scholarly journals The unnecessary suffering and abuse caused by healthcare professionals needs to stop: A study regarding experiences of abuse among female patients in a general psychiatric setting

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Örmon ◽  
Ulrica Hörberg

Objective: Healthcare, from a caring science perspective, aims to support the patients’ health processes. All healthcare is, however, not experienced as being caring by the patients. Consequences of abuse in healthcare (AHC) services have effects on the patients’ health and well-being. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of abuse from healthcare professionals among female patients in a general psychiatric clinic.Methods: In the cross-sectional study design, data from female patients receiving outpatient or inpatient care at a general psychiatric clinic about their experiences of abuse were gathered by using the NorVold Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ) Descriptive statistics were used to describe experiences of abuse in the health care sector.Results: Fifty-six women reported abuse by healthcare professionals. Being offended or grossly degraded while visiting health services, was experienced by almost all the women (n = 50). Experiences that a “normal” event while visiting health services suddenly became a really terrible and insulting experience, without fully knowing how this could happen was experienced by 38 women in the study. During their current care episode at the general psychiatric clinic a majority of the female patients chose not to reveal their experiences of abuse in the health care sector (n = 34).Conclusions: The fact that patients experience suffering and abuse from healthcare professionals is a serious problem that needs to be highlighted and discussed within all healthcare contexts. Attention needs to be paid to the suffering and abuse that is related to encounters and relationships between patients and healthcare professionals.

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Syed Waseem Tahir ◽  
Sahila Nabi ◽  
Shazia Javaid

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Every year millions of patients around the world are affected by infections that are transmitted by the health-care professionals(HCPs).(2)(3). Rationale: Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of handwashing among healthcare professionals of Kashmir Division. Methods: This study was an institutional based cross sectional study, conducted in various healthcare institutions of Kashmir Division which were selected randomly. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the data from the participants. The questionnaires contained questions about four different parts which included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of hand washing, attitude and practice of hand washing among healthcare professionals. The questionnaires were distributed to various healthcare professionals working in wards, emergency department, laboratories, outpatient departments, injection and dressing rooms, EPI unit and others. The distributed questionnaires were then collected back. Results: A total of 110 participants were included. Out of total 110 participants,53% were male ,36% were nurses 36% of health professionals were working in IPD (In Patient Department). 89% of the participants agreed that, direct or indirect contacts are the most important routes for transmission of hospital-acquired infections,97% agreed that
 proper and consistent hand washing prevents infections in health facilities,100% agreed that health professionals should always wash their hands immediately when they arrive at health institutions,98% said that they knew steps of handwashing(WHO)/rules of hand hygiene,91% agreed that hand washing is the single most effective mechanism to prevent spread of infection and 95% agreed that wearing jewellery, artificial fingernails, damaged skin and regular use of hand cream are associated with increased likelihood of colonisation of hands with harmful germs. 83% of the participants said that they are committed to the proper rules of hand hygiene all the time,78% said they comply with rules of hand hygiene even in emergencies,80% said that they think when they are wearing gloves it is not necessary to wash hands,92% feel irritated when others don’t follow hand hygiene rules,95% advice others to follow the rules of hand hygiene and 97% said it is easy for you to follow rules of hand hygiene. 40%(each) of the participants said that they always and usually wash hands before touching a patient,100% of the participants said that they always wash hands before performing aseptic and clean procedures, 100% of the participants said that they always wash hands after being at risk of exposure to body fluids and 95% of patients said that they wash hands after coming to and before leaving the hospital. DISCUSSION In this study we had a total of 110 participants. Health professionals had a satisfactory knowledge of hand hygiene but some lacunae are still there as is evident in the result part. Thus from this study we conclude adherence to handwashing is lacking among health professionals, so we need to have regular handwashing sessions for health professionals which will regularly sensitize them, also we need to address the reasons of this poor adherence both at the administrative and personal level. We also recommend to conduct more studies in this field so as to highlight the shortcomings in hand hygiene and then to improve upon them.


2020 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2020-139150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramanathan Swaminathan ◽  
Bimantha Perera Mukundadura ◽  
Shashi Prasad

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare workers in patient-facing roles. We describe the impact on the physical and mental well-being of healthcare professionals who use enhanced PPE consistently.MethodsWe conducted a single-centre, cross-sectional study among healthcare professionals who use enhanced PPE. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated to evaluate the effects on individuals’ physical and mental well-being. Physical and mental impact was assessed through a visual analogue scale.ResultsProspective analysis of the views of 72 respondents is reported. 63.9% were women and 36.1% were men. Physical impact included exhaustion, headache, skin changes, breathlessness and a negative impact on vision. Communication difficulties, somnolence, negative impact on overall performance and difficulties in using surgical instrumentation were reported.ConclusionOur study demonstrates the undeniable negative impact on the front-line healthcare workers using enhanced PPE and lays the ground for larger multicentric assessments given for it to potentially be the norm for the foreseeable future.


Author(s):  
Cora Wagner ◽  
Undine E. Lang ◽  
Karin Hediger

The aim of this study was to investigate inpatient and staff member attitudes toward and experiences with ward cats, and identify possible mechanisms for how cats affect patient satisfaction in a psychiatric clinic. Thirty-three inpatients diagnosed with depression or psychosis residing on wards with and without cats and 17 staff members working on wards with cats participated in semi-structured interviews using a cross-sectional study design. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlations. The results showed that 17 out of 19 inpatients and all the staff members liked having a cat on their ward. Further, 12 out of 14 inpatients on wards without cats would like having a cat on their ward. Inpatient perceptions of the cat’s impact on the ward atmosphere correlated significantly with their emotional relationship with the cat (p = 0.015, r = 0.561), how often they saw the cat (p = 0.002, r = 0.676), and if they liked cats in general (p = 0.041, r = 0.486). Our results highlight the positive attitudes of inpatients and staff members toward ward cats and the potential of ward cats to enhance patient satisfaction. This influence might be mediated by factors such as the frequency of contact, the relationship between each patient and the cat, and each patient’s attitude toward cats in general.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Firaol Dandena ◽  
Berhanetsehay Teklewold ◽  
Dagmawi Anteneh

Abstract Background Health systems around the world are being challenged by an on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated response can have a significant downstream effect on access to routine health care services, and indirectly cause morbidity and mortality from causes other than the disease itself, especially in resource-poor countries such as Ethiopia. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on these services and measures taken to combat the effect. Methods The study was conducted at St. Paul’s hospital millennium medical college (SPHMMC) from December 15, 2020 to January 15, 2021 using a comparative cross-sectional study design. We collected data on the number of clients getting different essential health care services from May to October 2019 (Pre COVID) and the same period in 2020 (during a COVID-19 pandemic) from the patient registry book. The analysis was done with SPSS version 24 software. Result Overall, the essential services of SPHMMC were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The most affected service is inpatient admission, which showed a 73.3% (2044 to 682) reduction from the pre-COVID period and the least affected is maternal service, which only decreased by 13% (3671 to 3177). During the 6 months after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a progressive increment in the number of clients getting essential health services. Conclusion and recommendation The establishment of a triple setup for fighting against COVID-19, which encompasses non-COVID services, an isolation center and a COVID-19 treatment center, played a vital role in preserving essential health services.


2021 ◽  
pp. 311-323
Author(s):  
Rachel Riera ◽  
Ângela Maria Bagattini ◽  
Rafael Leite Pacheco ◽  
Daniela Vianna Pachito ◽  
Felipe Roitberg ◽  
...  

PURPOSE There has been noteworthy concern about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health services including the management of cancer. In addition to being considered at higher risk for worse outcomes from COVID-19, people with cancer may also experience disruptions or delays in health services. This systematic review aimed to identify the delays and disruptions to cancer services globally. METHODS This is a systematic review with a comprehensive search including specific and general databases. We considered any observational longitudinal and cross-sectional study design. The selection, data extraction, and methodological assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed by specific tools. The delays and disruptions identified were categorized, and their frequency was presented. RESULTS Among the 62 studies identified, none exhibited high methodological quality. The most frequent determinants for disruptions were provider- or system-related, mainly because of the reduction in service availability. The studies identified 38 different categories of delays and disruptions with impact on treatment, diagnosis, or general health service. Delays or disruptions most investigated included reduction in routine activity of cancer services and number of cancer surgeries; delay in radiotherapy; and delay, reschedule, or cancellation of outpatient visits. Interruptions and disruptions largely affected facilities (up to 77.5%), supply chain (up to 79%), and personnel availability (up to 60%). CONCLUSION The remarkable frequency of delays and disruptions in health care mostly related to the reduction of the COVID-19 burden unintentionally posed a major risk on cancer care worldwide. Strategies can be proposed not only to mitigate the main delays and disruptions but also to standardize their measurement and reporting. As a high number of publications continuously are being published, it is critical to harmonize the upcoming reports and constantly update this review.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-62
Author(s):  
Nikola Savić ◽  
Marijana Milošević ◽  
Marija Mladenović ◽  
Zoran Jokić ◽  
Slađana Anđelić

Introduction/Objective: A healthy diet is a basic prerequisite for a healthy child. Numerous studies have proven the importance of breastfeeding, which has many advantages. Breast milk is the best choice of food for a newborn. Healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses, play a key role in shaping a mother's attitude towards breastfeeding, as well as helping her overcome barriers to successful breastfeeding. To examine the level of knowledge mothers have about the importance of proper nutrition and breastfeeding of a newborn and to evaluate any obstacles to successful breastfeeding. Methods: The first part of the research is designed as a cross-sectional study. As a research instrument, a questionnaire was constructed to assess the mothers' level of knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding. In the second part of the research, a telephone survey was conducted after the mothers and babies were discharged from the hospital, and the mothers were asked questions about any obstacles they may have encountered to successful breastfeeding. The study included a sample of 47 women. The study was conducted in the Valjevo General Hospital from June to August 2018. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous and the research was approved by the Ethics Committee of the institution. Results: Descriptive statistic methods were used to analyse the results. Respondents ranged in age from 21 to 40, the largest number of women were between 21 and 25 years old (57%), 88% of children received a grade 9 at birth, 10% of the respondents attended parenting school, 78% of the women started breastfeeding the very next day after delivery and most believed that they had been successfully trained to breastfeed in the maternity ward. Seven days after discharge from the hospital, 7% of women did not breastfeed and the most common obstacles to successful breastfeeding were cracked nipples (35%). Conclusion: The results of the research indicate the need for a greater degree of education of future mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and proper breastfeeding techniques. It is necessary to carry out health education work at all levels of health care to minimize obstacles to natural nutrition


2019 ◽  
pp. 128-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia Ortega Lenis ◽  
Fabián Méndez

Introduction: Colombian population is getting old in an accelerated manner, causing economic, social and health services effects. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection in the National System of Population Studies and Surveys for Health implemented the first health, well-being and aging survey- SABE-2015 Colombia- to know the living conditions of people 60 years of age or older. Objective: Describe the design of the method, statistical sampling and quality control of information from the SABE-2015 survey. Methods: A cross-sectional study, with quantitative and qualitative approaches, representative for the population in urban and rural areas aged 60 or over. Information was collected on socioeconomic variables, physical and social environment, behavior, cognition and affection, functionality, mental well-being, health conditions, and the use and access to health services. Results: 23,694 surveys were conducted, 17,189 in urban population (72.5%) and 6,505 in rural population. The percentage of effective national response was 66% in 244 municipalities. Supervision was made in 40% of the surveys and telephone re-contact in 25%. The consistency of 100% surveys was reviewed and double entry was developed in 5% of them. National estimates have a 5% margin error. Conclusion: The SABE Colombia 2015 survey is representative of the main indicators of health, well-being and aging in Colombia. The design allows regional comparisons, between large cities and urban and rural population.


PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqas Ahmad ◽  
Frances Taggart ◽  
Muhammad Shoaib Shafique ◽  
Yumna Muzafar ◽  
Shehnam Abidi ◽  
...  

Background.“Health is wealth” is a time tested adage. Health becomes more relevant when it comes to professionals whose job is to provide people with services that maintain an optimum state of mental, physical and social well-being. Healthcare professionals (HCP) differ from general population in regards to the nature of their work, stress, burnout etc. which begs the need to have a robust state of health for the ones who provide it to others. We initiated this study to see if healthcare professionals “practice what they preach others.”Methods.We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience-sampling technique. Questionnaires were administered directly to the three groups of healthcare professionals (Doctors, Dentists and Nurses) across the province Punjab after their consent. 1,319 healthcare professionals took part in the study (response rate of 87.35). Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental wellbeing. USDA Dietary Guidelines-2010 were employed to quantify diet. American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines were employed for the analysis of exercise.Results.A total of 1,190 healthcare professionals formed the final sample with doctors and nurses forming the major proportion. Out of 1,190 participants onlyonehealthcare professional was found to eat according to USDA Dietary Guidelines; others ate more of protein group and less of fruits, dairy and vegetable groups. 76% did not perform any exercise. 71.5% worked >48 h/week. More than 50% of healthcare professionals were sleeping <7 h/day. WEMWBS score of the entire sample was 47.97 ± 9.53 S.D.Conclusion.Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals do not practice what they preach. Their mental wellbeing, diet and exercise habits are not up to the mark and should be improved to foster the whole healthcare system for individual and community benefits.


Author(s):  
Devendra Gour ◽  
Manju Toppo ◽  
Veena Melwani ◽  
Amreen Khan ◽  
Pradeep Dohare ◽  
...  

Background: Child mortality is considered as a core indicator for child health and well-being. SRS (December 2016) has shown that maximum IMR is in Madhya Pradesh which is 50 per 1000 live births and U5MR is 77 per 1000 live birth (2011). The study was carried out with the objectives to list out and categorize medical as well as socio-economic factors associated with these deaths and to evaluate the current status of child deaths in terms of the provision of health services and gaps in planning and execution of these services.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 42 deaths which occurred in Home settings in Bhopal District. A team visited the identified household and conducted in depth interview regarding the entire event related to antenatal care, place of delivery, intranatal and postnatal care, accessibility of the health services and quality of care rendered that contributed to poor child health that resulted in the death of the child.Results: Out of 42 child deaths covered, 23 took place in the neonatal period, of which 21 were home deaths. 47.61% were attended by trained birth attendant. Breastfeeding was started immediately in 94.11% neonates whereas 5.88% were breastfed second day or later. 19 deaths took place in the post neonatal period, of which 17 were home deaths. (68.75%) were breast fed immediately within one hour of birth.Conclusions: A majority of home based child deaths are occurring in families with high illiteracy rates and those belonging to BPL families.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0260021
Author(s):  
Claire Camus ◽  
Guillaume Penaranda ◽  
Hacène Khiri ◽  
Sabine Camiade ◽  
Lucie Molet ◽  
...  

Background & aim Screening for genital infection (GI) such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast infection, for sexually transmitted infection (STI), and for asymptomatic carriage of group B streptococcus (GBS) in pregnant women are common reason for medical appointments. The diagnosis and control of GIs, STIs, and GBS are major issues, for fertility and overall well-being of affected women. Conventional testing is performed using vaginal/cervical classical sampling (VCS); this procedure requires pelvic examination performed by health care professionals which raises concerns among women. Vaginal-self-sampling (VSS), as an alternative to VCS, might capture more women. The aim was first to show non-inferiority of VSS compared with VCS to screen for GIs, STIs, and GBS; second to determine the feasibility of VSS. Methods VSS and VCS from 1027 women were collected by health care professionals and simultaneously carried out on each patient. GIs, STIs, and GBS were systematically screened in both paired VSS and VCS samples. Non-inferiority of VSS compared with VCS was assessed using z statistic for binomial proportions. Results Prevalence of GIs were 39.7% using VSS and 38.1% using VCS (p = 0.0016). Prevalence of STIs was 8.5% (VSS) vs 8.1% (VCS) (p = 0.0087). Prevalence of GBS was 13.4% (VSS) and 11.5% (VCS) (p = 0.0001). Most participants (84%) recommended the use of VSS. Conclusions This study shows that VSS was not inferior to VCS for the detection of GIs, STIs, and GBS. This study provides evidence that VSS can be used as a universal specimen for detection of lower genital tract infections in women. Study identification number ID-RCB 2014-A01250-4.


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