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Licata F, Viscomi C, Angelillo S, Di Gennaro G, Bianco A. Adherence with infection prevention and control measures among Italian healthcare workers: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to tackle future ones. J Infect Public Health 2024; 17:122-129. [PMID: 37995558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To tackle future health threats, the study aimed to assess healthcare workers' (HCWs) adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and to evaluate whether knowledge and concerns related to COVID-19 could be its potential predictors. A secondary aim was to explore how and how much healthcare facilities support HCWs to implement IPC practices. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and September 2021 in Southern Italy using a self-administered questionnaire. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics, COVID-19 preparedness and response plan in the facilities, knowledge about COVID-19's transmission and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), concerns about the possibility of transmitting COVID-19 to family members and patients, adherence to IPC practices, and sources of information were investigated. RESULTS Among the 492 enrolled HCWs, the overall knowledge median score was 6 out of a maximum score of 8 and predictors of good knowledge were practicing in a facility that organized training courses about IPC measures and having more years in practice. HCWs were more concerned about the possibility of transmitting the infection to their family members (64.4%) than to negative patients (38.9%). A sizable proportion claimed to take off the face mask by touching only the straps or ties (76.3%) and to replace the face mask when it was wet (70.7%). Only 26.2% never/rarely touched the face mask while wearing it. Good adherence to preventative practices was more likely in HCWs other than physicians and practicing in a facility that organized training courses about IPC measures and in regional hospitals compared with those practicing in district hospitals. CONCLUSIONS The study findings produce information about what worked well and where gaps were identified during COVID-19 pandemic, along with data useful for hospitals and health systems in general to better prepare and put in place appropriate interventions in case of similar future events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Licata
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Caterina Viscomi
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Silvia Angelillo
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Di Gennaro
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Aida Bianco
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
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Qi M, Ren J. An overview and visual analysis of research on government regulation in healthcare. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1272572. [PMID: 38026398 PMCID: PMC10679357 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1272572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective During the period of COVID-19, government regulation (GR) played an important role in healthcare. This study examines the current research situation of GR in healthcare, discusses the research hotspots, the most productive authors and countries, and the most common journals, and analyzes the changes in GR in healthcare before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods This study followed PRISMA guidelines to collect literature on GR in healthcare. And the VOSviewer software was used to perform a quantitative analysis of these documents to obtain a visual map, including year, country, institution, journal, author, and research topic. Results A total of 1,830 papers that involved 976 academic journals, 3,178 institutions, and 133 countries were identified from 1985 to 2023. The United States was the country with the highest production (n = 613), followed by the United Kingdom (n = 289). The institution with the largest number of publications was the University of London in the UK (n = 103); In the author collaboration network, the biggest cluster is Bomhoff M, Bouwman R, Friele R, et al. The top five journals in terms of the number of articles were BMC Health Services Research (n = 70), Plos One (n = 35), Health Policy (n = 33), Social Science & Medicine (n = 29), Health Policy and Planning (n = 29), and Frontiers in Public Health (n = 27). The existing literature mainly focused on "health policy," "public health," "China," "mental health," "India," "qualitative research," "legislation," and "governance," et al. Since 2020, research on "COVID-19" has also become a priority in the domain of healthcare. Conclusion This study reveals the overall performance of the literature on GR published in healthcare. Healthcare needs GR, especially in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, which has played an irreplaceable role. The outbreak of COVID-19 not only tested the health systems of various countries, but also changed GR in healthcare. With the end of COVID-19, whether these changes will end remains to be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jianming Ren
- School of Public Administration, Beihang University, Beijing, China
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Sinclair AH, Taylor MK, Brandel-Tanis F, Davidson A, Chande AT, Rishishwar L, Andris C, Adcock RA, Weitz JS, Samanez-Larkin GR, Beckett SJ. Communicating COVID-19 exposure risk with an interactive website counteracts risk misestimation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290708. [PMID: 37796971 PMCID: PMC10553796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals depended on risk information to make decisions about everyday behaviors and public policy. Here, we assessed whether an interactive website influenced individuals' risk tolerance to support public health goals. We collected data from 11,169 unique users who engaged with the online COVID-19 Event Risk Tool (https://covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu/) between 9/22/21 and 1/22/22. The website featured interactive elements, including a dynamic risk map, survey questions, and a risk quiz with accuracy feedback. After learning about the risk of COVID-19 exposure, participants reported being less willing to participate in events that could spread COVID-19, especially for high-risk large events. We also uncovered a bias in risk estimation: Participants tended to overestimate the risk of small events but underestimate the risk of large events. Importantly, even participants who voluntarily sought information about COVID risks tended to misestimate exposure risk, demonstrating the need for intervention. Participants from liberal-leaning counties were more likely to use the website tools and more responsive to feedback about risk misestimation, indicating that political partisanship influences how individuals seek and engage with COVID-19 information. Lastly, we explored temporal dynamics and found that user engagement and risk estimation fluctuated over the course of the Omicron variant outbreak. Overall, we report an effective large-scale method for communicating viral exposure risk; our findings are relevant to broader research on risk communication, epidemiological modeling, and risky decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa H. Sinclair
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Morgan K. Taylor
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Freyja Brandel-Tanis
- School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Audra Davidson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Aroon T. Chande
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Lavanya Rishishwar
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Clio Andris
- School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - R. Alison Adcock
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Joshua S. Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- Institut de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | | | - Stephen J. Beckett
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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Jun HS, Yang K, Kim J, Jeon JP, Ahn JH, Lee SJ, Choi HJ, Choi JW, Cho SM, Rhim JK. Development of Cloud-Based Telemedicine Platform for Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Gangwon-do : Concept and Protocol. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2023; 66:488-493. [PMID: 36756670 PMCID: PMC10483158 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2022.0256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to develop a cloud-based telemedicine platform for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at local hospitals in rural and underserved areas in Gangwon-do using artificial intelligence and non-face-to-face collaboration treatment technology. This is a prospective and multi-center development project in which neurosurgeons from four university hospitals in Gangwondo will participate. Information technology experts will verify and improve the performance of the cloud-based telemedicine collaboration platform while treating ICH patients in the actual medical field. Problems identified will be resolved, and the function, performance, security, and safety of the telemedicine platform will be checked through an accredited certification authority. The project will be carried out over 4 years and consists of two phases. The first phase will be from April 2022 to December 2023, and the second phase will be from April 2024 to December 2025. The platform will be developed by dividing the work of the neurosurgeons and information technology experts by setting the order of items through mutual feedback. This article provides information on a project to develop a cloud-based telemedicine platform for acute ICH patients in Gangwon-do.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Sub Jun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Kuhyun Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, GangNeung Asan Hospital, Gangneung, Korea
| | - Jongyeon Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Jin Pyeong Jeon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jun Hyong Ahn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Seung Jin Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Hyuk Jai Choi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jong Wook Choi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Sung Min Cho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Jong-Kook Rhim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea
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Development and Evaluation of a Web-Based Application for Trauma Nursing Documentation in Thailand: A Feasibility Study. J Trauma Nurs 2023; 30:41-47. [PMID: 36633344 DOI: 10.1097/jtn.0000000000000698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic nursing documentation has advantages for monitoring and improving the quality of trauma nursing documentation. However, electronic nursing documentation has rarely been implemented in Thailand. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess the feasibility and nursing satisfaction of a web-based trauma nursing documentation application. METHODS A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the feasibility and nursing satisfaction with a web-based trauma nursing documentation application. The application was based on literature review, Advanced Trauma Life Support principles, and the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. The survey was administered to trauma and emergency department registered nurses in a hospital in Thailand from November 2021 to January 2022. Patient data were also extracted from the web application system for analysis. RESULTS A total of 59 nurses piloted the web-based application on 79 trauma patients. Of 59 nurses, 45 (76.3%) were female, 44 (74.6%) had worked in the emergency department for more than 5 years, and 49 (83.1%) had no prior experience with using web-based applications. The nurses were satisfied with the application (M = 3.51, SD = 0.62), and they suggested that it was feasible to apply in practice (M = 3.46, SD = 0.79). CONCLUSION These preliminary data demonstrate that implementing a web-based application for trauma nursing documentation in the emergency department is feasible and satisfactory to nurses.
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Bernardes JM, Magalhães DMDS, Alonso MS, Gómez-Salgado J, Ruiz-Frutos C, Romero A, Días A. Knowledge of COVID-19 among Brazilian health care professionals and associated factors. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e29067. [PMID: 35713424 PMCID: PMC9276308 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000029067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Health care professional's knowledge is essential to contain epidemics. This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge of Brazilian health care professionals regarding COVID-19 to analyze whether there is a difference in knowledge between professionals in Primary Health Care and those in other levels of care or not; and to identify factors associated with knowledge. This is a cross-sectional study, including 716 participants who answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. Descriptive statistics, difference tests between groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. The average knowledge score was 12.42 points (out of a possible total of 15). There was no significant difference between professionals in Primary Health Care and those in other levels of care. Knowledge was associated with age, profession, perception regarding media's information quality, and hours exposed to information on COVID-19. Participants showed adequate knowledge, despite some specific gaps. Continuing education actions should prioritize younger nonmedical professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Marcos Bernardes
- Graduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Estadual Paulista / UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Melissa Spröesser Alonso
- Graduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Estadual Paulista / UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juan Gómez-Salgado
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Frutos
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Adolfo Romero
- Nursing and Podiatry Department, University of Málaga, IBIMA, Málaga, Spain
| | - Adriano Días
- Graduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Estadual Paulista / UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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PandemonCAT: Monitoring the COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia, Spain. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084783. [PMID: 35457649 PMCID: PMC9029369 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The principal objective of this paper is to introduce an online interactive application that helps in real-time monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia, Spain (PandemonCAT). METHODS This application is designed as a collection of user-friendly dashboards using open-source R software supported by the Shiny package. RESULTS PandemonCAT reports accumulated weekly updates of COVID-19 dynamics in a geospatial interactive platform for individual basic health areas (ABSs) of Catalonia. It also shows on a georeferenced map the evolution of vaccination campaigns representing the share of population with either one or two shots of the vaccine, for populations of different age groups. In addition, the application reports information about environmental and socioeconomic variables and also provides an interactive interface to visualize monthly public mobility before, during, and after the lockdown phases. Finally, we report the smoothed standardized COVID-19 infected cases and mortality rates on maps of basic health areas ABSs and regions of Catalonia. These smoothed rates allow the user to explore geographic patterns in incidence and mortality rates. The visualization of the variables that could have some influence on the spatiotemporal dynamics of the pandemic is demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS We believe the addition of these new dimensions, which is the key innovation of our project, will improve the current understanding of the spread and the impact of COVID-19 in the community. This application can be used as an open tool for consultation by the public of Catalonia and Spain in general. It could also have implications in facilitating the visualization of public health data, allowing timely interpretation due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.
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Armenta-Medina D, Brambila-Tapia AJL, Miranda-Jiménez S, Rodea-Montero ER. A Web Application for Biomedical Text Mining of Scientific Literature Associated with Coronavirus-Related Syndromes: Coronavirus Finder. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:887. [PMID: 35453935 PMCID: PMC9028729 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12040887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, a web application was developed that comprises scientific literature associated with the Coronaviridae family, specifically for those viruses that are members of the Genus Betacoronavirus, responsible for emerging diseases with a great impact on human health: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2). The information compiled on this webserver aims to understand the basics of these viruses' infection, and the nature of their pathogenesis, enabling the identification of molecular and cellular components that may function as potential targets on the design and development of successful treatments for the diseases associated with the Coronaviridae family. Some of the web application's primary functions are searching for keywords within the scientific literature, natural language processing for the extraction of genes and words, the generation and visualization of gene networks associated with viral diseases derived from the analysis of latent semantic space, and cosine similarity measures. Interestingly, our gene association analysis reveals drug targets in understudies, and new targets suggested in the scientific literature to treat coronavirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagoberto Armenta-Medina
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Ciudad de México 03940, Mexico;
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (INFOTEC), Aguascalientes 20326, Mexico
| | | | - Sabino Miranda-Jiménez
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Ciudad de México 03940, Mexico;
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (INFOTEC), Aguascalientes 20326, Mexico
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AlEnzi F, Alhamal S, Alramadhan M, Altaroti A, Siddiqui I, Aljanobi G. Fibromyalgia in Health Care Worker During COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Front Public Health 2021; 9:693159. [PMID: 34568254 PMCID: PMC8461016 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.693159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the face of the contemporary COVID-19 pandemic, health service providers have emerged as the most at-risk individuals who are likely to contract the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Aim: To measure the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) during COVID outbreak among health workers in Saudi Arabia using FiRST and LFESSQ tool. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional methodology to explore the prevalence of Fibromyalgia among health workers at different health care settings in Saudi Arabia. The assessment of the prevalence of fibromyalgia among health worker was determined by using the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST) and London Fibromyalgia Epidemiological Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ) questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Results: The sample size included 992 participants. The prevalence of fibromyalgia using FiRST and LFESSQ was 12.6 and 19.8%, respectively. In this study, the prevalence of fibromyalgia was higher in females when compared to males. Most of the respondents have Vitamin D deficiency. The relationship of fibromyalgia was significantly associated with the participants who worked during an outbreak, who covered COVID-19 inpatient, covered in-hospital on call and in area quarantine. Conclusion: The study's findings demonstrate that the prevalence of Fibromyalgia among health service providers during the current COVID-19 pandemic is considerably higher and that there are potential interventions that may be employed to mitigate the prevalence of the infection during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahidah AlEnzi
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Alhamal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Section, Qatif Central Hospital, Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Alramadhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Section, Qatif Central Hospital, Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Altaroti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Section, Qatif Central Hospital, Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Intisar Siddiqui
- Department of Dental Education, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghada Aljanobi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Section, Qatif Central Hospital, Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia
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