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Putekova S, Martinkova J, Urickova A, Kober L, Reichertova S, Plancikova D, Majdan M. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and working conditions of nurses and its implications for policies: a cross-sectional study in Slovakia. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:185. [PMID: 37248500 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01356-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased workload and of the health workforce (HW) strained the capacity to maintain essential health services (EHS) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other consequences to their health. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wellbeing, and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and to identify gaps in policies to be addressed to increase preparedness of the HW for future emergencies. METHODS A nation-wide cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses during November-December 2021, referring to the period of January 2021 to November 2021. To assess the differences between impact on HW on various levels of care, respondents were grouped by type of facility: hospital-COVID-19 wards; Hospital-non-covid ward; Outpatient or ER; Other care facilities. RESULTS 1170 nurses participated, about 1/3 of them tested positive for COVID-19 by November 2021, mostly developing mild disease. Almost 2/3 reported long-covid symptoms and about 13% reported that they do not plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The median of the score of the impact of workload on health was 2.8 (56% of the maximum 5), the median score of mental health-wellbeing was 1.9 (63% of a maximum of 3). The studied impacts in all domains were highest in nurses working in COVID-19 hospital wards. Significant disruptions of health care were reported, with relatively high use of telemedicine to mitigate them. Overall, about 70% of the respondents thought of leaving their job, mostly due to working stress or inadequate pay. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a substantial burden on the health, wellbeing and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and that a large proportion of nurses considered leaving their jobs because of work overload or low salaries. Human resource strategies should be adopted to attract, retain and continuously invest in HW development including in emergency preparedness and response. Such an approach may improve the resilience and preparedness of the health system in Slovakia for future emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Putekova
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Department of Nursing, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Martinkova
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Department of Nursing, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Alena Urickova
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Department of Nursing, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Lukas Kober
- Faculty of Health, Department of Nursing, Catholic University, Ruzomberok, Slovakia
- Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislava Reichertova
- Department of Paramedic Science, Medical Diagnostic Studies and Public Health, Faculty of Health Care Studies, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Dominika Plancikova
- Institute for Global Health and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Hornopotocna 23, 91843, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Marek Majdan
- Institute for Global Health and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Trnava University, Hornopotocna 23, 91843, Trnava, Slovakia.
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Melichova J, Marusakova E, Bilikova L, Sivčo P, Plancikova D, Hazerova D, Pham T, Paulik S, Putekova S, Majdan M. Disruptions of cytological screening procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia. Eur J Public Health 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckac129.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most settings experienced healthcare service disruptions. The majority of cytological screening procedures were postponed to focus on assisting patients infected with COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to analyse the impact of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Slovakia.
Methods
Data on cytological screening procedures were obtained from two of the three health insurance companies in Slovakia for the years 2019 and 2020, covering the population of women aged 15 and older. All data were calculated stratified for age groups. Rates of cytological screenings were calculated as the number of procedures per women registered in the insurance company in the same age group and rate ratios were calculated as ratios of the rates for the years 2020 and 2019 for the same age group. Incidence rates were calculated as the number of newly diagnosed cervical cancer cases per women registered in the insurance company in the respective year.
Results
Rate ratios of cytological screening procedures revealed that in both examined health insurance companies, the rate of cytological exams was lower in 2020 compared to 2019 (0.95 and 0.89). This was observed across all age groups. The results showed a clear and statistically significant age gradient, indicating that the level of disruption increased with age. The age group 60-69 years had the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer in 2019, at 54.3 per 100 000. In 2020, the highest rate was 48.3 in the age group 50-59 years. The lowest rates were in children and young adults (<20 years).
Conclusions
This study confirms the significant impact of the pandemic on cervical cancer screening uptake in Slovakia, which may have delayed the diagnosis of cervical cancer into later stages of the disease with a worse prognosis. This may lead to increased mortality and years lived with disability due to this disease in Slovakia.
Key messages
• Disruptions in cervical cancer screenings were observed in Slovakia during the COVID-19 pandemic which may result in an increase in cervical cancer incidence and mortality.
• Strategies should be implemented to maintain cancer screening programs during health emergencies to avoid excessive mortality and morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Melichova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - E Marusakova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - L Bilikova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - P Sivčo
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - D Plancikova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - D Hazerova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - T Pham
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - S Paulik
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - S Putekova
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
| | - M Majdan
- Department of Public Health, Trnava University in Trnava , Trnava, Slovakia
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Putekova S, Martinkova J, Hutkova M. Sleep Disturbances in Seniors with Parkinson’s Disease. cswhi 2020. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_11_4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Signorelli GR, Lehocki F, Mora Fernández M, O'Neill G, O'Connor D, Brennan L, Monteiro-Guerra F, Rivero-Rodriguez A, Hors-Fraile S, Munoz-Penas J, Bonjorn Dalmau M, Mota J, Oliveira RB, Mrinakova B, Putekova S, Muro N, Zambrana F, Garcia-Gomez JM. A Research Roadmap: Connected Health as an Enabler of Cancer Patient Support. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e14360. [PMID: 31663861 PMCID: PMC6914240 DOI: 10.2196/14360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The evidence that quality of life is a positive variable for the survival of cancer patients has prompted the interest of the health and pharmaceutical industry in considering that variable as a final clinical outcome. Sustained improvements in cancer care in recent years have resulted in increased numbers of people living with and beyond cancer, with increased attention being placed on improving quality of life for those individuals. Connected Health provides the foundations for the transformation of cancer care into a patient-centric model, focused on providing fully connected, personalized support and therapy for the unique needs of each patient.
Connected Health creates an opportunity to overcome barriers to health care support among patients diagnosed with chronic conditions. This paper provides an overview of important areas for the foundations of the creation of a new Connected Health paradigm in cancer care. Here we discuss the capabilities of mobile and wearable technologies; we also discuss pervasive and persuasive strategies and device systems to provide multidisciplinary and inclusive approaches for cancer patients for mental well-being, physical activity promotion, and rehabilitation.
Several examples already show that there is enthusiasm in strengthening the possibilities offered by Connected Health in persuasive and pervasive technology in cancer care. Developments harnessing the Internet of Things, personalization, patient-centered design, and artificial intelligence help to monitor and assess the health status of cancer patients. Furthermore, this paper analyses the data infrastructure ecosystem for Connected Health and its semantic interoperability with the Connected Health economy ecosystem and its associated barriers. Interoperability is essential when developing Connected Health solutions that integrate with health systems and electronic health records.
Given the exponential business growth of the Connected Health economy, there is an urgent need to develop mHealth (mobile health) exponentially, making it both an attractive and challenging market. In conclusion, there is a need for user-centered and multidisciplinary standards of practice to the design, development, evaluation, and implementation of Connected Health interventions in cancer care to ensure their acceptability, practicality, feasibility, effectiveness, affordability, safety, and equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ruiz Signorelli
- Oncoavanze, Seville, Spain.,Sport & Society Research Group, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.,Insight Centre for Data Analytics, O'Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fedor Lehocki
- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.,National Centre of Telemedicine Services, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matilde Mora Fernández
- Sport & Society Research Group, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Gillian O'Neill
- Insight Centre for Data Analytics, O'Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dominic O'Connor
- Insight Centre for Data Analytics, O'Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Louise Brennan
- Insight Centre for Data Analytics, O'Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland.,Beacon Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Francisco Monteiro-Guerra
- Insight Centre for Data Analytics, O'Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin, Ireland.,Salumedia Tecnologías, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Santiago Hors-Fraile
- Salumedia Tecnologías, Seville, Spain.,Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Architecture and Computer Technology Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | | | | | - Jorge Mota
- Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo B Oliveira
- Laboratory of Active Living, Institute of Physical Education and Sports, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bela Mrinakova
- First Department of Oncology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Silvia Putekova
- Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Naiara Muro
- Laboratoire d'informatique médicale et d'ingénierie des connaissances en e-Santé, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,eHealth and Biomedical Applications, Vicomtech, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.,Biodonostia, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Francisco Zambrana
- Department of Oncology, Infanta Sofia University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan M Garcia-Gomez
- Biomedical Data Science Lab, The Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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Hajj Ali P, Sasvary F, Krcmery V, Jankechova M, Putekova S, Kabatova J, Tkacova L, Murgova A, Bydzovsky J, Topolska A, Bucko L, Palenikova M, Liakova A, Tomic L, Cervena L, Khalil I, Helderova H, Herdics G. Migrants Are Colonized by Resistant Bacteria During Their Prolonged Stays in Refugee Camps. CSWHI 2017. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_8_1_03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Hajj P, Putekova S, Kabatova J, Martinkova J, Zollerova K, Bucko L, Radkova L, Vlcek R, Grey E, Olah M, Simonek T, Duricova G, Svitak R, Ondova P, Bibza M, Kolibab M, Mamova A, Palenikova M, Murgova A, Tkacova L, Kalatova D, Jankechova M, Bydzovsky J, Khalil I, Michalikova L, Mrazova M, Liskova A, Herdics G, Carnicky M, Krcmery V, Khaled I. Are migrants from Middle East carriers of multi-resistant bacteria? CSWHI 2016. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_7_3_02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Shahum A, Benca J, Liskova A, Krcmery V, Mamova A, Hruska J, Zidisinova M, Michalikova L, Galbavy A, Balogova E, Chabadova M, Sladeckova V, Kafkova J, Putekova S, Kalavska A, Kalavsky E, Jankechova M, Kalatova D, Tkacova L, Murgova A, Lachytova L, Cheng Hoin H. Longitudinal survey of ATB resistance reversibility in children with AIDS of genocide survivors in Cambodia. CSWHI 2016. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_7_3_01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Khaled I, Cauda R, Takac B, Buriancova K, Putekova S, Martinkova J, Komlosi M, Ondova P, Jackulikova M, Svobodova H, Kafkova J, Nevolna Z, Bibza M, Kolibaba M, Mikolasova G, Zollerova K, Murgova A, Tkacova L, Jankechova M, Popelova M, Sasvary F, Krcmery V, Lachytova L. Screen or not to screen? 7 questions in prevention of infection from refugees and migrants. CSWHI 2016. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_7_3_04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Bydzovsky J, Chrasc S, Peciar A, Benca J, Popelova M, Sasvary F, Matel A, Cernicky M, Kalatova D, Nevolna Z, Kafkova J, Zollerova C, Kolibab M, Putekova S, Martinkova J, Mikolasova G, Komlosi M. Experience with Migrants on Balkan Route from the Field Hospital on Slovenian-Croatian Border. CSWHI 2016. [DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_7_3_08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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