken at the institutional level in order to use human resources effectively and efficiently at the institutional level.

Author(s):  
Xavier Giné ◽  
Salma Khalid ◽  
Mansuri Ghazala

This chapter uses a randomized community development programme in rural Pakistan to assess the impact of citizen engagement on public service delivery and maternal and child health outcomes. The programme had a strong emphasis on organizing women, who also identified health services as a development priority at baseline. At midline, we find that the mobilization effort alone had a significant impact on the performance of village-based health providers. We detect economically large improvements in pregnancy and well-baby visits by female health workers, as well as increased utilization of pre- and post-natal care by pregnant women. In contrast, the quality of supra-village health services did not improve, underscoring the importance of community enforcement and monitoring capacity for improving service delivery.


2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-106903
Author(s):  
Julio González Martin-Moro ◽  
Marta Chamorro Gómez ◽  
Galicia Dávila Fernández ◽  
Ana Elices Apellaniz ◽  
Ana Fernández Hortelano ◽  
...  

ObjectivesReverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) is considered the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19. Infected healthcare workers do not go back to work until RT-PCR has demonstrated that the virus is no longer present in the upper respiratory tract. The aim of this study is to determine the most efficient time to perform RT-PCR prior to healthcare workers’ reincorporation.Materials and methodsThis is a cohort study of healthcare workers with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19. Data were collected using the medical charts of healthcare workers and completed with a telephone interview. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine the influence of several variables on the time to RT-PCR negativisation. The impact of the variables on survival was assessed using the Breslow test. A Cox regression model was developed including the associated variables.Results159 subjects with a positive RT-PCR out of 374 workers with suspected COVID-19 were included. The median time to negativisation was 25 days from symptom onset (IQR 20–35 days). Presence of IgG, dyspnoea, cough and throat pain were associated with significant longer time to negativisation. Cox logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding variables. Only dyspnoea and cough remained in the model as significant determinants of prolonged negativisation time. Adjusted HRs were 0.68 (0.48–096) for dyspnoea and 0.61 (0.42–0.88) for dry cough.ConclusionsRT-PCR during the first 3 weeks leads to a high percentage of positive results. In the presence of respiratory symptoms, negativisation took nearly 1 week more. Those who developed antibodies needed longer time to negativisate.


Author(s):  
Ognjen Brborović ◽  
Hana Brborović ◽  
Iskra Alexandra Nola ◽  
Milan Milošević

Introduction: Every procedure in healthcare carries a certain degree of inherent unsafety resulting from problems in practice, which might lead to a healthcare adverse event (HAE). It is very important, and even mandatory, to report HAE. The point of HAE reporting is not to blame the person, but to learn from the HAE in order to prevent future HAEs. Study question: Our aim was to examine the prevalence and the impact of culture of blame on health workers’ health. Methods: A cross-sectional study on healthcare workers at two Croatian hospitals was conducted using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PSC). Results: The majority of PSC dimensions in both hospitals were high. Among the dimensions, Hospital Handoffs and Transitions and Overall Perceptions of Safety had the highest values. The Nonpunitive Response to Error dimension had low values, indicating the ongoing culture of blame. The Staffing dimension had low values, indicating the ongoing shortage of doctors and nurses. Discussion: We found inconsistencies between a single-item measure and PSC dimensions. It was expected that Frequency of Events Reported (PSC dimension) relates to Number of Events Reported (single-item measure). However, in our study, the relations between these pairs of measures were different between hospitals. Our results indicate the ongoing culture of blame. Healthcare workers do not report HAE because they fear they will be punished by management or by law.


Author(s):  
Carmen Trumello ◽  
Sonia Monique Bramanti ◽  
Giulia Ballarotto ◽  
Carla Candelori ◽  
Luca Cerniglia ◽  
...  

Emergency situations have been associated with negative psychological adjustment outcomes in healthcare professionals, although studies on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic amongst Italian health workers are limited. The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychological adjustment of healthcare professionals during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating differences according to working or not with patients affected by COVID-19 and in areas with a more severe spread of this pandemic. Healthcare professionals’ attitudes toward psychological support were analyzed. The levels of anxiety, depression, psychological stress, and professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue) and attitudes toward psychological support were measured among 627 Italian healthcare workers (mean age = 40.55 years; SD = 11.49; range: 27–72). Significantly higher levels of stress, burnout, secondary trauma, anxiety, and depression were observed among professionals working with COVID-19 patients. Higher levels of stress and burnout and lower levels of compassion satisfaction were detected in professionals working in areas with higher rates of contagion. No interaction effects were found between working (or not) with patients affected by COVID-19 and working (or not) in areas with a more severe diffusion of this pandemic. Finally, in the group of professionals who worked with COVID-19 patients, the percentage of professionals who thought to ask for psychological support was twice that of the group that did not work with COVID-19 patients. The overall findings indicate that the mental health of frontline healthcare workers requires further consideration and that targeted prevention and intervention programs are necessary.


Author(s):  
Md Jamal Hossain

Background: The world has been passing the most critical time of the century with the COVID-19 pandemic since late December 2019, and numerous people, including a significant portion of health care providers, got the infection and are still sacrificing their lives. Objective: The study was aimed systematically to assess the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in health care sectors, and to appraise the physical, psychological, and social effects of the COVID-19 epidemic among frontline fighters in Bangladesh. Methodology: The keywords: “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “health care system in Bangladesh”, “health care providers”, etc. were searched to collect the desired articles by utilizing various search engines like google, google scholar, pub med, and science direct journals. Data were extracted and finally, were summarized, discussed, analysed, and reported the study results. Result: Numerous specialist doctors, nurses, and all other healthcare workers are immolating their lives to save human entities amid the current coronavirus pandemic, 2019 (COVID-19). In Bangladesh, till August 9, 2020, 73 doctors, including some senior specialists, died of COVID-19 infection reported by various national newspapers. At the early phase of this epidemic in Bangladesh, around 10% of the total infection was found among health workers, alarmingly reported by the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA). These frontline fighters are additionally confronting numerous challenges, including psychological sufferings, and furthermore, they are assaulted by the society. Conclusion: Since these fighters are relinquishing their beloved lives to protect us from this brutal virus, we are trying to show our profound gratitude, appreciation, thousands of salutes, and undying tribute to these health care fighters with this publication. Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases, October 2020;7(suppl_2):S8-S15


Author(s):  
Gunawan Widjaja

The HR crisis has affected the health system, but there is little research into how this HR disruption affects medical workers. Understanding the impact on the health of medical personnel is essential; the COVID-19 outbreak is still sweeping the world. With the empirical literature, we have succeeded in summarizing the impact of the HR crisis on the health of medical personnel. Exploratory systematic reviews have identified qualitative, theory-based empirical evidence against practitioners. We have searched a database of relevant HR crises and health issues. Then we analyzed it in depth with a phenomenological approach. A total of 40 peer-reviewed publications were reviewed, referring to the HR crisis and its impact on the health of medical personnel. Finally, this study confirms that the human resource crisis is transmitted to medical personnel through several models: (1) a decrease in the quality of health services; (2) the impact of inadequate service measures; and (3) increasing demands for health services from patients; (4) A wave of community protests for treatment; (5) service and budget inefficiency.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Thi Hoai Thu Nguyen ◽  
Fiona McDonald ◽  
Andrew Wilson

Background: One common governance issue faced by developing countries is the establishment and maintenance of infrastructure to support the delivery of primary health services. This qualitative study explores the perspective of maternal health workers on how infrastructure impacts the provision of maternity services in rural areas in Vietnam. Methods: Forty-one health workers and health managers at the commune, district and provincial levels of the Vietnamese public health system were interviewed. Questions focused on the impact of various organisational factors, including the impact of infrastructure on the performance of the health workforce, which provides publicly funded primary care. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded for thematic analysis. Findings: Participants noted that infrastructure directly affected their ability to perform certain tasks and could both directly and indirectly negatively impact their motivation. In general, participants noted a lack of investment in infrastructure for the provision of primary care services in rural areas. They identified that there were deficits in the availability of utilities and the adequacy of facilities. Conclusion: This research contributes to understanding the barriers to the provision of primary care in developing countries and in particular. The current inadequacy of facility buildings and inadequacy of clean water supply are issues for health workers in meeting the technical requirements of the standards as set out in the National Guidelines on reproductive health, and lead to safety concerns for the quality of maternal health services provided in commune health centres and District Health Centres. Abbreviations: CHC – Commune Health Centres; DHC – District Health Centre; HW – Health Worker.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Hitch ◽  
Emma Cramer ◽  
Emily Adcock ◽  
Taylah Sayers ◽  
Helen Nelson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The Covid-19 pandemic is having a severe and unprecedented impact on human functioning, due to its influence on bodily functions and structures, the activities we participate in and the environments in which we live. The aim of this rapid review is to inform health services planning and decision making, by identifying and synthesizing the potential functional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on human health and wellbeing.Methods: This rapid review was completed within four weeks during April – May 2020. The review focused on primary sources describing and evaluating the functional impact of the SARS, MERS and Covid-19 coronavirus pandemics, published since January 2000 in peer reviewed journal articles. All included sources were evaluated for quality, and the International Classification of Function provided a theoretical structure for synthesizing the available evidence.Results: A total of 65 sources met the inclusion criteria for this review. The majority (n=42, 61.6%) were related to the SARS pandemic, and originated from Asia for North America. Almost half of the reviewed sources (n=32, 49.2%) investigated the impact of coronavirus pandemics on the community, with smaller evidence bases related to people with coronaviruses and their families (n=19, 29.2%) and healthcare workers (n=17, 26.1%). Of the research sources available, the majority utilized descriptive quantitative methods via cross sectional data collection.The functional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to spread far beyond infected patients, to influence the wellbeing of healthcare workers and the entire community in both positive and negative ways. The findings of this review indicate that health services must engage with the inter-sectionality of pandemic experiences, collaborate with other sectors as part of society-wide responses and prioritize function as a key outcome.Conclusions:Based on the experience of past coronavirus pandemics, and the experience to date of the current Covid-19 outbreak, every health service in all health systems must be prepared to prevent and manage the functional impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, possibly for decades to come. This review highlights the multitude of avenues available for health service prioritization and planning, and emphasized that a multi-dimensional, multi-service (and ideally multi-systems) approach is needed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose M Ramirez-Moreno ◽  
David Ceberino ◽  
Alberto Gonzalez ◽  
Belen Rebollo ◽  
Pablo Macias ◽  
...  

Introduction: The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to changes in the development of health care activities by health professionals. We analysed whether there is an association between the appearance of de novo headache according to the type of mask used, the related factors, as well as the impact of the headache on health professionals. Method: cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital in Extremadura, Spain. We administered an online questionnaire to healthcare workers during the period of maximum incidence of COVID-19 in our setting. Results: n=306, 244 women (79.7%), with an average age of 43 years (range 23-65). Of the total, 129 (42.2%) were physicians, 112 (36.6%) nurses and 65 (21.2%) other health workers. 208 (79.7%) used surgical masks and 53 (20.3%) used filtering masks. Of all those surveyed, 158 (51.6%) presented de novo headache. The occurrence of headache was independently associated with the use of a filtering mask, OR 2.14 (IC95% 1.07-4.32), being a nurse OR 2.09 (IC95% 1.18-3.72) or another health worker OR 6.94 (IC95% 3.01-16.04) or having a history of asthma OR 0.29 (IC95% 0.09-0.89). Depending on the type of mask used there were differences in headache intensity. And the impact of headache in the subjects who used a filtering mask was worse in the all aspects evaluated. Conclusions: The appearance of de novo headache is associated with the use of filtering masks and is more frequent in certain health care workers, causing a greater occupational, family, personal and social impact.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Zapata ◽  
J Buchan ◽  
N Azzopardi-Muscat

Abstract Background COVID-19 has reinforced the centrality of health workers at the core of a well performing and resilient health system. It has concomitantly exposed the risks of staffing and skills shortages and the importance of protecting the health workforce. This paper focuses on highlighting some of the lessons learnt, challenges and future needs of the health workforce in Europe in the context of COVID-19. Methods We use secondary sources and expert information. Results During the pandemic innovative and flexible approaches were implemented to meet increasing demand for health workers and new skills and responsibilities were adopted over a short period of time. We have seen the rapid adaptation and use of new technologies to deliver care. The pandemic has underlined the importance of valuing, protecting and caring for our health workforce and the need to invest appropriately and adequately in the health workforce to have sufficient, capable and well-motivated health workers. Some of the main challenges that lie ahead of us include the imperative for better investment, to need to improve recruitment and retraining whilst better retaining health workers, a focus on domestic sustainability, redeploying and developing new skills and competences among health workers, enabling more effective multi-professional collaboration and team work, improving the quality of education and training, increasing the public health focus and promoting ethical and sustainable international recruitment of health workers. Conclusions The WHO European Region through its European Programme of Work 2020-2025 is fully committed to support countries in their efforts to continue to respond to COVID-19 and whilst addressing upcoming health workforce challenges.


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