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Keightley S, Duncan M, Gardner B. Working From Home: Experiences of Home-Working, Health Behavior and Well-Being During the 2020 UK COVID-19 Lockdown. J Occup Environ Med 2023; 65:330-336. [PMID: 36395077 PMCID: PMC10090341 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000002757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Spring 2020 UK COVID-19 lockdown required normally office-based workers to modify their work-related practices to work at home. This study explored workers' experiences of adapting to home working, health behaviors and well-being. METHODS Twenty-seven home working employees (19 women; aged 23-57 years), from various industry sectors, gave individual semi-structured interviews. Topics focused on home working experiences, routine adaptations, and changes in health behaviors and well-being. RESULTS Four themes were extracted: changes to the work interface; adaptations to a new workspace; changes to work-life balance; and adjustments to a new social context. Notably, participants reported greater reliance on computer-based interactions, which they felt discouraged physical activity and increased sitting. Working in a domestic environment reportedly challenged work-home boundaries. CONCLUSIONS Work practices can incidentally detrimentally impact health-related behaviors and well-being. Organizations should develop policies and procedures to promote health-conducive home working.
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Wright SL, Silard AG. Loneliness in Young Adult Workers. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:14462. [PMID: 36361344 PMCID: PMC9654605 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114462] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness is commonly associated with older people with the majority of research and interventions focusing on loneliness in aged and aging populations. However, loneliness seems to be on the rise for young adults more so than the elderly. Our research focusses on the experiences of young workers who report feeling lonely at work. We explore individual and organisational factors that may be contributing to loneliness, and comment on the consequences of feeling lonely at work. Qualitative data from 37 young adults from Western Europe suggest that these workers feel invisible at work, have a thwarted sense of belonging to their employing organisation, and often experience relational deficiencies due to automation and individualisation of work practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Wright
- Department of Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Anthony G. Silard
- Center for Sustainable Leadership, Luiss Business School, 00162 Rome, Italy
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Bal M, Benders J, Vermeerbergen L. 'Bringing the Covert into the Open': A Case Study on Technology Appropriation and Continuous Improvement. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19106333. [PMID: 35627869 PMCID: PMC9141090 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106333] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
As end-users, employees appropriate technologies. Technology appropriation is generally conceived as a covert phenomenon. In particular, alternative ways and new purposes for which employees deploy technologies tend to remain hidden. Therefore, the potential of technologies as a source of organizational improvements may remain undisclosed. Continuous improvement (CI) programs, in contrast, are explicitly oriented at disclosing organizational improvements. In essence, CI programs encourage employees to openly discuss how to improve their work practices. Such continuous movements towards novel, often better, ways of working may be perfectly suited to bring the covert nature of technology appropriation into the open. Based on a case study on a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a Belgian nursing home with such a CI program in place, we document and analyze to what extent and why functionalities of the PDA were discussed and further developed. We distinguish between the functionalities that, upon implementation, intended to improve particular work practices, and those that surfaced after the technology had been introduced. To conclude, we point at employees’ perceived usefulness of their work practices and their willingness to improve these, rather than only the technology itself, to further the debate on technology appropriation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Bal
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.B.); (L.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jos Benders
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.B.); (L.V.)
- Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lander Vermeerbergen
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.B.); (L.V.)
- Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Dyb K, Warth LL. Implementing eHealth Technologies: The Need for Changed Work Practices to Reduce Medication Errors. Stud Health Technol Inform 2019; 262:83-86. [PMID: 31349271 DOI: 10.3233/shti190022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Medication errors are a significant health problem and a serious threat to patient safety. In Norway, an estimated one-third of the elderly population has been exposed to potentially inappropriate medications. The Norwegian government has assumed a pivotal role in reducing medication errors and providing safer medication management for its citizens, particularly through the national eHealth system's e-prescription and Summary Care Record. In the present study, we depart from the governmental eHealth initiatives and examine why access to pharmaceutical information is not sufficient to solve the problem with medication errors. Empirical data were collected from 2015 to 2019 through the conduction of 56 qualitative interviews that were transcribed, thematically coded and analysed. The results illustrate how eHealth systems are helpful, at the same time, we emphasise changed work practices and professional knowledge-sharing as a basis for solving the issue of medication errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Dyb
- Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, P.O. Box 35, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Line Lundvoll Warth
- Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, P.O. Box 35, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.,University of Tromsø, The Arctic University of Norway, N-9019 Tromsø, Norway
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Kesiilwe AB, Lederman R, Dreyfus S, Kurnia S, Knott J. The Impact of Information Systems Use on Work Tasks and Work Practices in an Emergency Department. Stud Health Technol Inform 2019; 266:108-114. [PMID: 31397310 DOI: 10.3233/shti190781] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes the plan for the third stage of a longitudinal assessment of the progressive implementation of IS in an emergency department. The assessment adopts a case study approach with nested mixed methods where quantitative data will be collected through observations and qualitative data will be collected through focus group interviews. The findings from the study can inform the design of IS that is well aligned with the intended strategic outcomes of IS implementation in emergency medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reeva Lederman
- School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Suelette Dreyfus
- School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sherah Kurnia
- School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jonathan Knott
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia
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Sieber WK, Robinson CF, Birdsey J, Chen GX, Hitchcock EM, Lincoln JE, Nakata A, Sweeney MH. Obesity and other risk factors: the national survey of U.S. long-haul truck driver health and injury. Am J Ind Med 2014; 57:615-26. [PMID: 24390804 PMCID: PMC4511102 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [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] [Accepted: 11/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drivers of heavy and tractor-trailer trucks accounted for 56% of all production and nonsupervisory employees in the truck transportation industry in 2011. There are limited data for illness and injury in long-haul truck drivers, which prompted a targeted national survey. METHODS Interviewers collected data during 2010 from 1,670 long-haul truck drivers at 32 truck stops across the 48 contiguous United States that were used to compute prevalence estimates for self-reported health conditions and risk factors. RESULTS Obesity (69% vs. 31%, P < 0.01) and current smoking (51% vs. 19%, P < 0.01) were twice as prevalent in long-haul truck drivers as in the 2010 U.S. adult working population. Sixty-one percent reported having two or more of the risk factors: hypertension, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, no physical activity, 6 or fewer hours of sleep per 24-hr period. CONCLUSION Survey findings suggest a need for targeted interventions and continued surveillance for long-haul truck drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Karl Sieber
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Cynthia F. Robinson
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jan Birdsey
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Guang X. Chen
- Division of Safety Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Edward M. Hitchcock
- Division of Applied Research and Technology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jennifer E. Lincoln
- Division of Safety Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Akinori Nakata
- School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Marie H. Sweeney
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Parker DL, Brosseau LM, Bejan A, Skan M, Xi M. Understanding safety climate in small automobile collision repair shops. Am J Ind Med 2014; 57:78-86. [PMID: 23955439 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the United States, approximately 236,000 people work in 37,600 auto collision-repair businesses. Workers in the collision-repair industry may be exposed to a wide range of physical and chemical hazards. METHODS This manuscript examines the relationship of safety climate as reported by collision repair shop workers and owners to: (1) an independent business safety assessment, and (2) employee self-reported work practices. The study was conducted in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. RESULTS A total of 199 workers from 49 collision shops completed a survey of self-reported work practices and safety climate. Surveys were completed by an owner or manager in all but three shops. In general, self-reported work practices were poor. Workers' scores on safety climate were uniformly lower than those of owners. For workers, there was no correlation between how well the business scored on an independent audit of business safety practices and the safety climate measures they reported. For owners, however, there was a positive correlation between safety climate scores and the business safety assessment. For workers, safety rules and procedures were associated with improved work practices for those engaged in both painting-related and body technician-related activities. CONCLUSIONS The enforcement of safety rules and procedures emerged as a strong factor positively affecting self-reported work practices. These findings identify a simple, cost effective path to reducing hazards in small workplaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Parker
- Health Research; Park Nicollet Institute; 3800 Park Nicollet Blvd. Minneapolis Minnesota
| | - Lisa M. Brosseau
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois; Chicago Illinois
| | - Anca Bejan
- Health Research; Park Nicollet Institute; 3800 Park Nicollet Blvd. Minneapolis Minnesota
| | - Maryellen Skan
- Health Research; Park Nicollet Institute; 3800 Park Nicollet Blvd. Minneapolis Minnesota
| | - Min Xi
- Health Research; Park Nicollet Institute; 3800 Park Nicollet Blvd. Minneapolis Minnesota
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Muianga C, Rice C, Lentz T, Lockey J, Niemeier R, Succop P. Checklist model to improve work practices in small-scale demolition operations with silica dust exposures. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012; 9:343-61. [PMID: 22470296 PMCID: PMC3315250 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9020343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A systematic approach was developed to review, revise and adapt existing exposure control guidance used in developed countries for use in developing countries. One-page employee and multiple-page supervisor guidance sheets were adapted from existing documents using a logic framework and workers were trained to use the information to improve work practices. Interactive, hands-on training was delivered to 26 workers at five small-scale demolition projects in Maputo City, Mozambique, and evaluated. A pre-and-post walkthrough survey used by trained observers documented work practice changes. Worker feedback indicated that the training was effective and useful. Workers acquired knowledge (84% increase, p < 0.01) and applied the work practice guidance. The difference of proportions between use of work practice components before and after the intervention was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Changes in work practices following training included preplanning, use of wet methods and natural ventilation and end-of-task review. Respirable dust measurements indicated a reduction in exposure following training. Consistency in observer ratings and observations support the reliability and validity of the instruments. This approach demonstrated the short-term benefit of training in changing work practices; follow-up is required to determine the long-term impact on changes in work practices, and to evaluate the need for refresher training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Custodio Muianga
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine University of Cincinnati, 3223 Eden Ave., Kettering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; (C.R.); (J.L.); (P.S.)
- Center for Industrial Studies, Safety and Environment, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Tel.: +1-513-238-3331; Fax: +1-513-961-0103
| | - Carol Rice
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine University of Cincinnati, 3223 Eden Ave., Kettering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; (C.R.); (J.L.); (P.S.)
| | - Thomas Lentz
- Education and Information Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA; (T.L.); (R.N.)
| | - James Lockey
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine University of Cincinnati, 3223 Eden Ave., Kettering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; (C.R.); (J.L.); (P.S.)
| | - Richard Niemeier
- Education and Information Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA; (T.L.); (R.N.)
| | - Paul Succop
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine University of Cincinnati, 3223 Eden Ave., Kettering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; (C.R.); (J.L.); (P.S.)
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Taskinen H, Paljärvi S, Rissanen S, Sinkkonen S. Integration of social and health care—three case studies from staff perspective. Int J Integr Care 2009; 9:e123. [PMCID: PMC2807063] [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] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The main aim is to describe and analyze the chances in work content, work development and managers' support in the integration processes at different levels. Theory Theoretical background consists of the integration models and the change management theories. Methods Three different case studies using before–after follow-up designs in Finland. These case studies include three merger cases where the data were collected by questionnaires from staff 1) the merger of social and health sector in local level (n=251–263), 2) the merger of hospital districts (n=9241–9178) and 3) the merger of home help and home care (n=68–87). Results and conclusions In all cases work content changed depending partly on the work tasks and functional sectors. Major changes were in work practices in social sector and in some home care areas. The workers perceived support from managers important although they had received support very little. Discussion These case studies describe structural integration in different contexts, however, it seems that same phenomena exit in all merger cases. Managers have an important supporting role in determining the success of merger processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Taskinen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Kuopio P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland, E-mail:
| | - Soili Paljärvi
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Kuopio P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sari Rissanen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Kuopio P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland, E-mail:
| | - Sirkka Sinkkonen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Kuopio P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland, E-mail:
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