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Ripoll J, Chela-Alvarez X, Briones-Vozmediano E, Fiol de-Roque MA, Zamanillo-Campos R, Ricci-Cabello I, Llobera J, Calafat-Villalonga C, Serrano-Ripoll MJ. Impact of COVID-19 on mental health of health care workers in Spain: a mix-methods study. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:463. [PMID: 38355471 PMCID: PMC10865523 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17979-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spain's lockdown measures couldn't prevent the severe impact of the COVID-19 first wave, leading to high infections, deaths, and strain on healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to explore the mental health impact on HCWs in the Balearic Islands during the initial months of the pandemic, the influencing factors, and the experiences of those in a COVID-19 environment. METHODS Using a mixed-methods approach, the study encompassed quantitative and qualitative elements. Cross-sectional survey data from April to June 2020 comprised HCWs who were emailed invitations. The survey covered demographics, work, clinical and COVID-19 variables, along with psychological distress and PTSD symptoms, using validated measures. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with HCWs offered qualitative insights. RESULTS Three hundred thirty-six HCWs averaging 46.8 years, mainly women (79.2%), primarily nurses in primary care with over 10 years of experience. Anxiety symptoms were reported by 28.8%, 65.1% noted worsened sleep quality, and 27.7% increased psychoactive drug usage. Psychological distress affected 55.2%, while 27.9% exhibited PTSD symptoms. Gender, age, experience, COVID-19 patient contact, and workload correlated with distress, PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and psychoactive drug usage. Interviews uncovered discomfort sources, such as fear of infection and lack of control, leading to coping strategies like information avoidance and seeking support. LIMITATIONS Static cross-sectional design, non-probabilistic sample, and telephone interviews affecting non-verbal cues, with interviews conducted during early pandemic lockdown. CONCLUSIONS HCWs faced significant psychological distress during the pandemic's first wave, underscoring the necessity for robust support and resources to counteract its impact on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Ripoll
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - X Chela-Alvarez
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain.
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain.
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain.
| | - E Briones-Vozmediano
- Departamento de Enfermería y Fisioterapia Grupo de estudios en sociedad, salud, educación y cultura (GESEC), Universidad de Lleida.Grup de Recerca en Cures en Salut (GRECS), Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB) de Lleida, Lleida, 25001, Spain
| | - M A Fiol de-Roque
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - R Zamanillo-Campos
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - I Ricci-Cabello
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - J Llobera
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain
| | - C Calafat-Villalonga
- Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, 07122, Spain
| | - M J Serrano-Ripoll
- Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Palma, 07002, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Atenció Primària i Promoció (GRAPP-caIB) Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Ctra. Valldemossa, Hospital Universitari Son Espases 79, Palma, 07120, Spain
- Research Network On Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, 07120, Spain
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Atuheirwe M, Otim R, Male KJ, Ahimbisibwe S, Sackey JD, Sande OJ. Misinformation, knowledge and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: a cross-sectional study among health care workers and the general population in Kampala, Uganda. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:203. [PMID: 38233776 PMCID: PMC10792841 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17678-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has greatly affected communities worldwide, more so in low- and middle-income countries. To successfully resolve the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination coverage of more than 80% is required. However, misinformation has affected this by increasing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Limited studies have assessed the effect of COVID-19 misinformation on vaccine acceptance, especially in Africa. This study assessed people's knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine and the effect of misinformation on vaccine uptake among healthcare workers (HCWs) versus the general population in Uganda. Methods This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted from January 2022 to June 2022, and involved healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population of Kampala, Uganda. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. We recruited 564 study participants, including 311 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 253 from the general population. Data were analyzed using frequency distributions and Chi-square tests. SPSS version 22.0 was used to conduct all study analyses. Results This study revealed that the proportion of vaccinated HCWs (77.4%) was significantly higher than that of the vaccinated general population (64.4%, p = 0.010). Nearly all study participants were aware of COVID-19 vaccines (96.7%). The research revealed that a large proportion of the participants (89.7%) encountered rumors regarding unverified adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. This information significantly contributed to vaccine hesitancy, with 81.1% expressing reluctance to receive the vaccine, and 55% stating their unwillingness to get vaccinated. Misinformation affected people's vaccine acceptance, affecting their willingness to receive vaccines if unvaccinated and potentially influencing their receptiveness to future vaccines or boosters if already vaccinated. Conclusions The study showed a negative impact of misinformation on vaccine uptake and could be the most significant contributor to vaccine hesitancy in future vaccine programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine Atuheirwe
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Otim
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Keneth Junior Male
- Department of Biochemistry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Stella Ahimbisibwe
- Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering (SFTNB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joachim Dzidzor Sackey
- Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA.
| | - Obondo James Sande
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
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Izadi N, Aminian O, Ghafourian K, Aghdaee A, Samadanian S. Reproductive outcomes among female health care workers. BMC Womens Health 2024; 24:44. [PMID: 38229075 PMCID: PMC10792822 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-024-02890-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Occupational exposures may be associated with reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes. This study investigated the association between occupational exposures and reproductive health, pregnancy outcomes, and the lactation period among hospital staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven hundred thirty-three female healthcare workers from hospitals affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. The measurement method for fertility consequences was self-report. Demographic characteristics, occupational data, medical history, and reproductive history were collected via data collection form. Finally, reproductive outcomes were evaluated in different occupational hazard categories. RESULT Chemical exposures (solvents) were a risk factor for stillbirth. Prolonged working hours were associated with spontaneous abortion and breastfeeding periods. Shift workers did not have a higher frequency of reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, but the breastfeeding period was significantly decreased in shift workers. Psychiatric disorders were associated with preterm labour, low birth weight, and stillbirth in sequence with nervousness, depression, and mood disturbance. Furthermore, depression affects the breastfeeding period. Moreover, we found a link between job titles and infertility. In addition, socioeconomic status was related to stillbirth and infertility. CONCLUSION The study revealed that chemical and ergonomic exposures have associations with some reproductive outcomes. We also conclude that shift work could adversely affect the breastfeeding period. So, implementing some organizational strategies to control adverse health effects of occupational hazards and modifying shift work and working hours for nursing mothers is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Izadi
- Center for research on occupational diseases, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Omid Aminian
- Center for research on occupational diseases, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiana Ghafourian
- School of medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - AmirHossein Aghdaee
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Samadanian
- Center for research on occupational diseases, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Puri BK, Miari A, Theodoratou M. Predictors of poor psychological functioning of healthcare workers based in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Psychol Res 2023; 11:91274. [PMID: 38162540 PMCID: PMC10756858 DOI: 10.52965/001c.91274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Poor psychological functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported in several studies of healthcare workers from around the world. Factors that might predict this have yet to be established. Objectives First, to ascertain which factors were associated with poor psychological functioning in a cohort of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, to characterize key sociodemographic aspects of this cohort. Third, to determine the degree to which any predictors of poor psychological functioning were associated with each other. Methods A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted of 144 healthcare workers in Patras, Greece, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire consisted of: (1) demographic survey questions; (2) the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire scale; (3) the Kessler Psychological Distress scale; and (4) Toulouse's scale for coping strategies. The data were analyzed using general linear modeling. Results The statistical model (p < 10-10) indicated that smoking or taking drugs to calm anxiety, feeling ashamed, and being overwhelmed by one's feelings were all predictors of poor psychological functioning. Conversely, income was a protective factor. A post hoc network analysis showed that smoking or taking drugs to calm anxiety was relatively strongly associated with feeling ashamed; the latter was also associated with feeling overwhelmed. There was a weak negative association between income and feeling ashamed. Conclusion This study highlights the critical importance of psychological functioning in shaping the mental well-being of healthcare professionals during pandemics. Prioritizing the mental health of frontline workers is crucial for their well-being and for the overall functioning of healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Theodoratou
- Social Sciences Hellenic Open University
- Health Sciences Neapolis University Pafos
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Migowa A, Bernatsky S, Ngugi AK, Foster HE, Muriuki P, Riang'a RM, Luchters S. Bridging gaps: a qualitative inquiry on improving paediatric rheumatology care among healthcare workers in Kenya. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2023; 21:144. [PMID: 38093255 PMCID: PMC10717234 DOI: 10.1186/s12969-023-00935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the paucity of paediatric rheumatologists in Kenya, it is paramount that we explore strategies to bridge clinical care gaps for paediatric rheumatology patients in order to promote early diagnosis, prompt referral, and optimal management. PURPOSE To identify proposed interventions which can improve the ability of non-specialist healthcare workers to care for paediatric rheumatology patients across Kenya. METHODS We conducted 12 focus group discussions with clinical officers (community physician assistants), nurses, general practitioners and paediatricians across six regions in Kenya. Interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using MAXQDA 2022.2 software. RESULTS A total of 68 individuals participated in the study; 11 clinical officers, 12 nurses, 10 general practitioners, 27 paediatricians and eight other healthcare workers. Proposed patient interventions included patient education and psychosocial support. Community interventions were outreach awareness campaigns, mobilising financial support for patients' care, mobilising patients to access diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Healthcare worker interventions include diagnostic, management, and referral guidelines, as well as research and educational interventions related to symptom identification, therapeutic strategies, and effective patient communication skills. In addition, it was highlighted that healthcare systems should be bolstered to improve insurance coverage and access to integrated multi-disciplinary clinical care. CONCLUSIONS Study participants were able to identify potential initiatives to improve paediatric rheumatology care in Kenya. Additional efforts are underway to design, implement and monitor the impact of some of these potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Migowa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Medical College East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.
- International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Sasha Bernatsky
- Department of Medicine (Divisions of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology), McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Montréal, Canada
| | - Anthony K Ngugi
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
- Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Helen E Foster
- Population and Health Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Peterrock Muriuki
- African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Roselyter M Riang'a
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Stanley Luchters
- International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR), Harare, Zimbabwe
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK
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Gustavsson ME, von Schreeb J, Arnberg FK, Juth N. "Being prevented from providing good care: a conceptual analysis of moral stress among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic". BMC Med Ethics 2023; 24:110. [PMID: 38071309 PMCID: PMC10710698 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-023-00993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health care workers (HCWs) are susceptible to moral stress and distress when they are faced with morally challenging situations where it is difficult to act in line with their moral standards. In times of crisis, such as disasters and pandemics, morally challenging situations are more frequent, due to the increased imbalance between patient needs and resources. However, the concepts of moral stress and distress vary and there is unclarity regarding the definitions used in the literature. This study aims to map and analyze the descriptions used by HCWs regarding morally challenging situations (moral stress) and refine a definition through conceptual analysis. METHODS Qualitative data were collected in a survey of 16,044 Swedish HCWs who attended a COVID-19 online course in autumn 2020. In total, 643 free-text answers with descriptions of moral stress were analyzed through content analysis. RESULTS Three themes emerged from the content analysis (1) "Seeing, but being prevented to act; feeling insufficient/inadequate and constrained in the profession," (2) "Someone or something hindered me; organizational structures as an obstacle," and (3) "The pandemic hindered us; pandemic-related obstacles." The three themes correspond to the main theme, "Being prevented from providing good care." DISCUSSION The main theme describes moral stress as various obstacles to providing good care to patients in need and acting upon empathic ability within the professional role. The themes are discussed in relation to established definitions of moral stress and are assessed through conceptual analysis. A definition of moral stress was refined, based on one of the established definitions. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of the study results and conceptual analysis, it is argued that the presented definition fulfils certain conditions of adequacy. It is essential to frame the concept of moral stress, which has been defined in different ways in different disciplines, in order to know what we are talking about and move forward in developing prevention measures for the negative outcomes of this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina E Gustavsson
- Global Disaster Medicine; Health Needs and Response. Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden.
| | - Johan von Schreeb
- Global Disaster Medicine; Health Needs and Response. Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
| | - Filip K Arnberg
- National Centre for Disaster Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Niklas Juth
- Centre for Research ethics and Bioethics (CRB), Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Stockholm Centre for Healthcare Ethics (CHE), Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Boisson-Walsh A, Thompson P, Fried B, Shea CM, Ngimbi P, Lumande F, Tabala M, Kashamuka MM, Babakazo P, Domino ME, Yotebieng M. Childhood immunization uptake determinants in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: ordered regressions to assess timely infant vaccines administered at birth and 6-weeks. Glob Health Res Policy 2023; 8:50. [PMID: 38057919 PMCID: PMC10698958 DOI: 10.1186/s41256-023-00338-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite global efforts to reduce preventable childhood illness by distributing infant vaccines, immunization coverage in sub-Saharan African settings remains low. Further, timely administration of vaccines at birth-tuberculosis (Bacille Calmette-Guérin [BCG]) and polio (OPV0)-remains inconsistent. As countries such as Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) prepare to add yet another birth-dose vaccine to their immunization schedule, this study aims to improve current and future birth-dose immunization coverage by understanding the determinants of infants receiving vaccinations within the national timeframe. METHODS The study used two ordered regression models to assess barriers to timely BCG and first round of the hepatitis B (HepB3) immunization series across multiple time points using the Andersen Behavioral Model to conceptualize determinants at various levels. The assessment leveraged survey data collected during a continuous quality improvement study (NCT03048669) conducted in 105 maternity centers throughout Kinshasa Province, DRC. The final sample included 2398 (BCG analysis) and 2268 (HepB3 analysis) women-infant dyads living with HIV. RESULTS Between 2016 and 2020, 1981 infants (82.6%) received the BCG vaccine, and 1551 (68.4%) received the first dose of HepB3 vaccine. Of those who received the BCG vaccine, 26.3%, 43.5%, and 12.8% received BCG within 24 h, between one and seven days, and between one and 14 weeks, respectively. Of infants who received the HepB3 vaccine, 22.4% received it within six weeks, and 46% between six and 14 weeks of life. Many factors were positively associated with BCG uptake, including higher maternal education, household wealth, higher facility general readiness score, and religious-affiliated facility ownership. The factors influencing HepB3 uptake included older maternal age, higher education level, household wealth, transport by taxi to a facility, higher facility general and immunization readiness scores, and religious-affiliated facility ownership. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the study participants' uptake of vaccines was consistent with the country average, but not in a timely manner. Various factors were associated with timely uptake of BCG and HepB3 vaccines. These findings suggest that investment to strengthen the vaccine delivery system might improve timely vaccine uptake and equity in vaccine coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Boisson-Walsh
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Peyton Thompson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Bruce Fried
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Christopher Michael Shea
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Patrick Ngimbi
- Ecole de Santé Publique de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Fidéle Lumande
- Ecole de Santé Publique de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Martine Tabala
- Ecole de Santé Publique de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Pélagie Babakazo
- Ecole de Santé Publique de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Marisa Elaine Domino
- Center for Health Information and Research, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Marcel Yotebieng
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
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Huang Y, Zhang H, Qin Z, Zou Y, Feng Z, Cheng J. The impact of meaning in life and professional happiness on the turnover intention of health care workers: a cross-sectional study from China. Hum Resour Health 2023; 21:92. [PMID: 38012739 PMCID: PMC10680312 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-023-00878-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The turnover and shortage of health care workers (HCWs) have been a worldwide problem for healthcare organizations. The primary aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing the intention of Chinese HCWs to leave their job, especially meaning in life and professional happiness. METHODS This observational cross-sectional study, conducted among 1125 full-time HCWs, assessed demographic variables, meaning in life, professional happiness, and turnover intention by a survey. The survey was distributed to HCWs in three tertiary hospitals. The data were analyzed by T-tests, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis tests and hierarchical linear regression model. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in turnover intention of HCWs by gender, age, role, educational level, years in practice, and number of monthly night shifts. HCWs' meaning in life and professional happiness were negatively associated with the turnover intention. Furthermore, after controlling for other factors, meaning in life explained 3.7% of the turnover intention and professional happiness explained 13.4%. CONCLUSION In our study, positive psychological factors were related to turnover intentions. Professional happiness was the strongest predictor. Thus, health human resource managers should foster positive psychology among HCWs to reduce their turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Huang
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huilin Zhang
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zuming Qin
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Zou
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- School of Nursing, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhiling Feng
- Trade Union, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Jiao Cheng
- Youth League Committee, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Jacobsen SS, Vilhelmsen M, Lottrup L, Brandt M. Facilitators and barriers for using outdoor areas in the primary work tasks of eldercare workers in nursing homes. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1300. [PMID: 38001468 PMCID: PMC10675903 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10308-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eldercare workers in nursing homes report high musculoskeletal disorders, stressful work, and sickness absence. Initiatives that can accommodate these issues are needed. Current studies point out that nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits, potentially promoting healthier work among eldercare workers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate facilitators and barriers for using outdoor areas as part of the daily work among eldercare workers in Danish nursing homes. METHODS In this multiple case study, we collected data from three nursing homes, conducting three semi-structured focus group interviews with eldercare workers and three individual interviews with nursing home managers. Furthermore, we conducted observations of the daily work and mappings of the nursing homes' outdoor environments to gain in-depth knowledge of eldercare workers' and managers' perspectives on using outdoor areas in their daily work. The data was thematically analysed using 'The Behaviour Change Wheel' (BCW), more specifically the COM-B model, as a theoretical foundation for exploring facilitators and barriers for the use of outdoor areas. RESULTS Frequently mentioned facilitators were facilities, traditions or repetitive events, positive experiences with residents ('star moments'), and knowledge about the residents. Frequently mentioned barriers were insufficient staffing, hierarchy in the work tasks, professional identity, and lack of ideas. CONCLUSIONS The identified facilitators and barriers should be considered when designing initiatives for increased use of outdoor areas or activities of eldercare workers. TRIAL REGISTRATION According to the Danish ethics committee (Law of committee, (komitéloven) paragraph 14, Sect. 2), qualitative interviews, which do not include human biological materials, do not need neither approval by ethical and scientific committee or informed consent (The Danish National Centre for Ethics).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Schade Jacobsen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maja Vilhelmsen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Lene Lottrup
- Outdoor Institute, Silkeborg, Denmark
- Sundhedslandskab, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Brandt
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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SoleimanvandiAzar N, Amirkafi A, Shalbafan M, Ahmadi SAY, Asadzandi S, Shakeri S, Saeidi M, Panahi R, Nojomi M. Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) symptoms among health care workers in COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:862. [PMID: 37990311 PMCID: PMC10664495 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05353-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, are among the serious mental health challenges that Health Care Workers (HCWs) faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these symptoms reduce the mental well-being and effectiveness of HCWs which are followed by poor health outcomes for patients, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of OCD symptoms among HCWs worldwide. METHODS PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Emerald, and ERIC databases were searched using related keywords till the end of October 2021. Observational studies about the prevalence of OCD symptoms among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic were screened and evaluated. In order to assess the quality of studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) checklist was used. The effect measure was the prevalence rate with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS A total of 7864 individuals from 11 studies were included. The range of OCD symptoms prevalence across these studies was from 0.07 to 0.47. Due to the high heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 98.6%, P < 0.01), the random effects model was used. The pooled prevalence was 0.29 (95% CI: 0.22-0.38) based on logit transformed CI. CONCLUSIONS The pooled prevalence of OCD symptoms was 29% among the HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This prevalence was higher than the general population according to the pre-pandemic literature, but lower than the recent reports amid the pandemic. Psychosocial interventions are suggested to be designed and implemented in such conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda SoleimanvandiAzar
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Amirkafi
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Shalbafan
- Mental Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyyed Amir Yasin Ahmadi
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Asadzandi
- Department of Medical Library and Information Science, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shiva Shakeri
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Saeidi
- Research Center for Addiction and Risky Behaviors, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Panahi
- Mental Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Nojomi
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada.
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Terefe S, Yazachew L, Asmamaw DB, Belachew TB, Feleke A, Tafere TZ, Yimer A, Negash WD. Time management practice and associated factors among employees working in public health centers, Northwest Ethiopia: a mixed method study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1145. [PMID: 37875925 PMCID: PMC10598936 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10004-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While progressing towards universal health coverage, poor time management in the healthcare system had significant effect on an individual such as imbalance, job dissatisfaction, and work ineffectiveness and finally poor productivity of the organization will be resulted. Information about time management practice in the healthcare system is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess time management practice and associated factors among employees working in public health centers, Dabat District, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS A facility-based cross-sectional mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) study was conducted in Dabat District from May 27 to June 22, 2022. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 413 study subjects and for the qualitative data, six key informants were selected. Self-administered questionnaire was used for the quantitative study, and an interview guide was employed for the qualitative study. Epi-data version 4.6 and SPSS 26 software were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Open Code 4.6 software was used for qualitative data analysis. Variables with p-value of < 0.05 in multivariable analysis were considered as significant associated factors. RESULTS A total of 396 employees participated in the study with a response rate of 95.8%. The result showed that overall, 54.8% (95% CI: 49.5-59.6) of health employees had practiced good time management. The likelihood of good time management was higher among those health workers who had planning experience (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.22-3.4), low procrastination habit (AOR = 1.65 95% CI: 1.04-2.65), satisfied with performance appraisal (AOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.05-2.81), and satisfied with organizational policy and strategy (AOR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.6-4.3). The qualitative result also showed that the existing performance appraisal practices were not linked to rewards or sanction planning. CONCLUSION The overall time management practice of public health center employees was low compared with prior studies. Organizational policies, prior planning experience, procrastination, and performance appraisal were all significantly associated factors with time management practice. Therefore, health center managers need to set an intervention to address all of the following factors to enhance employees' time management skills at public health centers like evidence-based performance appraisals, sharing organizational policies, and engaging in capacity building activities such as training in time management and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisay Terefe
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Lake Yazachew
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Desale Bihonegn Asmamaw
- Department of Reproductive Health, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadele Biresaw Belachew
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Amsalu Feleke
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfahun Zemene Tafere
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Ali Yimer
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia
| | - Wubshet Debebe Negash
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
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Pacutova V, Geckova AM, de Winter AF, Reijneveld SA. Opportunities to strengthen resilience of health care workers regarding patient safety. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1127. [PMID: 37858175 PMCID: PMC10588085 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10054-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic endangered the quality of health care and the safety of patients and health care workers (HCWs). This provided challenges for HCWs' resilience and for hospital management and probably increased risks for patient safety incidents (PSI). HCWs may also have experienced psychological consequences as second victims of PSI, but evidence on this is lacking. Therefore, we mapped HCWs' experiences with PSI during the second wave of COVID-19, the associations of these experiences with the hospital management of patient safety culture and HCWs' interests in receiving further training. METHODS We obtained data from 193 HCWs working at the COVID-related departments of one large hospital in eastern Slovakia via a questionnaire developed in direct collaboration with them. We measured PSI experiences as various HCWs' experiences with near miss and adverse events and the hospital management of patient safety culture using indicators such as risk of recurrence, open disclosure and second victim experiences. For analysis, we used logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender of the HCWs. RESULTS One-third of the hospital HCWs had experienced PSI; these were more likely to expect adverse events to recur (odds ratio, OR = 2.7-3.5). Regarding the hospital management of patient safety culture, the HCWs' experiencing openly disclosed PSI was associated with one negative outcome, i.e. conflicts among colleagues (OR = 2.8), and one positive outcome, i.e. patients' acceptance of their explanation and apologies (OR = 2.3). We found no associations for any other essential domains after disclosure. PSI experiences were strongly associated with psychological indicators of second victimhood, such as sadness, irritability, anxiety and depression (OR = 2.2-4.3), while providing support was not. The majority of the HCWs would like to participate in the suggested trainings (83.4%). CONCLUSION HCWs with PSI experiences reported poor hospital management of the patient safety culture, which might reflect they missed the opportunities to strengthen their resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Pacutova
- Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice, 040 11, Slovakia.
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713, Netherlands.
| | - Andrea Madarasova Geckova
- Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice, 040 11, Slovakia
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713, Netherlands
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, 821 05, Slovakia
| | - Andrea F de Winter
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713, Netherlands
| | - Sijmen A Reijneveld
- Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713, Netherlands
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Morawa E, Adler W, Schug C, Geiser F, Beschoner P, Jerg-Bretzke L, Albus C, Weidner K, Baranowski AM, Erim Y. Depressive and anxiety symptoms in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic among physicians in hospitals: results of the longitudinal, multicenter VOICE-EgePan survey over two years. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:327. [PMID: 37817222 PMCID: PMC10566070 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01354-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This longitudinal, multicenter web-based study explored the trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among physicians over two years. METHODS At four measurement points between 4/2020 and 5/2022 depressive (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, PHQ-2) and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2, GAD-2) among physicians in German hospitals were assessed. Time, gender and age effects were analyzed with linear mixed regression models. Comparisons with norm values for the German population during the COVID-19 pandemic were also performed and frequencies of probable depression and anxiety are reported. RESULTS The physicians (N = 340) showed a significant increase of depressive symptoms from T1 (M = 1.35, SD = 1.33) to T4 (M = 1.64, SD = 1.34) (p < .001) and of anxiety symptoms from T1 (M = 1.35, SD = 1.42) to T2 (M = 1.59, SD = 1.43) (p = .024). The main effect of gender was only significant for anxiety symptoms (p = .001): women demonstrated higher scores than men. A significant age class difference was observed only for depressive symptoms: the youngest age group (18-40 years) revealed higher values than the oldest group (> 50 years, p = .003). As compared to the general population, the physicians reported significantly elevated PHQ-2 (T1: M = 1.35, SD = 1.33; T2: M = 1.53, SD = 1.37; T3: M = 1.55, SD = 1.40; T4: M = 1.64, SD = 1.34) and GAD-2 scores (T1: M = 1.35, SD = 1.42; T2: M = 1.59, SD = 1.43; T3: M = 1.61, SD = 1.57; T4: M = 1.49, SD = 1.46) for all measurement points (all p < .001). The frequencies of probable depression (PHQ-2 ≥ 3) and anxiety (GAD-2 ≥ 3) were: 14.1% and 17.0% (T1), 16.5% and 21.9% (T2), 17.8% and 22.6% (T3) and 18.5% and 17.3% (T4), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Mental distress of physicians in German hospitals has increased in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic with gender and age-related differences. Possible causes should be explored and regular monitoring of mental health and prevention programmes for physicians should be established. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was registered on ClinicalTrials (DRKS-ID: DRKS00021268) on 9.4.2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Morawa
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.
| | - Werner Adler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Caterina Schug
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Franziska Geiser
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Clinic of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Petra Beschoner
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lucia Jerg-Bretzke
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian Albus
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Weidner
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas M Baranowski
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Clinic of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yesim Erim
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
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Makali SL, Lembebu JC, Boroto R, Zalinga CC, Bugugu D, Lurhangire E, Rosine B, Chimanuka C, Mwene-Batu P, Molima C, Mendoza JR, Ferrari G, Merten S, Bisimwa G. Violence against health care workers in a crisis context: a mixed cross-sectional study in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Confl Health 2023; 17:44. [PMID: 37789323 PMCID: PMC10546691 DOI: 10.1186/s13031-023-00541-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health Care Workers (HCWs) in conflict zones face high levels of violence while also playing a crucial role in assisting the population in distress. For more than two decades, the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have been wracked by conflict. This study aims to describe the state of violence against HCWs and the potential prevention mechanisms in eastern DRC. METHODS In North and South Kivu, between February 5 and 21, 2021, we conducted a mixed cross-sectional convergent study in health facilities (health centers and hospitals). An anonymized self-administered questionnaire was sent to HCWs about their experience of violence in the 12 months prior to the study. In-depth individual interviews with HCWs, present on the day of the investigation, were also done to explore their experience of violence. A descriptive analysis of the quantitative data and a thematic analysis of the qualitative data was carried out. RESULTS Of a total of 590 participants, 276 (45.9%) reported having experienced violence in the 12 months before the study. In North Kivu, aggressors were more frequently the patients (43.7% vs. 26.5%) and armed group members (14.3% vs. 7.9%) than in South Kivu. Most respondents (93.5%) reported verbal aggression (insults, intimidation, death threats). Other forms of physical aggression including with bare hands (11.2%), firearm (1.81%), and stabbing (4.7%). Only nearly one-tenth of the attacks were officially reported, and among those reported a higher proportion of sanctions was observed in South Kivu (8.5%) than in North Kivu (2.4%). The mechanisms proposed to prevent violence against HCWs were community initiatives and actions to strength the health system. CONCLUSIONS In Eastern DRC, HCWs face multiple and severe forms of aggression from a variety of individuals. The effects of such levels violence on HCWs and the communities they served could be devastating on the already pressured health system. Policy framework that defines the roles and responsibilities for the protection of HCWs and for the development and implementation of preparedness measures such as training on management of violence are possible solutions to this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lwamushi Makali
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Hôpital Provincial Général de Référence de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Centre de Connaissance en Santé en RDCongo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Ecole de Santé Publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.
| | - Jean Corneille Lembebu
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Raïssa Boroto
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Daniella Bugugu
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emmanuel Lurhangire
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Bigirinama Rosine
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Christine Chimanuka
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Pacifique Mwene-Batu
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Hôpital Provincial Général de Référence de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Kaziba, Kaziba, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Christian Molima
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Giovanfrancesco Ferrari
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Merten
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ghislain Bisimwa
- Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Hôpital Provincial Général de Référence de Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Centre de Connaissance en Santé en RDCongo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Hoppe C, Büntzel J, Paradies K, Rösler M, Hübner J. Psychosocial effects of the corona pandemic on people with cancer: a qualitative study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:11031-11039. [PMID: 37340188 PMCID: PMC10465636 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04970-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Corona pandemic caused far-reaching changes since 2020. We wanted to find out which factors determined the psycho-social well-being of cancer patients during the pandemic. METHODS From May to July 2021, structured interviews were conducted concerning lockdown, social limitations, the virus itself, the treatment situation, and opportunities. RESULTS Twenty people took part in the study (doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, patients). One of the most important aspects was the ban on visits. Others were the fear of infection and the possibility of vaccination. Wearing a mask seem to have been worse for the experts. Conflicts in families about the "right" behavior to protect yourself from infection have been a stressful issue for patients, just as the lack of balance and recreation in free time. CONCLUSION Patients in the third wave of corona have become accustomed to the rules. Especially loneliness and the organization of time at home are psycho-social stress factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Hoppe
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Bachstraße 18, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| | - Jens Büntzel
- Klinik für HNO-Erkrankungen, Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie, Interdisziplinäre Palliativstation Südharz Klinikum Nordhausen, Nordhausen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Paradies
- Konferenz Onkologischer Kranken- und Kinderkrankenpflege, Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie Rösler
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Soziale Arbeit in der Onkologie (ASO), Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Jutta Hübner
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Bachstraße 18, 07743, Jena, Germany
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Alp Çavuş S, Çelik M, Süner AF, Güzel I, Irmak Ç, Çağlayan D, Öztürk HG, Şiyve N, Appak Ö, Işık E, Ergör G, Ergör OA, Demiral Y, Sayıner AA, Kılıç B. Pre-infection antibody levels of vaccinated healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection: A nested case-control study. Immunol Lett 2023; 262:1-6. [PMID: 37597753 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
AIM To evaluate anti-RBD IgG antibody levels and neutralizing antibody titers between the health care workers (HCWs) with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection and controls. METHODS In this nested case-case control study, we followed 548 vaccinated HCWs with homologous (only with inactivated vaccine) or heterologous (both with inactivated and BNT162b2 vaccine) vaccination for 11 months, prospectively. We obtained blood samples from the participants for quantitative anti-RBD IgG and surrogate neutralization test. The participants with SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity (at least 14 days after the last vaccination) were considered breakthrough infection. We chose 1:2 matched controls from the cohort, according to age, sex and vaccination status. We used R version 4.0.2 for the statistical analysis. RESULTS Sixty-five cases and 130 controls were included in the study. The number of the breakthrough infections in HCWs were correlated with the pandemic waves in Türkiye and peaked during Omicron outbreak. The median age of the cases was 39 and 78.5% were female. The cases had more comorbidities than controls, significantly (p = 0.021). All cases experienced no or mild symptoms and recovered completely. Both pre-infection anti-RBD antibody and neutralizing antibody titers did not differ between cases and matched controls (p = 0.767, p = 0.628). CONCLUSION In this study, we showed that there was no comparable difference in humoral response after homologous or heterologous vaccination between the cases of breakthrough infection and matched controls. Compliance with infection control measures should be ensured, in combination with vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sema Alp Çavuş
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye.
| | - Muammer Çelik
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Furkan Süner
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Irmak Güzel
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Çağlar Irmak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Derya Çağlayan
- Department of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Huriye Gamze Öztürk
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Neslişah Şiyve
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Özgür Appak
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Elif Işık
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Gül Ergör
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Osman Alparslan Ergör
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Yücel Demiral
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Ayça Arzu Sayıner
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Bülent Kılıç
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
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Cong Y, Dwyer J. The Duty to Care is Not Dead Yet. Asian Bioeth Rev 2023; 15:505-515. [PMID: 37808446 PMCID: PMC10555964 DOI: 10.1007/s41649-023-00254-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed social shortcomings and ethical failures, but it also revealed strengths and successes. In this perspective article, we examine and discuss one strength: the duty to care. We understand this duty in a broad sense, as more than a duty to treat individual patients who could infect health care workers. We understand it as a prima facie duty to work to provide care and promote health in the face of risks, obstacles, and inconveniences. Although at least one survey suggested that health care workers would not respond to a SARS-like outbreak according to a duty to care, we give reasons to show that the response was better than expected. The reasons we discuss lead us to consider normative accounts of the duty to care based on the adoption of social roles. Then, we consider one view of the relationship between empirical claims and normative claims about the duty to care in the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we draw insight from Mengzi, with an emendation from Dewey. Our perspective leaves many question to research, but one point seems clear: there will be future pandemics and the need for health care workers who respond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Cong
- Department of Medical Ethics and Law, School of Health Humanities, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - James Dwyer
- Center for Bioethics and Humanities, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY USA
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Park SY, Park S, Lee E, Jeong YS, Kim JH, Oh SM, Cheong S, Park H, Jo S, Kim TH. Steady amelioration of institutional hand hygiene behavior among health care personnel after 12-year consistent intervention. Am J Infect Control 2023; 51:1023-1027. [PMID: 36736385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Institutional hand hygiene (HH) behavior is difficult to monitor and improve consistently, especially over long periods. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of HH promotion activities. METHOD We launched the HH promotion team in 2010 and conducted interventions including goal setting, observation and feedback, education, reward incentives, and accountability. Optimal HH compliance rates were calculated based on adherence to all 6-step HH technique and appropriate time recommended by the World Health Organization. HH and optimal HH compliance were calculated over 12 years. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the trend in HH compliance according to year. RESULTS In 2010, HH and optimal HH compliance were 59.7% and 15.6%, respectively. HH compliance increased by 83.9% in 2013 and remained over 75%. HH compliance increased significantly, with a relative risk (RR) of 1.014 (95% CI 1.002-1.025, P = .018). Optimal HH compliance increased by 67.8% in 2013 and remained over 60%, except in 2016 (58.8%) and 2019 (59.8%). Optimal HH compliance increased with RR 1.033 (95% CI 0.991-1.076, P = .123). DISCUSSION HH and optimal HH compliance increased significantly over the 12 years when subgroup analysis was performed by job category. CONCLUSIONS HH promotion team activities improved and maintained optimal HH compliance among HCWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Yoon Park
- Department of Hospital Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Centers for Digital Health, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Suyeon Park
- Department of Biostatistics, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Republic of Korea; Department of Applied Statistics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjung Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeon Su Jeong
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hwa Kim
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Mi Oh
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sojin Cheong
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyein Park
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - SoYea Jo
- Infection Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyong Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Ismail H, Phan YH, Chandriah K, Arman MR, Mokhtar NN, Hamdan SA, Yew SQ. Insights into frontline healthcare workers' mental health amidst COVID-19 - Sources of workplace worries and coping strategies. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20258. [PMID: 37809997 PMCID: PMC10560014 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study was aimed to measure the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress as well as to evaluate the associations of these mental disorders with sociodemographic factors, workplace worries, and coping strategies among frontline HCWs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic data questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21, sources of workplace worries questionnaire, and Brief-COPE inventory were randomly distributed to frontline HCWs who worked at the medical, emergency, and anaesthesiology departments. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests and multivariable linear regression analysis. Results A total of 137 frontline HCWs responded to the questionnaires. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 69.3%, 77.4%, and 57.7%, respectively. None of the sociodemographic characteristics was associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Depression was associated to all sources of workplace worries, except "fear of getting infected" (p = 0.089), while anxiety and stress were associated with all sources of workplace worries. Humour (β = 0.821), self-blame (β = 0.686), denial (β = 0.676), substance use (β = 0.835), and behavioural disengagement (β = 0.583) were positively correlated to depression. However, active coping (β = -0.648) and acceptance (β = -0.602) were negatively correlated to depression. On the other hand, active coping (β = 0.913), planning (β = 0.879), acceptance (β = 0.831), religion (β = 0.704), and self-distraction (β = 0.929) were positively correlated to stress. Only substance use (β = -0.417) was negatively correlated to stress. All coping strategies did not correlate to anxiety. Conclusion The high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress is attributed by the various sources of workplace worries and the inappropriate coping strategies among the frontline HCWs. Measures that minimise workplace worries and inappropriate coping strategies must be implemented promptly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halim Ismail
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yong-Hong Phan
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kausalyaa Chandriah
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Ridzwan Arman
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Nabihah Mokhtar
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Aishah Hamdan
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sheng Qian Yew
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Kumar P, Jain M, Amirthavaali G, Mishra TS, Sasmal PK, Lubaib K, Gond PK, Sarthak S. Impact of personal protective equipment on patient safety and health care workers. Med J Armed Forces India 2023; 79:531-538. [PMID: 37719904 PMCID: PMC10499652 DOI: 10.1016/j.mjafi.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The study aims to assess the effect of personal protective equipment (PPE) on the physical and psychological well-being of health care workers (HCWs) and its impact on patient safety. Methods After ethical approval, a 14-point questionnaire was circulated offline and online among the HCWs of ours institute, who were involved in performing invasive procedures while wearing a PPE. The responses were analysed using the SPSS software version 26. Results Of 198 responses, the mean duration of PPE use was 4.6 ± 1.52 h. Seventy percent of respondents suggested <4 h of continuous use of PPE. Seventy-seven percent found difficulties during the procedures while wearing PPE and agreed to errors while performing a procedure. Poor visibility (95.5%), fogging (84.9%), communication difficulty (75.3%), sweating (74.2%), posture-related discomfort (56.1%) and poor concentration (51%) were major causes. Anxiety (39.9%) and fear of spreading an infection to the family (42.9%) were major psychological effects. Eighty percent of HCWs raised concern over the quality of PPE, N95 mask and eye protector. The HCWs felt the need to improve the quality of PPEs, use extra padding around the ears, sealing the N95 mask with adhesive tape, besides using sign language for communication for more safety. Fifty percent graded the procedure-related difficulty level >6 on a Likert scale of 1-10. Conclusion PPE-related discomfort is common among the HCWs and could contribute to errors during an invasive procedure. Efforts to alleviate the physical and psychological well-being of the HCWs will be essential for reducing procedural error while wearing a PPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Kumar
- Associate Professor (General Surgery), AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Mantu Jain
- Associate Professor (Orthopedic Surgery), AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, India
| | | | | | | | - K.P. Lubaib
- Resident (Orthopedic Surgery), AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Preeti K. Gond
- Resident (Orthopedic Surgery), AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, India
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21
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Hasenoehrl T, Palma S, Huber DFX, Kastl S, Steiner M, Jordakieva G, Crevenna R. Post-COVID: effects of physical exercise on functional status and work ability in health care personnel. Disabil Rehabil 2023; 45:2872-2878. [PMID: 35980383 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2111467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Post-COVID fatigue significantly limits recovery and return-to-work in COVID-19 survivors. We aimed to assess the effects of physical exercising on post-COVID-19-symptoms, physical/mental capacities and workability within a workplace-health-promotion project in health-care personnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two HCWs were enrolled in two groups based on Post-COVID-Functional Scale (PCFS) scores: (1) severe (SSG, n = 11) and (2) mild (MSG, n = 21) symptoms. The participants underwent an eight week exercise intervention program consisting of two supervised resistance exercise sessions per week plus individual aerobic exercise recommendations. Primary outcome-parameter for physical fitness was VO2peak. Further, physical function (6MWT, 30 s sit-to-stand test (30secSTS)), mental health (anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), stress (PSS-10), fatigue (BFI), resilience (BRS)), cognitive capacity (MoCA) and workability (WAI) were assessed at baseline, after 4 weeks and after completion of exercise intervention. RESULTS VO2peak improved significantly in the SSG by 2.4 ml/kg/min (95% CI [1.48; 3.01], adj.p < 0.001) and non-significantly in the MSG by 1.27 ml/kg/min (adj.p = 0.096). Both groups significantly improved their 30secSTS (p = 0.0236) and 6MWT (p = 0.0252) outcomes in both follow-ups (4 weeks and 8 weeks after inclusion). The SSG improved more than the MSG in VO2peak and 6MWT both after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, although not statistically significant; findings were vice versa for the 30secSTS. 30secSTS outcomes correlated significantly with mental health outcomes and workability. CONCLUSIONS Post-COVID exercise intervention improved physical fitness, psychological outcomes and workability in HCWs. Cases with severe fatigue showed higher benefit levels compared to those with mild symptoms. The safe and highly feasible 30secSTS correlated well with physical and mental outcomes and better workability in COVID-19 survivors.Implications for rehabilitationPhysical exercising showed to be an effective intervention method in the rehabilitation of COVID-19 survivors suffering from post-COVID syndrome by positively affecting both physical and mental health.In health care workers suffering from post-COVID syndrome, increases in physical performance are directly related to improvements in work ability.The 30 s sit-to-stand test (30secSTS) showed promising results as clinical assessment tool.The results of this study indicate that physical exercising will need to play a large and substantial role over the next years in the rehabilitation of COVID-19 survivors suffering from post-COVID-19-syndrome as it positively affects both physical and mental dimensions of the post-COVID-19-syndrome as well as work ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Hasenoehrl
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefano Palma
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominikus F-X Huber
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kastl
- Department of Medicine II, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margarete Steiner
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Galateja Jordakieva
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Crevenna
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Fanai S, Mohammadnezhad M. "Road traffic injury could be minimized when individual road users take more responsibility for their safety and the safety of others": Perception of healthcare workers in Vanuatu. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18580. [PMID: 37520998 PMCID: PMC10374962 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Around 1.35 million deaths are caused by Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) each year. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Vanuatu's Health Care Workers (HCWs) regarding the existing preventative strategies for RTI. Materials and methods In 2020, this study used qualitative approaches to collect data from HCWs using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Study participants were self-identified Ni-Vanuatu HCWs who had been serving for more than 6 months in three main hospitals where the study was conducted and purposive sampling was used to gather the study participants. To guide the FGDs, a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was created. Thematic analysis was used to processed the data obtained, based on predetermined themes that were based on theory while also enabling the data to determine new themes. Result From 5 FGDs with 22 HCWs who were emergency nurses, doctors and public health officers, data saturation was reached. The study yielded five main themes and sixteen subthemes. The relevance and trends of RTI, barriers to effective care, pre-hospital management capacity, barriers to pre-hospital care and addressing RTI were among the key subjects. The findings suggest that addressing health institutional leadership and resources will improve prevention of RTIs. Conclusion Prevention of RTIs is hindered by the lack of health institutional capacities in terms of leadership and resources that include emergency equipment, financial and trained human resources. The health sector should consider developing stronger leadership in road safety to be an essential part of its core business.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saen Fanai
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Masoud Mohammadnezhad
- School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
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Kaske EA, Chen CS, Meyer C, Yang F, Ebitz B, Grissom N, Kapoor A, Darrow DP, Herman AB. Prolonged Physiological Stress Is Associated With a Lower Rate of Exploratory Learning That Is Compounded by Depression. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2023; 8:703-711. [PMID: 36894434 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress is a major risk factor for depression, and both are associated with important changes in decision-making patterns. However, decades of research have only weakly connected physiological measurements of stress to the subjective experience of depression. Here, we examined the relationship between prolonged physiological stress, mood, and explore-exploit decision making in a population navigating a dynamic environment under stress: health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We measured hair cortisol levels in health care workers who completed symptom surveys and performed an explore-exploit restless-bandit decision-making task; 32 participants were included in the final analysis. Hidden Markov and reinforcement learning models assessed task behavior. RESULTS Participants with higher hair cortisol exhibited less exploration (r = -0.36, p = .046). Higher cortisol levels predicted less learning during exploration (β = -0.42, false discovery rate [FDR]-corrected p [pFDR] = .022). Importantly, mood did not independently correlate with cortisol concentration, but rather explained additional variance (β = 0.46, pFDR = .022) and strengthened the relationship between higher cortisol and lower levels of exploratory learning (β = -0.47, pFDR = .022) in a joint model. These results were corroborated by a reinforcement learning model, which revealed less learning with higher hair cortisol and low mood (β = -0.67, pFDR = .002). CONCLUSIONS These results imply that prolonged physiological stress may limit learning from new information and lead to cognitive rigidity, potentially contributing to burnout. Decision-making measures link subjective mood states to measured physiological stress, suggesting that they should be incorporated into future biomarker studies of mood and stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika A Kaske
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Cathy S Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Collin Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Flora Yang
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Becket Ebitz
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicola Grissom
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - David P Darrow
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Alexander B Herman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Shahmy S, Kularatne SAM, Gawarammana IB, Rathnayake SS, Dawson AH. Compliance with national snakebite treatment guidelines in rural Sri Lankan hospitals: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a brief educational intervention. BMC Med Educ 2023; 23:390. [PMID: 37245040 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04375-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snakebite is a global health problem that predominantly occurs in rural areas. In Sri Lanka, the majority of snakebite patients first present to smaller rural primary hospitals. Improving care delivered at rural hospitals has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality from snakebites. OBJECTIVE In this study, we evaluated whether an educational intervention would increase compliance with national snakebite treatment guidelines in primary hospitals. METHODS The hospitals were randomized into educational intervention (n = 24) and control groups (n = 20). The intervention hospitals received a brief educational intervention based on Sri Lankan Medical Association (SLMA) guidelines on the management of snakebites. Control hospitals had free access to the guidelines but no additional promotion. Four outcomes were assessed: pre- and post-test knowledge at the completion of a one-day workshop of educational intervention (intervention group only); improvement in the quality of the patient's medical records; appropriateness of transfers to higher hospitals; and quality of overall management graded by a blinded expert. The data was collected over a period of 12 months. RESULTS All case notes of snakebite hospital admissions were reviewed. There were 1021 cases in the intervention group hospitals and 1165 cases in the control hospitals. Four hospitals in the intervention group and three hospitals in the control group did not have snakebite admissions and were excluded from the cluster analysis. The absolute quality of care was high in both groups. Post-test knowledge was improved (p < 0.0001) following the intervention group's educational workshop. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of clinical data documentation in hospital notes (scores, p = 0.58) or transfer appropriateness (p = 0.68)-both of which were significantly different from the guidelines. CONCLUSION Education of primary hospital staff improved the immediate knowledge gained but did not improve record-keeping or the appropriateness of inter-hospital patient transfer. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was registered with Sri Lanka Medical Associations' clinical trial registry. Reg. No SLCTR -2013-023. Registered: 30/07/2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Shahmy
- National Science and Technology Commission of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
| | | | - Indika B Gawarammana
- South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Shantha S Rathnayake
- South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Andrew H Dawson
- South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Roozbeh J, Malekmakan L, Mashayekh M, Dehghani A, Ansari S, Akbarialiabad H, Mahmudpour M. Exposure to needle stick injuries among health care workers in hemodialysis units in the southwest of Iran: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:521. [PMID: 37221587 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09465-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Needle stick injury (NSI) is the most common cause of infection with blood-borne pathogens (BBP) among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of NSI and it's contributing factors among HCWs of hemodialysis (HD) units in southwest Iran. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed in 13 HD centers in Shiraz, Iran. A total of 122 employees were enrolled in our study. We used self-administrated questionnaires to collect data about demographics, experiences regarding NSIs, and general health status. The statistical tests used in this study were Chi-square and Independent T-test. A P-value < 0.05 is considered significant. RESULTS The mean age of the study population was 36.1 ± 7.8 years (72.1%: women). Exposure to NSIs was reported by 23.0% of them at least once during the previous six months. NSI prevalence was significantly higher among those with higher age (p = 0.033), work experience > 10 years (p = 0.040), and those who graduated earlier (p = 0.031). The intravenous injection was the most common procedure leading to NSI, and being in a hurry was the most common cause. The average general health was 3.7 ± 3.2, higher among those not exposed to NSI (p = 0.042). CONCLUSION NSI is a prevalent hazard in HCWs of HD units. The high rate of NSI and unreported cases, besides the lack of adequate information, indicates the necessity of implementing protocols and strategies for improving the safety of this personnel. It is difficult to compare the result of this study with those performed among HCWs in other settings; hence, further studies are needed to determine whether HCWs of these units are more exposed to NSIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Roozbeh
- Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Nephro-Urology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Leila Malekmakan
- Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Nephro-Urology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mina Mashayekh
- Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Nephro-Urology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Anahita Dehghani
- Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Nephro-Urology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Soroush Ansari
- Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Nephro-Urology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hossein Akbarialiabad
- Global Health Academy, Nuvance Health, and the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Vermont, United States
- St George and Sutherland Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mahmudpour
- Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
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Ehrenzeller S, Kuehl R, Durovic A, Martinez AE, Battegay M, von Rotz M, Fringer A, Tschudin-Sutter S. A qualitative study on the perception of infection prevention and control measures among healthcare workers without patient contact during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2023; 12:43. [PMID: 37122021 PMCID: PMC10149153 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-023-01246-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a qualitative interview-based study to examine the perception of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) without patient contact in a tertiary academic care center. We compared these findings to those derived from interviews of HCWs with patient contact from the same institution using the same study design. The following main four themes were identified: (1) As for HCWs with patient contact, transparent communication strongly contributes to employees' sense of security. (2) Information on personal protective equipment (PPE) usage needs to be stratified according to different educational backgrounds and professions. (3) Consistency of IPC measures was positively perceived yet a desire for constant reminders to counteract the fatigue effect played a more significant role for HCWs without patient contact. (4) As compared to HCWs with patient contact, HCWs without patient contact preferred uniform digital training resources rather than more face-to-face training. This study shows that the needs of HCWs with and without patient contact differ and need to be considered in pandemic management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Ehrenzeller
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Richard Kuehl
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana Durovic
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Emmanuel Martinez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Battegay
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias von Rotz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - André Fringer
- School of Health Professions, Institute of Nursing, Zürich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Tschudin-Sutter
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Jorgensen P, Schmid A, Sulo J, Preza I, Hasibra I, Kissling E, Fico A, Sridhar S, Rubin-Smith JE, Kota M, Vasili A, Daja R, Nika M, Pebody R, Lafond KE, Katz MA, Bino S. Factors associated with receipt of COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers in Albania (February 2021-June 2022): secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Lancet Reg Health Eur 2023; 27:100584. [PMID: 37013112 PMCID: PMC9969343 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19. We investigated factors associated with two- and three-dose COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among 1504 HCWs enrolled (19 February-7 May 2021) in a prospective COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness cohort in Albania through a secondary analysis. Methods We collected sociodemographic, occupational, health, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19 vaccination data from all HCWs at enrollment. Vaccination status was assessed weekly through June 2022. A serum sample was collected from all participants at enrollment and tested for anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We analyzed HCWs characteristics and outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. Findings By 11 June 2022, 1337 (88.9%) HCWs had received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, of whom 255 (19.1%) received a booster. Factors significantly associated with receiving three doses (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 95% CIs) were being ≥35 years (35-44 years: 1.76 (1.05-2.97); 45-54 years: 3.11 (1.92-5.05); ≥55 years: 3.38 (2.04-5.59)) and vaccinated against influenza (1.78; 1.20-2.64). Booster dose receipt was lower among females (0.58; 0.41-0.81), previously infected (0.67; 0.48-0.93), nurses and midwives (0.31; 0.22-0.45), and support staff (0.19; 0.11-0.32). Overall 1076 (72%) were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive at enrollment. Nurses and midwifes (1.45; 1.05-2.02), support staff (1.57; 1.03-2.41), and HCWs performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) (1.40; 1.01-1.94) had higher odds of being seropositive, while smokers had reduced odds (0.55; 0.40-0.75). Interpretation In a large cohort of Albanian HCWs, COVID-19 vaccine booster dose uptake was very low, particularly among younger, female, and non-physician HCWs, despite evidence demonstrating the added benefit of boosters in preventing infection and severe disease. Reasons behind these disparities should be explored to develop targeted strategies in order to promote uptake in this critical population. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was higher among non-physicians and HCWs performing APGs. A better understanding of the factors contributing to these differences is needed to inform interventions that could reduce infections in the future. Funding This study was funded by the Task Force for Global Health (US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cooperative agreement # NU51IP000873) and the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Jorgensen
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Marmorvej 51, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexis Schmid
- Boston Children's Hospital Global Health Program, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonilda Sulo
- Southeast European Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Iria Preza
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Iris Hasibra
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | | | - Albana Fico
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Shela Sridhar
- Boston Children's Hospital Global Health Program, Boston, MA, USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Global Health Equity, 651 Huntington Avenue FXB, Building, 7th Floor, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Majlinda Kota
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Adela Vasili
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Rovena Daja
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Miljana Nika
- Tirana University Hospital “Mother Theresa”, Dibra Street N.372, 1001, Tirana, Albania
| | - Richard Pebody
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Marmorvej 51, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathryn E. Lafond
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark A. Katz
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Marmorvej 51, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Silvia Bino
- Institute of Public Health, Alexander Moisiut Street N.80, 1001, Tirana, Albania
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Mochizuki T, Hori T, Yano K, Ikari K, Okazaki K. Changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers 6 months after the booster dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2023; 12:116-120. [PMID: 37214144 PMCID: PMC10193111 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2023.12.2.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose In Japan, the data on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody titers after the booster dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine are insufficient. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers before, 1, 3, and 6 months after the booster dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers. Materials and Methods A total of 268 participants who received the booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers were measured before (baseline) and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the booster dose. Factors associated with changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at 1, 3, and 6 months were analyzed. Cutoff values at baseline were calculated to prevent infection of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Results The SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at baseline, and 1, 3, and 6 months were 1,018.3 AU/mL, 21,396.5 AU/mL, 13,704.6 AU/mL, and 8,155.6 AU/mL, respectively. Factors associated with changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at 1 month were age and SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at baseline, whereas changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at 3 and 6 months were associated with the SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at 1 month. The cutoff values of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers at baseline were 515.4 AU/mL and 13,602.7 AU/mL at baseline and 1 month after the booster dose, respectively. Conclusion This study showed that SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers increase rapidly at 1 month after the booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine and begin to decrease from 1 to 6 months. Hence, another booster may be needed as soon as possible to prevent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Mochizuki
- Department of Rheumatology and Orthopedic Surgery, Kamagaya General Hospital, Kamagaya, Japan
| | - Takaki Hori
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kamagaya General Hospital, Kamagaya, Japan
| | - Koichiro Yano
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsunori Ikari
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Okazaki
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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Sufiyan MB, Abdulkareem SB, Joshua IA, Suleiman AG, Umar AA, Amadu L. Knowledge and perception of medication errors among health care workers in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria. Niger Postgrad Med J 2023; 30:150-155. [PMID: 37148118 DOI: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_75_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Medication errors (MEs) are important, often overlooked forms of medical error that are associated with morbidity and mortality in health care settings. Among health care workers, knowledge, attitude and perception may affect reporting of MEs. Aim The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and perception of MEs among health care workers in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 health care workers selected randomly through a stratified sampling. Their responses were collected using pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires and analysed using the Statsitical Package for the Social Sciences. The numerical variables were summarised as means and standard deviations, whereas categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square test was used to test for associations at P < 0.05. Results All the respondents heard of MEs and up to 108 (78.3%) correctly defined them. While only 121 (87.7%) respondents had fair to good knowledge about MEs, all of them had good perception of them. Major types of MEs known by the respondents were knowledge-based errors (79.7%), rule-based errors (52.9%), action-based errors (67.4%) and memory-based errors (55.8%). The causes of MEs identified were communication problems (88.4%), poor organizational knowledge transfer (63.8%), heavy workload (80.4%) and not reading instructions carefully (63.0%). There was no statistically significant association between the level of knowledge on MEs and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Conclusion Knowledge and perceptions of MEs were good among our respondents. Adequate mechanism (s) should be put in place to encourage the reporting of MEs whenever they occur to promote patient safety and improve health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Auwal Garba Suleiman
- Department of Community Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Institute of Child Health, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Ahmad Ayuba Umar
- Department of Community Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Lawal Amadu
- Department of Community Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Zaria, Nigeria
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Naggie S, Milstone A, Castro M, Collins SP, Lakshmi S, Anderson DJ, Cahuayme-Zuniga L, Turner KB, Cohen LW, Currier J, Fraulo E, Friedland A, Garg J, George A, Mulder H, Olson RE, O'Brien EC, Rothman RL, Shenkman E, Shostak J, Woods CW, Anstrom KJ, Hernandez AF. Hydroxychloroquine for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in health care workers: a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine (HERO-HCQ). Int J Infect Dis 2023; 129:40-48. [PMID: 36682681 PMCID: PMC9851717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine whether hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 infections among health care workers (HCWs). METHODS In a 1: 1 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, superiority trial at 34 US clinical centers, 1360 HCWs at risk for COVID-19 infection were enrolled between April and November 2020. Participants were randomized to HCQ or matched placebo. The HCQ dosing included a loading dose of HCQ 600 mg twice on day 1, followed by 400 mg daily for 29 days. The primary outcome was a composite of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 clinical infection by day 30, defined as new-onset fever, cough, or dyspnea and either a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test (confirmed) or a lack of confirmatory testing due to local restrictions (suspected). RESULTS Study enrollment closed before full accrual due to recruitment challenges. The primary end point occurred in 41 (6.0%) participants receiving HCQ and 53 (7.8%) participants receiving placebo. No difference in the proportion of participants experiencing clinical infection (estimated difference of -1.8%, 95% confidence interval -4.6-0.9%, P = 0.20) was identified nor any significant safety issues. CONCLUSION Oral HCQ taken as prescribed appeared safe among HCWs. No significant clinical benefits were observed. The study was not powered to detect a small but potentially important reduction in infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT04334148.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Naggie
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | | | - Mario Castro
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Sean P Collins
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lauren W Cohen
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Judith Currier
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Fraulo
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anne Friedland
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jyotsna Garg
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anoop George
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hillary Mulder
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel E Olson
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Emily C O'Brien
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Jack Shostak
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher W Woods
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin J Anstrom
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Silva-Valencia J, Soto-Becerra P, Escobar-Agreda S, Fernandez-Navarro M, Moscoso-Porras M, Solari L, Mayta-Tristán P. Effectiveness of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine in preventing infection and death in health care workers in Peru 2021. Travel Med Infect Dis 2023; 53:102565. [PMID: 36933851 PMCID: PMC10019038 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During 2021, Peru started the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 using the BBIBP-CorV inactivated virus vaccine for health care workers (HCW). We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and deaths among HCWs. METHODS Retrospective cohort study, from February 9 to June 30, 2021, using national registries of health care workers, laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2 and deaths. We calculated the vaccine effectiveness for preventing laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19-mortality, and all-cause mortality among partially immunized and fully immunized HCWs. An extension of Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the mortality results, and Poisson regression was used to model SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS The study included 606,772 eligible HCWs, the mean age was 40 (IQR: 33.0, 51.0). In fully immunized HCW, the effectiveness for preventing all-cause mortality was 83.6 (95% CI: 80.2 to 86.4), 88.7 (95% CI: 85.1 to 91.4) for preventing COVID-19 mortality, and 40.3 (95% CI 38.9 to 41.6) for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSION The BBIBP-CorV vaccine showed high levels of effectiveness for preventing all-cause and COVID-19 deaths among fully immunized HCW. These results were consistent within different subgroups and sensitivity analyses. However, the effectiveness for preventing infection was suboptimal in this particular setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Percy Soto-Becerra
- Universidad Continental, Av San Carlos 1980, Huancayo, 12000, Peru; Seguro Social en Salud (EsSalud), Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías Sanitarias e Investigación - IETSI, EsSalud, Domingo Cueto 109, Jesus Maria, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - Miguel Moscoso-Porras
- Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Jr. Capac Yupanqui 1400, Jesus Maria, Lima, Peru; Universidad Continental, Av San Carlos 1980, Huancayo, 12000, Peru
| | - Lely Solari
- Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Jr. Capac Yupanqui 1400, Jesus Maria, Lima, Peru.
| | - Percy Mayta-Tristán
- Universidad Científica del Sur, Dirección General de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Antigua panamericana Sur Km19, Lima, Peru
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Roche K, Mulchan S, Ayr-Volta L, Elias M, Brimacombe M, Morello C, Hinderer KA. Pilot Study on the Impact of Gratitude Journaling or Cognitive Strategies on Health Care Workers. J Pediatr Health Care 2023:S0891-5245(23)00029-9. [PMID: 36882351 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental well-being of health care workers (HCWs). This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of two psychological interventions, gratitude journaling or cognitive strategies, on pediatric HCWs. METHOD A pilot randomized parallel repeated measures design was used, with a convenience sample of 59 HCWs. Data were collected before and after the intervention period, 2 weeks after, and again 6 months later. Outcomes included depression, anxiety, meaning and purpose, feasibility, and acceptability. RESULTS Thirty-seven participants completed the study. The majority were nurses (registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses) and physicians. In both groups, depression and anxiety scores diminished, but changes were not statistically significant. The study was feasible to conduct, and subjects reported high acceptability. DISCUSSION Gratitude journaling and cognitive strategies may help mental well-being in HCWs; however, future studies with larger samples are needed.
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Youssef NJ, Tfaily NK, Moumneh MBM, Boutros CF, Elharake JA, Malik AA, McFadden SM, Galal B, Yildirim I, Khoshnood K, Omer SB, Memish ZA, Dbaibo GS. COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Among Health Care Workers in Lebanon. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2023; 13:55-66. [PMID: 36735184 PMCID: PMC9896451 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-023-00086-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lebanon endured its worst economic and financial crisis in 2020-2021. To minimize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to improve the overall COVID-19 vaccination rate. Given that vaccine hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs) affects the general population's decision to be vaccinated, our study assessed COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among Lebanon HCWs and identified barriers, demographic differences, and the most trusted sources of COVID-19 information. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2021 among HCWs across nine hospitals, the Orders of Physicians, Nurses, and Pharmacists in Lebanon. Descriptive statistics were performed to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and univariate and multivariable to identify their predictors. RESULTS Among 879 participants, 762 (86.8%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, 52 (5.9%) refused, and 64 (7.3%) were undecided. Males (226/254; 88.9%) and those ≥ 55 years (95/100; 95%) had the highest rates of acceptance. Of the 113 who were not willing to receive the vaccine, 54.9% reported that the vaccine was not studied well enough. Participants with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who did not know if they had a previous infection (p = 0.002) were less likely to accept the vaccine compared to those with no previous infection. The most trusted COVID-19 sources of information were WHO (69.3%) and healthcare providers (68%). CONCLUSION Lebanese HCWs had a relatively high acceptance rate for COVID-19 vaccination compared to other countries. Our findings are important in informing the Lebanese health care authorities to establish programs and interventions to improve vaccine uptake among HCWs and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour J. Youssef
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra , 1107 Beirut Lebanon
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra, 1107 Beirut Lebanon
| | - Nadim K. Tfaily
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra , 1107 Beirut Lebanon
| | - Mohammad Bahij M. Moumneh
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra , 1107 Beirut Lebanon
| | - Celina F. Boutros
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra , 1107 Beirut Lebanon
| | - Jad A. Elharake
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Institute for Global Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Amyn A. Malik
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Institute for Global Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - SarahAnn M. McFadden
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Institute for Global Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Bayan Galal
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Inci Yildirim
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Institute for Global Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Kaveh Khoshnood
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Saad B. Omer
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Institute for Global Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale School of Nursing, Orange, CT 06477 USA
| | - Ziad A. Memish
- Research and Innovation Center, King Saud Medical City, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- grid.189967.80000 0001 0941 6502Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Ghassan S. Dbaibo
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra , 1107 Beirut Lebanon
- grid.411654.30000 0004 0581 3406Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Hamra, 1107 Beirut Lebanon
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López-Contreras JE, Paredes-Casillas P, Morales-Romero J, Castillo-Vélez FE, Lona-Reyes JC, Bedolla-Barajas M. Incidencia y factores asociados con las reacciones adversas tras la primera dosis de la vacuna Pfizer-BioNTech en trabajadores de la salud. CIR CIR 2023; 91:34-41. [PMID: 36787619 DOI: 10.24875/ciru.21000749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of adverse reactions (AR) after the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and to identify some factors associated with AR. METHOD A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Data were obtained through an epidemiological survey answered online. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with early (< 2 h) and late (≥ 2 h) AR. RESULTS A total of 2295 health care workers were included; in them, the cumulative incidence of AR was 18.2% (95% confidence interval: 16.6-19.8), where the majority were late (78.2%). The associated factors that increased the risk of early AR were being female (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, p = 0.002) and belonging to the medical staff (OR: 1.56; p = 0.041). In late AR were being female (OR: 1.94; p < 0.0001); on the other hand, diabetes (OR: 0.46; p = 0.021), asthma (OR: 0.53; p = 0.040) and smoking (OR: 0.44, p = 0.002) were inversely associated factors. Interestingly, history of COVID-19 was not associated with either early or late AR. CONCLUSIONS The risk of presenting some type of AR due to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in health care workers is < 20%.
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Affiliation(s)
- José E López-Contreras
- Servicio de Epidemiología, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco
| | - Patricia Paredes-Casillas
- Servicio de Epidemiología, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco
| | | | - Francisco E Castillo-Vélez
- Servicio de Epidemiología, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco
| | - Juan C Lona-Reyes
- Servicio de Infectología Pediátrica, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco
| | - Martín Bedolla-Barajas
- Servicio de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco. México
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Bedston S, Lowthian E, Jarvis CI, Akbari A, Beggs J, Bradley D, de Lusignan S, Griffiths R, Herbert L, Hobbs R, Kerr S, Lyons J, Midgley W, Owen RK, Quint JK, Tsang R, Torabi F, Sheikh A, Lyons RA. COVID-19 booster vaccination uptake and infection breakthrough amongst health care workers in Wales: A national prospective cohort study. Vaccine 2023; 41:1378-1389. [PMID: 36669966 PMCID: PMC9837216 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND From September 2021, Health Care Workers (HCWs) in Wales began receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccination. This is the first dose beyond the primary vaccination schedule. Given the emergence of new variants, vaccine waning vaccine, and increasing vaccination hesitancy, there is a need to understand booster vaccine uptake and subsequent breakthrough in this high-risk population. METHODS We conducted a prospective, national-scale, observational cohort study of HCWs in Wales using anonymised, linked data from the SAIL Databank. We analysed uptake of COVID-19 booster vaccinations from September 2021 to February 2022, with comparisons against uptake of the initial primary vaccination schedule. We also analysed booster breakthrough, in the form of PCR-confirmed SARS-Cov-2 infection, comparing to the second primary dose. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate associations for vaccination uptake and breakthrough regarding staff roles, socio-demographics, household composition, and other factors. RESULTS We derived a cohort of 73,030 HCWs living in Wales (78% female, 60% 18-49 years old). Uptake was quickest amongst HCWs aged 60 + years old (aHR 2.54, 95%CI 2.45-2.63), compared with those aged 18-29. Asian HCWs had quicker uptake (aHR 1.18, 95%CI 1.14-1.22), whilst Black HCWs had slower uptake (aHR 0.67, 95%CI 0.61-0.74), compared to white HCWs. HCWs residing in the least deprived areas were slightly quicker to have received a booster dose (aHR 1.12, 95%CI 1.09-1.16), compared with those in the most deprived areas. Strongest associations with breakthrough infections were found for those living with children (aHR 1.52, 95%CI 1.41-1.63), compared to two-adult only households. HCWs aged 60 + years old were less likely to get breakthrough infections, compared to those aged 18-29 (aHR 0.42, 95%CI 0.38-0.47). CONCLUSION Vaccination uptake was consistently lower among black HCWs, as well as those from deprived areas. Whilst breakthrough infections were highest in households with children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Bedston
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Emily Lowthian
- Department of Education and Childhood Studies, School of Social Sciences, Swansea University, UK.
| | | | - Ashley Akbari
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | | | - Declan Bradley
- Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK. And Public Health Agency, Belfast, UK.
| | - Simon de Lusignan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Rowena Griffiths
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Laura Herbert
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Richard Hobbs
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Steven Kerr
- Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Jane Lyons
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - William Midgley
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Rhiannon K Owen
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Jennifer K Quint
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
| | - Ruby Tsang
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Fatemeh Torabi
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Usher Institute and HDR UK BREATHE Hub, University of Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Ronan A Lyons
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, UK.
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Kameyama K, Mizutani K, Miyake Y, Iwase T, Mizutani Y, Yamada M, Ito Y, Ishihara S, Deguchi T. Evaluation of physical and psychological status of health care workers infected with COVID-19 during a hospital outbreak in Japan. J Infect Chemother 2023; 29:126-130. [PMID: 36241127 PMCID: PMC9553961 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE COVID-19 causes physical and psychological impacts on health care workers (HCWs), especially when it occurs during an outbreak. As there are few reports on outcomes of HCWs infected with COVID-19 during a hospital outbreak, we investigated the physical and psychological impacts on HCWs infected with COVID-19 during an outbreak in our hospital. METHODS During the outbreak in our hospital, 231 people were infected with COVID-19 including patients, HCWs and their families. Among them, 83 HCWs were enrolled in this study. Current quality of life (QOL) was assessed with the EuroQol-visual analogue scales (EQ-VAS), and motivation to keep on working was evaluated by a 10-point analogue scale. Physiological recovery rates including return to work (RTW) period were also analyzed. RESULTS One nurse quit work due to anxiety regarding re-infection with COVID-19. The median period to RTW from the diagnosis was 14.0 (12.0-17.0) days. Motivation to keep on working was slightly reduced, and the EQ-VAS was 75.0 (65.0-83.6). There were no significant differences in QOL and motivation between male and female HCWs, nurses and other HCWs, treatment and non-treatment group, and supplemental and non-supplemental oxygen group. The most frequent persistent symptoms at 1,3 and 6 months after infection were anosmia followed by fatigue. CONCLUSION Although QOL and motivation to keep on working were slightly reduced, only one HCW quit work. No severe persistent symptoms were observed, and the RTW period was relatively short.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Kameyama
- Department of Urology, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan,Corresponding author. 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Kosuke Mizutani
- Department of Urology, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Yukiko Miyake
- Department of Nursing, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Toma Iwase
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshio Mizutani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Mikito Yamada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Ito
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ishihara
- Department of Urology, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
| | - Takashi Deguchi
- Department of Urology, Central Japan International Medical Center, 1-1 Kenkonomati, Minokamo, Gifu, 505-8510, Japan
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Saleh F, Olatunji DI, Ofeimun E, Okpokoro E, Crawford E, Dalhat M, Igumbor E, Eziechina S, Inweregbu S, Ochu CL, Chikwe I. Epidemiology and psychosocial assessment of COVID-19 among workers of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control infected with COVID-19. J Public Health Afr 2023; 14:2185. [PMID: 36936047 PMCID: PMC10015410 DOI: 10.4081/jphia.2023.2185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 is a global health crisis. By 2021, Nigeria had 230,000 cases. As the national public health institute, NCDC leads the COVID-19 response. Due to constant contact with infected patients, agency employees are a t high-risk. Here, we describe the transmission and psychosocial effects of COVID- 19 among infected NCDC workers as a learning curve for minimizing occupational transmission among frontline public health workers in future outbreaks. Methods We approved and enrolled all NCDC COVID-19- infected personnel from November to December 2020. We collected data using SurveyMonkey. STATA 14 analyzed the data. Results 172 of 300 afflicted NCDC staff participated in this study. One-third were between 30 and 39; most were male (104, 60.5%). Most participants worked in the lab (30%) or surveillance (24%). Only 19% (33/172) of participants confirmed pandemic deployment. Most reported interaction with a confirmed case (112/65.1%). Most people (78, 45.3%) felt unhappy when diagnosed. Anger, worry, and low motivation also ranked high (19). The majority reported adequate financial, moral, or psychosocial assistance (26, 70.6%). Conclusions NCDC staff had a high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and emotional damage. We urge stricter infection control methods when sending staff for outbreaks response to prevent additional transmission, as well as ongoing psychosocial and economic assistance for afflicted workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Saleh
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - David Idowu Olatunji
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Nigeria
- 801 Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. +2348107328566.
| | | | | | | | | | - Ehimario Igumbor
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
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Migowa A, Bernatsky S, Ngugi A, Foster HE, Muriuki P, Lusambili A, Luchters S. An iceberg I can't handle: a qualitative inquiry on perceptions towards paediatric rheumatology among healthcare workers in Kenya. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2023; 21:6. [PMID: 36681840 PMCID: PMC9862847 DOI: 10.1186/s12969-023-00790-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delay in diagnosis and access to specialist care is a major problem for many children and young people with rheumatic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Most children with symptoms of rheumatic disease present to non-specialists for care. There is an urgent need to understand and scale-up paediatric rheumatology knowledge and skills amongst non-specialist healthcare workers to promote early diagnosis, prompt referral, and management. PURPOSE We evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards diagnosis and care of paediatric rheumatology patients among health care workers in Kenya. METHODS We conducted 12 focus group discussions with clinical officers (third-tier community health workers) nurses, general practitioners and paediatricians across 6 regions in Kenya. Interviews were conducted on zoom, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using NVIVO software. RESULTS A total of 68 individuals participated; 11 clinical officers, 12 nurses, 10 general practitioners, 27 paediatricians and 7 others. Most (n = 53) were female, and the median age was 36 years (range 31-40 years). Fifty per cent of the participants (34 of 68) worked in public health facilities. Our study revealed gaps in knowledge of paediatric rheumatology amongst healthcare workers which contributes to delayed diagnosis and poor management. Healthcare workers reported both positive and negative attitudes towards diagnosis and care of paediatric rheumatology patients. Perceived complexity and lack of knowledge in diagnosis, management and lack of health system clinical pathways made all cadres of healthcare workers feel helpless, frustrated, inadequate and incompetent to manage paediatric rheumatology patients. Positive attitudes arose from a perceived feeling that paediatric rheumatology patients pose unique challenges and learning opportunities. CONCLUSION There is an urgent need to educate healthcare workers and improve health systems to optimize clinical care for paediatric rheumatology patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Migowa
- International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Medical College East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Sasha Bernatsky
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Medicine (Division of Rheumatology and Epidemiology) McGill University Health Centre (MUCH), Montreal, Canada
| | - Anthony Ngugi
- grid.470490.eDepartment of Population Health, Aga Khan University East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Helen E. Foster
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Population and Health Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Peter Muriuki
- grid.413355.50000 0001 2221 4219African Population and Health Research Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Adelaide Lusambili
- grid.470490.eDepartment of Population Health, Aga Khan University East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Stanley Luchters
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ,grid.463169.f0000 0004 9157 2417Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR), Harare, Zimbabwe ,grid.48004.380000 0004 1936 9764Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK
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Minhas S, Sajjad A, Manzoor I, Masood A, Suhail A, Shaikh GM, Kashif M. Knowledge, attitude, and practices of front line health workers after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine: a cross-sectional study in Pakistan. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14727. [PMID: 36935914 PMCID: PMC10022508 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Globally, there is an increased risk of COVID-19 infection among front-line health workers (FHW). This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of FHW of Pakistan after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods A population web-based survey on COVID-19 vaccine was conducted on 635 FHW in Pakistan between April 15, 2021, and July 15, 2021. The survey focused on four main sections consisting of socio-demographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practices after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The data was analyzed on SPSS. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results Overall, 60% of FHW were nervous before getting vaccinated, with the leading reason to get vaccinated being their concern to protect themselves and their community (53.4%). A majority of FHW had fear about the unseen side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine (59.7%) used in Pakistan, with the most common side effect reported as soreness at the injection site (39%). It has been noted that almost all of the FHW observed preventive practices after getting vaccinated. The results showed that married respondents had favorable practices towards COVID-19 vaccines (B = 0.53, p < 0.01) (B, unstandardized regression coefficient). It was also found that more informational sources (B = 0.19, p < 0.01), higher knowledge of vaccination (B = 0.15, p < 0.001), and favorable attitude toward vaccine (B = 0.12, p < 0.001) significantly predicted favorable practices toward COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion The findings reflect that FHW, though they were worried about its side effects, have good knowledge and a positive attitude after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. This study is significant as the FHWs are a symbol for guidance, a reliable source of information, and an encouraging means of receiving COVID-19 vaccine for the general public. This study also reported that post-vaccination side effects were mild which will aid in reducing the vaccine hesitancy among the general Pakistani population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Minhas
- Oral Pathology, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Aneequa Sajjad
- Oral Pathology, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Iram Manzoor
- Community Medicine, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Atika Masood
- Pathology, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Agha Suhail
- Operative Dentistry, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Gul Muhammad Shaikh
- Dental Education and Research, Shahida Islam Medical and Dental College, Lodhran, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Kashif
- Oral Pathology, Bakhtawar Amin Medical and Dental College, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
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Kharroubi G, Cherif I, Ghawar W, Dhaouadi N, Yazidi R, Chaabane S, Snoussi MA, Salem S, Ben Hammouda W, Ben Hammouda S, Gharbi A, Bel Haj Hmida N, Rourou S, Dellagi K, Barbouche MR, Benabdessalem C, Ben Ahmed M, Bettaieb J. Incidence and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among workers in a public health laboratory in Tunisia. Arch Virol 2023; 168:69. [PMID: 36658402 PMCID: PMC9851900 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05636-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to measure the extent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among workers at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis (IPT), a public health laboratory involved in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, and to identify risk factors for infection in this occupational setting. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on IPT workers not vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Participants completed a questionnaire that included a history of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of the spike antigen (anti-S-RBD IgG) and the nucleocapsid protein (anti-N IgG) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). A multivariate analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 428 workers were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of anti-S-RBD and/or anti-N IgG antibodies was 32.9% [28.7-37.4]. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive serology and/or previous positive RT-PCR test) was 40.0% [35.5-44.9], while the proportion with asymptomatic infection was 32.9%. One-third of the participants with RT-PCR-confirmed infection tested seronegative more than 90 days postinfection. Participants aged over 40 and laborers were more susceptible to infection (adjusted OR [AOR] = 1.65 [1.08-2.51] and AOR = 2.67 [1.45-4.89], respectively), while tobacco smokers had a lower risk of infection (AOR = 0.54 [0.29-0.97]). The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among IPT workers was not significantly different from that detected concurrently in the general population. Hence, the professional activities conducted in this public health laboratory did not generate additional risk to that incurred outside the institute in day-to-day activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghassen Kharroubi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ines Cherif
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Wissem Ghawar
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nawel Dhaouadi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Yazidi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sana Chaabane
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Ali Snoussi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sadok Salem
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Wafa Ben Hammouda
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sonia Ben Hammouda
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Adel Gharbi
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nabil Bel Haj Hmida
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia ,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Samia Rourou
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Koussay Dellagi
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia ,grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Pasteur Network, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed-Ridha Barbouche
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Chaouki Benabdessalem
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Melika Ben Ahmed
- Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Jihène Bettaieb
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP-74, 1002, Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia. .,Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections (LR11IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
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Skogsberg M, Jarl G, Matérne M. Health care workers' need for support from managers during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1563. [PMID: 36544137 PMCID: PMC9768758 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08937-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic placed great pressure on health care workers and increased the risk of these workers developing mental illness. Effective leadership is essential to prevent mental illness from developing. The study aim was to investigate health care workers' perceptions of the support given by their managers, their need for such support, and their levels of anxiety during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An electronic study-specific questionnaire was sent to health care workers. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, in which data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-tests, and qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The majority of the 1074 participants experienced support from a manager who was physically present, caring, and sensitive to their needs, who provided information, and listened to their opinions. Those who did not receive this support experienced more anxiety, and the majority of them expressed a need for this support. A minority of the participants had a manager who scheduled reflection time; few asked for this support, and it was not found to be associated with lower anxiety levels. The qualitative analysis resulted in four themes: 1) A physically present and responsive manager who provides support based on the workers' needs, 2) The workers understand their manager's tough work situation and lack of resources, 3) There is a need for clear dissemination of information and participation in organizing the work, and 4) The care of patients is carried out with good cooperation. CONCLUSIONS The majority of the health care workers received adequate support from their managers. A manager has to be physically present, caring, and supportive to meet the workers' needs and potentially reduce anxiety levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gustav Jarl
- grid.15895.300000 0001 0738 8966University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden ,grid.15895.300000 0001 0738 8966Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Marie Matérne
- grid.15895.300000 0001 0738 8966University Health Care Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden ,grid.15895.300000 0001 0738 8966School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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Youssef D, Abboud E, Abou-Abbas L, Hassan H, Youssef J. Prevalence and correlates of burnout among Lebanese health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey. J Pharm Policy Pract 2022; 15:102. [PMID: 36527056 PMCID: PMC9756668 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-022-00503-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has harshly burdened the healthcare systems. Health care workers (HCWs) are at substantial risk of infection and confronted several stressors as well leading them to experience burnout. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout among Lebanese health HCWs and to identify its associated factors. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between the first of November and the end of December 2020 among Lebanese HCWs working in all active hospitals operating across the country. Data were collected using an Arabic, anonymous, self-reported questionnaire comprising four sections: (a) basic sociodemographic characteristics, (b) exposure to COVID-19 covariates, (c) occupational factors, and (d) the measurements including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). CBI subscale cut-off score of 50 was used to assess the prevalence of burnout among HCWs. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with the different aspects of burnout. RESULTS Out of the 1751 respondents, personal burnout (PB) was detected in its moderate and high-level aspects among 86.3% of Lebanese HCWs. Moderate and high levels of work-related burnout (WB), and client-related burnout (CB) hit 79.2% and 83.3% of HCWs, respectively. HCWs who were females, married, physicians, having a poor health status and specific living conditions (dependent child, elderly at home, family member with comorbidities, and a low income) were more likely to exhibit a high level of PB compared to no/low burnout level. Moreover, frontline HCWs, those infected by COVID-19 or those having a colleague infected by COVID-19, and those exhibiting a high perception of threat were more prone to experience a high-level PB rather than a low/no burnout. Working in a public hospital, extensive working hours, and insufficient sleeping hours were also found positively associated with high PB. However, older age and altruism were negatively associated with high PB compared to no/low PB among HCWs. As for WB, similar factors were found either positively or negatively associated with a high level of WB except health status and living conditions factors (dependent child or family member). As for CB, older age of HCWs (> 30 years) and altruism were negatively associated with high CB compared to no/low burnout level. However, working in the frontline, high threat perception, extensive working hours, insufficient sleeping hours, and low income were positively associated with high CB among HCWs compared to no/low burnout. CONCLUSION The prevalence of burnout among Lebanese HCWs during the pandemic was significant and alarming. Enacting and implementing preventive policies and effective interventions are urgently needed to cultivate wellness among HCWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalal Youssef
- grid.412041.20000 0001 2106 639XBordeaux Research Center for Population Health, Institut de Santé Publique, d’épidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED), Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France ,grid.490673.f0000 0004 6020 2237Clinical Trial Program, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon ,grid.490673.f0000 0004 6020 2237Preventive Medicine Department, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Edmond Abboud
- grid.490673.f0000 0004 6020 2237Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Linda Abou-Abbas
- grid.411324.10000 0001 2324 3572Neuroscience Research Center, Lebanese University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hamad Hassan
- grid.490673.f0000 0004 6020 2237Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Janet Youssef
- Al Zahraa Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
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Lee JT, Sean Hu S, Zhou T, Bonner KE, Kriss JL, Wilhelm E, Carter RJ, Holmes C, de Perio MA, Lu PJ, Nguyen KH, Brewer NT, Singleton JA. Employer requirements and COVID-19 vaccination and attitudes among healthcare personnel in the U.S.: Findings from National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, August - September 2021. Vaccine 2022; 40:7476-7482. [PMID: 35941037 PMCID: PMC9234000 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Employer vaccination requirements have been used to increase vaccination uptake among healthcare personnel (HCP). In summer 2021, HCP were the group most likely to have employer requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations as healthcare facilities led the implementation of such requirements. This study examined the association between employer requirements and HCP's COVID-19 vaccination status and attitudes about the vaccine. METHODS Participants were a national representative sample of United States (US) adults who completed the National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module (NIS-ACM) during August-September 2021. Respondents were asked about COVID-19 vaccination and intent, requirements for vaccination, place of work, attitudes surrounding vaccinations, and sociodemographic variables. This analysis focused on HCP respondents. We first calculated the weighted proportion reporting COVID-19 vaccination for HCP by sociodemographic variables. Then we computed unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios for vaccination coverage and key indicators on vaccine attitudes, comparing HCP based on individual self-report of vaccination requirements. RESULTS Of 12,875 HCP respondents, 41.5% reported COVID-19 vaccination employer requirements. Among HCP with vaccination requirements, 90.5% had been vaccinated against COVID-19, as compared to 73.3% of HCP without vaccination requirements-a pattern consistent across sociodemographic groups. Notably, the greatest differences in uptake between HCP with and without employee requirements were seen in sociodemographic subgroups with the lowest vaccination uptake, e.g., HCP aged 18-29 years, HCP with high school or less education, HCP living below poverty, and uninsured HCP. In every sociodemographic subgroup examined, vaccine uptake was more equitable among HCP with vaccination requirements than in HCP without. Finally, HCP with vaccination requirements were also more likely to express confidence in the vaccine's safety (68.3% vs. 60.1%) and importance (89.6% vs 79.6%). CONCLUSION In a large national US sample, employer requirements were associated with higher and more equitable HCP vaccination uptake across all sociodemographic groups examined. Our findings suggest that employer requirements can contribute to improving COVID-19 vaccination coverage, similar to patterns seen for other vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T. Lee
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA,Corresponding author
| | - S. Sean Hu
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Tianyi Zhou
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA,Leidos Inc, 2295 Parklake Dr NE Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30345, USA
| | - Kimberly E. Bonner
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA,Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | | | | | | | - Carissa Holmes
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | | | - Peng-jun Lu
- CDC COVID-19 Response, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | | | - Noel T. Brewer
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 325 Rosenau Hall CB #7440 Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Nosheen F, Malik N, Mehmood Z, Jabeen F, Mahmood A, Ibrahim M, Bokhari A, Mubashir M, Chuah LF, Show PL. Biomedical waste management associated with infectious diseases among health care professionals in apex hospitals of a typical south asian city. Environ Res 2022; 215:114240. [PMID: 36103930 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biomedical waste from healthcare activities poses a higher hazard of infection and damage than other types of trash. The main objective of the study was to assess the awareness knowledge and practices of biomedical waste management (BMWM) among health care professionals in the health care units. The cross-sectional study was carried out to access the awareness, knowledge and practices of health care professionals for BMWM. Using a qualitative approach, the study was escorted in two Apex hospitals i.e. the Allied Hospital and the District Head Quarter Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan from August 5, 2019 to October 15, 2019. More than 90% of respondents knew the phrase BMWM, but just 35.4% had awareness about biomedical waste regulations. About 71.6% of the respondents were familiar with biomedical waste's color-coding segregation. The study concludes gap in the awareness, knowledge and practices for BMWM. The sanitary workers of the hospitals had no knowledge about BMWM and the BMWM/healthcare waste management rule 2005 established in Pakistan due to the lack of training regarding waste management and the segregation process. Some of the staff members were aware of the BMWM practices under the rules and regulations of Pakistan but were unable to implement at their work place. It is necessary to dispose of the biomedical waste according to the established terms and conditions of BMWM rules (2005) of Pakistan. Weak structure of BMWM was observed at the study sites due to the lack of training, liabilities and absence of penalties against improper biomedical waste disposal as violation of the rules and regulations. It's a dire need of the time to consider the biomedical waste as hazardous waste and make policies for its safe disposal and ensure the implementation of the policies in all the medical centers of Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Nosheen
- Department of Home Economics, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nazia Malik
- Department of Sociology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Zaid Mehmood
- Department of Sociology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Fariha Jabeen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Abid Mahmood
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Ibrahim
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Awais Bokhari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 54000, Pakistan; Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory, SPIL, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, VUT Brno, Technická 2896/2, 616 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Muhammad Mubashir
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, School of Engineering, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Lai Fatt Chuah
- Faculty of Maritime Studies, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Pau Loke Show
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; Department of Sustainable Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, India 602105.
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45
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Roberts NA, Ahern E, Pelecanos A, Gasper H, Chan B, Lwin Z. From doctors to ancillary staff: Regional and metropolitan cancer workforce perceptions and distress resulting from COVID-19 pandemic adaptations. Semin Oncol 2022; 49:490-496. [PMID: 36797193 PMCID: PMC9886723 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in necessary and rapid changes to health service delivery. In the Australian context, it has been broadly identified that these impacts have been felt by health care workers (HCW) providing care. We aimed to capture oncology HCW perceptions of support, stress, personal ability to meet needs and institutional preparedness across longitudinal periods of COVID-19 response in the early stages of the pandemic. METHODS AND MATERIALS An electronic survey was developed to measure the weekly impacts and distress experienced by HCW during the early phases of the pandemic. Hospital email communications relating to pandemic directives were noted. HCW included nursing, medical, ancillary staff and allied health team members at 2 study sites, 1 metropolitan and 1 regional center in Queensland, Australia. Descriptive statistics were applied to quantitative data, and a framework analysis for qualitative data. Key themes were synthesized using mixed methods approaches. RESULTS A total of 176 HCW consented to participate. Four key themes were identified. Key theme 1 was strategies for protection, and included the subthemes of self-isolation, using personal protective equipment (PPE), protecting patients and families and each other. Key theme 2 was navigating rules and keeping up, and included the subthemes of compliance, exceptions, conflict and complex decision fatigue. Key theme 3 was tempered optimism, with subthemes including this is grief, pride in one's place and strategies for coping. Key theme 4 was framing the new normal, with subthemes including using technology, second wave and uncertainty. CONCLUSION Staff groups reported the emotional impacts of rapid change across clinical areas and centers. Distress corresponded to rapid change amid uncertainty, rather than reported infection rates. These findings give insight into the experiences of patient facing oncology HCW during periods of uncertainty, potentially informing policy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha A Roberts
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia; University of Queensland Centre Clinical Research, Herston, QLD Australia; Metro North Health, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia.
| | - Elizabeth Ahern
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia; Department of Oncology, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC Australia; School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Anita Pelecanos
- Statistics Unit, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Harry Gasper
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD Australia; Department of Oncology, Toowoomba Base Hospital, Toowoomba, QLD Australia
| | - Bryan Chan
- Adem Crosby Cancer Centre, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Birtinya, QLD Australia; School of Medicine, Griffith University, Birtinya, QLD Australia
| | - Zarnie Lwin
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD Australia
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Gir E, Baptista CJ, Reis RK, Menegueti MG, Pillon SC, de Oliveira E Silva AC. Increased use of psychoactive substances among Brazilian health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2022; 41:359-367. [PMID: 36428073 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of increased psychoactive substance use (PSU) and associated factors among health care professionals. A cross-sectional and analytical study with 12,086 Brazilian health professionals was undertaken. An online questionnaire was used to gather data concerning sociodemographic factors, increased consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and hypnotics or sedatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and hypnotic or sedative consumption were 17.8 %, 69.0 % and 17.1 %, respectively. Regression analyses indicated that having no religion and social isolation were associated with increased PASU during the pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic stressors may increase PASU, and increased PASU may increase the risk of substance use disorders and substance use-related chronic diseases, such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elucir Gir
- Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Renata Karina Reis
- Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Sandra Cristina Pillon
- Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Seale H, Carlson SJ, Maley M, Clezy K, Torda A, Konecny P. Lifting the curtains of silence: Patient perceptions towards needs and responsibilities in contributing to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. Am J Infect Control 2022:S0196-6553(22)00814-8. [PMID: 36442687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Beyond the use of policy and system-focused approaches, it has been established globally that patients can play a role in enhancing the health care landscape. However, efforts to meaningfully translate patient engagement strategies that promote participation by hospitalized patients in relevant infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship activities have not yet been realized. This study mapped the key factors acting as barriers and facilitators of patient engagement using a theoretical framework to identify potential new approaches to promote engagement. METHODS Semistructured interviews were conducted with 36 patients from 3 major hospitals in Sydney, Australia, in 2019. Transcripts were inductively analyzed, with the resulting themes categorized into the components of the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior model. RESULTS The themes regarding barriers to patient engagement with relevant infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship activities were: (1) Capability: misunderstanding and knowledge gaps about antimicrobial resistance; (2) Opportunity: strong family/patient support networks and good relationships with nursing staff provide an opportunity to support engagement; (3) Motivation: those who have some level of understanding or experience see the benefit and are most likely to engage actively. CONCLUSIONS Assuming patients are inclined to participate in efforts, a logical starting point would be to build awareness amongst patients and providers; however, education will not suffice. There needs to be a system and policy shift to ensure that patient engagement is recognized as a worthy endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Seale
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Samantha J Carlson
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael Maley
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, New South Wales Health Pathology, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate Clezy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Clinical Excellence Commission, NSW Health, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adrienne Torda
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pamela Konecny
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Immunology & Sexual Health, St George Hospital, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
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Allan M, Lièvre M, Laurenson-Schaefer H, de Barros S, Jinnai Y, Andrews S, Stricker T, Formigo JP, Schultz C, Perrocheau A, Fitzner J. The World Health Organization COVID-19 surveillance database. Int J Equity Health 2022; 21:167. [PMID: 36419127 PMCID: PMC9685131 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-022-01767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In January 2020, SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified as a cause of an outbreak in China. The disease quickly spread worldwide, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic in March 2020.From the first notifications of spread of the disease, the WHO's Emergency Programme implemented a global COVID-19 surveillance system in coordination with all WHO regional offices. The system aimed to monitor the spread of the epidemic over countries and across population groups, severity of the disease and risk factors, and the impact of control measures. COVID-19 surveillance data reported to WHO is a combination of case-based data and weekly aggregated data, focusing on a minimum global dataset for cases and deaths including disaggregation by age, sex, occupation as a Health Care Worker, as well as number of cases tested, and number of cases newly admitted for hospitalization. These disaggregations aim to monitor inequities in COVID-19 distribution and risk factors among population groups.SARS-CoV-2 epidemic waves continue to sweep the world; as of March 2022, over 445 million cases and 6 million deaths have been reported worldwide. Of these, over 327 million cases (74%) have been reported in the WHO surveillance database, of which 255 million cases (57%) are disaggregated by age and sex. A public dashboard has been made available to visualize trends, age distributions, sex ratios, along with testing and hospitalization rates. It includes a feature to download the underlying dataset.This paper will describe the data flows, database, and frontend public dashboard, as well as the challenges experienced in data acquisition, curation and compilation and the lessons learnt in overcoming these. Two years after the pandemic was declared, COVID-19 continues to spread and is still considered a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While WHO regional and country offices have demonstrated tremendous adaptability and commitment to process COVID-19 surveillance data, lessons learnt from this major event will serve to enhance capacity and preparedness at every level, as well as institutional empowerment that may lead to greater sharing of public health evidence during a PHEIC, with a focus on equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Allan
- WHO-HQ WHE COVID-19 IMST, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Maja Lièvre
- WHO-HQ WHE COVID-19 IMST, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Yuka Jinnai
- WHO-HQ WHE COVID-19 IMST, Geneva, Switzerland
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Mueller JE, Bauer J. Attitudes of healthcare professionals toward the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in France. Infect Dis Now 2022; 52:S21-S22. [PMID: 36108971 PMCID: PMC9467928 DOI: 10.1016/j.idnow.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J E Mueller
- École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - J Bauer
- Service Universitaire des Maladies Infectieuses et du Voyageurs, CH Dron, 59200 Tourcoing, France.
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Dobaño C, Ramírez-Morros A, Alonso S, Rubio R, Ruiz-Olalla G, Vidal-Alaball J, Macià D, Catalina QM, Vidal M, Casanovas AF, Prados de la Torre E, Barrios D, Jiménez A, Zanoncello J, Melero NR, Carolis C, Izquierdo L, Aguilar R, Moncunill G, Ruiz-Comellas A. Sustained seropositivity up to 20.5 months after COVID-19. BMC Med 2022; 20:379. [PMID: 36224590 PMCID: PMC9556137 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02570-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the persistence of IgM, IgA, and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antigens up to 616 days since the onset of symptoms in a longitudinal cohort of 247 primary health care workers from Barcelona, Spain, followed up since the start of the pandemic. The study also assesses factors affecting antibody levels, including comorbidities and the responses to variants of concern as well as the frequency of reinfections. Despite a gradual and significant decline in antibody levels with time, seropositivity to five SARS-CoV-2 antigens combined was always higher than 90% over the whole study period. In a subset of 23 participants who had not yet been vaccinated by November 2021, seropositivity remained at 95.65% (47.83% IgM, 95.65% IgA, 95.65% IgG). IgG seropositivity against Alpha and Delta predominant variants was comparable to that against the Wuhan variant, while it was lower for Gamma and Beta (minority) variants and for IgA and IgM. Antibody levels at the time point closest to infection were associated with age, smoking, obesity, hospitalization, fever, anosmia/hypogeusia, chest pain, and hypertension in multivariable regression models. Up to 1 year later, just before the massive roll out of vaccination, antibody levels were associated with age, occupation, hospitalization, duration of symptoms, anosmia/hypogeusia, fever, and headache. In addition, tachycardia and cutaneous symptoms associated with slower antibody decay, and oxygen supply with faster antibody decay. Eight reinfections (3.23%) were detected in low responders, which is consistent with a sustained protective role for anti-spike naturally acquired antibodies. Stable persistence of IgG and IgA responses and cross-recognition of the predominant variants circulating in the 2020-2021 period indicate long-lasting and largely variant-transcending humoral immunity in the initial 20.5 months of the pandemic, in the absence of vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota Dobaño
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anna Ramírez-Morros
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
| | - Selena Alonso
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rocío Rubio
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Ruiz-Olalla
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Vidal-Alaball
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain.,Grup de Promoció de la Salut en l'Àmbit Rural (ProSaARu), Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain.,Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Dídac Macià
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Queralt Miró Catalina
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
| | - Marta Vidal
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aina Fuster Casanovas
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
| | - Esther Prados de la Torre
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diana Barrios
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Jiménez
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jasmina Zanoncello
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Rodrigo Melero
- Biomolecular Screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlo Carolis
- Biomolecular Screening and Protein Technologies Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth Aguilar
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Moncunill
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Carrer Roselló 153 (CEK building), E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Ruiz-Comellas
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain.,Grup de Promoció de la Salut en l'Àmbit Rural (ProSaARu), Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain.,Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain.,Centre d'Atenció Primària (CAP) Sant Joan de Vilatorrada. Gerència Territorial de la Catalunya Central, Institut Català de la Salut, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Spain
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