Modelling the effect of perceived interdependence among mental healthcare professionals on their work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Markon, Marie-Pierre; Chiocchio, François; Fleury, Marie-Josée

2017-07-01

The purpose of mental healthcare system reform was to enhance service efficiency by strengthening primary mental healthcare and increasing service integration in communities. Reinforcing interprofessional teamwork also intended to address the extensive and multidimensional needs of patients with mental disorders by bringing together a broader array of expertise. In this context, mental healthcare professionals (MHCPs) from various health and social care professions are more interdependent in many aspects of their work (tasks, resources, and goals). We wanted to examine the effect of perceived interdependence among MHCPs on their work role performance in the context of mental healthcare. For this purpose, we developed and tested a model coherent with the Input-Mediator-Outcome-Input (IMOI) framework of team effectiveness. Data from questionnaires administered to 315 MHCPs from four local health service networks in Quebec, Canada were analysed through structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. The structural equation model provided a good fit for the data and explained 51% of the variance of work role performance. Perceived collaboration, confidence in the advantages of interprofessional collaboration, involvement in the decision process, knowledge sharing, and satisfaction with the nature of the work partially mediated the effect of perceived interdependence among team members on work role performance. Therefore, perceived interdependence among team members had a positive impact on the work role performance of MHCPs mostly through its effect on favourable team functioning features. This implies, in practice, that increased interdependence of MHCPs would be more likely to truly enhance work role performance if team-based interventions to promote collaborative work and interprofessional teaching and training programs to support work within interprofessional teams were jointly implemented. Participation in the decision process and knowledge sharing should

English education for healthcare professionals in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Moross, Janelle; Seki, Naoko; Morio, Ikuko

2017-11-01

In a global environment, education for healthcare professionals should include cultivating human resources who have the necessary skills to work in an international arena. This article will review the current status of English education for dental healthcare professionals in Japan. After conducting a literature search using the keywords: English education, Japan, and dental, only a few studies were found that investigated and proposed suggestions for dental professional English education. Even so, these were still in the early stages with outcomes yet to be fully evaluated. Even though English is thought indispensable for global professionals, and that increasing chances for communication skills is necessary, little attention has been addressed to English education for dental professionals or the implementation of such education in the Japanese undergraduate dental curricula. With the current reality of field expansion in dentistry, the need for not only improved English communication skills for Japanese dentists, but also the acquisition of essential expertise, psychomotor, teambuilding, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills in English as well as Japanese, is a definite probability. In order to reach this level of knowledge, further efforts and research would be necessary for the advancement and development of dental professional English education in Japan.

The use of electronic devices for communication with colleagues and other healthcare professionals - nursing professionals' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Koivunen, Marita; Niemi, Anne; Hupli, Maija

2015-03-01

The aim of the study is to describe nursing professionals' experiences of the use of electronic devices for communication with colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Information and communication technology applications in health care are rapidly expanding, thanks to the fast-growing penetration of the Internet and mobile technology. Communication between professionals in health care is essential for patient safety and quality of care. Implementing new methods for communication among healthcare professionals is important. A cross-sectional survey was used in the study. The data were collected in spring 2012 using an electronic questionnaire with structured and open-ended questions. The target group comprised the nursing professionals (N = 567, n = 123) in one healthcare district who worked in outpatient clinics in publically funded health care in Finland. Nursing professionals use different electronic devices for communication with each other. The most often used method was email, while the least used methods were question-answer programmes and synchronous communication channels on the Internet. Communication using electronic devices was used for practical nursing, improving personnel competences, organizing daily operations and administrative tasks. Electronic devices may speed up the management of patient data, improve staff cooperation and competence and make more effective use of working time. The obstacles were concern about information security, lack of technical skills, unworkable technology and decreasing social interaction. According to our findings, despite the obstacles related to use of information technology, the use of electronic devices to support communication among healthcare professionals appears to be useful. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Healthcare professionals' self-reported experiences and preferences related to direct healthcare professional communications: a survey conducted in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Piening, Sigrid; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; de Graeff, Pieter A; Straus, Sabine M J M; Mol, Peter G M

2012-11-01

In Europe, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are important tools to inform healthcare professionals of serious, new drug safety issues. However, this tool has not always been successful in effectively communicating the desired actions to healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore healthcare providers' experiences and their preferences for improvement of risk communication, comparing views of general practitioners (GPs), internists, community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested to assess experiences and preferences of Dutch healthcare professionals with DHPCs. The questionnaire and two reminders were sent to a random sample of 3488 GPs, internists and community and hospital pharmacists in the Netherlands. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics of the respondents. Chi squares, ANOVAs and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used, when appropriate, to compare healthcare professional groups. The overall response rate was 34% (N = 1141, ranging from 24% for internists to 46% for community pharmacists). Healthcare providers trusted safety information more when provided by the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) than by the pharmaceutical industry. This was more the case for GPs than for the other healthcare professionals. Respondents preferred safety information to be issued by the MEB, the Dutch Pharmacovigilance Center or their own professional associations. The preferred alternative channels of drug safety information were e-mail, medical journals and electronic prescribing systems. Safety information of drugs does not always reach healthcare professionals through DHPCs. To improve current risk communication of drug safety issues, alternative and/or additional methods of risk communication should be developed using electronic methods and medical journals. Moreover, (additional) risk communication coming from an independent source such as the

Diet, exercise and mental-wellbeing of healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists and nurses in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waqas Ahmad

2015-09-01

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

Sound Exposure of Healthcare Professionals Working with a University Marching Band.

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Russell, Jeffrey A; Yamaguchi, Moegi

2018-01-01

Music-induced hearing disorders are known to result from exposure to excessive levels of music of different genres. Marching band music, with its heavy emphasis on brass and percussion, is one type that is a likely contributor to music-induced hearing disorders, although specific data on sound pressure levels of marching bands have not been widely studied. Furthermore, if marching band music does lead to music-induced hearing disorders, the musicians may not be the only individuals at risk. Support personnel such as directors, equipment managers, and performing arts healthcare providers may also be exposed to potentially damaging sound pressures. Thus, we sought to explore to what degree healthcare providers receive sound dosages above recommended limits during their work with a marching band. The purpose of this study was to determine the sound exposure of healthcare professionals (specifically, athletic trainers [ATs]) who provide on-site care to a large, well-known university marching band. We hypothesized that sound pressure levels to which these individuals were exposed would exceed the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) daily percentage allowance. Descriptive observational study. Eight ATs working with a well-known American university marching band volunteered to wear noise dosimeters. During the marching band season, ATs wore an Etymotic ER-200D dosimeter whenever working with the band at outdoor rehearsals, indoor field house rehearsals, and outdoor performances. The dosimeters recorded dose percent exposure, equivalent continuous sound levels in A-weighted decibels, and duration of exposure. For comparison, a dosimeter also was worn by an AT working in the university's performing arts medicine clinic. Participants did not alter their typical duties during any data collection sessions. Sound data were collected with the dosimeters set at the NIOSH standards of 85 dBA threshold and 3 dBA exchange rate; the NIOSH 100% daily dose is

Cigarette smoking among healthcare professional students of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: It is aknown fact that health professionals can play a critical role in reducing tobacco use. In fact, it has been shown that even brief and simple advice from health care professionals can substantially increase smoking cessation rates. Students in healthcare professions are future healthcare professionals ...

Sustaining the rural primary healthcare workforce: survey of healthcare professionals in the Scottish Highlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Helen M; Farmer, Jane; Selvaraj, Sivasubramaniam

2005-01-01

Many westernised countries face ongoing difficulties in the recruitment and retention of health professionals in remote and rural communities. Predictors of rural working have been identified by the international literature, and include: the individual having been born or educated in a rural location; exposure to rural healthcare during training; access to continuing professional education; good relationships with peers; spousal contentedness; adoption of a rural 'lifestyle'; successful integration into local communities; and educational opportunities for children. However, those themes remain unverified in the UK. The present study aimed to ascertain whether the internationally identified determinants of recruitment and retention of the rural health workforce apply in the Highlands of Scotland, which includes the most sparsely populated area of the UK mainland, as well as an urban area. In 2003, a questionnaire was sent to all 2070 primary healthcare professionals working in the Highlands (which makes up one-third of Scotland's land area (9800 square miles) and has just 4% of the country's population (209,000)). Approximately one-quarter of the Highland's population live in Inverness. The area is ideal for investigating the rural workforce due to its population sparsity and the inclusion of small towns and Inverness, allowing urban/rural comparisons. The questionnaire asked about places of birth and education; intentions to stay/leave current location; professional isolation; access to amenities; and perceptions of belonging to the local community. The response rate was 53%. Compared with respondents working in urban areas, those working in rural areas were more likely to have been born in rural areas. Professionals living in rural areas were more likely to have been born outside Scotland and to have completed their secondary education and professional training outside Scotland, compared with those living in urban areas. Approximately one-third (34%) had lived in

Patient involvement in blood transfusion safety: patients' and healthcare professionals' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, R; Murphy, M F; Sud, A; Noel, S; Moss, R; Asgheddi, M; Abdur-Rahman, I; Vincent, C

2012-08-01

Blood transfusion is one of the major areas where serious clinical consequences, even death, related to patient misidentification can occur. In the UK, healthcare professional compliance with pre-transfusion checking procedures which help to prevent misidentification errors is poor. Involving patients at a number of stages in the transfusion pathway could help prevent the occurrence of these incidents. To investigate patients' willingness to be involved and healthcare professionals' willingness to support patient involvement in pre-transfusion checking behaviours. A cross-sectional design was employed assessing willingness to participate in pre-transfusion checking behaviours (patient survey) and willingness to support patient involvement (healthcare professional survey) on a scale of 1-7. One hundred and ten patients who had received a transfusion aged between 18 and 93 (60 male) and 123 healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses and midwives) involved in giving blood transfusions to patients. Mean scores for patients' willingness to participate in safety-relevant transfusion behaviours and healthcare professionals' willingness to support patient involvement ranged from 4.96-6.27 to 4.53-6.66, respectively. Both groups perceived it most acceptable for patients to help prevent errors or omissions relating to their hospital identification wristband. Neither prior experience of receiving a blood transfusion nor professional role of healthcare staff had an effect on attitudes towards patient participation. Overall, both patients and healthcare professionals view patient involvement in transfusion-related behaviours quite favourably and appear in agreement regarding the behaviours patients should adopt an active role in. Further work is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach to improve transfusion safety. © 2012 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine © 2012 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Working atmosphere, job satisfaction and individual characteristics of community mental health professionals in integrated care.

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, Katja; Kleine-Budde, Katja; Bramesfeld, Anke; Stegbauer, Constance

2018-03-01

Working requirements of community mental healthcare professionals in integrated care are complex. There is a lack of research concerning the relation of job satisfaction, working atmosphere and individual characteristics. For the current study, a survey evaluating job satisfaction and working atmosphere of mental healthcare professionals in integrated care was performed. About 321 community mental healthcare professionals were included in the survey; the response rate was 59.5%. The professional background of community mental healthcare professionals included nursing, social work and psychology. Community mental healthcare professionals reported the highest satisfaction with colleagues and the lowest satisfaction with income. Moreover, it could be shown that more responsibility, more recognition and more variety in job tasks lead to an increase of overall job satisfaction. Healthcare for mentally ill patients in the community setting is complex and requires well-structured care with appropriate responsibilities within the team. A co-operative relationship among colleagues as well as clearly defined responsibilities seem to be the key for the job satisfaction of community mental healthcare professionals in integrated care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Engaging with Families Is a Challenge: Beliefs among Healthcare Professionals in Forensic Psychiatric Care

Science.gov (United States)

Hörberg, Ulrica; Erlingsson, Christen; Syrén, Susanne

2015-01-01

Being healthcare professionals in the complex field of forensic psychiatry care (FPC) seems particularly challenging. Historically, families have almost been invisible in FPC. The aim of this study was to uncover beliefs among healthcare professionals concerning families of patients admitted for FPC. Using a hermeneutical approach inspired by Gadamer's philosophy, group interviews with healthcare professionals in four Swedish forensic psychiatric clinics were analyzed. Analysis resulted in seven key beliefs. There were three beliefs about families: family belongingness is a resource for the patient; most families are broken and not possible to trust; and most families get in the way of the patient's care. Four beliefs concerned encounters with families: it is important to achieve a balance and control over the family; it is essential to set aside one's own values and morals; family-oriented work is an impossible mission; and family oriented work requires welcoming the families. Despite ethical dilemmas of working with families in FPC, healthcare professionals showed a willingness and desire to work in a more family-oriented manner. More knowledge, understanding, and caring tools are needed in order to meet the needs of the family as well as support the family's resources. PMID:26448874

Knowledge of computer among healthcare professionals of India: a key toward e-health.

Science.gov (United States)

Gour, Neeraj; Srivastava, Dhiraj

2010-11-01

Information technology has radically changed the way that many people work and think. Over the years, technology has touched a new acme and now it is not confined to developed countries. Developing countries such as India have kept pace with the world in modern technology. Healthcare professionals can no longer ignore the application of information technology to healthcare because they are key to e-health. This study was conducted to enlighten the perspective and implications of computers among healthcare professionals, with the objective to assess the knowledge, use, and need of computers among healthcare professionals. A cross-sectional study of 240 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and pharmacists, was conducted. Each participant was interviewed using a pretested, semistructured format. Of 240 healthcare professionals, 57.91% were knowledgeable about computers. Of them, 22.08% had extensive knowledge and 35.83% had partial knowledge. Computer knowledge was greater among the age group 20-25 years (high knowledge-43.33% and partial knowledge-46.66%). Of 99 males, 21.21% were found to have good knowledge and 42.42% had partial knowledge. A majority of doctors and nurses used computer for study purposes. The remaining healthcare professionals used it basically for the sake of entertainment, Internet, and e-mail. A majority of all healthcare professionals (95.41%) requested computer training, which according to them would definitely help to make their future more bright and nurtured as well as to enhance their knowledge regarding computers.

Human trafficking and the healthcare professional.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrows, Jeffrey; Finger, Reginald

2008-05-01

Despite the legislation passed in the 19th century outlawing human slavery, it is more widespread today than at the conclusion of the civil war. Modern human slavery, termed human trafficking, comes in several forms. The most common type of human trafficking is sex trafficking, the sale of women and children into prostitution. Labor trafficking is the sale of men, women, and children into hard labor for which they receive little or no compensation. Other forms of trafficking include child soldiering, war brides, and organ removal. Healthcare professionals play a critical role in both finding victims of human trafficking while they are still in captivity, as well as caring for their mental and physical needs upon release. Those working in the healthcare profession need to be educated regarding how a trafficking victim may present, as well as their unique healthcare needs.

Infusing an Inter-Professional and Inter-University Perspective into Healthcare Education

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, Lynette R.; Koontz, Jennifer Scott; Downs, David; Uhlig, Paul; Kumar, Neil G.; Shah, Sapna; Clark, Paige E.; Coiner, Christina; Crumrine, Daiquirie

2010-01-01

A national (USA) student-led, case-based CLinician/Administrator Relationship Improvement OrganizatioN (CLARION) competition focuses students in medical and related healthcare programs on the provision of healthcare that is safe, timely, equitable, patient-centred, effective and efficient. Students work in four-person, inter-professional teams to…

The gap between behavioral risk status and willingness to change behavior among healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasila, K; Hallman, M; Kautiainen, H; Vanhala, M; Kettunen, T

2018-01-01

This study explored behavioral health risk factors among healthcare professionals and investigated the at-risk persons' satisfaction with their health habits and ongoing change attempts. The study was based on a cross-sectional web-based survey directed at the nurses and physicians ( N = 1233) in Finnish healthcare. Obesity, low physical activity, smoking, and risky alcohol drinking were used as behavioral health risk factors. In all, 70% of the participants had at least one behavioral risk factor, and a significant number of at-risk persons were satisfied with their health habits and had no ongoing change process. Good self-rated health and good self-rated work ability were significantly associated with whether a participant had a behavioral health risk factor. Overall, unhealthy behaviors and a lack of ongoing change attempts were commonly observed among healthcare professionals. Work in healthcare is demanding, and healthy lifestyles can support coping. Thus, healthy lifestyle programs should also be targeted to healthcare professionals.

Serial murder by healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yorker, Beatrice Crofts; Kizer, Kenneth W; Lampe, Paula; Forrest, A R W; Lannan, Jacquetta M; Russell, Donna A

2008-01-01

The prosecution of Charles Cullen, a nurse who killed at least 40 patients over a 16-year period, highlights the need to better understand the phenomenon of serial murder by healthcare professionals. The authors conducted a LexisNexis search which yielded 90 criminal prosecutions of healthcare providers that met inclusion criteria for serial murder of patients. In addition we reviewed epidemiologic studies, toxicology evidence, and court transcripts, to provide data on healthcare professionals who have been prosecuted between 1970 and 2006. Fifty-four of the 90 have been convicted; 45 for serial murder, four for attempted murder, and five pled guilty to lesser charges. Twenty-four more have been indicted and are either awaiting trial or the outcome has not been published. The other 12 prosecutions had a variety of legal outcomes. Injection was the main method used by healthcare killers followed by suffocation, poisoning, and tampering with equipment. Prosecutions were reported from 20 countries with 40% taking place in the United States. Nursing personnel comprised 86% of the healthcare providers prosecuted; physicians 12%, and 2% were allied health professionals. The number of patient deaths that resulted in a murder conviction is 317 and the number of suspicious patient deaths attributed to the 54 convicted caregivers is 2113. These numbers are disturbing and demand that systemic changes in tracking adverse patient incidents associated with presence of a specific healthcare provider be implemented. Hiring practices must shift away from preventing wrongful discharge or denial of employment lawsuits to protecting patients from employees who kill.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of the value and impact of the arts in healthcare settings: A critical review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Ceri; Bungay, Hilary; Munn-Giddings, Carol; Boyce, Melanie

2016-04-01

Internationally there is growing interest in the use of the arts in the healthcare context evidenced by the number of research studies reported in the nursing and medical literature. Establishing successful projects in healthcare environments will to some extent be reliant on the cooperation of staff working in these settings: healthcare professionals and their cultural values will be the lynchpin in the relationship between the artists organising the activities and the patients. This review appraises healthcare professionals' perceptions of the value of the arts in healthcare settings, and the impact of the arts on healthcare professionals. A critical review of the literature between 2004 and 2014 was undertaken. The following databases were searched: MedLine, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Science and ASSIA. Searches included words from three categories: arts activities; healthcare settings, and healthcare providers. Studies were included if they were written in English, explored the attitudes of healthcare professionals on the use of the arts in healthcare settings or the impact of arts activities on healthcare staff. Studies conducted in community venues and/or reporting on arts therapies (art, drama or music) were excluded. An initial 52 studies were identified and following screening for relevance and quality 27 articles were reviewed. Arts interventions were diverse and included music listening, visual arts, reading and creative writing, and dance. Despite some methodological limitations of the reviewed studies it was found that the majority of staff believed that engaging in arts interventions has a positive impact on patients' health and well-being. The findings suggest that arts interventions are perceived to have an impact on patients' stress, mood, pain levels, and sleep. Furthermore, staff believed that the arts can enhance communication between staff and patients, helping to build rapport and strengthen interactions. The majority of reported staff outcomes were

Engaging with Families Is a Challenge: Beliefs among Healthcare Professionals in Forensic Psychiatric Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrica Hörberg

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Being healthcare professionals in the complex field of forensic psychiatry care (FPC seems particularly challenging. Historically, families have almost been invisible in FPC. The aim of this study was to uncover beliefs among healthcare professionals concerning families of patients admitted for FPC. Using a hermeneutical approach inspired by Gadamer’s philosophy, group interviews with healthcare professionals in four Swedish forensic psychiatric clinics were analyzed. Analysis resulted in seven key beliefs. There were three beliefs about families: family belongingness is a resource for the patient; most families are broken and not possible to trust; and most families get in the way of the patient’s care. Four beliefs concerned encounters with families: it is important to achieve a balance and control over the family; it is essential to set aside one’s own values and morals; family-oriented work is an impossible mission; and family oriented work requires welcoming the families. Despite ethical dilemmas of working with families in FPC, healthcare professionals showed a willingness and desire to work in a more family-oriented manner. More knowledge, understanding, and caring tools are needed in order to meet the needs of the family as well as support the family’s resources.

Being on sick leave due to heart failure: self-rated health, encounters with healthcare professionals and social insurance officers and self-estimated ability to return to work.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordgren, Lena; Söderlund, Anne

2015-01-01

Younger people with heart failure often experience poor self-rated health. Furthermore, poor self-rated health is associated with long-term sick leave and disability pension. Socio-demographic factors affect the ability to return to work. However, little is known about people on sick leave due to heart failure. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between self-rated health, mood, socio-demographic factors, sick leave compensation, encounters with healthcare professionals and social insurance officers and self-estimated ability to return to work, for people on sick leave due to heart failure. This population-based investigation had a cross-sectional design. Data were collected in Sweden in 2012 from two official registries and from a postal questionnaire. In total, 590 subjects, aged 23-67, responded (response rate 45.8%). Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses (Spearman bivariate analysis) and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations. Poor self-rated health was strongly associated with full sick leave compensation (OR = 4.1, p health was moderately associated with low income (OR =  .6, p =  .003). Good self-rated health was strongly associated with positive encounters with healthcare professionals (OR = 3.0, p =  .022) and to the impact of positive encounters with healthcare professionals on self-estimated ability to return to work (OR = 3.3, p work imposes reduced quality of life. Positive encounters with healthcare professionals and social insurance officers can be supportive when people with heart failure struggle to remain in working life.

Both sides of the couch: a qualitative exploration of the experiences of female healthcare professionals returning to work after treatment for cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, T

2015-11-01

The aim was to explore the experiences of healthcare professionals (HCPs) who had treatment for cancer and then returned to work. The intention was to identify how HCPs' experiences differed to those of the general public with cancer, and also to explore how HCPs were reintegrated into the workplace following treatment. An interpretive phenomenological approach was employed and conversational interviews were undertaken with 13 women volunteers from a variety of healthcare disciplines including nursing, midwifery, social work, physiotherapy, radiography and general practice. During analysis 59 categories were constructed which were accommodated within 14 themes; six of which are reported here. Participants used knowledge to make sense of their diagnosis, severity and extent of cancer. Several participants covertly accessed their medical records to find out more about their clinical condition. Familiarity with both the environment and oncology personnel resulted in benefits and disadvantage in equal measure. Managers responded to participants' return to work in a variety of ways, and involvement of Occupational Health Departments was inconsistent. Healthcare professionals had distinctly unique experiences because of being patient and provider, and each made personal decisions about sharing their cancer experiences with patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Self-Awareness of Disease Stigma: Reflections of Healthcare Professionals].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chih-Hsuan; Wang, Ying-Ting; Shu, Bih-Ching

2017-06-01

People who suffer from disease frequently experience disease-related stigmas. Stigma presents in daily life during normal human interactions. The stereotypes promoted by the media often impact public opinion significantly. Moreover, healthcare professionals may exacerbate stigmatization due to their misunderstanding of patients and their disease issues. Therefore, the reflection on stigma of healthcare professionals cannot be ignored. The present article illustrates the issue of stigmas held by healthcare professionals, their related stigmas, and their self-awareness. It is hoped that all healthcare professionals may cooperate to develop an anti-stigma strategy and to become true spokespersons for their patients.

Healthcare professionals experience with motivational interviewing in their encounter with obese pregnant women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindhardt, Christina Louise; Rubak, Sune; Mogensen, Ole

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to explore and describe how healthcare professionals in the Southern Region of Denmark experienced motivational interviewing as a communication method when working with pregnant women with obesity. DESIGN: a qualitative, descriptive study based on face-to-face interviews with 11...... a descriptive analysis methodology. FINDINGS: motivational interviewing was found to be a useful method when communicating with obese pregnant women. The method made the healthcare professionals more aware of their own communication style both when encountering pregnant women and in their interaction...... awareness of the healthcare professionals communication method with the patients and increased their ability to handle a difficult workload. Overall, lack of time restricted the use of the motivational interviewing method on a daily basis....

Rethinking clinical governance : Healthcare professionals' views: a Delphi study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenstra, Gepke L.; Ahaus, Kees; Welker, Gera A.; Heineman, Erik; van der Laan, Maarten J.; Muntinghe, Friso L. H.

OBJECTIVE: Although the guiding principle of clinical governance states that healthcare professionals are the leading contributors to quality and safety in healthcare, little is known about what healthcare professionals perceive as important for clinical governance. The aim of this study is to

Email for clinical communication between healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Goyder, Clare; Atherton, Helen; Car, Mate; Heneghan, Carl J; Car, Josip

2015-02-20

Email is one of the most widely used methods of communication, but its use in healthcare is still uncommon. Where email communication has been utilised in health care, its purposes have included clinical communication between healthcare professionals, but the effects of using email in this way are not well known. We updated a 2012 review of the use of email for two-way clinical communication between healthcare professionals. To assess the effects of email for clinical communication between healthcare professionals on healthcare professional outcomes, patient outcomes, health service performance, and service efficiency and acceptability, when compared to other forms of communicating clinical information. We searched: the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 9 2013), MEDLINE (OvidSP) (1946 to August 2013), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1974 to August 2013), PsycINFO (1967 to August 2013), CINAHL (EbscoHOST) (1982 to August 2013), and ERIC (CSA) (1965 to January 2010). We searched grey literature: theses/dissertation repositories, trials registers and Google Scholar (searched November 2013). We used additional search methods: examining reference lists and contacting authors. Randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised trials, controlled before and after studies, and interrupted time series studies examining interventions in which healthcare professionals used email for communicating clinical information in the form of: 1) unsecured email, 2) secure email, or 3) web messaging. All healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers in all settings were considered. Two authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, assessed the included studies' risk of bias, and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information and have reported all measures as per the study report. The previous version of this review included one randomised controlled

Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Holuby, Ronnie Scott; Pellegrin, Karen L; Barbato, Anna; Ciarleglio, Anita

2015-01-01

The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care. To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentially. The first method used formal advertising implemented by a professional marketing service to promote CE events. The second method enlisted local healthcare organizations and physician groups to promote the CE event to their employees. Cost per attendee was calculated for comparison. Professional marketing services recruited 31 HCPs (March 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$428.62. Local healthcare organizations and physician groups' marketing recruited 48 HCPs (July-August 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$55.19. Providing free CE coordinated through local healthcare organizations and physician groups was the most cost-effective method of recruiting rural HCPs for CE. Formal advertising added cost without increasing the number of participants per event. Although this is the first study of the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods targeting HCPs in rural areas, results are consistent with research on cost-effectiveness of outreach to rural lay community members.

Healthcare Practitioners' Personal and Professional Values

Science.gov (United States)

Moyo, Mpatisi; Goodyear-Smith, Felicity A.; Weller, Jennifer; Robb, Gillian; Shulruf, Boaz

2016-01-01

Personal and professional values of healthcare practitioners influence their clinical decisions. Understanding these values for individuals and across healthcare professions can help improve patient-centred decision-making by individual practitioners and interprofessional teams, respectively. We aimed to identify these values and integrate them…

Clinical prioritisations of healthcare for the aged--professional roles.

Science.gov (United States)

Nortvedt, P; Pedersen, R; Grøthe, K H; Nordhaug, M; Kirkevold, M; Slettebø, A; Brinchmann, B S; Andersen, B

2008-05-01

Although fair distribution of healthcare services for older patients is an important challenge, qualitative research exploring clinicians' considerations in clinical prioritisation within this field is scarce. To explore how clinicians understand their professional role in clinical prioritisations in healthcare services for old patients. A semi-structured interview-guide was employed to interview 45 clinicians working with older patients. The interviews were analysed qualitatively using hermeneutical content analysis. 20 physicians and 25 nurses working in public hospitals and nursing homes in different parts of Norway. The clinicians struggle with not being able to attend to the comprehensive needs of older patients, and being unfaithful to professional ideals and expectations. There is a tendency towards lowering the standards and narrowing the role of the clinician. This is done in order to secure the vital needs of the patient, but is at the expense of good practice and holistic role modelling. Increased specialisation, advances and increase in medical interventions, economical incentives, organisational structures, and biomedical paradigms, may all contribute to a narrowing of the clinicians' role. Distributing healthcare services in a fair way is generally not described as integral to the clinicians' role in clinical prioritisations. If considerations of justice are not included in clinicians' role, it is likely that others will shape major parts of their roles and responsibilities in clinical prioritisations. Fair distribution of healthcare services for older patients is possible only if clinicians accept responsibility in these questions.

LISTEN WHILE YOU WORK? The Attitude of Healthcare Professionals to Music in the OR.

Science.gov (United States)

Faraj, Adna Abdilmajeedn; Wright, P; Haneef, J H S; Jones, Adrian

2015-06-01

Although the playing of music is commonplace in the operating theatre, there is nothing in the literature examining whether staff feel this is beneficial. Questionnaires were distributed amongst a random selection of staff in practice at a district general hospital: medical staff from a range of surgical specialities, anaesthetists, and all grades of perioperative staff (nurse/operating department practitioners/healthcare assistants) were encouraged to participate. There were 121 health professionals in total working in the operating theatres. The authors compared the responses to each question amongst the respondents, to check for the tendency to correlate. Out of the 52 health professionals who responded, 36 stated that music is played in their theatre either every day, or two to three times a week. Only five respondents felt that this was too often. Fifteen percent of medical staff were of the opinion that the nursing staff controlled the choice of music. Nursing staff were almost evenly split in thinking that nursing staff, surgical staff and the whole theatre team controlled the choice of music. The majority of both nursing and medical staff felt that they enjoyed their work more and performed better when music was played in theatre. The study concluded that the majority of theatre staff found listening to music while they work a positive experience. The potential for music to have a distracting or detrimental effect on a minority of individuals should always be considered.

Predictors of healthcare professionals' intention and behaviour to encourage physical activity in patients with cardiovascular risk factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kok Gerjo

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Healthcare professionals can play a crucial role in optimizing the health status of patients with cardiovascular risk factors (abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides and elevated blood glucose. In order to do this, it is imperative that we understand the social-cognitive determinants (including habits that underlie healthcare professionals' intention and the corresponding behavior of actually encouraging patients with cardiovascular risk factors to engage in physical activity. Methods In this longitudinal Professionals' Intention and Behavior (PIB study, healthcare professionals (N = 278, aged 20-61 years with approximately 60% having attained an education level exceeding bachelor's degree, types of healthcare professionals 60% in physiotherapy and 40% in nursing completed online surveys measuring the social-cognitive determinants of healthcare professionals' intention and the corresponding behavior of actually encouraging patients with cardiovascular risk factors to engage in physical activity. Results Social-cognitive determinants accounted for 41% (p We explored the congruence between healthcare professionals' intention to encourage patients and the self-reported behavior of encouraging patients. We found that intention and behavior were congruent in 39.7% of the healthcare professionals. Additionally, the intention to encourage and the corresponding behavior of encouraging was incongruent in 31.7% of the healthcare professionals. Conclusions In the prevention of cardiovascular disease, healthcare professionals' intention to encourage physical activity among patients and subsequent behavior of encouraging patients is important for the improvement of patients' cardiovascular risk profiles. We found that the intentions and self-reported behavior of healthcare professionals working with patients with cardiovascular risk factors can be predicted by social-cognitive determinants thus

Communication skills of healthcare professionals in paediatric diabetes services.

Science.gov (United States)

Hambly, H; Robling, M; Crowne, E; Hood, K; Gregory, J W

2009-05-01

To identify training needs in communication skills and to assess training preferences of staff working in paediatric diabetes services, which will inform the development of a learning programme in behaviour change counselling for healthcare professionals. Three hundred and eighty-five staff in 67 UK paediatric diabetes services were sent questionnaires to determine their previous communication skills training, to measure their self-reported view of the importance of and confidence in addressing common clinical problems and to assess the perceived feasibility of training methods to improve skillfulness. Two hundred and sixty-six questionnaires (69%) were returned from 65 services. Sixteen per cent of doctors, nurses and dietitians reported no previous training in communication skills and 47% had received no training since graduating. Respondents rated psychosocial issues as more important to address than medical issues within consultations (t = 8.93, P important component of consultations involving young people with diabetes, but healthcare professionals find it easier to address medical issues. This represents a key training need in communication skills for diabetes professionals. The survey will inform the development of a tailored learning programme for health professionals in UK paediatric diabetes clinics.

[Concepts of gender, masculinity and healthcare: a study of primary healthcare professionals].

Science.gov (United States)

Machin, Rosana; Couto, Márcia Thereza; Silva, Geórgia Sibele Nogueira da; Schraiber, Lilia Blima; Gomes, Romeu; Santos Figueiredo, Wagner dos; Valença, Otávio Augusto; Pinheiro, Thiago Félix

2011-11-01

This paper analyzes concepts of gender and masculinity among Primary Healthcare professionals in four Brazilian States (Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo). It is based on two perspectives: the meanings associated with being a man and the relations between masculinity and healthcare. This qualitative study is part of a multicentric investigation, which used triangulation methods as a benchmark. Sixty-nine in-depth interviews carried out among health professionals with higher education were analyzed. The discourses (re)produce the notion that health facilities are "feminized spaces". Within the daily routine, this notion is translated as reinforcing the idea that the male body is not a locus of this care, as opposed to the female body which is considered a locus of care. The presence of a hegemonic pattern of masculinity is prominent among professionals' representations of men and seems to influence the latter, in their lack of commitment with healthcare. The existence of a stereotyped gender model (re)produces disparities between men and women in healthcare and compromises the visibility of other meanings and expressions of gender identities.

Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronnie Scott Holuby

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care. Methods: To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentially. The first method used formal advertising implemented by a professional marketing service to promote CE events. The second method enlisted local healthcare organizations and physician groups to promote the CE event to their employees. Cost per attendee was calculated for comparison. Results: Professional marketing services recruited 31 HCPs (March 2011 and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$428.62. Local healthcare organizations and physician groups’ marketing recruited 48 HCPs (July–August 2011 and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$55.19. Discussion: Providing free CE coordinated through local healthcare organizations and physician groups was the most cost-effective method of recruiting rural HCPs for CE. Formal advertising added cost without increasing the number of participants per event. Although this is the first study of the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods targeting HCPs in rural areas, results are consistent with research on cost-effectiveness of outreach to rural lay community members.

Traumatic Childbirth from the Perspective of the Healthcare Professional

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schrøder, Katja

2016-01-01

, but it accentuates the natural unpredictability of childbirths and it gives voice to the midwife and obstetrician who go to work with no intention to cause harm. I have investigated the perspective of the involved healthcare professional from an individual approach, based on the existential-humanistic traditions...... was to explore to what extent and in what way midwives and obstetricians feel guilt or have existential considerations in relation to these events. Feeling guilty seemed to play a pivotal part in the narratives of being involved in a traumatic childbirth as a healthcare professional, and even in cases...... health and wellbeing in the aftermath. In study II, we formed five categories during the comparative mixed methods analysis: i) the pa-tient; ii) clinical peers; iii) official complaints; iv) guilt and v) existential considerations. Although blame from patients, peers or official authorities was feared...

Moving It Along: A study of healthcare professionals' experience with ethics consultations.

Science.gov (United States)

Crigger, Nancy; Fox, Maria; Rosell, Tarris; Rojjanasrirat, Wilaiporn

2017-05-01

Ethics consultation is the traditional way of resolving challenging ethical questions raised about patient care in the United States. Little research has been published on the resolution process used during ethics consultations and on how this experience affects healthcare professionals who participate in them. The purpose of this qualitative research was to uncover the basic process that occurs in consultation services through study of the perceptions of healthcare professionals. The researchers in this study used a constructivist grounded theory approach that represents how one group of professionals experienced ethics consultations in their hospital in the United States. The results were sufficient to develop an initial theory that has been named after the core concept: Moving It Along. Three process stages emerged from data interpretation: moral questioning, seeing the big picture, and coming together. It is hoped that this initial work stimulates additional research in describing and understanding the complex social process that occurs for healthcare professionals as they address the difficult moral issues that arise in clinical practice.

Social capital among healthcare professionals: A prospective study of its importance for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements.

Science.gov (United States)

Strömgren, Marcus; Eriksson, Andrea; Bergman, David; Dellve, Lotta

2016-01-01

Social capital can be an important resource to facilitate the needed improvements in quality of care and efficiency in hospitals. To assess the importance of social capital (recognition, vertical trust, horizontal trust and reciprocity) for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements. A prospective cohort design was used. Intensive care units and emergency, surgical and medical units at five Swedish hospitals with ongoing development of their processes of care. Healthcare professionals (physicians, registered nurses, assistant nurses) at five Swedish midsize hospitals. The participants answered a questionnaire at two occasions, NN=1602 at baseline and NN=1548 at one-year follow-up. Mean hospital response rate was 53% at baseline and 59% at follow-up. Univariate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed, and the prospective analysis was based on 477 respondents. Social capital was associated with healthcare professionals' general work engagement and job satisfaction. Analysis showed positive associations between all measured aspects of social capital and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety and quality of care. The prospective analysis showed that increased social capital predicted increased job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety. Social capital is strongly related to job satisfaction and active engagement with clinical improvements. The findings contribute to a deeper knowledge of social capital as a predictive factor that influences patient safety and health among healthcare staff. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The emergence of personal growth amongst healthcare professionals who care for dying children.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaune, Laura; Muskat, Barbara; Anthony, Samantha J

2018-06-01

ABSTRACTObjective:Compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious traumatization are prominent topics in the current literature on the impact of the rewarding but challenging work of healthcare professionals who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The positive effects of caregiving constitute a newly emerging outcome that has been relatively unexplored in the pediatric literature, and yet they may play an important role in contributing to the satisfaction and well-being of the healthcare professionals who care for children who have a life-limiting illness. This paper reports the results of a secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts that explored the experiences of hospital-based pediatric healthcare providers caring for children with varied life-limiting illnesses. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 healthcare professionals (9 social workers, 8 nurses, and 8 physicians). The majority of participants were women (80%), with an age range between 20 and 60 years, and most (84%) had the experience of caring for more than 15 dying children. Thematic analysis was conducted using interpretive description and constant comparison. Every healthcare professional interviewed experienced personal growth as a result of their providing care for dying children. Three dimensions of personal growth were most consistently reported: (1) new or altered life perspectives, (2) enhanced personal resources, and (3) benevolence. A deeper understanding of the phenomenon of personal growth could help healthcare organizations to implement innovative approaches that would counterbalance compassion fatigue, and thereby enhance both healthcare provider well-being and child and family outcomes.

Resilience of primary healthcare professionals: a systematic review.

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Robertson, Helen D; Elliott, Alison M; Burton, Christopher; Iversen, Lisa; Murchie, Peter; Porteous, Terry; Matheson, Catriona

2016-06-01

Modern demands and challenges among healthcare professionals can be particularly stressful and resilience is increasingly necessary to maintain an effective, adaptable, and sustainable workforce. However, definitions of, and associations with, resilience have not been examined within the primary care context. To examine definitions and measures of resilience, identify characteristics and components, and synthesise current evidence about resilience in primary healthcare professionals. A systematic review was undertaken to identify studies relating to the primary care setting. Ovid(®), Embase(®), CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched in December 2014. Text selections and data extraction were conducted by paired reviewers working independently. Data were extracted on health professional resilience definitions and associated factors. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria: eight were quantitative, four qualitative, and one was an intervention study. Resilience, although multifaceted, was commonly defined as involving positive adaptation to adversity. Interactions were identified between personal growth and accomplishment in resilient physicians. Resilience, high persistence, high self-directedness, and low avoidance of challenges were strongly correlated; resilience had significant associations with traits supporting high function levels associated with demanding health professional roles. Current resilience measures do not allow for these different aspects in the primary care context. Health professional resilience is multifaceted, combining discrete personal traits alongside personal, social, and workplace features. A measure for health professional resilience should be developed and validated that may be used in future quantitative research to measure the effect of an intervention to promote it. © British Journal of General Practice 2016.

Resilience of primary healthcare professionals: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Helen D; Elliott, Alison M; Burton, Christopher; Iversen, Lisa; Murchie, Peter; Porteous, Terry; Matheson, Catriona

2016-01-01

Background Modern demands and challenges among healthcare professionals can be particularly stressful and resilience is increasingly necessary to maintain an effective, adaptable, and sustainable workforce. However, definitions of, and associations with, resilience have not been examined within the primary care context. Aim To examine definitions and measures of resilience, identify characteristics and components, and synthesise current evidence about resilience in primary healthcare professionals. Design and setting A systematic review was undertaken to identify studies relating to the primary care setting. Method Ovid®, Embase®, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched in December 2014. Text selections and data extraction were conducted by paired reviewers working independently. Data were extracted on health professional resilience definitions and associated factors. Results Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria: eight were quantitative, four qualitative, and one was an intervention study. Resilience, although multifaceted, was commonly defined as involving positive adaptation to adversity. Interactions were identified between personal growth and accomplishment in resilient physicians. Resilience, high persistence, high self-directedness, and low avoidance of challenges were strongly correlated; resilience had significant associations with traits supporting high function levels associated with demanding health professional roles. Current resilience measures do not allow for these different aspects in the primary care context. Conclusion Health professional resilience is multifaceted, combining discrete personal traits alongside personal, social, and workplace features. A measure for health professional resilience should be developed and validated that may be used in future quantitative research to measure the effect of an intervention to promote it. PMID:27162208

Perceptions of primary healthcare professionals towards their role in type 2 diabetes mellitus patient education in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodstein Regina CA

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the current study was to analyze the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of primary healthcare professionals in providing patient education to people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods A total of 23 health professionals working in primary healthcare units in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, participated in a focus group in order to discuss their patient education practices and the challenges for effective patient education in diabetes self-management. Results The results were categorized as follows: 1 lack of preparation and technical knowledge among the health professionals on some aspects of diabetes mellitus and the health professionals' patient education practices; 2 work conditions and organization; 3 issues related or attributed to the clientele themselves; and 4 diabetes care model. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of reorienting the patient education practices, health professionals' skills and work goals, and evaluation of the educational interventions, in order to establish strategies for health promotion and prevention and control of the disease. Descriptors Health Education; Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus; Primary Healthcare

Implementing augmentative and alternative communication in critical care settings: Perspectives of healthcare professionals.

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Handberg, Charlotte; Voss, Anna Katarina

2018-01-01

To describe the perspectives of healthcare professionals caring for intubated patients on implementing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in critical care settings. Patients in critical care settings subjected to endotracheal intubation suffer from a temporary functional speech disorder and can also experience anxiety, stress and delirium, leading to longer and more complicated hospitalisation and rehabilitation. Little is known about the use of AAC in critical care settings. The design was informed by interpretive descriptive methodology along with the theoretical framework symbolic interactionism, which guided the study of healthcare professionals (n = 48) in five different intensive care units. Data were generated through participant observations and 10 focus group interviews. The findings represent an understanding of the healthcare professionals' perspectives on implementing AAC in critical care settings and revealed three themes. Caring Ontology was the foundation of the healthcare professionals' profession. Cultural Belief represented the actual premise in the interactions during the healthcare professionals' work, saving lives in a biomedical setting whilst appearing competent and efficient, leading to Triggered Conduct and giving low priority to psychosocial issues like communication. Lack of the ability to communicate puts patients at greater risk of receiving poorer treatment, which supports the pressuring need to implement and use AAC in critical care. It is documented that culture in biomedical paradigms can have consequences that are the opposite of the staffs' ideals. The findings may guide staff in implementing AAC strategies in their communication with patients and at the same time preserve their caring ontology and professional pride. Improving communication strategies may improve patient safety and make a difference in patient outcomes. Increased knowledge of and familiarity with AAC strategies may provide healthcare professionals

"You have to keep fighting": maintaining healthcare services and professionalism on the frontline of austerity in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerasidou, Angeliki; Kingori, Patricia; Legido-Quigley, Helena

2016-07-26

Greece has been severely affected by the 2008 global economic crisis and its health system was, and still is, among the national institutions most shaped by its effects. In 2014, this qualitative study examined these changes through in-depth interviews with 22 frontline healthcare professionals in five different locations in mainland Greece. These interviews with nurses, doctors and pharmacists explored perceptions of austerity and how ideas of professionalism were challenged and revised by these measures. Participants reported working conditions characterised by dramatic increases in public hospital admissions alongside decreases in personnel, consumables, materials, and also many hospital closures. Many drew on analogies of war and fighting to describe the effects of healthcare reforms on their working lives and professional conduct. Despite accounts of deteriorating conditions and numerous challenges, healthcare professionals presented themselves as making every effort to meet patients' needs, while battling to resist guidelines which they perceived diminished their roles to production-line operatives. Participants considered it their duty to defend their professional ethos and serve patients without compromising standards, even if this meant liberal interpretation and implementation of regulations. These professionals regarded themselves on the frontline of healthcare provision but also the frontline defence in a war on their professional standards from austerity.

Dentistry - a professional contained career in healthcare. A qualitative study of Vocational Dental Practitioners' professional expectations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Jennifer E; Clarke, Wendy; Eaton, Kenneth A; Wilson, Nairn H F

2007-11-16

New graduates in the UK presently spend one year in training as Vocational Dental Practitioners (VDPs) in preparation for primary dental care. There is a growing recognition that the emerging workforce has very different professional expectations to those of earlier generations, with implications for the profession, patients and the performance of health systems. The objectives of this study were to investigate why VDPs' in England and Wales perceive they chose dentistry as a professional career; how they perceive their vision has changed and the implications for their professional career plans, both short- and longterm. Purposive sampling of schemes was undertaken to include urban, rural and metropolitan schemes, schemes in areas with and without dental schools and geographic coverage across England and Wales. All VDPs in these schemes were initiated to participate in this qualitative study using focus groups. A topic guide was utilised to standardise data collection. Informants' views were recorded on tape and in field notes. Data were transcribed and analysed using Framework Methodology. A total of 99 VDPs participated in the 10 focus groups. Their choice of dentistry as a professional career was motivated by multiple categories of influence: 'academic', 'healthcare', 'lifestyle', the influence of 'family', 'friends', 'careers advice' and 'work experience'. Consideration of the features of the 'professional job' appears to have been key to their choice of dentistry and the 'active rejection of medicine' as an alternative career.Entry into the profession was proving a challenging process for some but not all VDPs. Informants perceived that their vision had been moderated as a result of 'personal student debt', 'national workforce initiatives', 'limitations on clinical practice' and the 'cost of additional training'.Short term goals focused around 'recovery from the past' and 'preparation for the future'. Longterm goals covered the spectrum of opportunities within

Shared decision-making at the end of life: A focus group study exploring the perceptions and experiences of multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals working in the home setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Brogan, Paula; Hasson, Felicity; McIlfatrick, Sonja

2018-01-01

Globally recommended in healthcare policy, Shared Decision-Making is also central to international policy promoting community palliative care. Yet realities of implementation by multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals who provide end-of-life care in the home are unclear. To explore multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences of Shared Decision-Making at end of life in the home. Qualitative design using focus groups, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. A total of 43 participants, from multi-disciplinary community-based services in one region of the United Kingdom, were recruited. While the rhetoric of Shared Decision-Making was recognised, its implementation was impacted by several interconnecting factors, including (1) conceptual confusion regarding Shared Decision-Making, (2) uncertainty in the process and (3) organisational factors which impeded Shared Decision-Making. Multiple interacting factors influence implementation of Shared Decision-Making by professionals working in complex community settings at the end of life. Moving from rhetoric to reality requires future work exploring the realities of Shared Decision-Making practice at individual, process and systems levels.

The Patient-Healthcare Professional Relationship and Communication in the Oncology Outpatient Setting: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Prip, Anne; Møller, Kirsten Alling; Nielsen, Dorte Lisbet; Jarden, Mary; Olsen, Marie-Helene; Danielsen, Anne Kjaergaard

2017-07-27

Today, cancer care and treatment primarily take place in an outpatient setting where encounters between patients and healthcare professionals are often brief. The aim of this study was to summarize the literature of adult patients' experiences of and need for relationships and communication with healthcare professionals during chemotherapy in the oncology outpatient setting. The systematic literature review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines and the PICO framework, and a systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Practice Database. Nine studies were included, qualitative (n = 5) and quantitative (n = 4). The studies identified that the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals was important for the patients' ability to cope with cancer and has an impact on satisfaction of care, that hope and positivity are both a need and a strategy for patients with cancer and were facilitated by healthcare professionals, and that outpatient clinic visits framed and influenced communication and relationships. The relationship and communication between patients and healthcare professionals in the outpatient setting were important for the patients' ability to cope with cancer. Healthcare professionals need to pay special attention to the relational aspects of communication in an outpatient clinic because encounters are often brief. More research is needed to investigate the type of interaction and intervention that would be the most effective in supporting adult patients' coping during chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

Expert Search Strategies: The Information Retrieval Practices of Healthcare Information Professionals

OpenAIRE

Russell-Rose, Tony; Chamberlain, Jon

2017-01-01

Background Healthcare information professionals play a key role in closing the knowledge gap between medical research and clinical practice. Their work involves meticulous searching of literature databases using complex search strategies that can consist of hundreds of keywords, operators, and ontology terms. This process is prone to error and can lead to inefficiency and bias if performed incorrectly. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the search behavior of healthcare inform...

Behavior of personality type toward stress and job performance: a study of healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Janjhua, Yasmin; Chandrakanta

2012-07-01

The present paper has examined the sources of stress among the healthcare professionals and the difference between responses of personality type A and type B healthcare professionals toward stressful situations. Further, the difference in the performance of both the personality types has been studied. The relationship between stress and performance among the healthcare professionals in general and with respect to personality type A and type B healthcare professionals in particular has also been investigated. A total of 160 healthcare professionals of Post Graduate Institute (PGI), Chandigarh, were subjects of this study. Identification with patients, deterioration and complication in the patient condition, and job criticism emerged to be the sources of stress. Significant difference between personality type A and personality type B professionals' response pertaining to identification with the patients only has been reported. However, type A individuals showed slightly higher inclination as compared to type B individuals on majority of stressful situations. It was further noted that type A individuals had scored higher on almost all the performance indicators as compared to personality type B individuals. The mean difference between the personality types was found to be significant for two performance dimensions, i.e., relationship with colleagues, and teaching and training. The stressful situation relationship with patients was found to have significantly negative impact on the performance factors such as good clinical care and rapport with patients. Daily work was also found to be negatively related to good medical practice.

An evaluation of a community dietetics intervention on the management of malnutrition for healthcare professionals.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kennelly, S

2010-12-01

Healthcare professionals working in the community setting have limited knowledge of the evidence-based management of malnutrition. The present study aimed to evaluate a community dietetics intervention, which included an education programme for healthcare professionals in conjunction with the introduction of a community dietetics service for patients \\'at risk\\' of malnutrition. Changes in nutritional knowledge and the reported management of malnourished patients were investigated and the acceptability of the intervention was explored.

Healthcare professional behaviour change using technological supports: A realist literature review

OpenAIRE

Chris Keyworth; Jo Hart; Chris A. Armitage

2015-01-01

Background Changing healthcare professional behaviour is fundamental to effective patient management. Recent systematic reviews examining healthcare professional behaviour change interventions (such as audit and feedback) suggest that technological support is likely to be crucial in helping healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes. However we know little about the effectiveness of technological support interventions, and whether the design of technological support interventions...

Listen while you work? The attitude of healthcare professionals to music in the operating theatre.

Science.gov (United States)

Faraj, A A; Wright, A P; Haneef, J H S; Jones, A

2014-09-01

Although the playing of music is commonplace in the operating theatre, there is nothing in the literature examining whether staff feel this is beneficial. Questionnaires were distributed amongst a random selection of staff in practice at a district general hospital: medical staff from a range of surgical specialities, anaesthetists, and all grades of perioperative staff (nurse/operating department practitioners/healthcare assistants) were encouraged to participate. There were 121 health professionals in total working in the operating theatres. The authors compared the responses to each question amongst the respondents, to check for the tendency to correlate. Out of the 52 health professionals who responded, 36 stated that music is played in their theatre either every day, or two to three times a week. Only five respondents felt that this was too often. Fifteen percent of medical staff were of the opinion that the nursing staff controlled the choice of music. Nursing staff were almost evenly split in thinking that nursing staff, surgical staff and the whole theatre team controlled the choice of music. The majority of both nursing and medical staff felt that they enjoyed their work more and performed better when music was played in theatre. The study concluded that the majority of theatre staff found listening to music while they work a positive experience. The potential for music to have a distracting or detrimental effect on a minority of individuals should always be considered.

Divorce among physicians and other healthcare professionals in the United States: analysis of census survey data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ly, Dan P; Seabury, Seth A; Jena, Anupam B

2015-02-18

To estimate the prevalence and incidence of divorce among US physicians compared with other healthcare professionals, lawyers, and non-healthcare professionals, and to analyze factors associated with divorce among physicians. Retrospective analysis of nationally representative surveys conducted by the US census, 2008-13. United States. 48,881 physicians, 10,086 dentists, 13,883 pharmacists, 159,044 nurses, 18,920 healthcare executives, 59,284 lawyers, and 6,339,310 other non-healthcare professionals. Logistic models of divorce adjusted for age, sex, race, annual income, weekly hours worked, number of years since marriage, calendar year, and state of residence. Divorce outcomes included whether an individual had ever been divorced (divorce prevalence) or became divorced in the past year (divorce incidence). After adjustment for covariates, the probability of being ever divorced (or divorce prevalence) among physicians evaluated at the mean value of other covariates was 24.3% (95% confidence interval 23.8% to 24.8%); dentists, 25.2% (24.1% to 26.3%); pharmacists, 22.9% (22.0% to 23.8%); nurses, 33.0% (32.6% to 33.3%); healthcare executives, 30.9% (30.1% to 31.8%); lawyers, 26.9% (26.4% to 27.4%); and other non-healthcare professionals, 35.0% (34.9% to 35.1%). Similarly, physicians were less likely than those in most other occupations to divorce in the past year. In multivariable analysis among physicians, divorce prevalence was greater among women (odds ratio 1.51, 95% confidence interval 1.40 to 1.63). In analyses stratified by physician sex, greater weekly work hours were associated with increased divorce prevalence only for female physicians. Divorce among physicians is less common than among non-healthcare workers and several health professions. Female physicians have a substantially higher prevalence of divorce than male physicians, which may be partly attributable to a differential effect of hours worked on divorce. © Ly et al 2015.

Dentistry – a professional contained career in healthcare. A qualitative study of Vocational Dental Practitioners' professional expectations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eaton Kenneth A

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background New graduates in the UK presently spend one year in training as Vocational Dental Practitioners (VDPs in preparation for primary dental care. There is a growing recognition that the emerging workforce has very different professional expectations to those of earlier generations, with implications for the profession, patients and the performance of health systems. The objectives of this study were to investigate why VDPs' in England and Wales perceive they chose dentistry as a professional career; how they perceive their vision has changed and the implications for their professional career plans, both short- and longterm. Methods Purposive sampling of schemes was undertaken to include urban, rural and metropolitan schemes, schemes in areas with and without dental schools and geographic coverage across England and Wales. All VDPs in these schemes were initiated to participate in this qualitative study using focus groups. A topic guide was utilised to standardise data collection. Informants' views were recorded on tape and in field notes. Data were transcribed and analysed using Framework Methodology. Results A total of 99 VDPs participated in the 10 focus groups. Their choice of dentistry as a professional career was motivated by multiple categories of influence: 'academic', 'healthcare', 'lifestyle', the influence of 'family', 'friends', 'careers advice' and 'work experience'. Consideration of the features of the 'professional job' appears to have been key to their choice of dentistry and the 'active rejection of medicine' as an alternative career. Entry into the profession was proving a challenging process for some but not all VDPs. Informants perceived that their vision had been moderated as a result of 'personal student debt', 'national workforce initiatives', 'limitations on clinical practice' and the 'cost of additional training'. Short term goals focused around 'recovery from the past' and 'preparation for the future

Home care services for sick children: Healthcare professionals' conceptions of challenges and facilitators.

Science.gov (United States)

Castor, Charlotte; Hallström, Inger; Hansson, Helena; Landgren, Kajsa

2017-09-01

To explore healthcare professionals' conceptions of caring for sick children in home care services. Families often prefer home care to hospital care, and the number of home care services for children is increasing. Caring for children at home has been recognised as challenging for healthcare professionals in home care services used to providing care predominately for adults. An inductive qualitative design. Seven focus group interviews were performed with 36 healthcare professionals from multidisciplinary home care services. Data were analysed stepwise using a phenomenographic analysis. Three description categories emerged: "A challenging opportunity", "A child perspective", and "Re-organise in accordance with new prerequisites." Providing home care services for children was conceived to evoke both professional and personal challenges such as feelings of inadequacy and fear and professional growth such as increased competence and satisfaction. Conceptions of whether the home or the hospital was the best place for care differed. Adapting to the child's care was conceived as important. Cooperation with paediatric departments and a well-functioning team work were important organisational aspects. Providing home care for children was a challenging but rewarding task for healthcare professionals used to care for adults. To provide care with a child perspective was experienced as important even though there were conflicting conceptions of how this should be done. Close cooperation with paediatric departments and teamwork were prerequisites that make up for the low number of paediatric patients and facilitate confidence and competence. A sufficient number of referred children and enabling healthcare professionals to be part of the re-organising and implementation processes might facilitate the home care services for sick children. Enough time and good teamwork must be emphasised. Early referrals, continuous cooperation with paediatric clinics complemented with

Human Connections and Their Roles in the Occupational Well-being of Healthcare Professionals: A Study on Loneliness and Empathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Soler-Gonzalez

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Human connections are key to the promotion of health and prevention of illness; moreover, illness can cause deterioration of human connections. Healthcare professional–patient relationships are key to ensuring the preservation of adequate human connections. It is important for healthcare professionals to develop their ability to foster satisfactory human connections because: (i they represent social support for patients; and (ii they prevent work-related stress. In this study we assessed the relationship between absence (loneliness and presence (empathy of human connections with the occupational well-being of healthcare professionals. The Scale of Collateral Effects, which measures somatization, exhaustion, and work alienation; the Jefferson Scale of Empathy; and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, were mailed to 628 healthcare professionals working in Spanish public healthcare institutions. The following explanatory variables were used to evaluate work well-being: (a empathy, as a professional competence; (b loneliness, age, and family burden, as psychological indicators; and (c professional experience, work dedication, and salary, as work indicators. Comparison, correlation, and regression analyses were performed to measure the relationships among these variables and occupational well-being. Of 628 surveys mailed, 433 (69% response rate were returned fully completed. Adequate reliability was confirmed for all instruments. The entire sample was divided into four groups, based on the combined variable, “occupation by sex.” Comparative analyses demonstrated differences among “occupation by sex” groups in collateral effects (p = 0.03 and empathy (p = 0.04, but not loneliness (p = 0.84. Inverse associations between empathy and collateral effects were confirmed for somatization (r = -0.16; p < 0.001, exhaustion (r = -0.14; p = 0.003, and work alienation (r = -0.16; p < 0.001. Furthermore, loneliness was positively

How Healthcare Professionals "Make Sense" of an Electronic Patient Record Adoption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tina Blegind; Aanestad, Margunn

2007-01-01

This article examines how healthcare professionals experience an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) adoption process. Based on a case study from two surgical wards in Danish hospitals, we analyze the healthcare professionals' conceptions of the technology, how it relates to their professional roles...

Sexuality in older age: essential considerations for healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Abi; Gosney, Margot A

2011-09-01

This review describes the fact that many elderly people enjoy an active sex life and examines the evidence against the general perception of an 'asexual' old age. It offers an overview of the evidence for healthcare professionals who had not previously considered the sexuality of their older patients. It also describes some of the sexual problems faced by older people, especially the difficulties experienced in disclosing such problems to healthcare professionals. It examines why healthcare professionals routinely avoid discussing sexual problems with older patients, and how this can be improved. It also offers some recommendations for future research in the area, as well as a word of caution regarding the temptation of over-sexualising the ageing process.

Understanding healthcare professionals' self-efficacy to resolve interprofessional conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Sexton, Martha; Orchard, Carole

2016-05-01

Conflict within interprofessional healthcare teams, when not effectively resolved, has been linked to detrimental consequences; however, effective conflict resolution has been shown to enhance team performance, increase patient safety, and improve patient outcomes. Alarmingly, knowledge of healthcare professionals' ability to resolve conflict has been limited, largely due to the challenges that arise when researchers attempt to observe a conflict occurring in real time. Research literature has identified three central components that seem to influence healthcare professional's perceived ability to resolve conflict: communication competence, problem-solving ability, and conflict resolution education and training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of communication competence, problem-solving ability, and conflict resolution education and training on healthcare professionals' perceived ability to resolve conflicts. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that two of the three central components-conflict resolution education and training and communication competence-were found to be statistically significant predictors of healthcare professionals' perceived ability to resolve conflict. Implications include a call to action for clinicians and academicians to recognize the importance of communication competence and conflict resolution education and training as a vital area in interprofessional pre- and post-licensure education and collaborative practice.

Behavior of Personality Type Toward Stress and Job Performance: A Study of Healthcare Professionals

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Yasmin Janjhua

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The present paper has examined the sources of stress among the healthcare professionals and the difference between responses of personality type A and type B healthcare professionals toward stressful situations. Further, the difference in the performance of both the personality types has been studied. The relationship between stress and performance among the healthcare professionals in general and with respect to personality type A and type B healthcare professionals in particular has also been investigated. Methods: A total of 160 healthcare professionals of Post Graduate Institute (PGI, Chandigarh, were subjects of this study. Results: Identification with patients, deterioration and complication in the patient condition, and job criticism emerged to be the sources of stress. Significant difference between personality type A and personality type B professionals′ response pertaining to identification with the patients only has been reported. However, type A individuals showed slightly higher inclination as compared to type B individuals on majority of stressful situations. It was further noted that type A individuals had scored higher on almost all the performance indicators as compared to personality type B individuals. The mean difference between the personality types was found to be significant for two performance dimensions, i.e., relationship with colleagues, and teaching and training. Conclusions: The stressful situation relationship with patients was found to have significantly negative impact on the performance factors such as good clinical care and rapport with patients. Daily work was also found to be negatively related to good medical practice.

Teaching at primary healthcare services within the Brazilian national health system (SUS in Brazilian healthcare professionals' training

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Ramona Fernanda Ceriotti Toassi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze the role of teaching at primary healthcare services within the Brazilian National Health System (SUS in dentists' training, at a public university in the south of Brazil. A qualitative methodological approach (case study was used. Interviews were conducted with 12 dentistry students, six dentists who were preceptors working in public primary healthcare services and three teachers connected with this curricular training. Our findings showed that the curricular training in SUS primary healthcare services had an impact on the dentists' education through establishment of bonds, autonomy in problem-solving and multiprofessional teamwork. It was seen that they learned about how healthcare services function, about healthcare and about development of cultural competence. There is a need to maintain constant questioning regarding these practices, and to ensure the presence of infrastructure and qualified professionals for teaching at these services.

Expert Search Strategies: The Information Retrieval Practices of Healthcare Information Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell-Rose, Tony; Chamberlain, Jon

2017-10-02

Healthcare information professionals play a key role in closing the knowledge gap between medical research and clinical practice. Their work involves meticulous searching of literature databases using complex search strategies that can consist of hundreds of keywords, operators, and ontology terms. This process is prone to error and can lead to inefficiency and bias if performed incorrectly. The aim of this study was to investigate the search behavior of healthcare information professionals, uncovering their needs, goals, and requirements for information retrieval systems. A survey was distributed to healthcare information professionals via professional association email discussion lists. It investigated the search tasks they undertake, their techniques for search strategy formulation, their approaches to evaluating search results, and their preferred functionality for searching library-style databases. The popular literature search system PubMed was then evaluated to determine the extent to which their needs were met. The 107 respondents indicated that their information retrieval process relied on the use of complex, repeatable, and transparent search strategies. On average it took 60 minutes to formulate a search strategy, with a search task taking 4 hours and consisting of 15 strategy lines. Respondents reviewed a median of 175 results per search task, far more than they would ideally like (100). The most desired features of a search system were merging search queries and combining search results. Healthcare information professionals routinely address some of the most challenging information retrieval problems of any profession. However, their needs are not fully supported by current literature search systems and there is demand for improved functionality, in particular regarding the development and management of search strategies. ©Tony Russell-Rose, Jon Chamberlain. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 02.10.2017.

Professional relations in sport healthcare: workplace responses to organisational change.

Science.gov (United States)

Malcolm, Dominic; Scott, Andrea

2011-02-01

This article examines the impact of organisational changes in UK elite sport on the professional relations among and between different healthcare providers. The article describes the processes by which demand for elite sport healthcare has increased in the UK. It further charts the subsequent response within medicine and physiotherapy and, in particular, the institutionalisation of sport-specific sub-disciplines through the introduction of specialist qualifications. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 doctors and 14 physiotherapists, the article argues that organisational changes have led to intra-professional tensions within both professional groups but in qualitatively different forms reflecting the organisational traditions and professional identities of the respective disciplines. Organisational changes promoting multi-disciplinary healthcare teams have also fostered an environment conducive to high levels of inter-professional cooperation though significant elements of inter-professional conflict remain. This study illustrates how intra-professional relations are affected by specialisation, how legitimation discourses are used by different professions, and how intra- and inter-professional conflict and cooperation should be seen as highly interdependent processes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eating disorders in people with Type 1 diabetes: experiential perspectives of both clients and healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, P; Kan, C; Stadler, M; De Bernier, G L; Hadjimichalis, A; Le Coguic, A-S; Allan, J; Ismail, K; Treasure, J

2018-02-01

To explore the experiential perspective of people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and eating disorders and that of the healthcare professionals treating them, and to understand the experience of both sides to inform future development of healthcare services. Participants were recruited from Diabetics with Eating Disorders (a national UK charity), and through professional networks. Nine partially/fully recovered individuals with Type 1 diabetes and eating disorders and eight healthcare professionals participated in semi-structured interviews carried out by medically trained researchers. Data were transcribed and coded using a six-stage framework of thematic analysis. Four superordinate themes and several subordinate themes emerged from the Type 1 diabetes and eating disorders dataset: (1) perceptions surrounding service provision; (2) reflections on the recovery process; (3) the experiential perspective of living with Type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder; and (4) support mechanisms. Healthcare professional data elicited three superordinate themes and several subordinate themes: (1) service provision; (2) personal insight and reflection of professional role; and (3) challenges of working with dual diagnoses. People with Type 1 diabetes and eating disorders and their healthcare professionals provided insight into healthcare services from the patient and care delivery perspectives. There was general agreement from both groups that a multidisciplinary, collaborative (family inclusive), clinical approach to treatment is important, as well as adequate training opportunities for service providers. These findings may help to inform development strategies for multidisciplinary care approaches to Type 1 diabetes complicated by eating disorders. © 2017 Diabetes UK.

IT-support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Margit; Kyng, Morten; Nielsen, Esben Toftdahl

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on development of it support for healthcare professionals acting in major incidents. We introduce the participatory design approach as adequate for analysis, design and development of technologies for use in complex environments and situations, and describe the actual...... the BlueBio biomonitor prototype, a wireless multifunction biomonitor. BlueBio data can be accessed by the healthcare professionals independent of where they are located and displayed on different types of devices tailored to the needs of the individual professional. Finally we discuss some challenges...

Professional autonomy in 21st century healthcare: Nurses' accounts of clinical decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Traynor, Michael; Boland, Maggie; Buus, Niels

2010-01-01

Autonomy in decision-making has traditionally been described as a feature of professional work, however the work of healthcare professionals has been seen as steadily encroached upon by State and managerialist forces. Nursing has faced particular problems in establishing itself as a credible....... The study uses accounts of decision-making to gain insight into contemporary professional nursing. The study also aims to explore the usefulness of a theory of professional work set out by Jamous and Peloille (1970). The analysis draws on notions of interpretive repertoires and elements of narrative...... analysis. We identified two interpretive repertoires: 'clinical judgement' which was used to describe the different grounds for making judgements; and 'decision-making' which was used to describe organisational circumstances influencing decision-making. Jamous and Peloille's theory proved useful...

EFOMP project on the role of biomedical physics in the education of healthcare professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Caruana, Carmel J.; Wasilewska-Radwanska, M.; Aurengo, A.; Dendy, P. P.; Karenauskaite, V.; Malisan, M. R.; Meijer, J. H.; Mornstein, V.; Rokita, E.; Vano, E.; Wucherer, M.

2009-01-01

The policy statements describing the role of the medical physicist (and engineer) published by organizations representing medical physics (and engineering) in Europe include the responsibility of providing a contribution to the education of healthcare professionals (physicians and paramedical professions). As a consequence, medical physicists and engineers provide educational services in most Faculties of Medicine / Health Science in Europe. In 2005, the EFOMP council took the decision to set up a Special Interest Group to develop the role of the medical physics educator in such faculties and to work with other healthcare professional groups to produce updated European curricula for them. The effort of the group would provide a base for the progress of the role, its relevance to contemporary healthcare professional education and provide input for future EFOMP policy documents regarding this important aspect of the role of the medical physicist. The present communication will present the group, summarise its latest research and indicate future research directions.

Healthcare professionals’ regard toward working with patients with substance use disorders : Comparison of primary care, general psychiatry and specialist addiction services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Boekel, L.C.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; van Weeghel, J.; Garretsen, H.F.L.

2014-01-01

Background Healthcare professionals are crucial in access to treatment for patients with substance use disorders. However, healthcare professionals often have negative attitudes towards this patient group. Healthcare professionals’ regard for working with patients with substance use disorders was

Work climate, work values and professional commitment as predictors of job satisfaction in nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Caricati, Luca; Sala, Rachele La; Marletta, Giuseppe; Pelosi, Giulia; Ampollini, Monica; Fabbri, Anna; Ricchi, Alba; Scardino, Marcello; Artioli, Giovanna; Mancini, Tiziana

2014-11-01

To investigate the effect of some psychosocial variables on nurses' job satisfaction. Nurses' job satisfaction is one of the most important factors in determining individuals' intention to stay or leave a health-care organisation. Literature shows a predictive role of work climate, professional commitment and work values on job satisfaction, but their conjoint effect has rarely been considered. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was adopted. Participants were hospital nurses and data were collected in 2011. Professional commitment and work climate positively predicted nurses' job satisfaction. The effect of intrinsic vs. extrinsic work value orientation on job satisfaction was completely mediated by professional commitment. Nurses' job satisfaction is influenced by both contextual and personal variables, in particular work climate and professional commitment. According to a more recent theoretical framework, work climate, work values and professional commitment interact with each other in determining nurses' job satisfaction. Nursing management must be careful to keep the context of work tuned to individuals' attitude and vice versa. Improving the work climate can have a positive effect on job satisfaction, but its effect may be enhanced by favouring strong professional commitment and by promoting intrinsic more than extrinsic work values. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pharmacovigilance: Empowering healthcare professionals

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Mugoša Snežana S.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Spontaneous reporting of adverse reactions is of greatest importance for obtaining information about adverse drug reactions (ADRs after granting the marketing authorization. The most important role and also the greatest responsibility belong to healthcare professionals. Their active participation is a prerequisite for the existence of an effective national drug safety monitoring. Methods: This paper examines the legislative framework concerning the pharmacovigilance system in Montenegro. The information was collected from scientific articles and the website of the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Montenegro. Topic: Key segments of pharmacovigilance system are presented, with a special reference to the importance of spontaneous reporting of ADRs, results of spontaneous reporting of ADRs according to the latest Agency's Annual report on the results of spontaneous reporting of adverse reactions to medicines, possible reasons for underreporting ADRs, as well as the new EU regulation on pharmacovigilance. Conclusions: Spontaneous reporting of ADRs remains the cornerstone of pharmacovigilance systems. Hence, continuous education of healthcare professionals is needed, with the aim of improving their awareness of the importance of ADRs and risk factors that lead to them, in order to reduce the incidence of ADRs and to increase the number of reported suspected ADRs.

Experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in Mopani district, Limpopo Province

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MP Mohale

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Professional nurses working in rural, primary health-care settings are experiencing burnout due to serious shortages of personnel. This is exacerbated by the brain drain of nurses leaving the country. Rural settings are resource constrained in terms of personnel and equipment. This results in dissatisfaction among nurses due to the unbearable working conditions which result in stress and frustration. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in the greater Letaba sub district in Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. Data was collected in the form of in-depth interviews. The study revealed that nurses working in primary health-care settings were experiencing emotional and physical strain as a result of the shortage of human resources. It was recommended that policies that meet the health-care needs of rural communities be developed, and that strategies to retain professional nurses in primary health-care settings be formulated.

Inequalities in healthcare provision for individuals with substance use disorders : Perspectives from healthcare professionals and clients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Boekel, L.C.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; van Weeghel, J.; Garretsen, H.F.L.

2016-01-01

Background: Little is known about inequalities in healthcare provision for individuals with substance use disorders. The main objective of this study was to assess expectations and perceptions of inequalities in healthcare provision among healthcare professionals (HCPs) and clients in treatment for

Knowledge of Pharmacogenetics among Healthcare Professionals ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Pharmacogenetics has a potential for optimizing drug response and identifying risk of toxicity for patients. Pharmacogenetics knowledge of healthcare professionals and the unmet need for pharmacogenetics education in health training institutions are some of the challenges of integrating pharmacogenetics ...

A Critical Care Societies Collaborative Statement: Burnout Syndrome in Critical Care Health-care Professionals. A Call for Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Moss, Marc; Good, Vicki S; Gozal, David; Kleinpell, Ruth; Sessler, Curtis N

2016-07-01

Burnout syndrome (BOS) occurs in all types of health-care professionals and is especially common in individuals who care for critically ill patients. The development of BOS is related to an imbalance of personal characteristics of the employee and work-related issues or other organizational factors. BOS is associated with many deleterious consequences, including increased rates of job turnover, reduced patient satisfaction, and decreased quality of care. BOS also directly affects the mental health and physical well-being of the many critical care physicians, nurses, and other health-care professionals who practice worldwide. Until recently, BOS and other psychological disorders in critical care health-care professionals remained relatively unrecognized. To raise awareness of BOS, the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) developed this call to action. The present article reviews the diagnostic criteria, prevalence, causative factors, and consequences of BOS. It also discusses potential interventions that may be used to prevent and treat BOS. Finally, we urge multiple stakeholders to help mitigate the development of BOS in critical care health-care professionals and diminish the harmful consequences of BOS, both for critical care health-care professionals and for patients.

Gamification in Healthcare: Perspectives of Mental Health Service Users and Health Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopia, Hanna; Raitio, Katja

2016-12-01

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to explore the perceptions and experiences that mental health service users (n = 10) and healthcare professionals (n = 32) have regarding the use of gamification in mental health care. Data was gathered by interviews. The mental health service users described promoting and retarding factors in the use of gamification, while professionals described the requirements for using gamification and changes occurring in the work culture. Additional research is needed on how game-playing elements could be integrated as a systematic part of mental health practice and how the digital skills of professionals could be effectively developed.

A model and typology of collaboration between professionals in healthcare organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amour, Danielle; Goulet, Lise; Labadie, Jean-François; Martín-Rodriguez, Leticia San; Pineault, Raynald

2008-09-21

The new forms of organization of healthcare services entail the development of new clinical practices that are grounded in collaboration. Despite recent advances in research on the subject of collaboration, there is still a need for a better understanding of collaborative processes and for conceptual tools to help healthcare professionals develop collaboration amongst themselves in complex systems. This study draws on D'Amour's structuration model of collaboration to analyze healthcare facilities offering perinatal services in four health regions in the province of Quebec. The objectives are to: 1) validate the indicators of the structuration model of collaboration; 2) evaluate interprofessional and interorganizational collaboration in four health regions; and 3) propose a typology of collaboration A multiple-case research strategy was used. The cases were the healthcare facilities that offer perinatal services in four health regions in the province of Quebec (Canada). The data were collected through 33 semi-structured interviews with healthcare managers and professionals working in the four regions. Written material was also analyzed. The data were subjected to a "mixed" inductive-deductive analysis conducted in two main stages: an internal analysis of each case followed by a cross-sectional analysis of all the cases. The collaboration indicators were shown to be valid, although some changes were made to three of them. Analysis of the data showed great variation in the level of collaboration between the cases and on each dimension. The results suggest a three-level typology of collaboration based on the ten indicators: active collaboration, developing collaboration and potential collaboration. The model and the typology make it possible to analyze collaboration and identify areas for improvement. Researchers can use the indicators to determine the intensity of collaboration and link it to clinical outcomes. Professionals and administrators can use the model to

Negotiation best practices: what a healthcare professional needs to know today.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuigan, Patrick J

2015-01-01

This article reviews negotiation best practices while highlighting some of the factors that confound or enhance the ability to negotiate. Healthcare professionals will benefit by obtaining a set of practices that they can consistently apply to obtain more value from negotiation. In today's turbulent healthcare market, more relationships are governed by and through negotiated agreements, so it is imperative that healthcare professionals develop and sharpen their negotiating acumen.

Delirium the under-recognised syndrome: survey of healthcare professionals' awareness and practice in the intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Selim, Abeer A; Wesley Ely, E

2017-03-01

To survey intensive care unit healthcare professionals' awareness and practice related to delirium. Despite the current evidence revealing the risks linked to delirium and advances in practice guidelines promoting delirium assessment, healthcare professionals show little sensitivity towards delirium and evident training needs. The study had a cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 168 intensive care unit healthcare professionals including nurses and physicians completed a semistructured questionnaire to survey their awareness, screening and management of delirium in intensive care units. The survey took place at 11 intensive care units from academic (university) and nonacademic (nonuniversity) governmental hospitals in Mansoura, Egypt. The mean score of delirium awareness was 64·4 ± 14·0 among intensive care unit healthcare professionals. Awareness of delirium was significantly lower when definition of delirium was not provided, among diploma nurses compared to bachelor degree nurses and physicians, among those who did not attend any workshop/lecture or read an article related to delirium and lastly, those who work in an intensive care unit when delirium. The survey found that only 26·8% of the healthcare professionals screen for delirium on a routine basis, and 14·3% reported attending workshops or lectures or reading an article related to delirium in the last year. In screening delirium, healthcare professionals did not use any tools, nor did they follow adopted protocols or guidelines to manage delirium. To manage delirium, 52·4% of the participants reported using sedatives, 36·9% used no drugs, and 10·7% reported using antipsychotics (primarily haloperidol). Intensive care unit healthcare professionals do not have adequate training or routine screening of delirium. There is an evident absence of using standardised tools or adapting protocols to monitor and manage delirium. This study has the potentials to shed some lights on the variables that

Attitudes among healthcare professionals towards ICT and home follow-up in chronic heart failure care.

Science.gov (United States)

Gund, Anna; Lindecrantz, Kaj; Schaufelberger, Maria; Patel, Harshida; Sjöqvist, Bengt Arne

2012-11-28

eHealth applications for out-of-hospital monitoring and treatment follow-up have been advocated for many years as a promising tool to improve treatment compliance, promote individualized care and obtain a person-centred care. Despite these benefits and a large number of promising projects, a major breakthrough in everyday care is generally still lacking. Inappropriate organization for eHealth technology, reluctance from users in the introduction of new working methods, and resistance to information and communication technology (ICT) in general could be reasons for this. Another reason may be attitudes towards the potential in out-of-hospital eHealth applications. It is therefore of interest to study the general opinions among healthcare professionals to ICT in healthcare, as well as the attitudes towards using ICT as a tool for patient monitoring and follow-up at home. One specific area of interest is in-home follow-up of elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The aim of this paper is to investigate the attitudes towards ICT, as well as distance monitoring and follow-up, among healthcare professionals working with this patient group. This paper covers an attitude survey study based on responses from 139 healthcare professionals working with CHF care in Swedish hospital departments, i.e. cardiology and medicine departments. Comparisons between physicians and nurses, and in some cases between genders, on attitudes towards ICT tools and follow-up at home were performed. Out of the 425 forms sent out, 139 were collected, and 17 out of 21 counties and regions were covered in the replies. Among the respondents, 66% were nurses, 30% physicians and 4% others. As for gender, 90% of nurses were female and 60% of physicians were male. Internet was used daily by 67% of the respondents. Attitudes towards healthcare ICT were found positive as 74% were positive concerning healthcare ICT today, 96% were positive regarding the future of healthcare ICT, and 54% had high

The Patient-Healthcare Professional Relationship and Communication in the Oncology Outpatient Setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prip, Anne; Møller, Kirsten Alling; Nielsen, Dorte Lisbet

2017-01-01

and communication with healthcare professionals during chemotherapy in the oncology outpatient setting. METHODS: The systematic literature review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines and the PICO framework, and a systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and Joanna Briggs...... on satisfaction of care, that hope and positivity are both a need and a strategy for patients with cancer and were facilitated by healthcare professionals, and that outpatient clinic visits framed and influenced communication and relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship and communication between patients...... and healthcare professionals in the outpatient setting were important for the patients' ability to cope with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals need to pay special attention to the relational aspects of communication in an outpatient clinic because encounters are often brief. More...

Structural validity and reliability of the healthcare professionals' economic reasoning questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuković Mira H.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The structure of healthcare professionals' economic reasoning (HPER is still unknown. The aim: The structural validity and the reliability of the HPER questionnaire were evaluated. Methods: The psychometric study about evaluation of the HPER factors was conducted. The healthcare professionals (physicians, dentists, pharmacists that are employed in healthcare state sector of Republic of Serbia were interviewed. The HPER Questionnaire contained 29 preliminary items. Its structure was evaluated by Principal Component Analysis for categorial and ordinal data. Results: The 9 items that defined seven HPER factors were extracted: (1 the negligence of the cost of quality by the administration and financier; (2 the consideration of the market price and healthcare benefit; (3 market orientation considering patient's requests; (4 the recognition of inadequate resource alocations by non-medical administrative authority; (5 the attitude about redirecting the profit from state to private healthcare sector; (6 the recognition of the unjustified spending by the healthcare professionals and (7 the relationship physician/patient. Conclusion: The HPER-9 Questionnaire has high structural validity and reliability in the HPER measurement.

Social conscience and healthcare professionals: Where does one ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-06-07

Jun 7, 2013 ... Where does one draw the line in bearing the responsibility of acting on their social conscience and what level of engagement is appropriate or enough? Are healthcare professionals required to have a social conscience, and if so must they take action regarding the failures of the healthcare system and its ...

Health promotion practices as perceived by primary healthcare professionals at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Altamimi, Samar; Alshoshan, Feda; Al Shaman, Ghada; Tawfeeq, Nasser; Alasmary, May; Ahmed, Anwar E

2016-01-01

In recent years, several research studies have investigated health promotion practices in Saudi healthcare organizations, yet no published literature exists on health promotion practices of primary healthcare professionals working for the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA). A cross-sectional study was conducted in a convenience sample of 206 primary healthcare professionals at the MNG-HA. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to investigate the attitudes, awareness, satisfaction, and methods regarding health promotion practices of primary healthcare professionals. Of the 206 primary healthcare professionals surveyed, 58.1% reported awareness of health promotion programs conducted in the hospitals and 64.6% reported that the health promotion system in the hospitals needs to be improved. Language barriers and cultural beliefs were viewed as obstacles to carrying out effective health promotion by 65% and 64.6% of primary healthcare professionals, respectively. The majority (79.9%) of the primary healthcare professionals perceived themselves as having the necessary skills to promote health and 80.6% believed that printed educational materials are the most prevalent method of health promotion/education, whereas 55.8% reported that counseling was the most preferred method of health promotion. The awareness level of health promotion policies, strategies, and programs conducted in the hospitals was not found to be satisfactory. Therefore, widespread training programs are recommended to improve the health promotion system in the hospitals. These programs include facilitating behavioral change, introducing health promotion policies and strategies in hospitals, mandatory workshops, and systematic reminders.

Patient experiences of partnering with healthcare professionals for hand hygiene compliance: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Butenko, Samantha; Lockwood, Craig; McArthur, Alexa

2017-06-01

Healthcare-associated infections pose a significant risk to patients in acute healthcare settings such as hospitals. Increasingly, patients are encouraged to be active participants and partner with healthcare professionals to positively influence their own safety and overall experience throughout their healthcare journey. Patient-focused safety initiatives include the empowerment of patients to be active partners with healthcare professionals in order to influence the hand hygiene behaviors and compliance of the healthcare professionals providing care to them. Partnering within the context of healthcare, and between the patient and healthcare professional, can be considered as a general concept that involves the empowerment of patients to participate in their care. Terms used to describe patient partnering within healthcare vary and include patient participation, patient-centeredness, patient empowerment and patient engagement. Although patients appear generally to have positive attitudes and intentions about engaging in their safety and partnering in the healthcare setting, their intentions and actual behaviors vary considerably. Patients appear less likely to engage in behaviors that require questioning of the perceived or real authority of healthcare professionals. A patient's intention and subsequent act of partnering with healthcare professionals for hand hygiene compliance by the healthcare professional are influenced by complex internal, external and social factors as well as cultural, behavioral and systematic factors. To determine the best available evidence in relation to the experiences of the patient partnering with healthcare professionals for hand hygiene compliance. The current review considered qualitative (critical or interpretive) papers that included adult in-patients and healthcare professionals (medical and nursing staff), in the acute hospital-care setting. Adult was considered to be any person aged 18 years or over. It should be noted that

Patients' and professionals' experiences and perspectives of obesity in health-care settings: a synthesis of current research.

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Mold, Freda; Forbes, Angus

2013-06-01

Obesity-related stigma likely influences how obese people interact with health-care professionals and access health care. To undertake a synthesis of studies examining the views and experiences of both obese people in relation to their health-care provision and health-care professionals in providing care to obese patients. A systematic search of key electronic databases relating to professional or patient experiences of, or perspectives on, obesity was performed in 2008 and updated in 2010. Reference lists of article bibliographies were searched, along with hand searches of relevant journals.   Studies were screened against explicit inclusion criteria and published between 1990 and 2010. Findings were examined and organized thematically.   Data were extracted focusing on obesity, stigma and access to health-care services. All included studies were subject to critical appraisal to assess the quality of the research. Thirty studies were identified. All the studies reported obesity impacting on health-care interactions. Key themes identified were experiences of stigma and feelings of powerlessness, treatment avoidance, psycho-emotional functioning, professional attitudes, confidence and training, variations in health contact time and finally, differences in treatment options and preventative measures. Obesity is a stigmatized condition that impacts negatively on the relationship between patients and health-care providers. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the range of therapeutic options available, further work is necessary to understand how the presence of obesity affects health-care interactions and decision making. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Indicators of communication and degree of professional integration in healthcare].

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Mola, Ernesto; Maggio, Anna; Vantaggiato, Lucia

2009-01-01

According to the chronic care model, improving the management of chronic illness requires efficient communication between health care professionals and the creation of a web of integrated healthcare The aim of this study was to identify an efficient methodology for evaluating the degree of professional integration through indicators related to communication between healthcare professionals. The following types of indicators were identified:-structure indicators to evaluate the presence of prerequisites necessary for implementing the procedures -functional indicators to quantitatively evaluate the use of communications instruments-performance indicators Defining specific indicators may be an appropriate methodology for evaluating the degree of integration and communication between health professionals, available for a bargaining system of incentives.

The interdependent roles of patients, families and professionals in cystic fibrosis: a system for the coproduction of healthcare and its improvement.

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Sabadosa, Kathryn A; Batalden, Paul B

2014-04-01

A quality healthcare system is coproduced by patients, families and healthcare professionals working interdependently to cocreate and codeliver care. Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and families rely on healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care and timely, accurate information. They know that the care at home and in clinical settings needs to be seamless, using shared information and decisions. A parent's journey of better care begins with her son's diagnosis and moves to her involvement to improve the systems and processes of care for others. She reflects on this work and identifies five elements that contributed to the coproduction of improved care: (1) mental and emotional readiness to engage; (2) curiosity and the search for insight; (3) reframe challenges into opportunities for improvement; (4) listen and learn from everyone, bringing home what is relevant; and (5) personal participation. Joined with the reflections of an improvement scientist, they note that chronic care relies on informed, activated patients and prepared, proactive healthcare professionals working together and that it is more than 'patient-centric'. They propose a model for the coimprovement of systems of care.

Organ donation and transplantation: Awareness and roles of healthcare professionals-A systematic literature review.

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Jawoniyi, Oluwafunmilayo; Gormley, Kevin; McGleenan, Emma; Noble, Helen Rose

2018-03-01

To examine the role of healthcare professionals in the organ donation and transplantation process. Globally, there remains a perennial disequilibrium between organ donation and organ transplantation. Several factors account for this disequilibrium; however, as healthcare professionals are not only strategically positioned as the primary intermediaries between organ donors and transplant recipients, but also professionally situated as the implementers of organ donation and transplantation processes, they are often blamed for the global organ shortage. Mixed-method systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 checklist. Databases were searched including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE using the search terms "organ donation," "healthcare professionals," "awareness" and "roles" to retrieve relevant publications. Thirteen publications met the inclusion criteria. The global organ shortage is neither contingent upon unavailability of suitable organs nor exclusively dependent upon healthcare professionals. Instead, the existence of disequilibrium between organ donation and transplantation is necessitated by a web of factors. These include the following: healthcare professionals' attitudes towards, and experience of, the organ donation and transplantation process, underpinned by professional education, specialist clinical area and duration of professional practice; conflicts of interests; ethical dilemmas; altruistic values towards organ donation; and varied organ donation legislations in different legal jurisdictions. This review maintains that if this web of factors is to be adequately addressed by healthcare systems in different global and legal jurisdictions, there should be sufficient organs voluntarily donated to meet all transplantation needs. There is a suggestion that healthcare professionals partly account for the global shortage in organ donation, but there is a need to examine how

Exit interviews to reduce turnover amongst healthcare professionals.

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Webster, Joan; Flint, Anndrea

2014-08-19

Exit interviews are widely used in healthcare organisations to identify reasons for staff attrition, yet their usefulness in limiting turnover is unclear. To determine the effectiveness of various exit interview strategies in decreasing turnover rates amongst healthcare professionals. We searched the Cochrane EPOC Group Specialised Register; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Issue 11, 2012; MEDLINE, Ovid (1950- ); EMBASE, Ovid (1947- ); CINAHL, EbscoHost (1980- ), and PsycINFO, OVID (1806-) between October 31 and November 6, 2012. We also screened the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews; and searched trial registries for planned and on-going studies. We did not restrict searches by language or publication date. Randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series studies comparing turnover rates between healthcare professionals who had undergone one form of exit interview with another form of exit interview or with no interview. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. The original search identified 1560 citations, of which we considered 19 potentially relevant. The two authors independently reviewed the abstracts of these studies and retrieved the full texts of eight studies. We excluded all eight following independent assessment; they were either interviews, commentaries on how to do an exit interview or descriptive studies about reasons for leaving. We found no studies that matched our inclusion criteria. For this first update, we screened 2220 citations and identified no new studies. Evidence about the effectiveness of exit interviews to reduce turnover is currently not available. However, exit interviews may provide useful information about the work environment which, in turn, may be useful in the development of interventions to reduce turnover.

Ethics interventions for healthcare professionals and students: A systematic review.

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Stolt, Minna; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Ruokonen, Minka; Repo, Hanna; Suhonen, Riitta

2018-03-01

The ethics and value bases in healthcare are widely acknowledged. There is a need to improve and raise awareness of ethics in complex systems and in line with competing needs, different stakeholders and patients' rights. Evidence-based strategies and interventions for the development of procedures and practice have been used to improve care and services. However, it is not known whether and to what extent ethics can be developed using interventions. To examine ethics interventions conducted on healthcare professionals and healthcare students to achieve ethics-related outcomes. A systematic review. Five electronic databases were searched: CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Philosopher's Index, PubMed and PsycINFO. We searched for published articles written in English without a time limit using the keywords: ethic* OR moral* AND intervention OR program OR pre-post OR quasi-experimental OR rct OR experimental AND nurse OR nursing OR health care. In the four-phased retrieval process, 23 full texts out of 4675 citations were included in the review. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis. Ethical consideration: This systematic review was conducted following good scientific practice in every phase. It is possible to affect the ethics of healthcare practices through professionals and students. All the interventions were educational in type. Many of the interventions were related to the ethical or moral sensitivity of the professionals, such as moral courage and empowerment. A few of the interventions focused on identifying ethical problems or research ethics. Patient-related outcomes followed by organisational outcomes can be improved by ethics interventions targeting professionals. Such outcomes are promising in developing ethical safety for healthcare patients and professionals.

Phenomenological perspectives of self-care in healthcare professionals' continuing education

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Daniele Bruzzone

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Healthcare professionals, daily confronted with existential failty, feel themselves emotionally vulnerable too. For this reason, they need knowledge and tools in order to take care for themselves. Phenomenology provides an epistemological model that includes subjective and affective dimensions and legitimates lived experience as a source of cognition. In the undergraduate and continuing education of healthcare professionals, the phenomenological approach can represent a way of promoting self-care through personal narrative and reflection.

Patient participation, a prerequisite for care: A grounded theory study of healthcare professionals' perceptions of what participation means in a paediatric care context.

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Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Nygren, Jens M; Svedberg, Petra

2018-01-01

To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of what patient participation means in a paediatric care context . A qualitative explorative design with grounded theory. Fifteen healthcare professionals who worked in paediatric care settings were either interviewed or asked open-ended questions in a survey, during December 2015-May 2016. Grounded theory was used as a method. The study results provide a theoretical conceptualization of what patient participation meant for healthcare professionals in paediatric care and how participation was enabled. The core category "participation a prerequisite for care" emerged as the main finding explaining the concept as ethical, practical and integrated in the care givers way of working. However, the concept was implicit in the organization. Four additional categories illustrated the healthcare professionals' different strategies used to enhance patient participation; "meeting each child where the child is," "building a relationship with the child," "showing respect for each individual child" and "making the most of the moment."

[Patient safety in education and training of healthcare professionals in Germany].

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Hoffmann, Barbara; Siebert, H; Euteneier, A

2015-01-01

In order to improve patient safety, healthcare professionals who care for patients directly or indirectly are required to possess specific knowledge and skills. Patient safety education is not or only poorly represented in education and examination regulations of healthcare professionals in Germany; therefore, it is only practiced rarely and on a voluntary basis. Meanwhile, several training curricula and concepts have been developed in the past 10 years internationally and recently in Germany, too. Based on these concepts the German Coalition for Patient Safety developed a catalogue of core competencies required for safety in patient care. This catalogue will serve as an important orientation when patient safety is to be implemented as a subject of professional education in Germany in the future. Moreover, teaching staff has to be trained and educational and training activities have to be evaluated. Patient safety education and training for (undergraduate) healthcare professional will require capital investment.

The future of e-learning in healthcare professional education: some possible directions

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Kieran Walsh

2014-12-01

Full Text Available E-learning in healthcare professional education still seems like it is a new innovation but the reality is that e-learning has been around for as long as the internet has been around. This is approximately twenty years and so it is probably appropriate to now take stock and consider what the future of e-learning in healthcare professional education might be. One likely occurrence is that there will be more formats, more interactive technology, and sometimes game-based learning. Another future of healthcare professional education will likely be in simulation. Like other forms of technology outside of medicine, the cost of e-learning in healthcare professional education will fall rapidly. E-learning will also become more adaptive in the future and so will deliver educational content based on learners' exact needs. The future of e-learning will also be mobile. Increasingly in the future e-learning will be blended with face to face education.

An Official Critical Care Societies Collaborative Statement-Burnout Syndrome in Critical Care Health-care Professionals: A Call for Action.

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Moss, Marc; Good, Vicki S; Gozal, David; Kleinpell, Ruth; Sessler, Curtis N

2016-07-01

Burnout syndrome (BOS) occurs in all types of health-care professionals and is especially common in individuals who care for critically ill patients. The development of BOS is related to an imbalance of personal characteristics of the employee and work-related issues or other organizational factors. BOS is associated with many deleterious consequences, including increased rates of job turnover, reduced patient satisfaction, and decreased quality of care. BOS also directly affects the mental health and physical well-being of the many critical care physicians, nurses, and other health-care professionals who practice worldwide. Until recently, BOS and other psychological disorders in critical care health-care professionals remained relatively unrecognized. To raise awareness of BOS, the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) developed this call to action. The present article reviews the diagnostic criteria, prevalence, causative factors, and consequences of BOS. It also discusses potential interventions that may be used to prevent and treat BOS. Finally, we urge multiple stakeholders to help mitigate the development of BOS in critical care health-care professionals and diminish the harmful consequences of BOS, both for critical care health-care professionals and for patients. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes among primary healthcare professionals: a study from Jordan.

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Alkhatatbeh, M J; Alefan, Q; Alzghool, M

2017-02-01

This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of 400 healthcare professionals recruited from primary healthcare centres in northern Jordan between April and October 2015. The questionnaire included questions about smoking behaviour, risks, opinions and providing anti-smoking counselling. More than 80% of participants reported that smoking-free policies were not enforced at primary healthcare centres. Compared to hospitals and the general population, smoking was less prevalent among primary healthcare professionals and more prevalent in men. More than 90% of participants believed that smoking was dangerous and associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Around 92% believed that they should set a good example to patients by not smoking and advise them about smoking cessation. Only 15.3% of participants felt well prepared when counselling patients about smoking and 92.8% believed that they needed training. This study suggests that primary healthcare professionals should act as anti-smoking role models after receiving professional training.

Potential determinants of health-care professionals' use of survivorship care plans: a qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework.

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Birken, Sarah A; Presseau, Justin; Ellis, Shellie D; Gerstel, Adrian A; Mayer, Deborah K

2014-11-15

Survivorship care plans are intended to improve coordination of care for the nearly 14 million cancer survivors in the United States. Evidence suggests that survivorship care plans (SCPs) have positive outcomes for survivors, health-care professionals, and cancer programs, and several high-profile organizations now recommend SCP use. Nevertheless, SCP use remains limited among health-care professionals in United States cancer programs. Knowledge of barriers to SCP use is limited in part because extant studies have used anecdotal evidence to identify determinants. This study uses the theoretical domains framework to identify relevant constructs that are potential determinants of SCP use among United States health-care professionals. We conducted semi-structured interviews to assess the relevance of 12 theoretical domains in predicting SCP use among 13 health-care professionals in 7 cancer programs throughout the United States with diverse characteristics. Relevant theoretical domains were identified through thematic coding of interview transcripts, identification of specific beliefs within coded text units, and mapping of specific beliefs onto theoretical constructs. We found the following theoretical domains (based on specific beliefs) to be potential determinants of SCP use: health-care professionals' beliefs about the consequences of SCP use (benefit to survivors, health-care professionals, and the system as a whole); motivation and goals regarding SCP use (advocating SCP use; extent to which using SCPs competed for health-care professionals' time); environmental context and resources (whether SCPs were delivered at a dedicated visit and whether a system, information technology, and funding facilitated SCP use); and social influences (whether using SCPs is an organizational priority, influential people support SCP use, and people who could assist with SCP use buy into using SCPs). Specific beliefs mapped onto the following psychological constructs: outcome

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of healthcare professionals regarding child maltreatment in China.

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Li, X; Yue, Q; Wang, S; Wang, H; Jiang, J; Gong, L; Liu, W; Huang, X; Xu, T

2017-11-01

A new, recently issued national law and regulation in China conferred the responsibility of healthcare professionals in child maltreatment intervention. However, few studies have reported on the recognition and reporting of child maltreatment by healthcare professionals in China. The aim of this study was to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceived behaviour in terms of identifying, assessing, and reporting child maltreatment cases in China. A cross-sectional survey of 877 healthcare professionals from four provinces was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The respondents demonstrated insufficient knowledge on identifying potential child maltreatment cases. Over 30% of them were less than confident in the medical examination, evaluation, and treatment of child maltreatment cases, especially with regard to cases involving sexual abuse. Only 3.19% of respondents had ever received training on child maltreatment intervention, and as a result, lack of knowledge with regard to dealing with child maltreatment cases, referral procedures, and regulations was indicated to be the main cause of underreporting. Healthcare professionals in China have insufficient knowledge, skills, and confidence when it comes to dealing with all aspects of child maltreatment. Although participants reported a positive attitude towards their role in detecting and reporting child maltreatment cases, there are obstacles that hinder them from doing so. Appropriate training courses should be developed to empower professionals with knowledge and skills, as well as increase their confidence in dealing with suspected child maltreatment cases. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

E-learning to Improve Healthcare Professionals' Attitudes and Practices on Breastfeeding.

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Colaceci, Sofia; Giusti, Angela; Chapin, Elise M; Bettinelli, Maria Enrica; De Angelis, Alessia; Zambri, Francesca; Vellone, Ercole; Alvaro, Rosaria; De Mei, Barbara

2017-12-01

Breastfeeding training has a crucial role in increasing healthcare professionals' attitudes and in improving professional support for breastfeeding. The collaboration between the Italian National Institute of Health, UNICEF, and the Local Health Authority of Milan has led to the development of an online course on lactation and infant feeding practices. To assess if the course was effective in improving healthcare professionals' attitudes and practices (APs). We conducted a prestudy-poststudy, comparing users' APs before (T0) and after (T1) the course through a 20-item questionnaire. Changes in APs were analyzed using paired t-test. Lower mean differences indicated more positive attitudes and more frequent professional practices favoring breastfeeding. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 15.0. The course had 26,009 registrants and was successfully completed by 91.3% of users. The dropout rate was 8.7%. The final cohort was composed of 15,004 participants. The course improved attitudes, while minor changes were observed on practices (p e-learning approach seems to be a useful tool for improving awareness and positive attitudes toward breastfeeding among healthcare professionals.

Accession strategy to hand hygiene by healthcare professionals

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Danielle Galdino de Paula

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: Healthcare-associated infections are serious health threat to hospitalized patients and contribute to increased mortality and morbidity. Hand hygiene is the simplest individual measure and lower cost in order to prevent the spread of infections in health care services. The study seeks to analyze the publications related to the strategies used to improve adherence of health professionals to hand hygiene in hospital. Contents: Integrative literature review. The descriptors were used in isolation and the associated descriptor AND;OR, by the following inclusion criteria: work full text of Article kind, published in the period 2008-2015, in Portuguese and English and used the electronic databases MEDLINE , LILACS and SCIELO. The analysis determined eleven strategies most used to improve adherence to hand hygiene in hospital. Conclusion: The availability of better resources and the use of a single strategy sometimes was not enough to increase membership, and often necessary to apply various strategies together with health professionals. KEYWORDS: Cross infection. Hand hygiene. Health personnel.

Education of healthcare professionals for preventing pressure ulcers.

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Porter-Armstrong, Alison P; Moore, Zena Eh; Bradbury, Ian; McDonough, Suzanne

2018-05-25

Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores or pressure sores, are localised areas of tissue damage arising due to excess pressure and shearing forces. Education of healthcare staff has been recognised as an integral component of pressure ulcer prevention. These educational programmes are directed towards influencing behaviour change on the part of the healthcare professional, to encourage preventative practices with the aim of reducing the incidence of pressure ulcer development. To assess the effects of educational interventions for healthcare professionals on pressure ulcer prevention. In June 2017 we searched the Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); Ovid MEDLINE (including In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations); Ovid Embase and EBSCO CINAHL Plus. We also searched clinical trials registries for ongoing and unpublished studies, and scanned reference lists of relevant included studies as well as reviews, meta-analyses and health technology reports to identify additional studies. There were no restrictions with respect to language, date of publication or study setting. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs, that evaluated the effect of any educational intervention delivered to healthcare staff in any setting to prevent pressure ulceration. Two review authors independently assessed titles and abstracts of the studies identified by the search strategy for eligibility. We obtained full versions of potentially relevant studies and two authors independently screened these against the inclusion criteria. We identified five studies that met the inclusion criteria for this review: four RCTs and one cluster-RCT. The study characteristics differed in terms of healthcare settings, the nature of the interventions studied and outcome measures reported. The cluster-RCT, and two of the RCTs, explored the effectiveness of education delivered to healthcare staff within residential or nursing

Discourses of healthcare professionals about health surveillance actions for Tuberculosis control

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Fernando Mitano

Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyze the meanings produced in the Health Surveillance actions for tuberculosis control, carried out by healthcare professionals in Mozambique. METHOD Qualitative study using the theoretical and methodological framework of the French Discourse Analysis. RESULTS A total of 15 healthcare professionals with more than one year of experience in disease control actions participated in the study. Four discursive blocks have emerged from the analysis: tuberculosis diagnosis process; meeting, communication and discussion of treatment; local strategies for tuberculosis control; involvement of family and community leaders in the tuberculosis control. CONCLUSION The statements of the healthcare professionals suggest, as Health Surveillance actions, practices that include collecting sputum in the patient's home and sending it to the laboratory; deployment of the medical team with a microscope for tuberculosis testing; and testing for diseases that may be associated with tuberculosis. In this context, the actions of Health Surveillance for tuberculosis control involve valuing all actors: family, community leaders, patients and health professionals.

Silence about encounters with dying among healthcare professionals in a society that ‘de-tabooises’ death

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Ellen Ramvi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Empirical studies on healthcare personnel indicate that professionals’ experiences with dying and death become silenced and unutterable within the healthcare service. Aim: To explore and interpret silence about encounters with death and dying among healthcare professionals in Norway. Method: The method used was theoretical exploration, using a psychosocial approach. Findings: This analysis reveals complex interrelations and two-way dynamics between subject-worlds, sociocultural and societal worlds when it comes to dealing with death and dying at work. A performance culture saturates these worlds, and may be implicated in silencing death within the healthcare institutions of the Norwegian welfare state. Conclusions: This article suggests that silence about death and dying among healthcare professionals is indicative of crucial emerging and unresolved tensions in the neoliberal episteme, accompanied and reinforced by the ineluctable basic conditions of life and intrapsychic defence against threats towards the self. Implications for practice: Silence about death and dying presents a serious challenge for dying patients and next of kin. Healthcare professionals should be enabled to acknowledge their thoughts and emotions about death in order to be able to support and contain patients and next of kin Learning activities such as peer support and supervision can help the processing of difficult psychological content and allow for emotional aspects of professionals’ work to be acknowledged and thought about in a way that encourages reflective and sound practice Clinical managers should address whether performance pressures induce shameful feelings in staff, who may believe that by providing appropriate levels of care they are compromising productivity. Shame in turn, may undermine professionals’ emotional wellbeing and ability to continue to provide attuned and adequate care for dying patients Creative approaches to facilitate

Virtual reality training for health-care professionals.

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Mantovani, Fabrizia; Castelnuovo, Gianluca; Gaggioli, Andrea; Riva, Giuseppe

2003-08-01

Emerging changes in health-care delivery are having a significant impact on the structure of health-care professionals' education. Today it is recognized that medical knowledge doubles every 6-8 years, with new medical procedures emerging everyday. While the half-life of medical information is so short, the average physician practices 30 years and the average nurse 40 years. Continuing education thus represents an important challenge to face. Recent advances in educational technology are offering an increasing number of innovative learning tools. Among these, Virtual Reality represents a promising area with high potential of enhancing the training of health-care professionals. Virtual Reality Training can provide a rich, interactive, engaging educational context, thus supporting experiential learning-by-doing; it can, in fact, contribute to raise interest and motivation in trainees and to effectively support skills acquisition and transfer, since the learning process can be settled within an experiential framework. Current virtual training applications for health-care differ a lot as to both their technological/multimedia sophistication and to the types of skills trained, varying for example from telesurgical applications to interactive simulations of human body and brain, to virtual worlds for emergency training. Other interesting applications include the development of immersive 3D environments for training psychiatrists and psychologists in the treatment of mental disorders. This paper has the main aim of discussing the rationale and main benefits for the use of virtual reality in health-care education and training. Significant research and projects carried out in this field will also be presented, followed by discussion on key issues concerning current limitations and future development directions.

A path analysis study of retention of healthcare professionals in urban India using health information technology.

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Bhattacharya, Indrajit; Ramachandran, Anandhi

2015-07-31

Healthcare information technology (HIT) applications are being ubiquitously adopted globally and have been indicated to have effects on certain dimensions of recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals. Retention of healthcare professionals is affected by their job satisfaction (JS), commitment to the organization and intention to stay (ITS) that are interlinked with each other and influenced by many factors related to job, personal, organization, etc. The objectives of the current study were to determine if HIT was one among the factors and, if so, propose a probable retention model that incorporates implementation and use of HIT as a strategy. This was a cross-sectional survey study covering 20 hospitals from urban areas of India. The sample (n = 586) consisted of doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital administrators. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Factors affecting job satisfaction were determined. Technology acceptance by the healthcare professionals was also determined. Interactions between the factors were predicted using a path analysis model. The overall satisfaction rate of the respondents was 51 %. Based on factor analysis method, 10 factors were identified for JS and 9 factors for ITS. Availability and use of information technology was one factor that affected JS. The need for implementing technology influenced ITS through work environment and career growth. Also, the study indicated that nearly 70 % of the respondents had awareness of HIT, but only 40 % used them. The importance of providing training for HIT applications was stressed by many respondents. The results are in agreement with literature studies exploring job satisfaction and retention among healthcare professionals. Our study documented a relatively medium level of job satisfaction among the healthcare professionals in the urban area. Information technology was found to be one among the factors that can plausibly influence their job satisfaction and

Who cares? A critical discussion of the value of caring from a patient and healthcare professional perspective.

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Flynn, Sandra

2016-02-01

This study was undertaken in order to discover and illuminate the essential caring behaviours valued by both patients and staff in an orthopaedic setting within a district general hospital in the United Kingdom. This descriptive study was undertaken in order to acquire a greater understanding of perceptions of caring from both patient and orthopaedic healthcare professional perspectives. A sample of 30 patients and 53 healthcare professionals consisting of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were asked to complete the Caring Behaviours Inventory (CBI) questionnaire (Wolf et al., 1994). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed both similarities and differences relating to the importance of positive caring behaviours exhibited during caring interactions. Healthcare professionals working in the orthopaedic setting acknowledged the value of similar positive caring behaviours to those of the patient group but ranked the importance of these differently. Several important insights into perceptions of caring have been gained. These relate to an overall understanding of the caring behaviours that are considered of importance to patients and healthcare professionals; the differences that exist between the caring perceptions of both groups and the factors which influence these perceptions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal healthcare delivery to care homes in the UK: a realist evaluation of what supports effective working to improve healthcare outcomes.

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Gordon, Adam L; Goodman, Claire; Davies, Sue L; Dening, Tom; Gage, Heather; Meyer, Julienne; Schneider, Justine; Bell, Brian; Jordan, Jake; Martin, Finbarr C; Iliffe, Steve; Bowman, Clive; Gladman, John R F; Victor, Christina; Mayrhofer, Andrea; Handley, Melanie; Zubair, Maria

2018-01-05

care home residents have high healthcare needs not fully met by prevailing healthcare models. This study explored how healthcare configuration influences resource use. a realist evaluation using qualitative and quantitative data from case studies of three UK health and social care economies selected for differing patterns of healthcare delivery to care homes. Four homes per area (12 in total) were recruited. A total of 239 residents were followed for 12 months to record resource-use. Overall, 181 participants completed 116 interviews and 13 focus groups including residents, relatives, care home staff, community nurses, allied health professionals and General Practitioners. context-mechanism-outcome configurations were identified explaining what supported effective working between healthcare services and care home staff: (i) investment in care home-specific work that legitimises and values work with care homes; (ii) relational working which over time builds trust between practitioners; (iii) care which 'wraps around' care homes; and (iv) access to specialist care for older people with dementia. Resource use was similar between sites despite differing approaches to healthcare. There was greater utilisation of GP resource where this was specifically commissioned but no difference in costs between sites. activities generating opportunities and an interest in healthcare and care home staff working together are integral to optimal healthcare provision in care homes. Outcomes are likely to be better where: focus and activities legitimise ongoing contact between healthcare staff and care homes at an institutional level; link with a wider system of healthcare; and provide access to dementia-specific expertise. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Enhancing the Australian healthcare sector's responsiveness to environmental sustainability issues: suggestions from Australian healthcare professionals.

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Dunphy, Jillian L

2013-05-01

Identify strategies to implement change across the Australian healthcare sector to better support social and natural environments. Methods. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with Australian healthcare professionals. Interviewees described multiple barriers to implementing change and numerous strategies to overcome these barriers. They argued that action must be taken at the individual and systemic levels to produce substantial and effective change. The strategies recommended fall into four main categories: altering workplace cultures and professional identities, community engagement, political activity, and change from within. The overarching goals of these strategies are to reduce negative impacts on the natural environment, and increase social equity within and across generations. By implementing the strategies described, a more cohesive effort to address sustainability issues across the sector can be made. This may improve local and global health, within current and future generations. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC? Healthcare has a significant impact on the natural and social environments, which in turn have a significant impact upon health and healthcare. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD? This paper describes strategies to alter healthcare to better support environmental sustainability. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS? Collective implementation of the described strategies may allow a more cohesive and effective response across the Australian healthcare sector, to enhance local and global health for current and future generations.

Conscientious objection to deceased organ donation by healthcare professionals.

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Shaw, David; Gardiner, Dale; Lewis, Penney; Jansen, Nichon; Wind, Tineke; Samuel, Undine; Georgieva, Denie; Ploeg, Rutger; Broderick, Andrew

2018-02-01

In this article, we analyse the potential benefits and disadvantages of permitting healthcare professionals to invoke conscientious objection to deceased organ donation. There is some evidence that permitting doctors and nurses to register objections can ultimately lead to attitudinal change and acceptance of organ donation. However, while there may be grounds for conscientious objection in other cases such as abortion and euthanasia, the life-saving nature of donation and transplantation renders objection in this context more difficult to justify. In general, dialogue between healthcare professionals is a more appropriate solution, and any objections must be justified with a strong rationale in hospitals where such policies are put in place.

Work engagement and occupational stress in nurses and other healthcare workers: the role of organisational and personal factors.

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Fiabane, Elena; Giorgi, Ines; Sguazzin, Cinzia; Argentero, Piergiorgio

2013-09-01

The aims of this study were to: (1) identify the role of organisational and personal factors in predicting work engagement in healthcare workers and (2) compare work engagement and occupational stress perceptions of healthcare professional categories. Healthcare professionals, with particular regard to nurses, are exposed to several job stressors that can adversely affect both their mental and physical health and also decrease work engagement. Work engagement can be considered as the positive opposite of burnout, and it is characterised by energy, involvement and professional efficacy. A cross-sectional survey research was conducted with self-report questionnaires. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the Areas of Worklife Scale and four scales from the Occupational Stress Indicator were administered to a sample of 198 hospital staff (registered nurses, nurse aides, physicians and physiotherapists), of which 110 participated in the study. The most significant predictors of energy were workload, mental health and job satisfaction; the best predictors of involvement were community, workload, mental health and job satisfaction; professional efficacy was best predicted by values and job satisfaction. In relation to the second aim, physiotherapists had the highest levels of occupational stress and disengagement from their work, while nurse aides were the most work-engaged and job-satisfied professional category, with positive perceptions of the work environment. Both organisational and personal factors were found to be significantly associated with work engagement. In this study, physiotherapists were the category with the highest risk of work-related psychological problems, whereas nurse aides had the lowest risk. Interventions aimed at improving clinical practice and psychological health of nurses and hospital staff should focus on workload, workers' personal expectations and job satisfaction. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Reporting of Foodborne Illness by U.S. Consumers and Healthcare Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Mandernach

2013-08-01

Full Text Available During 2009–2010, a total of 1,527 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC (2013. However, in a 2011 CDC report, Scallan et al. estimated about 48 million people contract a foodborne illness annually in the United States. Public health officials are concerned with this under-reporting; thus, the purpose of this study was to identify why consumers and healthcare professionals don’t report foodborne illness. Focus groups were conducted with 35 consumers who reported a previous experience with foodborne illness and with 16 healthcare professionals. Also, interviews with other healthcare professionals with responsibility of diagnosing foodborne illness were conducted. Not knowing who to contact, being too ill, being unsure of the cause, and believing reporting would not be beneficial were all identified by consumers as reasons for not reporting foodborne illness. Healthcare professionals that participated in the focus groups indicated the amount of time between patients’ consumption of food and seeking treatment and lack of knowledge were barriers to diagnosing foodborne illness. Issues related to stool samples such as knowledge, access and cost were noted by both groups. Results suggest that barriers identified could be overcome with targeted education and improved access and information about the reporting process.

Design requirements for ubiquitous computing environments for healthcare professionals.

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Bång, Magnus; Larsson, Anders; Eriksson, Henrik

2004-01-01

Ubiquitous computing environments can support clinical administrative routines in new ways. The aim of such computing approaches is to enhance routine physical work, thus it is important to identify specific design requirements. We studied healthcare professionals in an emergency room and developed the computer-augmented environment NOSTOS to support teamwork in that setting. NOSTOS uses digital pens and paper-based media as the primary input interface for data capture and as a means of controlling the system. NOSTOS also includes a digital desk, walk-up displays, and sensor technology that allow the system to track documents and activities in the workplace. We propose a set of requirements and discuss the value of tangible user interfaces for healthcare personnel. Our results suggest that the key requirements are flexibility in terms of system usage and seamless integration between digital and physical components. We also discuss how ubiquitous computing approaches like NOSTOS can be beneficial in the medical workplace.

Cultural diversity training for UK healthcare professionals: a comprehensive nationwide cross-sectional survey.

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Bentley, Paul; Jovanovic, Ana; Sharma, Pankaj

2008-10-01

Healthcare inequalities within the UK based on patients' ethnicity have been found over the last five years in a large number of medical specialties. One possible explanation for this lies in ignorance of ethnic minority healthcare needs among professionals. Cultural diversity programmes have been shown to improve patient outcomes including compliance, yet these are not as yet requirements for any UK healthcare professionals with the exception of psychiatrists. This paper documents the frequency, regional variation, characteristics and motivations for cultural diversity training through a questionnaire survey of the educational leads of every UK medical school, postgraduate deanery and schools of nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and pharmacy. The results showed a wide variation in teaching practices between healthcare professions and geographical regions. This study provides evidence for the need for national guidelines to incorporate cultural competency training by all UK healthcare professional training bodies.

Work-related quality of life of Ugandan healthcare workers.

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Opollo, J G; Gray, J; Spies, L A

2014-03-01

To describe perceived work-related quality of life of Ugandan healthcare workers. A secondary aim was to seek participant input on ways to improve work environments. Poor patient outcomes, decreased employee motivation and decisions to leave the organization have been linked to poor work conditions. Interventions to correct healthcare worker shortage in developing countries require information about work quality of life. Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in health and educational settings in Uganda in July 2011. Participants completed the Biographical Information Scale demographic questionnaire and the validated 24-item Work-Related Quality of Life scale. Sample included 146 healthcare workers employed in various settings. Participants reported poorer quality of work life on the work conditions, control at work and home-work interface subscales. Participants perceived stress at work to be low and experienced higher job career satisfaction. There was a significant relationship between work-related quality of life, gender and hours worked. Participants' suggestions to improve work life ranged from simple no-cost suggestions to more complex system level interventions. Work-related quality of life was low in this convenience sample. Perceived stress at work was lower than expected, but may have been due to nurses' expectations of a normal work assignment. Predominantly women, the participants had significant caregiving responsibilities. Nurses must acquire a seat at the table where crucial decisions about nursing and its future are made. By advancing leadership skills, nurses can effectively advocate for organizational changes that address broad factors related to increasing job satisfaction, and retaining and attracting nurses. Nurses can influence work quality of life individually and collectively by identifying workplace concerns, demanding safe work environments, fostering teamwork and enhancing professional growth. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

The future of e-learning in healthcare professional education: some possible directions. Commentary.

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Walsh, Kieran

2014-01-01

E-learning in healthcare professional education still seems like it is a new innovation but the reality is that e-learning has been around for as long as the internet has been around. This is approximately twenty years and so it is probably appropriate to now take stock and consider what the future of e-learning in healthcare professional education might be. One likely occurrence is that there will be more formats, more interactive technology, and sometimes game-based learning. Another future of healthcare professional education will likely be in simulation. Like other forms of technology outside of medicine, the cost of e-learning in healthcare professional education will fall rapidly. E-learning will also become more adaptive in the future and so will deliver educational content based on learners' exact needs. The future of e-learning will also be mobile. Increasingly in the future e-learning will be blended with face to face education.

Measuring patient participation in surgical treatment decision-making from healthcare professionals' perspective.

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Heggland, Liv-Helen; Mikkelsen, Aslaug; Øgaard, Torvald; Hausken, Kjell

2014-02-01

To develop, empirical test, and validate an instrument measuring patient participation in surgical treatment decision-making from healthcare professionals' perspective. Since the advent of New Public Management in many Western countries, patient participation in healthcare decision-making has been considered to be a best practice. A common notion is that well-educated and well-informed public want to choose their own treatments and providers and want to ask questions about the quality of their health services. Survey. A self-report-measuring instrument was designed and administered to 620 healthcare professionals. Items were developed, validated and tested by 451 nurses and physicians working in six surgical wards in a University Hospital in Norway. A 16-item scale with the following four dimensions was developed: information dissemination, formulation of options, integration of information and control. Factor analysis procedures and reliability testing were performed. A one-way, between-groups analysis of variance was conducted to compare doctors' and nurses' opinions on four dimensions of patient participation in surgical treatment decision-making. This article shows that patient participation in surgical treatment decision-making can be measured by a 16-item scale and four distinct dimensions. The analysis demonstrated a reasonable level of construct validity and reliability. Nurses and physicians have a positive attitude towards patient participation overall, but the two groups differ in the extent to which they accept the idea of patient participation in treatment decision-making. The instrument can be a tool for managers and healthcare professionals in the implementation of patient participation in clinical practice. Data from the instrument can be useful to identify health services being provided and what areas that could strengthen patient participation. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The current status of diabetes professional educational standards and competencies in the UK--a position statement from the Diabetes UK Healthcare Professional Education Competency Framework Task and Finish Group.

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Walsh, N; George, S; Priest, L; Deakin, T; Vanterpool, G; Karet, B; Simmons, D

2011-12-01

Diabetes is a significant health concern, both in the UK and globally. Management can be complex, often requiring high levels of knowledge and skills in order to provide high-quality and safe care. The provision of good, safe, quality care lies within the foundations of healthcare education, continuing professional development and evidence-based practice, which are inseparable and part of a continuum during the career of any health professional. Sound education provides the launch pad for effective clinical management and positive patient experiences. This position paper reviews and discusses work undertaken by a Working Group under the auspices of Diabetes UK with the remit of considering all health professional educational issues for people delivering care to people with diabetes. This work has scoped the availability of education for those within the healthcare system who may directly or indirectly encounter people with diabetes and reviews alignment to existing competency frameworks within the UK's National Health Service. © 2011 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2011 Diabetes UK.

Modified international e-Delphi survey to define healthcare professional competencies for working with teenagers and young adults with cancer.

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Taylor, Rachel M; Feltbower, Richard G; Aslam, Natasha; Raine, Rosalind; Whelan, Jeremy S; Gibson, Faith

2016-05-03

To provide international consensus on the competencies required by healthcare professionals in order to provide specialist care for teenagers and young adults (TYA) with cancer. Modified e-Delphi survey. International, multicentre study. Experts were defined as professionals having worked in TYA cancer care for more than 12 months. They were identified through publications and professional organisations. Round 1, developed from a previous qualitative study, included 87 closed-ended questions with responses on a nine-point Likert scale and further open-ended responses to identify other skills, knowledge and attitudes. Round 2 contained only items with no consensus in round 1 and suggestions of additional items of competency. Consensus was defined as a median score ranging from 7 to 9 and strength of agreement using mean absolute deviation of the median. A total of 179 registered to be members of the expert panel; valid responses were available from 158 (88%) in round 1 and 136/158 (86%) in round 2. The majority of participants were nurses (35%) or doctors (39%) from Europe (55%) or North America (35%). All 87 items in round 1 reached consensus with an additional 15 items identified for round 2, which also reached consensus. The strength of agreement was mostly high for statements. The areas of competence rated most important were agreed to be: 'Identify the impact of disease on young people's life' (skill), 'Know about side effects of treatment and how this might be different to those experienced by children or older adults' (knowledge), 'Honesty' (attitude) and 'Listen to young people's concerns' (aspect of communication). Given the high degree of consensus, this list of competencies should influence education curriculum, professional development and inform workforce planning. Variation in strength of agreement for some competencies between professional groups should be explored further in pursuit of effective multidisciplinary team working. Published by the BMJ

Development of professionalism: case study of HIV/AIDS-related stigma among healthcare students

OpenAIRE

Ahmadi, Keivan

2015-01-01

A healthcare workforce that is responsive and fair in its treatment of patients is one of the central pillars of a modern health system (1). It is for this reason, among others, that healthcare workers are ethically bound to treat patients according to their need, and not according to their gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, skin color, or other socially (de)valued attribute. Within a modern healthcare program, there is also a focus on professional ethics and professional practice...

Features of burnout syndrome development in healthcare workers with different types of work motivation

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Vezhnovets T.A.

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of researches of peculiarities of burnout syndrome formation in healthcare workers with different types of work motivation. It is discovered that the syndrome is formed for each motivational type as mechanism of psychological protection against the action of certain stressful factors, namely: for instrumental type – an excessive concentration on obtaining material rewards; for professional type – an excessive control of emotions in substantial professional communications and high psycho-emotional overload; for patriotic type – high level of dependence on social approval, a high level of communicative activity, a high level of psycho-emotional overload, for economical type – distrust, for lumpenized – any labor. Prevention of burnout syndrome in healthcare workers has to be realized taking into account peculiarities of psycho-traumatic factors depending on the type of work motivation.

Determinants of job satisfaction of healthcare professionals in public hospitals in Belgrade, Serbia--Cross-sectional analysis.

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Kuburović, Nina B; Dedić, Velimir; Djuricić, Slavisa; Kuburović, Vladimir

2016-01-01

The quality of health care significantly depends on the satisfaction of the employees. The objective of this study was to establish the level of professional satisfaction of healthcare professionals in state hospitals in Belgrade, Serbia, and to determine and to rank the factors which impact on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Professional satisfaction survey was designed and conducted as a cross-sectional study in 2008. Completed questionnaires were returned by 6,595 healthcare professionals from Belgrade's hospitals. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test, χ² test and ANOVA. Factor analysis was applied in order to define determinants of professional satisfaction, i.e. dissatisfaction. This study showed that the degree of professional satisfaction of Serbian healthcare professionals was low. The main causes of professionals'dissatisfaction were wages, equipment, the possibility of continuous medical education/training and the opportunities for professional development. Healthcare professionals with university education were more satisfied with all the individual aspects of job satisfaction than those with secondary school and college education. There were significantly more healthcare professionals satisfied with their job among males, older than 60 years, in the age group 50-59 years, with managerial function, and with 30 or more years of service. Development strategy of human resources in the Serbian health care system would significantly improve the professional satisfaction and quality of the provided health care.

The state of infant oral healthcare knowledge and awareness: Disparity among parents and healthcare professionals

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Shivaprakash P

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Provision of infant oral health (IOH care is a challenging issue in the rural areas of our country due to lack of pedodontists and other dental workforces. To overcome these barriers it is essential to call the medical and other healthcare professionals to provide IOH care in joint collaboration with dental professionals. However, it is unclear to what extent these medical professionals are really aware of preventive strategies and to what extent they impart them. Thus, the present study was designed to begin from the grass-root levels, that is, assessing the baseline knowledge and awareness regarding IOH care among students (dental/medical and parents (urban/rural. Variation of opinions with inconsistencies were obtained from both medical and/dental students and as well as from both the parental groups. This study calls for further research to evaluate the role of various factors involved in IOH care and to effectively educate all healthcare providers in this area.

Virtue Ethics and Rural Professional Healthcare Roles

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Crowden, Andrew

2010-01-01

Because rural populations are at risk not only for clinically disparate care but also ethically disparate care, there is a need to enhance scholarship, research, and teaching about rural health care ethics. In this paper an argument for the applicability of a virtue ethics framework for professionals in rural healthcare is outlined. The argument…

Dutch healthcare professionals inadequately perceived if three- and four-year-old preschool children were overweight.

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Bocca, Gianni; Corpeleijn, Eva; Broens, Jasper; Stolk, Ronald P; Sauer, Pieter J

2016-10-01

We studied whether healthcare professionals adequately perceived if preschool children were overweight and whether this was influenced by their own body mass index (BMI). We sent 716 Dutch healthcare professionals questionnaires containing seven pictures and seven sketches of three- and four-year-old children showing body weights from underweight to morbidly obese. The professionals rated the pictures on a five-point scale from too heavy to too light and chose the sketch that they felt best depicted the child's body shape. They also reported their own height and weight and their BMI was calculated. Of the 716 questionnaires, 346 (48.3%) were returned with complete information and analysed. Healthcare professionals mostly chose sketches that showed children as being lighter than they really were. Depending on their own BMI group, the overweight child was perceived as having a normal weight by 74-79% of the healthcare professionals. The obese children were rated correctly by 44-52% of the professionals, but 14-15% said their weight was normal. The morbidly obese child was adequately assessed by 93-98% of the professionals. Healthcare professionals inadequately perceived whether three- and four-year-old children were overweight and this may have hindered early interventions, leading to overweight children becoming overweight adolescents. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge of Pharmacogenetics among Healthcare Professionals and Faculty Members of Health Training Institutions in Ghana.

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Kudzi, W; Addy, B S; Dzudzor, B

2015-03-01

Pharmacogenetics has a potential for optimizing drug response and identifying risk of toxicity for patients. Pharmacogenetics knowledge of healthcare professionals and the unmet need for pharmacogenetics education in health training institutions are some of the challenges of integrating pharmacogenetics into routine medical practice. To assess pharmacogenetics knowledge among healthcare professionals and faculty members of health training institutions in Ghana. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to interview healthcare professionals from selected public and private hospitals. Faculty members from health training institutions were also interviewed. The respondents were Medical doctors 42 (46.7%), Pharmacists 29 (32.2%) and Nurses 19 (21.1%). Healthcare professionals rated their knowledge of Pharmacogenetics as Excellent 5 (5.6%), Very Good 10 (11.2%), Good 53 (60%) and Poor 19 (21.4%). Thirty-two faculty members from health training institutions were also interviewed. Faculty members rated their knowledge of pharmacogenetics as Excellent 2 (6.3%), Very Good 3 (9.4%), Good 9 (28.1%), Fair 12 (37.5%) and Poor 6 (18.8%). Thirty seven percent (12) of these faculty members said pharmacogenetics was not part of their institutions' curriculum, 7 (22%) did not know if pharmacogenetics was part of their curriculum and only 13 (40.6%) said it was part of their curriculum. Few healthcare professionals and faculty members of training institutions are aware of the discipline of pharmacogenetics. There is the need for continuous professional education on pharmacogenetics and development of competency standards for all healthcare professionals in Ghana.

Healthcare professionals' use of health clouds: Integrating technology acceptance and status quo bias perspectives.

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Hsieh, Pi-Jung

2015-07-01

Cloud computing technology has recently been seen as an important milestone in medical informatics development. Despite its great potential, there are gaps in our understanding of how users evaluate change in relation to the health cloud and how they decide to resist it. Integrating technology acceptance and status quo bias perspectives, this study develops an integrated model to explain healthcare professionals' intention to use the health cloud service and their intention to resist it. A field survey was conducted in Taiwan to collect data from healthcare professionals; a structural equation model was used to examine the data. A valid sample of 209 healthcare professionals was collected for data analysis. The results show that healthcare professionals' resistance to the use of the health cloud is the result of regret avoidance, inertia, perceived value, switching costs, and perceived threat. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control are shown to have positive and direct effects on healthcare professionals' intention to use the health cloud. The results also indicate a significant negative effect in the relationship between healthcare professionals' intention and resistance to using the health cloud. Our study illustrates the importance of incorporating user resistance in technology acceptance studies in general and in health technology usage studies in particular. This study also identifies key factors for practitioners and hospitals to make adoption decisions in relation to the health cloud. Further, the study provides a useful reference for future studies in this subject field. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy on professional support in return-to-work: Occupational health professionals' experiences in a Canadian setting.

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Maiwald, Karin; Meershoek, Agnes; de Rijk, Angelique; Nijhuis, Frans J N

2015-01-01

In Canada and other countries, sickness-based absences among workers is an economic and sociological problem. Return-to-work (RTW) policy developed by both employer and worker' representatives (that is, bipartite policy) is preferred to tackle this problem. The intent was to examine how this bipartite agreed-upon RTW policy works from the perspective of occupational health professionals (those who deliver RTW services to workers with temporary or permanent disabilities) in a public healthcare organization in Canada. In-depth interviews were held with 9 occupational health professionals and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative, social constructivist, analysis was completed. The occupational health professionals experienced four main problems: 1) timing and content of physicians' medical advice cannot be trusted as a basis for RTW plans; 2) legal status of the plans and thus needing workers' consent and managers' approval can create tension, conflict and delays; 3) limited input and thus little fruitful inference in transdisciplinary meetings at the workplace; and yet 4) the professionals can be called to account for plans. Bipartite representation in developing RTW policy does not entirely delete bottlenecks in executing the policy. Occupational health professionals should be offered more influence and their professionalism needs to be enhanced.

Older LGBT people's experiences and concerns with healthcare professionals and services in Ireland.

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Sharek, Danika Burke; McCann, Edward; Sheerin, Fintan; Glacken, Michele; Higgins, Agnes

2015-09-01

The specific healthcare needs and concerns for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons have not been explored to any degree within Ireland. The aim of this paper, which is part of a larger study, is to detail older LGBT persons' usage, experiences and concerns with accessing healthcare services, disclosing their LGBT identity to professionals, preferences for care and their suggestions for improvement in services, including nursing services. A mixed methods research design combining quantitative survey and qualitative interview approaches of equal significance was used. 144 respondents completed an 84-item questionnaire concerning their use of healthcare services, experiences and needs. The qualitative phase involved in-depth interviews where 36 participants' experiences and concerns around health services were explored more in-depth. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis employed the constant comparative process to generate the leading themes. Only one in three participants believed that healthcare professionals have sufficient knowledge of LGBT issues, and less than half (43%) felt respected as an LGBT person by healthcare professionals. Although 26% had chosen not to reveal their LGBT status for fear of a negative response, many positive encounters of coming out to healthcare professionals were relayed in the interviews. LGBT persons have specific concerns around residential care, particularly in relation to the perception that the Irish healthcare services emanate a heteronormative culture. Irish healthcare services need to reflect on how they currently engage with older LGBT persons at both an organisational and practitioner level. Consideration needs to be given to the specific concerns of ageing LGBT persons, particularly in relation to long-term residential care. Healthcare practitioners need to be knowledgeable of, and sensitive to, LGBT issues. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review.

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van Mol, Margo M C; Kompanje, Erwin J O; Benoit, Dominique D; Bakker, Jan; Nijkamp, Marjan D

2015-01-01

Working in the stressful environment of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an emotionally charged challenge that might affect the emotional stability of medical staff. The quality of care for ICU patients and their relatives might be threatened through long-term absenteeism or a brain and skill drain if the healthcare professionals leave their jobs prematurely in order to preserve their own health. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the literature related to emotional distress among healthcare professionals in the ICU, with an emphasis on the prevalence of burnout and compassion fatigue and the available preventive strategies. A systematic literature review was conducted, using Embase, Medline OvidSP, Cinahl, Web-of-science, PsychINFO, PubMed publisher, Cochrane and Google Scholar for articles published between 1992 and June, 2014. Studies reporting the prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals were included, as well as related intervention studies. Forty of the 1623 identified publications, which included 14,770 respondents, met the selection criteria. Two studies reported the prevalence of compassion fatigue as 7.3% and 40%; five studies described the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress ranging from 0% to 38.5%. The reported prevalence of burnout in the ICU varied from 0% to 70.1%. A wide range of intervention strategies emerged from the recent literature search, such as different intensivist work schedules, educational programs on coping with emotional distress, improving communication skills, and relaxation methods. The true prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals remains open for discussion. A thorough exploration of emotional distress in relation to communication skills, ethical rounds, and mindfulness might provide an appropriate starting point for the development of further preventive

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review.

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Margo M C van Mol

Full Text Available Working in the stressful environment of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU is an emotionally charged challenge that might affect the emotional stability of medical staff. The quality of care for ICU patients and their relatives might be threatened through long-term absenteeism or a brain and skill drain if the healthcare professionals leave their jobs prematurely in order to preserve their own health.The purpose of this review is to evaluate the literature related to emotional distress among healthcare professionals in the ICU, with an emphasis on the prevalence of burnout and compassion fatigue and the available preventive strategies.A systematic literature review was conducted, using Embase, Medline OvidSP, Cinahl, Web-of-science, PsychINFO, PubMed publisher, Cochrane and Google Scholar for articles published between 1992 and June, 2014. Studies reporting the prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals were included, as well as related intervention studies.Forty of the 1623 identified publications, which included 14,770 respondents, met the selection criteria. Two studies reported the prevalence of compassion fatigue as 7.3% and 40%; five studies described the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress ranging from 0% to 38.5%. The reported prevalence of burnout in the ICU varied from 0% to 70.1%. A wide range of intervention strategies emerged from the recent literature search, such as different intensivist work schedules, educational programs on coping with emotional distress, improving communication skills, and relaxation methods.The true prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals remains open for discussion. A thorough exploration of emotional distress in relation to communication skills, ethical rounds, and mindfulness might provide an appropriate starting point for the development of

[Agrochemicals and human health: contributions of healthcare professionals].

Science.gov (United States)

de Siqueira, Soraia Lemos; Kruse, Maria Henriqueta Luce

2008-09-01

This paper focuses on the scientific production of health professionals, especially nurses, about agrochemicals and human health. The essay combines and presents information by means of literature review, with a view to acknowledge the contribution of each author and their use for the human health field. Thirty-two research articles, published in Brazilian journals, were located. The analysis of these articles highlights that healthcare professionals' contributions focus on human health, especially, workers' health and food quality. With a view to minimize the effects from agrochemicals on human and environmental health, the authors exposes action suggestions both for health professionals and for the institutions associated.

Perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding their own body ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reported that older people tend to misperceive their body weight ... To determine healthcare professionals' perceptions of their own body .... 60 years) than younger participants (20 - 30 years) being obese .... Some cultural attitudes lead to women .... risk, nutritional status and refugee children from sub-Saharan Africa.

Traumatic Childbirth from the Perspective of the Healthcare Professional

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schrøder, Katja; Jørgensen, Jan Stener; la Cour, Karen

in Denmark, adding up to a total of 2400. The overall aim of the survey is to identify the proportion of midwives and obstetricians who have been involved in one or more traumatic childbirths. Subsequently the aim is to investigate the correlation between traumatic childbirths and work-related mental health...... problems among midwives and obstetricians and finally to explore the coping strategies of the midwives and obstetricians related to their personal values, faith and convictions. Qualitative interviews The qualitative part of the study will consist of 16-20 individual semi-structured interviews, equally...... and obstetricians experience being involved in traumatic childbirths will serve to improve the management of the aftermath of the traumatic events from the perspective of the healthcare professionals. Such improvements could be important in the effort to prevent work-related mental health problems amongst midwives...

Conceptualizing boundaries for the professionalization of healthcare ethics practice: a call for empirical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Nancy C; McGee, Summer Johnson

2014-12-01

One of the challenges of modern healthcare ethics practice is the navigation of boundaries. Practicing healthcare ethicists in the performance of their role must navigate meanings, choices, decisions and actions embedded in complex cultural and social relationships amongst diverse individuals. In light of the evolving state of modern healthcare ethics practice and the recent move toward professionalization via certification, understanding boundary navigation in healthcare ethics practice is critical. Because healthcare ethics is endowed with many boundaries which often delineate concerns about professional expertise and authority, epistemological reflection on the relationship between theory and practice points toward the social context as relevant to the conceptualization of boundaries. The skills of social scientists may prove helpful to provide data and insights into the conceptualization and navigation of clinical ethics qua profession. Empirical ethics research, which combines empirical description (usually social scientific) with normative-ethical analysis and reflection, is a way forward as we engage and reflect upon issues which have implications for practice standards and professionalization of the role. This requires cooperative engagement of the descriptive and normative disciplines to explore our understandings of boundaries in healthcare ethics practice. This will contribute to the ongoing reflection not only as we envision the professional role but to ensure that it is enacted in practice.

Determinants of job satisfaction of healthcare professionals in public hospitals in Belgrade, Serbia - cross-sectional analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuburović Nina B.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The quality of health care significantly depends on the satisfaction of the employees. Objective. The objective of this study was to establish the level of professional satisfaction of healthcare professionals in state hospitals in Belgrade, Serbia, and to determine and to rank the factors which impact on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Method. Professional satisfaction survey was designed and conducted as a cross-sectional study in 2008. Completed questionnaires were returned by 6,595 healthcare professionals from Belgrade’s hospitals. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student’s t-test, χ2 test and ANOVA. Factor analysis was applied in order to define determinants of professional satisfaction, i.e. dissatisfaction. Results. This study showed that the degree of professional satisfaction of Serbian healthcare professionals was low. The main causes of professionals’ dissatisfaction were wages, equipment, the possibility of continuous medical education/training and the opportunities for professional development. Healthcare professionals with university education were more satisfied with all the individual aspects of job satisfaction than those with secondary school and college education. Conclusion. There were significantly more healthcare professionals satisfied with their job among males, older than 60 years, in the age group 50-59 years, with managerial function, and with 30 or more years of service. Development strategy of human resources in the Serbian health care system would significantly improve the professional satisfaction and quality of the provided health care.

Factors affecting patients' knowledge about dispensed medicines: A Qualitative study of healthcare professionals and patients in Pakistan.

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Saqib, Anum; Atif, Muhammad; Ikram, Raazeyah; Riaz, Fatima; Abubakar, Muhammad; Scahill, Shane

2018-01-01

Patients' knowledge about their prescribed medicines is one of the most important antecedents of successful therapy. Poor knowledge about medicines can lead to serious consequences such as non-adherence and misunderstanding of the significance of adverse events. The objective of this study is to understand the factors that are responsible for a patients' lack of knowledge regarding their medicines, by taking the perspective of the patient as well as that of healthcare professionals. Much of the work in this area has been undertaken in the setting of developed or semi-developed countries, and there is a scarcity of information from developing nations such as Pakistan. This was a large qualitative study set in the hospital outpatient environment in a teaching hospital in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Data were collected from dialogue with patients (n = 19) and healthcare providers (n = 16) i.e., doctors and dispensers (where a dispenser is a person who merely dispenses medicines; i.e. is not a pharmacist) through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Patients having limited knowledge about their dispensed medicines were assessed using a checklist. The healthcare providers were recruited through a convenience sampling strategy, based on their availability and willingness to participate in the study. Based on the objectives of the study, a pilot tested interview protocol was developed, and used to conduct the interviews. The sample size was controlled by using saturation point criteria. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed to draw conclusions using inductive thematic content analysis. The analysis of data yielded 31 categories (patients = 19, healthcare professionals = 12), 10 subthemes and three themes. The major themes were healthcare professional-related factors, patient-related factors and system-related factors. The health professional related subthemes included: behaviour and attitude and professional liabilities

Experiences and opinions of health-care professionals regarding legal abortion in Mexico City: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras, Xipatl; van Dijk, Marieke G; Sanchez, Tahilin; Smith, Patricio Sanhueza

2011-09-01

This study examines the experiences and opinions of health-care professionals after the legalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007. Sixty-four semistructured interviews were conducted between 1 December 2007 and 16 July 2008 with staff affiliated with abortion programs in 12 hospitals and 1 health center, including obstetricians/gynecologists, nurses, social workers, key decisionmakers at the Ministry of Health, and others. Findings suggest that program implementation was difficult because of the lack of personnel, space, and resources; a great number of conscientious objectors; and the enormous influx of women seeking services, which resulted in a work overload for participating professionals. The professionals interviewed indicate that the program improved significantly over time. They generally agree that legal abortion should be offered, despite serious concerns about repeat abortions. They recommend improving family planning campaigns and post-procedure contraceptive use, and they encourage the opening of primary health-care facilities dedicated to providing abortion services.

The attitudes of healthcare professionals towards women using illicit substances in pregnancy: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonti, Siobhan; Davis, Deborah; Ferguson, Sally

2016-08-01

To assess the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards women who use substances in the maternity setting. Illicit drug use in pregnancy leads to poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. Early access to antenatal care has been shown to improve outcomes however women who use substances in pregnancy have statistically low attendance rates to appointments. Fear of stigma from healthcare professionals is a commonly stated reason for not accessing maternity health services or not disclosing substance use to care givers, however little research has been conducted which assesses stigma from a healthcare perspective. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was implemented using a previously validated attitudinal survey tool to assess the attitudes of healthcare practitioners and final year midwifery students. Ethics approval was sought and granted by the relevant institutions. A total of 147 completed questionnaires were returned. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and parametric testing was undertaken. Participants had largely positive or neutral attitudes towards women who use substances in pregnancy. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed that the care they provide to can make a real difference to outcomes. Midwifery students had significantly lower mean attitude scores, showing more positive attitudes, than any other group tested. This research provides useful insight into the attitudes of healthcare professionals. While larger scale research is needed, the positive findings of this study may work towards reducing fear of stigma as a barrier to care for women. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deciding treatment for miscarriage--experiences of women and healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Olesen, Mette Linnet; Graungaard, Anette H; Husted, Gitte R

2015-06-01

Women experiencing miscarriage are offered a choice of different treatments to terminate their wanted pregnancy at a time when they are often shocked and distressed. Women's and healthcare professionals' experiences of the decision-making process are not well described. We aimed to gain insight into this process and the circumstances that may affect it. A qualitative study using a grounded theory approach. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with six women who had chosen and completed either surgical, medical or expectant treatment for miscarriage and five healthcare professionals involved in the decision-making at an emergency gynaecological department in Denmark. An inductive explorative method was chosen due to limited knowledge about the decision-making process, and a theoretical perspective was not applied until the final analysis. Despite information and pretreatment counselling, choice of treatment was often determined by unspoken emotional considerations, including fear of seeing the foetus or fear of anaesthesia. These considerations were not discussed during the decision-making process, which was a time when the women were under time pressure and experienced emotional distress. Healthcare professionals did not explore women's considerations for choosing a particular treatment and prioritised information differently. We found theory about coping and decision-making in stressful situations useful in increasing our understanding of the women's reactions. In relation to theory about informed consent, our findings suggest that women need more understanding of the treatments before making a decision. This study is limited due to a small sample size, but it generates important findings that need to be examined in a larger sample. Frequently, women did not use information provided about treatment pros and cons in their decision-making process. Because of unspoken thoughts, and women's needs being unexplored by healthcare professionals

Burnout Subtypes and Absence of Self-Compassion in Primary Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Montero-Marin, Jesus; Zubiaga, Fernando; Cereceda, Maria; Piva Demarzo, Marcelo Marcos; Trenc, Patricia; Garcia-Campayo, Javier

2016-01-01

Primary healthcare professionals report high levels of distress and burnout. A new model of burnout has been developed to differentiate three clinical subtypes: 'frenetic', 'underchallenged' and 'worn-out'. The aim of this study was to confirm the validity and reliability of the burnout subtype model in Spanish primary healthcare professionals, and to assess the explanatory power of the self-compassion construct as a possible protective factor. The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of n = 440 Spanish primary healthcare professionals (214 general practitioners, 184 nurses, 42 medical residents) completed the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-36), the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The factor structure of the BCSQ-36 was estimated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) by the unweighted least squares method from polychoric correlations. Internal consistency (R) was assessed by squaring the correlation between the latent true variable and the observed variables. The relationships between the BCSQ-36 and the other constructs were analysed using Spearman's r and multiple linear regression models. The structure of the BCSQ-36 fit the data well, with adequate CFA indices for all the burnout subtypes. Reliability was adequate for all the scales and sub-scales (R≥0.75). Self-judgement was the self-compassion factor that explained the frenetic subtype (Beta = 0.36; pUWES and PANAS. The typological definition of burnout through the BCSQ-36 showed good structure and appropriate internal consistence in Spanish primary healthcare professionals. The negative self-compassion dimensions seem to play a relevant role in explaining the burnout profiles in this population, and they should be considered when designing specific treatments and interventions tailored to the specific vulnerability of each subtype.

Brazilian Healthcare Professionals: A Study of Attitudes Toward Organ Donation.

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo, C; Siqueira, M

2016-12-01

Healthcare professionals have a crucial role in organ donation and transplantation processes. Their attitude toward organ donation can affect public opinion and the donation decision made by deceased donors' relatives. The objectives of the study were to analyze the attitude of medical and nursing personnel toward deceased organ donation in two hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the factors that can affect this attitude. A random sample (n = 162) was selected from the population of nurses and physicians in the hospitals analyzed. The sample was stratified by age, sex, marital status, religion, professional category, and educational level. A validated questionnaire addressing psychosocial aspects of organ donation was used to evaluate attitudes. The χ 2 and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied for statistical analysis. Of personnel surveyed, 86.4% (n = 140) were in favor of deceased organ donation, whereas 11.1% (n = 18) were not sure and 2.5% (n = 4) were against. The favorable attitude was related to the following aspects: (1) educational level, (2) having spoken with family members about organ donation, (3) having a chronic disease, (4) favorable attitude of one's family, (5) belief that organ donation can save lives, (6) concerns about body manipulation, illegal trade of organs, and organ donation being against God's will, (7) feeling proud of working with organ donation/transplantation, (8) self-assessment of experience and knowledge in organ donation/transplantation activities (P organ donation is well accepted among the healthcare professionals surveyed, and the attitude is affected by socio-personal variables. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The potential of a self-assessment tool to identify healthcare professionals' strengths and areas in need of professional development to aid effective facilitation of group-based, person-centered diabetes education.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenov, Vibeke; Wind, Gitte; Skinner, Timothy; Reventlow, Susanne; Hempler, Nana Folmann

2017-09-18

Healthcare professionals' person-centered communication skills are pivotal for successful group-based diabetes education. However, healthcare professionals are often insufficiently equipped to facilitate person-centeredness and many have never received post-graduate training. Currently, assessing professionals' skills in conducting group-based, person-centered diabetes education primarily focus on experts measuring and coding skills on various scales. However, learner-centered approaches such as adequate self-reflective tools have been shown to emphasize professional autonomy and promote engagement. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a self-assessment tool to identify healthcare professionals' strengths and areas in need of professional development to aid effective facilitation of group-based, person-centered diabetes education. The study entails of two components: 1) Field observations of five different educational settings including 49 persons with diabetes and 13 healthcare professionals, followed by interviews with 5 healthcare professionals and 28 persons with type 2 diabetes. 2) One professional development workshop involving 14 healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals were asked to assess their person-centered communication skills using a self-assessment tool based on challenges and skills related to four educator roles: Embracer, Facilitator, Translator, and Initiator. Data were analyzed by hermeneutic analysis. Theories derived from theoretical model 'The Health Education Juggler' and techniques from 'Motivational Interviewing in Groups' were used as a framework to analyze data. Subsequently, the analysis from the field notes and interview transcript were compared with healthcare professionals' self-assessments of strengths and areas in need to effectively facilitate group-based, person-centered diabetes education. Healthcare professionals self-assessed the Translator and the Embracer to be the two most skilled roles whereas

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of neglect of older people in Mexico: A qualitative secondary analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Caceres, Billy A; Bub, Linda; Negrete, Maria Isabel; Giraldo Rodríguez, Liliana; Squires, Allison P

2018-03-01

To describe healthcare professionals' perceptions of neglect of older people in Mexico. Mistreatment of older people, particularly neglect, has emerged as a significant public health concern worldwide. However, few studies have been conducted to examine neglect of older people in low- and middle-income countries. Most research has focused on estimating the prevalence of neglect in older populations with little emphasis on the perceptions of healthcare professionals and their role in addressing neglect of older people. Qualitative secondary analysis. The parent study consisted of nine focus groups conducted with healthcare professionals at five public hospitals in Mexico. The purpose of the parent study was to perform a needs assessment to determine the feasibility of adapting the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders programme to Mexico. A qualitative secondary analysis with directed content analysis approach was used to extract data related to neglect of older people. A total of 89 participants representing healthcare professionals from several disciplines were interviewed. Three themes emerged: (i) The main point is not here; (ii) We feel hopeless; and (iii) We need preparation. Participants reported distress and hopelessness related to neglect of older people. Lack of community-based resources was noted as contributing to neglect. Increased education regarding care of older people for both caregivers and healthcare professionals and greater interdisciplinary collaboration were identified as potential solutions to combat neglect. Community-based services and resource allocation need to be re-evaluated to improve the care of older Mexicans. Interdisciplinary models of care should be developed to address concerns related to neglect of older people. Neglect negatively impacts healthcare professionals' ability to adequately care for older patients. There is a need to invest in community-based services and models of care to address these concerns. © 2017

Practice variation amongst preventive child healthcare professionals in the prevention of child maltreatment in the Netherlands: Qualitative and quantitative data.

Science.gov (United States)

Visscher, Simeon J A; van Stel, Henk F

2017-12-01

This article provides both qualitative and quantitative data on practice variation amongst preventive child healthcare professionals in the prevention of child maltreatment in the Netherlands. Qualitative data consist of topics identified during interviews with 11 experts (with quotes), resulting in an online survey. The quantitative data are survey responses from 1104 doctors and nurses working in 29 preventive child healthcare organizations. Additionally, the interview topic list, the qualitative data analysis methodology, the survey (in English and Dutch) and anonymized raw survey data (http://hdl.handle.net/10411/5LJOGH) are provided as well. This data-in-brief article accompanies the paper "Variation in prevention of child maltreatment by Dutch child healthcare professionals" by Simeon Visscher and Henk van Stel [1].

Female Genital Mutilation: perceptions of healthcare professionals and the perspective of the migrant families

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaplan-Marcusán Adriana

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Female Genital Mutilation (FGM is a traditional practice which is harmful to health and is profoundly rooted in many Sub-Saharan African countries. It is estimated that between 100 and 140 million women around the world have been victims of some form of FGM and that each year 3 million girls are at risk of being submitted to these practices. As a consequence of the migratory phenomena, the problems associated with FGM have extended to the Western countries receiving the immigrants. The practice of FGM has repercussions on the physical, psychic, sexual and reproductive health of women, severely deteriorating their current and future quality of life. Primary healthcare professionals are in a privileged position to detect and prevent these situations of risk which will be increasingly more present in Spain. Methods/Design The objective of the study is to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the primary healthcare professionals, working in 25 health care centres in Barcelona and Girona regions, regarding FGM, as well as to investigate the perception of this subject among the migrant communities from countries with strong roots in these practices. A transversal descriptive study will be performed with a questionnaire to primary healthcare professionals and migrant healthcare users. Using a questionnaire specifically designed for this study, we will evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the healthcare professionals to approach this problem. In a sub-study, performed with a similar methodology but with the participation of cultural mediators, the perceptions of the migrant families in relation to their position and expectancies in view of the result of preventive interventions will be determined. Variables related to the socio-demographic aspects, knowledge of FGM (types, cultural origin, geographic distribution and ethnicity, evaluation of attitudes and beliefs towards FGM and previous contact or experience

Opening the gift: social inclusion, professional codes and gift-giving in long-term mental healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Ootes, S T C; Pols, A J; Tonkens, E H; Willems, D L

2013-03-01

Deinstitutionalisation has not only made the social inclusion of clients a key objective in long-term mental healthcare, it may also affect the role of the care professional. This article investigates whether the social inclusion objective clashes with other long-standing professional values, specifically when clients give gifts to care professionals. In making a typology of gifts, we compare the literature on gift-giving with professional codes for gifts and relate both to the objective of social inclusion of clients. Our typology draws on an analysis of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in 2007/2008 at a Dutch mental healthcare centre. We identify four types of gifts for professionals in long-term mental healthcare, each relating individually to professional codes and the objective of social inclusion of clients. Only the 'personal gift' directly supports social inclusion, by fostering personal relationships between professionals and clients. Acceptance of this type of gift is advocated only for long-term care professionals. We suggest that professional codes need to consider this typology of gifts, and we advocate promoting reflexivity as a means of accounting for professional behaviour in deinstitutionalised care settings.

The use of the exit interview to reduce turnover amongst healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Flint, Anndrea; Webster, Joan

2011-01-19

Exit interviews are widely used in healthcare organisations to identify reasons for staff attrition, yet their usefulness in limiting turnover is unclear. To determine the effectiveness of various exit interview strategies in decreasing turnover rates amongst healthcare professionals. We used a comprehensive search strategy including an electronic search of the following databases: DARE, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC (search date: 7 September 2010) and EPOC Specialised Register (search date: 30 September 2009). We also screened the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews. Randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series studies comparing turnover rates between healthcare professionals who had undergone one form of exit interview with another form of exit interview or with no interview. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. The search identified 1560 citations of which we considered 19 potentially relevant. The two authors independently reviewed the abstracts of these studies and retrieved the full texts of eight studies. We excluded all eight following independent assessment. They were either interviews, commentaries on how to do an exit interview or descriptive studies about reasons for leaving. We found no trials that matched our inclusion criteria. Evidence about the effectiveness of exit interviews to reduce turnover is currently not available. However, exit interviews may provide useful information about the work environment which, in turn, may be useful in the development of interventions to reduce turnover.

Factors affecting patients' knowledge about dispensed medicines: A Qualitative study of healthcare professionals and patients in Pakistan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anum Saqib

Full Text Available Patients' knowledge about their prescribed medicines is one of the most important antecedents of successful therapy. Poor knowledge about medicines can lead to serious consequences such as non-adherence and misunderstanding of the significance of adverse events. The objective of this study is to understand the factors that are responsible for a patients' lack of knowledge regarding their medicines, by taking the perspective of the patient as well as that of healthcare professionals. Much of the work in this area has been undertaken in the setting of developed or semi-developed countries, and there is a scarcity of information from developing nations such as Pakistan.This was a large qualitative study set in the hospital outpatient environment in a teaching hospital in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Data were collected from dialogue with patients (n = 19 and healthcare providers (n = 16 i.e., doctors and dispensers (where a dispenser is a person who merely dispenses medicines; i.e. is not a pharmacist through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Patients having limited knowledge about their dispensed medicines were assessed using a checklist. The healthcare providers were recruited through a convenience sampling strategy, based on their availability and willingness to participate in the study. Based on the objectives of the study, a pilot tested interview protocol was developed, and used to conduct the interviews. The sample size was controlled by using saturation point criteria. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed to draw conclusions using inductive thematic content analysis.The analysis of data yielded 31 categories (patients = 19, healthcare professionals = 12, 10 subthemes and three themes. The major themes were healthcare professional-related factors, patient-related factors and system-related factors. The health professional related subthemes included: behaviour and attitude and professional

Involving healthcare professionals and family carers in setting research priorities for end-of-life care.

Science.gov (United States)

Diffin, Janet; Spence, Michael; Spencer, Rebecca; Mellor, Peter; Grande, Gunn

2017-02-02

It is important to ensure regional variances are considered when setting future end-of-life research priorities, given the differing demographics and service provision. This project sought to identify end-of-life research priorities within Greater Manchester (United Kingdom). Following an initial scoping exercise, six topics within the 10 national priorities outlined by The Palliative and end-of-life care Priority Setting Partnership were selected for exploration. A workshop involving 32 healthcare professionals and a consultation process with 26 family carers was conducted. Healthcare professionals and carers selected and discussed the topics important to them. The topics selected most frequently by both healthcare professionals and carers were 'Access to 24 hour care', 'Planning end-of-life care in advance' and 'Staff and carer education'. Healthcare professionals also developed research questions for their topics of choice which were refined to incorporate carers' views. These questions are an important starting point for future end-of-life research within Greater Manchester.

Deficiencies in postgraduate training for healthcare professionals who provide diabetes education and support

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Byrne, J. L.; Davies, Melanie J; Willaing, I.

2017-01-01

: The present study shows that healthcare professionals report being insufficiently equipped to provide diabetes self-management education, including emotional and psychological aspects of diabetes, and many are not receiving postgraduate training in any part (including medical care) of the management......Aims: To consider the global provision of self-management diabetes education and training for healthcare professionals using data from the second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study. Methods: A total of 4785 healthcare professionals caring for people with diabetes were surveyed in 17.......6–70.6% variation). Training in psychological management was low (19.1%), ranging from 3.6 to 36.5%, while 20.4% (a range of 3.6–36.4% across countries) had received no postgraduate training. Overall, the greatest training need was in the management of psychological aspects of diabetes (59.5%). For some, training...

What Outcomes do Dutch Healthcare Professionals Perceive as Important Before Participation in Moral Case Deliberation?

Science.gov (United States)

de Snoo-Trimp, Janine; Widdershoven, Guy; Svantesson, Mia; de Vet, Riekie; Molewijk, Bert

2017-05-01

There has been little attention paid to research on the outcomes of clinical ethics support (CES) or critical reflection on what constitutes a good CES outcome. Understanding how CES users perceive the importance of CES outcomes can contribute to a better understanding, use of and normative reflection on CES outcomes. To describe the perceptions of Dutch healthcare professionals on important outcomes of moral case deliberation (MCD), prior to MCD participation, and to compare results between respondents. This mixed-methods study used both the Euro-MCD instrument and semi-structured interviews. Healthcare professionals who were about to implement MCD were recruited from nursing homes, hospitals, psychiatry and mentally disabled care institutions. 331 healthcare professionals completed the Euro-MCD instrument, 13 healthcare professionals were interviewed. The outcomes perceived as most important were 'more open communication', 'better mutual understanding', 'concrete actions', 'see the situation from different perspectives', 'consensus on how to manage the situation' and 'find more courses of action'. Interviewees also perceived improving quality of care, professionalism and the organization as important. Women, nurses, managers and professionals in mentally disabled care rated outcomes more highly than other respondents. Dutch healthcare professionals perceived the MCD outcomes related to collaboration as most important. The empirical findings can contribute to shared ownership of MCD and a more specific use of MCD in different contexts. They can inform international comparative research on different CES types and contribute to normative discussions concerning CES outcomes. Future studies should reflect upon important MCD outcomes after having experienced MCD. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Email for clinical communication between patients/caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Atherton, Helen; Sawmynaden, Prescilla; Sheikh, Aziz; Majeed, Azeem; Car, Josip

2012-11-14

Email is a popular and commonly-used method of communication, but its use in health care is not routine. Where email communication has been demonstrated in health care this has included its use for communication between patients/caregivers and healthcare professionals for clinical purposes, but the effects of using email in this way is not known.This review addresses the use of email for two-way clinical communication between patients/caregivers and healthcare professionals. To assess the effects of healthcare professionals and patients using email to communicate with each other, on patient outcomes, health service performance, service efficiency and acceptability. We searched: the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 1 2010), MEDLINE (OvidSP) (1950 to January 2010), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1980 to January 2010), PsycINFO (OvidSP) (1967 to January 2010), CINAHL (EbscoHOST) (1982 to February 2010) and ERIC (CSA) (1965 to January 2010). We searched grey literature: theses/dissertation repositories, trials registers and Google Scholar (searched July 2010). We used additional search methods: examining reference lists, contacting authors. Randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series studies examining interventions using email to allow patients to communicate clinical concerns to a healthcare professional and receive a reply, and taking the form of 1) unsecured email 2) secure email or 3) web messaging. All healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers in all settings were considered. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias of included studies and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information. We assessed risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. For continuous measures, we report effect sizes as mean

Social media use in healthcare: A systematic review of effects on patients and on their relationship with healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Smailhodzic, Edin; Hooijsma, Wyanda; Boonstra, Albert; Langley, David J

2016-08-26

Since the emergence of social media in 2004, a growing percentage of patients use this technology for health related reasons. To reflect on the alleged beneficial and potentially harmful effects of social media use by patients, the aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the extant literature on the effects of social media use for health related reasons on patients and their relationship with healthcare professionals. We conducted a systematic literature review on empirical research regarding the effects of social media use by patients for health related reasons. The papers we included met the following selection criteria: (1) published in a peer-reviewed journal, (2) written in English, (3) full text available to the researcher, (4) contain primary empirical data, (5) the users of social media are patients, (6) the effects of patients using social media are clearly stated, (7) satisfy established quality criteria. Initially, a total of 1,743 articles were identified from which 22 were included in the study. From these articles six categories of patients' use of social media were identified, namely: emotional, information, esteem, network support, social comparison and emotional expression. The types of use were found to lead to seven identified types of effects on patients, namely improved self-management and control, enhanced psychological well-being, and enhanced subjective well-being, diminished subjective well-being, addiction to social media, loss of privacy, and being targeted for promotion. Social media use by patients was found to affect the healthcare professional and patient relationship, by leading to more equal communication between the patient and healthcare professional, increased switching of doctors, harmonious relationships, and suboptimal interaction between the patient and healthcare professional. Our review provides insights into the emerging utilization of social media in healthcare. In particular, it identifies types of use by patients

Sales skills for health-care professionals: the emotional side of sales.

Science.gov (United States)

Nigon, D L

2001-01-01

Health-care sales continues to be an area of opportunity for many laboratory professionals. For those who possess the necessary skills and the desire to enthusiastically embrace the unique challenges of a sales career, a new CLMA publication by CLMR contributor Donna L. Nigon, MT(ASCP), titled Sales Skills for Health-Care Professionals, will provide the knowledge of sales structure and techniques needed to succeed. This Sales Skills excerpt, "The Emotional Side of Sales," describes many of the emotional aspects of sales and selling, including how to handle the transition from a technical or medical role to that of sales representative, relationship building, maintaining personal and professional support systems, dealing with rejection, avoiding burnout, time management, and customer concerns. For more information about this book, please see the order form that accompanies this excerpt, or visit www.clma.org.

Exploring the value of parent-tracked baby data in interactions with healthcare professionals : A data-enabled design exploration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kollenburg, J.W.M.; Bogers, S.J.A.; Rutjes, H.; Deckers, E.J.L.; Frens, J.W.; Hummels, C.C.M.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a designerly exploration of the potential values of parent-tracked baby data in interactions between parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Where previous work has used parent-tracked data as part of the solution to a problem, we contribute by starting our design

The potential of a self-assessment tool to identify healthcare professionals' strengths and areas in need of professional development to aid effective facilitation of group-based, person-centered diabetes education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenov, Vibeke; Wind, Gitte; Skinner, Timothy

2017-01-01

engagement. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a self-assessment tool to identify healthcare professionals’ strengths and areas in need of professional development to aid effective facilitation of group-based, person-centered diabetes education. Methods: The study entails of two components......: 1) Field observations of five different educational settings including 49 persons with diabetes and 13 healthcare professionals, followed by interviews with 5 healthcare professionals and 28 persons with type 2 diabetes. 2) One professional development workshop involving 14 healthcare professionals...

SEIPS 2.0: A human factors framework for studying and improving the work of healthcare professionals and patients

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Richard J.; Carayon, Pascale; Gurses, Ayse P.; Hoonakker, Peter; Hundt, Ann Schoofs; Ozok, A. Ant; Rivera-Rodriguez, A. Joy

2013-01-01

Healthcare practitioners, patient safety leaders, educators, and researchers increasingly recognize the value of human factors/ergonomics and make use of the discipline’s person-centered models of sociotechnical systems. This paper first reviews one of the most widely used healthcare human factors systems models, the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model, and then introduces an extended model, “SEIPS 2.0.” SEIPS 2.0 incorporates three novel concepts into the original model: configuration, engagement, and adaptation. The concept of configuration highlights the dynamic, hierarchical, and interactive properties of sociotechnical systems, making it possible to depict how health-related performance is shaped at “a moment in time.” Engagement conveys that various individuals and teams can perform health-related activities separately and collaboratively. Engaged individuals often include patients, family caregivers, and other non-professionals. Adaptation is introduced as a feedback mechanism that explains how dynamic systems evolve in planned and unplanned ways. Key implications and future directions for human factors research in healthcare are discussed. PMID:24088063

Healthcare users' experiences of communicating with healthcare professionals about children who have life-limiting conditions: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekberg, Stuart; Bradford, Natalie; Herbert, Anthony; Danby, Susan; Yates, Patsy

2015-11-01

The objective of this review is to identify and synthesize the best international qualitative evidence on healthcare users' experiences of communication with healthcare professionals about children who have life-limiting conditions. For the purposes of this review, "healthcare users" will be taken to include children who have life-limiting conditions and their families. The question to be addressed is:What are healthcare users' experiences of communicating with healthcare professionals about children who have life-limiting conditions? The prospect of the death of a child from an incurable medical condition is harrowing, yet finding a way to discuss this prospect is crucial to maximize the quality of life for such children and their families. High-quality communication is well recognized as a core skill health care professionals need to maximize the quality of care they provide. This skill is valued by service users, who consistently rate it as one of the highest priorities for the care they receive. Evidence suggests, however, that healthcare professionals can feel ill-equipped or uncomfortable communicating with and about such children. Therefore, it is important to understand what represents high-quality communication and what is involved in accomplishing this within pediatric palliative care.In recent decades there has been an increased focus on providing palliative care for children who have life-limiting conditions. These are conditions for which no cure is available and for which the probable outcome is premature death. Palliative care may also be appropriate for children who have life-threatening conditions; these are conditions where there is not only a high probability of premature death but also a chance of long-term survival into adulthood Although pediatric palliative care is underpinned by the same philosophy as adult palliative care, children who have life-limiting conditions and their families have particular needs that distinguish them from users of

Practice variation amongst preventive child healthcare professionals in the prevention of child maltreatment in the Netherlands: Qualitative and quantitative data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simeon J.A. Visscher

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article provides both qualitative and quantitative data on practice variation amongst preventive child healthcare professionals in the prevention of child maltreatment in the Netherlands. Qualitative data consist of topics identified during interviews with 11 experts (with quotes, resulting in an online survey. The quantitative data are survey responses from 1104 doctors and nurses working in 29 preventive child healthcare organizations. Additionally, the interview topic list, the qualitative data analysis methodology, the survey (in English and Dutch and anonymized raw survey data (http://hdl.handle.net/10411/5LJOGH are provided as well. This data-in-brief article accompanies the paper “Variation in prevention of child maltreatment by Dutch child healthcare professionals” by Simeon Visscher and Henk van Stel [1].

Designing effective eLearning for healthcare professionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delf, P.

2013-01-01

Overview: eLearning has been identified as a versatile, economic method of delivering education, adopted by many education providers. Yet, little research has been undertaken into its impact as a sole method of delivery and effectiveness for imparting new knowledge or skills. This may have particular implications for busy healthcare practitioners wishing to access an educational programme to maintain, or extend their knowledge base in response to service needs. Aims and methodology: Following an action research approach and using an instructional design methodology, a discrete eLearning resource was devised and constructed to prepare non-medical healthcare practitioners to report radionuclide bone scans. Volunteers were recruited from across the UK to assess and establish the feasibility and efficacy of the module. Results: In terms of versatility, access, design and content, the module achieved resonance, with knowledge gains and transferability demonstrated, particularly amongst less experienced volunteers, suggesting a positive influence of the eLearning approach. Conclusions: Owing to the small-scale nature of the study, the capability of eLearning, as a sole educational medium to establish emergent skills, can only be cautiously expressed. However, as a tool for blended learning, continuing professional development, or audit purposes, it demonstrated its potential, confirming the place for this type of resource within the professional learning arena

ELearning acceptance in hospitals: continuing medical education of healthcare professionals

OpenAIRE

Bachmann, Larissa; Cantoni, Lorenzo

2009-01-01

ELearning provides healthcare professionals an interesting alternative of participating to Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities. It offers the possibility to attend courses at a distance, and it allows creating personal learning schedules without needing to leave the job or the family. Hospitals can choose to organize CME activities for their employees and therefore may also opt to offer eLearning activities. The research studies eLearning acceptance in the CME of healthcare p...

How Home Health Caregivers’ Perceive the Influence of Professionalism on Their Experienced Work Engagement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noesgaard, Mette Strange

2017-01-01

contributes by emphasizing an individual perspective of engagement and by providing empirical evidence of links between professionalism and engagement. Additionally, by focusing on relatively low-educated employees, the article highlights how professionalism challenges the perception of caregiving as a job......This article explores how the perception of increasing professionalism of home health-care influences caregivers’ experienced work engagement. A qualitative study including 24 interviews, 85 hr of observations and the think-aloud technique was applied in three Danish caregiving organizations. Using...... a consensual qualitative research approach, analysis of the data suggests that increasing professionalism is experienced among caregivers and influences caregivers’ engagement in three distinct ways: through their identification with their work, psychological safety, and feelings of insecurity. This article...

The Challenge of Four-Status Model of eLearning: Principles Toward a New Understanding for Healthcare Professionals

OpenAIRE

Turnbull, Niruwan; Wills, Gary; Gobbi, Mary

2011-01-01

This paper presents the critical reviews of the advantages and disadvantages of eLearning for healthcare professionals. The impact of learning on healthcare professionals is explored; the focus is on healthcare professionals in rural Thailand. Literature suggests that there are four main topics related to the drivers and barriers in eLearning, they are: Infrastructure; Finance; Policies; and Culture (IF-PC). IF-PC model of barriers and drivers of eLearning is being adopted as a template for t...

Care relationships at stake? Home healthcare professionals' experiences with digital medicine dispensers - a qualitative study.

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Nakrem, Sigrid; Solbjør, Marit; Pettersen, Ida Nilstad; Kleiven, Hanne Hestvik

2018-01-15

Although digital technologies can mitigate the burdens of home healthcare services caused by an ageing population that lives at home longer with complex health problems, research on the impacts and consequences of digitalised remote communication between patients and caregivers is lacking. The present study explores how home healthcare professionals had experienced the introduction of digital medicine dispensers and their influence on patient-caregiver relationships. The multi-case study comprised semi-structured interviews with 21 healthcare professionals whose home healthcare service involved using the digital medicine dispensers. The constant comparative method was used for data analyses. Altogether, interviewed healthcare professionals reported three main technology-related impacts upon their patient-caregiver relationships. First, national and local pressure to increase efficiency had troubled their relationships with patients who suspected that municipalities have sought to lower costs by reducing and digitalising services. Participants reported having to consider such worries when introducing technologies into their services. Second, participants reported a shift towards empowering patients. Digital technology can empower patients who value their independence, whereas safety is more important for other patients. Healthcare professionals needed to ensure that replacing care tasks with technology implies safe and improved care. Third, the safety and quality of digital healthcare services continues to depend upon surveillance and control mechanisms that compensate for less face-to-face monitoring. Participants did not consider the possibility that surveillance exposes information about patients' everyday lives to be problematic, but to constitute opportunities for adjusting services to meet patients' needs. Technologies such as digital medicine dispensers can improve the efficiency of healthcare services and enhance patients' independence when introduced in a

Introducing the electronic patient record (EPR) in a hospital setting: boundary work and shifting constructions of professional identities.

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Håland, Erna

2012-06-01

Today's healthcare sector is being transformed by several ongoing processes, among them the introduction of new technologies, new financial models and new ways of organising work. The introduction of the electronic patient record (EPR) is representative and part of these extensive changes. Based on interviews with health personnel and office staff in a regional hospital in Norway, and with health administrators and information technology service-centre staff in the region, the article examines how the introduction of the EPR, as experienced by the participants, affects the work practices and boundaries between various professional groups in the healthcare system and discusses the implications this has for the understanding of medical practice. The article shows how the EPR has become part of the professionals' boundary work; expressing shifting constructions of professional identities. © 2011 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

How motivated are patients with type 2 diabetes to change their lifestyle? A survey among patients and healthcare professionals.

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Linmans, Joris J; Knottnerus, J André; Spigt, Mark

2015-12-01

It is unknown to what extend patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in primary care are motivated to change their lifestyle. We assessed the level of motivation to change lifestyle and the agreement for that level between patients and healthcare professionals. Patients with T2DM (150) filled in a questionnaire to assess the level of motivation to change their lifestyle, using a single question with three answer options. We investigated the agreement for this level between these patients and their healthcare professionals (12 professionals). In addition, we investigated and compared the level of physical activity as indicated by the patients and the healthcare professionals. A large part of the patients reported to have a deficient physical activity level (35% according to patients, 47% according to healthcare professionals, kappa 0.32) and were not motivated to change their lifestyle level (29% according to patients, 43% according to healthcare professionals, kappa 0.13). Patients tended to overestimate their physical activity and their motivation to change in comparison with their healthcare professionals. Patients with T2DM in primary care should increase their physical activity level. Healthcare professionals often do not know whether patients are motivated to change their lifestyle, and should therefore assess motivation regularly to optimize lifestyle management. Copyright © 2015 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultural Competence Training for Healthcare Professionals Working with LGBT Older Adults

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Gendron, Tracey; Maddux, Stu; Krinsky, Lisa; White, Jay; Lockeman, Kelly; Metcalfe, Yohvane; Aggarwal, Sadashiv

2013-01-01

The population of the aging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is significant and growing rapidly. As LGBT individuals age and begin to move into healthcare communities, they are fearful of apathy, discrimination, and abuse by healthcare providers and other residents. Person-centered cultural competence and sensitivity among…

Occupational affiliation does not influence practical skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital healthcare professionals

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Thoren Ann-Britt

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background D-CPR (Defibrillator Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a technique for optimal basic life support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR. Guidelines recommend that healthcare professionals can perform CPR with competence. How CPR training and provision is organized varies between hospitals, and it is our impression that in Sweden this has generally improved during the last 15-20 years. However, some hospitals still do not have any AED (Automated External Defibrillators. The aim was to investigate potential differences in practical skills between different healthcare professions before and after training in D-CPR. Methods Seventy-four healthcare professionals were video recorded and evaluated for adherence to a modified Cardiff Score. A Laerdal Resusci Anne manikin in connection to PC Skill reporting System was used to evaluate CPR quality. A simulated CPR situation was accomplished during a 5-10 min scenario of ventricular fibrillation. Paired and unpaired statistical methods were used to examine differences within and between occupations with respect to the intervention. Results There were no differences in skills among the different healthcare professions, except for compressions per minute. In total, the number of compression per minute and depth improved for all groups (P P Conclusion Nearly all healthcare professionals learned to use the AED. There were no differences in CPR skill performances among the different healthcare professionals.

Deep Learning versus Professional Healthcare Equipment: A Fine-Grained Breathing Rate Monitoring Model

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Bang Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In mHealth field, accurate breathing rate monitoring technique has benefited a broad array of healthcare-related applications. Many approaches try to use smartphone or wearable device with fine-grained monitoring algorithm to accomplish the task, which can only be done by professional medical equipment before. However, such schemes usually result in bad performance in comparison to professional medical equipment. In this paper, we propose DeepFilter, a deep learning-based fine-grained breathing rate monitoring algorithm that works on smartphone and achieves professional-level accuracy. DeepFilter is a bidirectional recurrent neural network (RNN stacked with convolutional layers and speeded up by batch normalization. Moreover, we collect 16.17 GB breathing sound recording data of 248 hours from 109 and another 10 volunteers to train and test our model, respectively. The results show a reasonably good accuracy of breathing rate monitoring.

Knowledge and attitude of health-care professionals in hospitals towards pharmacovigilance in Saudi Arabia.

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Alshammari, Thamir M; Alamri, Khaled K; Ghawa, Yazeed A; Alohali, Noura F; Abualkol, Shaza A; Aljadhey, Hisham S

2015-12-01

Drug safety has major implications for patients' lives. However, this concept is still considered new to some healthcare professionals. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and awareness of Saudi healthcare professionals to pharmacovigilance (PV). Setting Governmental and private hospitals at three main cities in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam). A cross-sectional survey among healthcare professionals (pharmacists, physicians, and nurses) within 12 Saudi hospitals was conducted between November and December 2012. The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions assessing the knowledge, awareness, and attitude of healthcare professionals (HCPs) towards science and the concept of PV. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS 9.3). Main outcome measure Knowledge, attitude and practice of HCPs toward pharmacovigilance. Three-hundred and thirty-two healthcare professionals completed the survey (response rate 72 %), 110 (34 %) physicians, 106 (33 %) pharmacists, and 104 (32 %) nurses. More than half of the participants (55 %) did not know the correct definition of PV. Two-thirds of the respondents, 207 (65.5 %), had knowledge of the aim of post-marketing surveillance, yet only 113 (36.9 %) were aware that the National Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Center is the official body for monitoring adverse drug reaction in Saudi Arabia. In addition, 34.7 % agreed that lack of time could be a major barrier for reporting. The majority of the respondents (78.4 %) believed that reporting was a professional obligation and hospitals should have a drug safety department. There was a limited knowledge of pharmacovigilance that could have affected reporting incidence. Educational intervention and a practical training program need to be applied by the drug regulatory body as well as health authorities to enhance the pharmacovigilance and drug safety culture in Saudi Arabia.

Changing the smoking habit: prevalence, knowledge and attitudes among Umbrian hospital healthcare professionals.

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Pianori, D; Gili, A; Masanotti, G

2017-03-01

Health care professionals should work against smoking habit to promote a correct life style. This study aimed to evaluate smoking prevalence and attitudes towards tobacco among Umbrian hospital professionals in a period between 2006 and 2015, since the approbation of the law that ban smoking in hospitals and all public areas in 2003. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire administered in 2006, 2011 and 2015 to healthcare professionals. It consists of 53 multiple-choice questions. Potential predictors of current smoking habits were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The sample included 475 healthcare professionals. Current smokers constituted 34.53% of the sample and no significant difference (p = 0.257) emerged in prevalence over time (33.74% in 2006; 36.02% in 2011 and 33.77% in 2015). The risk of being a smoker increased by not considering the smoking habit as the main cause of preventable deaths (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.47- 3.45). The strongest risk factor, which was significant in both models (p Smoking" law (OR = 18.90; 95% CI: 2.43-147.71; adjusted OR = 22.10; 95% CI: 1.85-264.78). The hospital staff has higher prevalence of smoking than the general population. The No Smoking law alone has been shown to be inadequate. Effective results can be achieved only by a common strategy and shared intervention programmes that are based on a workplace health promotion strategy. That for the moment has demonstrated to give interesting outcomes in modifying deep-rooted behaviour patterns.

Grassroots origins, national engagement: exploring the professionalization of practicing healthcare ethicists in Canada.

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Frolic, Andrea

2012-09-01

Canadian ethicists have a long legacy of leadership in advocating for standards and quality in healthcare ethics. Continuing this tradition, a grassroots organization of practicing healthcare ethicists (PHEs) concerned about the lack of standardization in the field recently formed to explore potential options related to professionalization. This group calls itself "practicing healthcare ethicists exploring professionalization" (PHEEP). This paper provides a description of the process by which PHEEP has begun to engage the Canadian PHE community in the development of practice standards and related projects. By making our process and its ethical and cultural underpinnings transparent, we hope to prompt PHEs around the world to reflect on the importance of context, process and principles (not just outcomes) in the exploration of and possible movement towards professionalization. By sharing some of our key successes and challenges, we also hope to inspire our colleagues to recognize the value in developing practice standards and to contribute to this endeavor.

Professionals learning together with patients: An exploratory study of a collaborative learning Fellowship programme for healthcare improvement.

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Myron, Rowan; French, Catherine; Sullivan, Paul; Sathyamoorthy, Ganesh; Barlow, James; Pomeroy, Linda

2018-05-01

Improving the quality of healthcare involves collaboration between many different stakeholders. Collaborative learning theory suggests that teaching different professional groups alongside each other may enable them to develop skills in how to collaborate effectively, but there is little literature on how this works in practice. Further, though it is recognised that patients play a fundamental role in quality improvement, there are few examples of where they learn together with professionals. To contribute to addressing this gap, we review a collaborative fellowship in Northwest London, designed to build capacity to improve healthcare, which enabled patients and professionals to learn together. Using the lens of collaborative learning, we conducted an exploratory study of six cohorts of the year long programme (71 participants). Data were collected using open text responses from an online survey (n = 31) and semi-structured interviews (n = 34) and analysed using an inductive open coding approach. The collaborative design of the Fellowship, which included bringing multiple perspectives to discussions of real world problems, was valued by participants who reflected on the safe, egalitarian space created by the programme. Participants (healthcare professionals and patients) found this way of learning initially challenging yet ultimately productive. Despite the pedagogical and practical challenges of developing a collaborative programme, this study indicates that opening up previously restricted learning opportunities as widely as possible, to include patients and carers, is an effective mechanism to develop collaborative skills for quality improvement.

Burnout Subtypes and Absence of Self-Compassion in Primary Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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Jesus Montero-Marin

Full Text Available Primary healthcare professionals report high levels of distress and burnout. A new model of burnout has been developed to differentiate three clinical subtypes: 'frenetic', 'underchallenged' and 'worn-out'. The aim of this study was to confirm the validity and reliability of the burnout subtype model in Spanish primary healthcare professionals, and to assess the explanatory power of the self-compassion construct as a possible protective factor.The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of n = 440 Spanish primary healthcare professionals (214 general practitioners, 184 nurses, 42 medical residents completed the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-36, the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS. The factor structure of the BCSQ-36 was estimated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA by the unweighted least squares method from polychoric correlations. Internal consistency (R was assessed by squaring the correlation between the latent true variable and the observed variables. The relationships between the BCSQ-36 and the other constructs were analysed using Spearman's r and multiple linear regression models.The structure of the BCSQ-36 fit the data well, with adequate CFA indices for all the burnout subtypes. Reliability was adequate for all the scales and sub-scales (R≥0.75. Self-judgement was the self-compassion factor that explained the frenetic subtype (Beta = 0.36; p<0.001; isolation explained the underchallenged (Beta = 0.16; p = 0.010; and over-identification the worn-out (Beta = 0.25; p = 0.001. Other significant associations were observed between the different burnout subtypes and the dimensions of the MBI-GS, UWES and PANAS.The typological definition of burnout through the BCSQ-36 showed good structure and appropriate internal consistence in Spanish primary healthcare professionals

Promoting professional behaviour change in healthcare: what interventions work, and why? A theory-led overview of systematic reviews.

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Johnson, Mark J; May, Carl R

2015-09-30

Translating research evidence into routine clinical practice is notoriously difficult. Behavioural interventions are often used to change practice, although their success is variable and the characteristics of more successful interventions are unclear. We aimed to establish the characteristics of successful behaviour change interventions in healthcare. We carried out a systematic overview of systematic reviews on the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions with a theory-led analysis using the constructs of normalisation process theory (NPT). MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Library were searched electronically from inception to July 2015. Primary and secondary care. Participants were any patients and healthcare professionals in systematic reviews who met the inclusion criteria of having examined the effectiveness of professional interventions in improving professional practice and/or patient outcomes. Professional interventions as defined by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group. Success of each intervention in changing practice or patient outcomes, and their mechanisms of action. Reviews were coded as to the interventions included, how successful they had been and which NPT constructs its component interventions covered. Searches identified 4724 articles, 67 of which met the inclusion criteria. Interventions fell into three main categories: persuasive; educational and informational; and action and monitoring. Interventions focusing on action or education (eg, Audit and Feedback, Reminders, Educational Outreach) acted on the NPT constructs of Collective Action and Reflexive Monitoring, and reviews using them tended to report more positive outcomes. This theory-led analysis suggests that interventions which contribute to normative restructuring of practice, modifying peer group norms and expectations (eg, educational outreach) and relational restructuring, reinforcing modified peer group norms by emphasising the

Training of occupational safety and health: knowledge among healthcare professionals in Malaysia.

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Lugah, V; Ganesh, B; Darus, A; Retneswari, M; Rosnawati, M R; Sujatha, D

2010-07-01

Awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH) plays an important role in the prevention of occupational injuries and diseases. Following the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1994, various programmes have been implemented by different agencies to increase awareness and knowledge of OSH in the workplace, including among healthcare workers. The objective of this study was to determine the level of OSH awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 21-item self-administered questionnaire addressing information on demographics, general OSH issues, OSH legislations, occupational hazards in the healthcare setting and personal protective equipment (PPE). The response rate was 93.1 percent (284 healthcare professionals). The overall level of knowledge on OSH was moderate, with a mean score of 62.0 percent. A larger proportion of doctors showed good OSH knowledge compared to other categories of healthcare workers, with administrative staff scoring the poorest marks. Participants were most knowledgeable about PPE, with a mean score of 72.0 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 68.3, 75.6), compared to other sections such as general OSH, legislations and occupational hazards, with mean scores of 58.0 percent (95 percent CI 56.1, 60.1), 57.0 percent (95 percent CI 54.1, 60.8) and 64.0 percent (95 percent CI 61.7, 66.2), respectively. Although the OSHA 1994 has existed in Malaysia for more than ten years, awareness of OSH remains relatively poor. This warrants a greater effort to promote OSH knowledge and principles among the professionals.

Knowledge and Perceptions about Nicotine, Nicotine Replacement Therapies and Electronic Cigarettes among Healthcare Professionals in Greece

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Anastasia Moysidou

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of Greek healthcare professionals about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapies and electronic cigarettes. Methods. An online survey was performed, in which physicians and nurses working in private and public healthcare sectors in Athens-Greece were asked to participate through email invitations. A knowledge score was calculated by scoring the correct answers to specific questions with 1 point. Results. A total of 262 healthcare professionals were included to the analysis. Most had daily contact with smokers in their working environment. About half of them considered that nicotine has an extremely or very important contribution to smoking-related disease. More than 30% considered nicotine replacement therapies equally or more addictive than smoking, 76.7% overestimated their smoking cessation efficacy and only 21.0% would recommend them as long-term smoking substitutes. For electronic cigarettes, 45.0% considered them equally or more addictive than smoking and 24.4% equally or more harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Additionally, 35.5% thought they involve combustion while the majority responded that nicotine in electronic cigarettes is synthetically produced. Only 14.5% knew about the pending European regulation, but 33.2% have recommended them to smokers in the past. Still, more than 40% would not recommend electronic cigarettes to smokers unwilling or unable to quit smoking with currently approved medications. Cardiologists and respiratory physicians, who are responsible for smoking cessation therapy in Greece, were even more reluctant to recommend electronic cigarettes to this subpopulation of smokers compared to all other participants. The knowledge score of the whole study sample was 7.7 (SD: 2.4 out of a maximum score of 16. Higher score was associated with specific physician specialties. Conclusions. Greek healthcare professionals appear to overestimate

[Compatibility of Work and Family Life of Employees in the Healthcare Sector: An Issue in Health Services Research].

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Lukasczik, Matthias; Ahnert, Jutta; Ströbl, Veronika; Vogel, Heiner; Donath, Carolin; Enger, Ilka; Gräßel, Elmar; Heyelmann, Lena; Lux, Heidemarie; Maurer, Jochen; Özbe, Dominik; Spieckenbaum, Stefanie; Voigtländer, Elzbieta; Wildner, Manfred; Zapf, Andreas; Zellner, Angela; Hollederer, Alfons

2017-05-18

Background Healthcare professionals are confronted with specific work-related demands that influence work-family relations and might indirectly affect the quality of healthcare. This paper seeks to provide an overview of the current state of research on this topic of relevance to health services research. The overview may serve as a starting point for modifying structures in the healthcare system (especially in rural regions) with the aim of improving work-family compatibility. Methods A systematic national and international literature search was conducted in terms of a scoping review. The following criteria/contents to be covered in publications were defined: work-family compatibility; work-family interface and work-family conflict in employees working in healthcare; healthcare professions in rural areas and links with work-family issues; interventions to improve work-family compatibility. 145 publications were included in the overview. Results The available literature focuses on physicians and nursing staff while publications on other professions are largely lacking. The methodological quality of existing studies is mostly low, including a lack of meta-analyses. Several studies document dissatisfaction in physicians and nursing staff regarding reconciliation of work and family life. Only few intervention studies were found that seek to improve work-life compatibility; few of them focus on employees in healthcare. There are also deficits with respect to linking work-family issues with aspects of healthcare in rural areas. Conclusions There is a shortage of systematic national and international research regarding work-family compatibility, especially when it comes to the evaluation of interventions. The overview provides starting points for improving work-family compatibility in healthcare. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Acceptability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Beliefs of Health-Care Professionals Working in Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinics and HIV Treatment Centers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bil, Janneke P; Hoornenborg, Elske; Prins, Maria; Hogewoning, Arjan; Dias Goncalves Lima, Fernando; de Vries, Henry J C; Davidovich, Udi

2018-01-01

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for preventing HIV infections, but is not yet implemented in the Netherlands. As the attitudes of health-care professionals toward PrEP can influence future PrEP implementation, we studied PrEP knowledge and beliefs and their association with PrEP

The Acceptability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Beliefs of Health-Care Professionals Working in Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinics and HIV Treatment Centers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bil, Janneke P.; Hoornenborg, Elske; Prins, Maria; Hogewoning, Arjan; Dias Goncalves Lima, Fernando; de Vries, Henry J. C.; Davidovich, Udi

2018-01-01

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for preventing HIV infections, but is not yet implemented in the Netherlands. As the attitudes of health-care professionals toward PrEP can influence future PrEP implementation, we studied PrEP knowledge and beliefs and their association with PrEP

Intervention for Smokers through New Communication Technologies: What Perceptions Do Patients and Healthcare Professionals Have? A Qualitative Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Manuel Trujillo Gómez

Full Text Available The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs in the health service is increasing. In spite of limitations, such as lack of time and experience, the deployment of ICTs in the healthcare system has advantages which include patient satisfaction with secure messaging, and time saving benefits and utility for patients and health professionals. ICTs may be helpful as either interventions on their own or as complementary tools to help patients stop smoking.To gather opinions from both medical professionals and smokers about an email-based application that had been designed by our research group to help smoking cessation, and identify the advantages and disadvantages associated with interventions based on the utilization of ICTs for this purpose.A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative study with a phenomenological perspective was performed to identify and interpret the discourses of the participating smokers and primary healthcare professionals. Data were obtained through two techniques: semi-structured individual interviews and discussion groups, which were recorded and later systematically and literally transcribed together with the interviewer's notes. Data were analyzed with the ATLAS TI 6.0 programme.Seven individual interviews and four focal groups were conducted. The advantages of the application based on the email intervention designed by our research group were said to be the saving of time in consultations and ease of access for patients who found work timetables and following a programme for smoking cessation incompatible. The disadvantages were thought to be a lack of personal contact with the healthcare professional, and the possibility of cheating/ self-deception, and a greater probability of relapse on the part of the smokers.Both patients and healthcare professionals viewed the email-based application to help patients stop smoking as a complementary aid to face-to-face consultations. Nevertheless, ICTs could not

Intervention for Smokers through New Communication Technologies: What Perceptions Do Patients and Healthcare Professionals Have? A Qualitative Study.

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Trujillo Gómez, Jose Manuel; Díaz-Gete, Laura; Martín-Cantera, Carlos; Fábregas Escurriola, Mireia; Lozano Moreno, Maribel; Burón Leandro, Raquel; Gomez Quintero, Ana María; Ballve, Jose Luis; Clemente Jiménez, María Lourdes; Puigdomènech Puig, Elisa; Casas More, Ramón; Garcia Rueda, Beatriz; Casajuana, Marc; Méndez-Aguirre, Marga; Garcia Bonias, David; Fernández Maestre, Soraya; Sánchez Fondevila, Jessica

2015-01-01

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the health service is increasing. In spite of limitations, such as lack of time and experience, the deployment of ICTs in the healthcare system has advantages which include patient satisfaction with secure messaging, and time saving benefits and utility for patients and health professionals. ICTs may be helpful as either interventions on their own or as complementary tools to help patients stop smoking. To gather opinions from both medical professionals and smokers about an email-based application that had been designed by our research group to help smoking cessation, and identify the advantages and disadvantages associated with interventions based on the utilization of ICTs for this purpose. A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative study with a phenomenological perspective was performed to identify and interpret the discourses of the participating smokers and primary healthcare professionals. Data were obtained through two techniques: semi-structured individual interviews and discussion groups, which were recorded and later systematically and literally transcribed together with the interviewer's notes. Data were analyzed with the ATLAS TI 6.0 programme. Seven individual interviews and four focal groups were conducted. The advantages of the application based on the email intervention designed by our research group were said to be the saving of time in consultations and ease of access for patients who found work timetables and following a programme for smoking cessation incompatible. The disadvantages were thought to be a lack of personal contact with the healthcare professional, and the possibility of cheating/ self-deception, and a greater probability of relapse on the part of the smokers. Both patients and healthcare professionals viewed the email-based application to help patients stop smoking as a complementary aid to face-to-face consultations. Nevertheless, ICTs could not substitute personal

A case study of healthcare professional views on the meaning of data produced by hand hygiene auditing.

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Dawson, Carolyn H

2015-11-01

Measurement of hand hygiene (HH), crucial for patient safety, has acknowledged flaws stemming from methods available. Even direct observation, the World Health Organization gold standard, may lead to behaviour changes which can affect outcome validity. However, it remains important to understand current levels of HH to allow targeted interventions to be developed. This has resulted in wider adoption of auditing processes. This study addressed how healthcare professionals perceive data generated by HH auditing processes. Qualitative study involving participatory observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 healthcare professionals recruited from a large National Health Service (NHS) two-hospital site in England. Healthcare professionals perceived two main problems with HH measurement, both associated with feedback: (1) lack of clarity with regard to feedback; and (2) lack of association between training and measurement. In addition, concerns about data accuracy led the majority of participants (22/30) to conclude audit feedback is often 'meaningless'. Healthcare professionals require meaningful data on compliance with HH to engender change, as part of a multimodal strategy. Currently healthcare professionals perceive that data lack meaning, and are not seen as drivers to improve HH performance. Potential opportunities to change practice and improve HH are being missed.

Mind the gap! A comparison of oral health knowledge between dental, healthcare professionals and the public.

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Richards, W; Filipponi, T; Roberts-Burt, V

2014-02-01

The importance of consistent, accurate and unambiguous messages are well documented in oral health promotion literature. Whether the reality of delivering messages in the field fulfils these principle is questionable. This paper explores the perceptions of dental professionals, healthcare professionals and lay community members with regard to key oral health messages in order to highlight any inconsistencies and knowledge gaps between and within groups for disease risk factors. A questionnaire was administered to individuals who belonged to three groups: dental professionals, healthcare professionals and lay community members. The questionnaire established knowledge regarding risk factors for caries, periodontal disease and erosion. Thirty-five (57.4%) of the dental group answered the whole questionnaire correctly, with 22 (27.8%) and 9 (5.1%) of the healthcare and lay community group answering the whole questionnaire correctly, respectively. The question of fluoride levels in children's toothpaste was the main reason for incorrect answers in the dental group. The results of this survey demonstrate a knowledge gradient from dental professionals through to healthcare professionals and then to lay members of the community. The knowledge base observed in the dental group is reflected in the other two groups as would be expected albeit with a significant gap between each group. As expected the dental professionals are generally well informed, but not as well informed as could be expected.

Professional autonomy in 21st century healthcare: nurses' accounts of clinical decision-making.

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Traynor, Michael; Boland, Maggie; Buus, Niels

2010-10-01

Autonomy in decision-making has traditionally been described as a feature of professional work, however the work of healthcare professionals has been seen as steadily encroached upon by State and managerialist forces. Nursing has faced particular problems in establishing itself as a credible profession for reasons including history, gender and a traditional subservience to medicine. This paper reports on a focus group study of UK nurses participating in post-qualifying professional development in 2008. Three groups of nurses in different specialist areas comprised a total of 26 participants. The study uses accounts of decision-making to gain insight into contemporary professional nursing. The study also aims to explore the usefulness of a theory of professional work set out by Jamous and Peloille (1970). The analysis draws on notions of interpretive repertoires and elements of narrative analysis. We identified two interpretive repertoires: 'clinical judgement' which was used to describe the different grounds for making judgements; and 'decision-making' which was used to describe organisational circumstances influencing decision-making. Jamous and Peloille's theory proved useful for interpreting instances where the nurses collectively withdrew from the potential dangers of too extreme claims for technicality or indeterminacy in their work. However, their theory did not explain the full range of accounts of decision-making that were given. Taken at face value, the accounts from the participants depict nurses as sometimes practising in indirect ways in order to have influence in the clinical and bureaucratic setting. However, a focus on language use and in particular, interpretive repertoires, has enabled us to suggest that despite an overall picture of severely limited autonomy, nurses in the groups reproduced stories of the successful accomplishment of moral and influential action. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes towards implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy: a national survey in Danish health-care professionals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Jens B; Mortensen, Peter T; Videbæk, Regitze

2011-01-01

Aims The aim of this study was to examine health-care professionals attitudes towards implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy and issues discussed with patients. Methods and results Survey of 209 health-care professionals providing specialized treatment and care of ICD patients......-physicians. Physicians were less likely to believe that their personal attitude towards ICD treatment has no influence on how they deal professionally with patients (27.8 vs. 43.6%; P = 0.04). Physicians and non-physicians were equally positive towards ICD therapy as primary prophylaxis in ischaemic cardiomyopathy (87...... discussing ICD treatment with candidate patients. At the same time, physicians are more aware that their attitude towards ICD treatment may influence how they deal professionally with patients compared with non-physicians....

Collaborative writing applications in healthcare: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Archambault, Patrick M; van de Belt, Tom H; Kuziemsky, Craig; Plaisance, Ariane; Dupuis, Audrey; McGinn, Carrie A; Francois, Rebecca; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Turgeon, Alexis F; Horsley, Tanya; Witteman, William; Poitras, Julien; Lapointe, Jean; Brand, Kevin; Lachaine, Jean; Légaré, France

2017-05-10

Collaborative writing applications (CWAs), such as wikis and Google Documents, hold the potential to improve the use of evidence in both public health and healthcare. Although a growing body of literature indicates that CWAs could have positive effects on healthcare, such as improved collaboration, behavioural change, learning, knowledge management, and adaptation of knowledge to local context, this has never been assessed systematically. Moreover, several questions regarding safety, reliability, and legal aspects exist. The objectives of this review were to (1) assess the effects of the use of CWAs on process (including the behaviour of healthcare professionals) and patient outcomes, (2) critically appraise and summarise current evidence on the use of resources, costs, and cost-effectiveness associated with CWAs to improve professional practices and patient outcomes, and (3) explore the effects of different CWA features (e.g. open versus closed) and different implementation factors (e.g. the presence of a moderator) on process and patient outcomes. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and 11 other electronic databases. We searched the grey literature, two trial registries, CWA websites, individual journals, and conference proceedings. We also contacted authors and experts in the field. We did not apply date or language limits. We searched for published literature to August 2016, and grey literature to September 2015. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs), controlled before-and-after (CBA) studies, interrupted time series (ITS) studies, and repeated measures studies (RMS), in which CWAs were used as an intervention to improve the process of care, patient outcomes, or healthcare costs. Teams of two review authors independently assessed the eligibility of studies. Disagreements were resolved by discussion, and when consensus was not reached, a third review author was consulted. We screened 11,993 studies identified

The impact of CPR and AED training on healthcare professionals' self-perceived attitudes to performing resuscitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Källestedt Marie-Louise

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Healthcare professionals have shown concern about performing mouth-to-mouth ventilation due to the risks to themselves with the procedure. However, little is known about healthcare professionals' fears and attitudes to start CPR and the impact of training. Objective To examine whether there were any changes in the attitudes among healthcare professionals to performing CPR from before to after training. Methods Healthcare professionals from two Swedish hospitals were asked to answer a questionnaire before and after training. The questions were relating to physical and mental discomfort and attitudes to CPR. Statistical analysis used was generalized McNemar's test. Results Overall, there was significant improvement in 10 of 11 items, reflecting various aspects of attitudes to CPR. All groups of health care professionals (physicians, nurses, assistant nurses, and "others" = physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social welfare officers, psychologists, biomedical analysts felt more secure in CPR knowledge after education. In other aspects, such as anxiety prior to a possible cardiac arrest, only nurses and assistant nurses improved. The concern about being infected, when performing mouth to mouth ventilation, was reduced with the most marked reduction in physicians (75%; P Conclusion In this hospital-based setting, we found a positive outcome of education and training in CPR concerning healthcare professionals' attitudes to perform CPR. They felt more secure in their knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In some aspects of attitudes to resuscitation nurses and assistant nurses appeared to be the groups that were most markedly influenced. The concern of being infected by a disease was low.

Healthcare professionals? views on feedback of a patient safety culture assessment

OpenAIRE

Zwijnenberg, Nicolien C.; Hendriks, Michelle; Hoogervorst-Schilp, Janneke; Wagner, Cordula

2016-01-01

Background By assessing patient safety culture, healthcare providers can identify areas for improvement in patient safety culture. To achieve this, these assessment outcomes have to be relevant and presented clearly. The aim of our study was to explore healthcare professionals? views on the feedback of a patient safety culture assessment. Methods Twenty four hospitals participated in a patient safety culture assessment in 2012. Hospital departments received feedback in a report and on a websi...

Team social cohesion, professionalism, and patient-centeredness: Gendered care work, with special reference to elderly care - a mixed methods study.

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Öhman, Ann; Keisu, Britt-Inger; Enberg, Birgit

2017-06-02

Healthcare organisations are facing large demands in recruiting employees with adequate competency to care for the increasing numbers of elderly. High degrees of turnover and dissatisfaction with working conditions are common. The gendered notion of care work as 'women's work', in combination with low salaries and status, may contribute to negative work experiences. There is abundant information about the negative aspects of elderly care health services, but little is known about positive aspects of this work. The study aim was to investigate work satisfaction from a gender perspective among Swedish registered nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, focusing specifically on healthcare services for the elderly. A mixed methods approach was adopted in which we combined statistics and open-ended responses from a national survey with qualitative research interviews with healthcare professionals in elderly care organisations. The survey was administered to a random sample of 1578 registered nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Qualitative interviews with 17 professionals were conducted in six elderly care facilities. Qualitative and quantitative content analyses, chi 2 and constructivist grounded theory were used to analyse the data. There was a statistically significant difference in overall work satisfaction between those who worked in elderly care and those who did not (64 and 74,4% respectively, p Team social cohesion', 'Career development and autonomy', 'Client-centeredness', and 'Invisible and ignored power structures'. The results show the complexity of elderly care work and describe several aspects that are important for work satisfaction among health professionals. The results reveal that work satisfaction is dependent on social interrelations and cohesion in the work team, in possibilities to use humour and to have fun together, and in the ability to work as professionals to provide client-centered elderly care. Power relations

Impact of Anticipated Bias from Healthcare Professionals on Perceived Successful Aging Among Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults.

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Walker, Ruth V; Powers, Sara M; Witten, Tarynn M

2017-12-01

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) persons have routinely experienced high rates of violence and discrimination. Discrimination in healthcare can affect the ability of TGNC persons to age successfully as it often deters them from seeking care. The purpose of this study was to determine if anticipation of bias from healthcare professionals, as well as other variables, predicted perceived successful aging in a sample of TGNC adults. A total of 384 (of the original 1963) participants older than 50 years completed the relevant parts of an 83-item online survey as part of the Trans MetLife Survey on Later-Life Preparedness and Perceptions in Transgender-Identified Individuals. Larger social support networks and higher levels of confidence that a healthcare professional will treat them with dignity and respect as a TGNC person at the end of their life were associated with increased odds of perceiving that they were aging successfully. With high rates of discrimination and prejudice toward TGNC persons in various contexts (e.g., healthcare, education, and housing), it is imperative that practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and institutions work together to eradicate healthcare disparities, promote social change, and support an environment that encourages successful aging. This calls for a coordinated, proactive outreach effort to put trust back into a system that has historically let down an entire subset of the population.

Safe medication management in specialized home healthcare - an observational study.

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Lindblad, Marléne; Flink, Maria; Ekstedt, Mirjam

2017-08-24

Medication management is a complex, error-prone process. The aim of this study was to explore what constitutes the complexity of the medication management process (MMP) in specialized home healthcare and how healthcare professionals handle this complexity. The study is theoretically based in resilience engineering. Data were collected during the MMP at three specialized home healthcare units in Sweden using two strategies: observation of workplaces and shadowing RNs in everyday work, including interviews. Transcribed material was analysed using grounded theory. The MMP in home healthcare was dynamic and complex with unclear boundaries of responsibilities, inadequate information systems and fluctuating work conditions. Healthcare professionals adapted their everyday clinical work by sharing responsibility and simultaneously being authoritative and preserving patients' active participation, autonomy and integrity. To promote a safe MMP, healthcare professionals constantly re-prioritized goals, handled gaps in communication and information transmission at a distance by creating new bridging solutions. Trade-offs and workarounds were necessary elements, but also posed a threat to patient safety, as these interim solutions were not systematically evaluated or devised learning strategies. To manage a safe medication process in home healthcare, healthcare professionals need to adapt to fluctuating conditions and create bridging strategies through multiple parallel activities distributed over time, space and actors. The healthcare professionals' strategies could be integrated in continuous learning, while preserving boundaries of safety, instead of being more or less interim solutions. Patients' and family caregivers' as active partners in the MMP may be an underestimated resource for a resilient home healthcare.

Insights from parents of a child with leukaemia and healthcare professionals about sharing illness and treatment information: A qualitative research study.

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Gibson, Faith; Kumpunen, Stephanie; Bryan, Gemma; Forbat, Liz

2018-04-13

Many parents report a strong desire to take on information-giving roles, and believe they are best positioned to discuss their child's illness with their child. Healthcare professionals have a supporting role to reduce the burden on parents who feel responsible for conveying information to their child and other family members. To examine parents' and healthcare professionals' perceptions of roles in receiving and communicating information when a child is diagnosed with and treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. We used the principles of a grounded theory approach. This was a single site study, recruiting from a principal children's cancer treatment centre in the United Kingdom. The sample included parents of children receiving and completed treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (n = 28), and healthcare professionals (n = 34). Methods included individual interviews, face-to-face and telephone, focus groups, and an online forum. Communication 'touch points' are many over the course of a child's cancer journey. We describe often 'mismatched' communication encounters where those seeking information and those providing information have different goals. Healthcare professionals in the encounter have expertise at the outset while parents have less expertise, but this expertise grows over time and this can increase the perceptions of this 'mismatch' and create different challenges. Considered in the context of middle range transition theory, we might suggest that parental foreground (seeking information directly) and background (passive actors) roles are the result of differing levels of uncertainty, and depend on the situation and preferences and child and family needs that may present differently over time in different contexts. Our work contributes to the emerging consensus that communication is more than a core set of skills that healthcare professionals just need to learn: clear specifications of mutual roles, responsibilities and a shared

Expectations and perceptions of primary healthcare professionals regarding their own continuous education in Catalonia (Spain): a qualitative study.

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Mundet-Tuduri, Xavier; Crespo, Ramon; Fernandez-Coll, Ma Luisa; Saumell, Montserrat; Millan-Mata, Flor; Cardona, Àngels; Codern-Bové, Núria

2017-11-15

The planning and execution of continuous education in an organization that provides health services is a complex process. The objectives, learning sequences, and implementation strategies should all be oriented to improving the health of the population. The aim of this study was to analyse the expectations and perceptions of continuous educations by primary healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) and identify aspects that hinder or encourage the process. A qualitative study with 5 focus groups made up of 25 primary healthcare professionals from the Catalan Health Institute, Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). The focus groups were audio-recorded and the results transcribed. The analysis involved: a) Reading of the data looking for meanings b) Coding of the data by themes and extracting categories c) Reviewing and refining codes and categories d) Reconstruction of the data providing an explanatory framework for the meanings e) Discussion about the interpretations of the findings and f) Discussed with relevant professionals from PHC (physicians and nurses)"Data regarding thematic content were analyzed with the support of Atlasti 5.1 software. The health needs of the population were often at the core of the learning processes but the participants' views did not always spontaneously refer to improvements in these issues. Common themes that could hinder learning and where identified, including contextual aspects such as work constraints (timetables, places being covered during training) and funding policies. New learning strategies to improve the effectiveness of continuous education were proposed such as the exchange of knowledge, the activation of personal commitment to change, and the improvement of organizational aspects. The primary healthcare professionals in our study viewed continuous education as a professional necessity and would like to translate the knowledge acquired to improving the health of the population. Nevertheless, professional, structural, and

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators for Return to Work Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Malaysian Healthcare Professionals Experience-　A Qualitative Inquiry.

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Chow, Sze Loon; Loh, Siew Yim; Su, Tin Tin

2015-06-01

Return to work (RTW) can be a challenging occupational health (OH) issue among previously-employed colorectal cancer survivors. This study aimed to explore the various perceived barriers and facilitators encountered during the RTW process in cancer survivorship, from the perception of healthcare professionals (HCP). Face to face, semistructured interviews were carried out on twelve HCP (government and private sectors) from various disciplines. Data collected were transcribed verbatim and data management was aided by NVivo software 8.0. A new theory from contextual data was generated using open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The HCP shared numerous barriers and facilitators associated with RTW, under four categories. The key barriers were disturbing side effects, psychological barriers (personal factor), compensation (financial factor), poor ability to multitask (work-related factor), long paid medical leaves policy, employer's lackadaisical attitude, lack of knowledge and awareness of RTW (environmental factor). Key facilitators identified were desire to resume working life and to contribute to society (personal factor), financial pressure, maintain organizational health insurance (financial factor), less physically demanding job (work-related factor), supportive workplace and strict organizational policy on medical leaves (environmental factor). While not all HCP were trained in RTW, they all agreed that RTW is important for survivors and workplace. Occupational health doctors have a direct role in helping survivors RTW. Early Intervention on RTW during survivorship should involve occupational health doctors and employers, targeting the modifiable factors (environmental and work-related) to improve RTW after cancer.

[(Dis)satisfaction with mental healthcare work: a study in Psychosocial Care Centers].

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Guimarães, José Maria Ximenes; Jorge, Maria Salete Bessa; Assis, Marluce Maria Araújo

2011-04-01

The scope of this article is to analyze satisfaction in the workplace of mental healthcare professionals who serve in Psychosocial Care Centers (Caps). The research is of a qualitative nature and the data-collecting medium was semistructured interviews with 19 workers of three Caps in Fortaleza, in the Northern Brazilian State of Ceará. The treatment of the empirical material was based upon the analysis of content with an emphasis on the thematic bias. The results revealed the determinants of (dis)satisfaction present in the daily routine of these workers. The relationships established with the users were singled out as the main source of satisfaction, whereas the work and wage conditions were the main motives for dissatisfaction. In addition to these aspects, consequences of (dis)satisfaction at work in the private, social and organizational field of the workers' life in the Caps were revealed, mainly in physical and mental health. Lastly, they emphasized the urgent need for implementation - on the part of public administration - of strategies that seek to reduce the precariousness of healthcare work, especially in mental health, with a view to mitigating damages potentially caused by such work.

Approaches to health-care provider education and professional development in perinatal depression: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Legere, Laura E; Wallace, Katherine; Bowen, Angela; McQueen, Karen; Montgomery, Phyllis; Evans, Marilyn

2017-07-24

Perinatal depression is the most common mental illness experienced by pregnant and postpartum women, yet it is often under-detected and under-treated. Some researchers suggest this may be partly influenced by a lack of education and professional development on perinatal depression among health-care providers, which can negatively affect care and contribute to stigmatization of women experiencing altered mood. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to provide a synthesis of educational and professional development needs and strategies for health-care providers in perinatal depression. A systematic search of the literature was conducted in seven academic health databases using selected keywords. The search was limited to primary studies and reviews published in English between January 2006 and May/June 2015, with a focus on perinatal depression education and professional development for health-care providers. Studies were screened for inclusion by two reviewers and tie-broken by a third. Studies that met inclusion criteria were quality appraised and data extracted. Results from the studies are reported through narrative synthesis. Two thousand one hundred five studies were returned from the search, with 1790 remaining after duplicate removal. Ultimately, 12 studies of moderate and weak quality met inclusion criteria. The studies encompassed quantitative (n = 11) and qualitative (n = 1) designs, none of which were reviews, and addressed educational needs identified by health-care providers (n = 5) and strategies for professional development in perinatal mental health (n = 7). Consistently, providers identified a lack of formal education in perinatal mental health and the need for further professional development. Although the professional development interventions were diverse, the majority focused on promoting identification of perinatal depression and demonstrated modest effectiveness in improving various outcomes. This systematic review reveals a

(Destabilizing Self-Identities in Professional Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anders Buch

2013-09-01

Full Text Available It is characteristic of much professional work that it is performed in ambiguous contexts. Thus, uncertainty, unpredictability, indeterminacy, and recurrent organizational transformations are an integral part of modern work for, e.g., engineers, lawyers, business consultants, and other professionals. Although key performance indicators and other knowledge management systems are used to set standards of excellence for professionals, the character of professional work is still flexible, open to interpretation and heterarchical. The very successfulness (or unsuccessfulness of the work is established in a complex work context where various goals, interests, and perspectives are mediated, altered, contested, mangled, and negotiated in a process of sense-making. The work context is heterogeneously populated by various actors (e.g., the customer, the manager, the colleagues and actants (e.g., quality systems and technical equipment that give “voice” to (conflicting interpretations of what constitutes successful work. Thus, the professionals must navigate in a very complex environment where the locus of governance is far from stable. These characteristics of professional work seem to have implications for the way professionals make sense of their work and their own identities. The identity work of professionals is interwoven with their professional training and career background. With an academic training and a professional career, the individual typically identifies with the profession’s values and adopts a certain way of seeing and approaching the world. This professional outlook typically will constitute the basis of the individual’s appraisal of the work and lay out a horizon of expectations in relation to fulfillment, self-realization, and job satisfaction. In this way, the construction of self-identity becomes the yardstick for the individual’s sense-making and, a fortiori, for the individual’s sense of meaningful work. In this paper

Effects of Educating Local Government Officers and Healthcare and Welfare Professionals in Suicide Prevention

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Yoshio Hirayasu

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Suicide is a major public health issue. In Japan, local governments are responsible for suicide prevention, and local government officers are therefore expected to act as gatekeepers for suicide prevention. In this study, through a questionnaire survey, the authors examined the current knowledge and attitudes concerning suicide prevention among local government officers and healthcare and welfare professionals, and the effects of providing suicide prevention education on their knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and its prevention. One hundred eighty-three local government officers and 432 healthcare/welfare professionals completed the survey before and after a single education session. Before the session, the local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals showed mainly positive attitudes toward suicide prevention efforts, with little difference between the two groups. After the training, knowledge and attitudes were further improved for most questionnaire items. Respondents with one or more experiences of suicide prevention training showed significantly more knowledge and positive attitudes before the training than those with no such experience. Moreover, knowledge of depression and having a sympathetic attitude were found to be especially associated with the overall attitude that “suicide can be prevented”. Training in suicide prevention was shown to be effective in promoting appropriate knowledge and attitudes among local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals who are gatekeepers for preventing suicide. Our findings confirm the importance of suicide prevention education, and will contribute to creating a standard educational program on suicide prevention in Japan.

[Perception of healthcare professionals on the Breast Cancer Screening Programme in Barcelona].

Science.gov (United States)

Serral, G; Puigpinós-Riera, R; Maydana, E; Pons-Vigués, M; Borrell, C

2013-01-01

A good communication plan is vital for optimal results in any screening programme. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, involvement and opinion of health professionals regarding the Breast Cancer Screening Programme in Barcelona in 2008. A cross-sectional study using an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire. The study population (N = 960) were health professionals from Primary Health-care (PH), Programs for Sexual and Reproductive Health (PSRH), and Community Pharmacies (CP). The dependent variables were: knowledge of the Programme, professional involvement and opinion of the Programme. The independent variables were: sex, age, qualifications, employment status, and health team. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed. Using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age, an Odds Ratios (OR) were obtained along with the 95% confidence intervals (CI 95%). PSRH professionals know the target population better; 80.2% versus 26.1% PH, and 14.0% CP, respectively. Professional involvement was related to the health care team (ORCP/PH: 0.32, CI 95%: 0.22-0.43) being observed more in PH. The opinion on the Programme in reducing breast cancer mortality was similar in the three teams (61.6% PH, 59.3% PSRH, and 56.5% CP). Healthcare professionals are unaware of some aspects of Programme, such as age range or periodicity. There is great professional involvement and belief that the Programme has helped disseminate information and knowledge on the early detection of breast cancer. Copyright © 2012 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The Role of Attitudes to, and the Frequency of, Domestic Violence Encounters in the Healthcare Professionals' Handling of Domestic Violence Cases.

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Zorjan, Saša; Smrke, Urška; Šprah, Lilijana

2017-09-01

Domestic violence is recognized as a public health problem with a high prevalence in the general population. Healthcare professionals play an important role in the recognition and treatment of domestic violence. Hence, conducting research on factors that facilitate or inhibit appropriate actions by healthcare professionals is of the upmost importance. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between healthcare professionals' attitudes toward the acceptability of domestic violence and their responses when dealing with victims of domestic violence. The sample consisted of 322 healthcare professionals (physicians, dentists, nursing staff and other healthcare workers; 85.2% female), who completed a questionnaire, assessing their attitudes towards domestic violence, experience, behaviour and perceived barriers in recognizing and treating domestic violence in the health care sector. The study was cross-sectional and used availability sampling. The results showed no significant differences in domestic violence acceptability attitudes when comparing groups of healthcare professionals who reported low or high frequency of domestic violence cases encounters. Furthermore, we found that domestic violence acceptability attitudes were negatively associated with action taking when the frequency of encounters with domestic violence cases was high and medium. However, the attitudes were not associated with action taking when the frequency of encounters with domestic violence cases was low. The results highlight the important role of attitudes in action taking of healthcare professionals when it comes to domestic violence. This indicates the need for educational interventions that specifically target healthcare professionals' attitudes towards domestic violence.

Education of healthcare professionals and the public.

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, Cliodna A M; Cookson, Barry D; Lewis, Michael A O

2012-07-01

In the winter of 2007-08 a new public-facing antimicrobial campaign was agreed by the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection (ARHAI) Education sub-Group (later divided into subgroups for professional and public education): it comprised posters with a positive message on how the public could help themselves when they had a cold. However, the poster campaign, used in isolation in England, did not improve antibiotic use; therefore, the Public Education sub-Group took forward educational approaches to change the behaviour of the public and health professionals. Professionals have been encouraged to give patients clear information about the likely duration of symptoms, self-care, and benefits and harms of antibiotics, reinforcing the public poster campaigns in surgeries, hospitals and pharmacies. Since 2008, campaigns have been launched in England to coincide with European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) on 18 November, using Department of Health and EAAD materials. Professional education has been facilitated by the 2008 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence respiratory tract infection delayed prescribing guidance for general practitioners. A toolkit of materials for medicines management teams, to facilitate good antimicrobial stewardship in primary care (ASPIC), is being taken forward by the Public Education sub-Group and professional societies. After advice from ARHAI, in 2009 the General Medical Council requested that all postgraduate deans and Royal Colleges ensure infection prevention and control and antimicrobial prescribing become standard practice implemented in all clinical settings, and that they are emphasized strongly in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. ARHAI has also taken a keen interest in reviewing, advising and leading on a number of European Union initiatives dealing with professional education.

Communication and support from health-care professionals to families, with dependent children, following the diagnosis of parental life-limiting illness: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fearnley, Rachel; Boland, Jason W

2017-03-01

Communication between parents and their children about parental life-limiting illness is stressful. Parents want support from health-care professionals; however, the extent of this support is not known. Awareness of family's needs would help ensure appropriate support. To find the current literature exploring (1) how parents with a life-limiting illness, who have dependent children, perceive health-care professionals' communication with them about the illness, diagnosis and treatments, including how social, practical and emotional support is offered to them and (2) how this contributes to the parents' feelings of supporting their children. A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ASSIA ProQuest were searched in November 2015 for studies assessing communication between health-care professionals and parents about how to talk with their children about the parent's illness. There were 1342 records identified, five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria (55 ill parents, 11 spouses/carers, 26 children and 16 health-care professionals). Parents wanted information from health-care professionals about how to talk to their children about the illness; this was not routinely offered. Children also want to talk with a health-care professional about their parents' illness. Health-care professionals are concerned that conversations with parents and their children will be too difficult and time-consuming. Parents with a life-limiting illness want support from their health-care professionals about how to communicate with their children about the illness. Their children look to health-care professionals for information about their parent's illness. Health-care professionals, have an important role but appear reluctant to address these concerns because of fears of insufficient time and expertise.

Quality of healthcare services and its relationship with patient safety culture and nurse-physician professional communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akram Ghahramanian

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: This study investigated quality of healthcare services from patients’ perspectives and its relationship with patient safety culture and nurse-physician professional communication. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 surgery patients and 101 nurses caring them in a public hospital in Tabriz–Iran. Data were collected using the service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL, hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPSC and nurse physician professional communication questionnaire. Results: The highest and lowest mean (±SD scores of the patients’ perception on the healthcare services quality belonged to the assurance 13.92 (±3.55 and empathy 6.78 (±1.88 domains,respectively. With regard to the patient safety culture, the mean percentage of positive answers ranged from 45.87% for "non-punitive response to errors" to 68.21% for "organizational continuous learning" domains. The highest and lowest mean (±SD scores for the nurse physician professional communication were obtained for "cooperation" 3.44 (±0.35 and "non participative decision-making" 2.84 (±0.34 domains, respectively. The "frequency of reported errors by healthcare professionals" (B=-4.20, 95% CI = -7.14 to -1.27, P<0.01 and "respect and sharing of information" (B=7.69, 95% CI=4.01 to 11.36, P<0.001 predicted the patients’perceptions of the quality of healthcare services. Conclusion: Organizational culture in dealing with medical error should be changed to non punitive response. Change in safety culture towards reporting of errors, effective communication and teamwork between healthcare professionals are recommended.

Quality of healthcare services and its relationship with patient safety culture and nurse-physician professional communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghahramanian, Akram; Rezaei, Tayyebeh; Abdullahzadeh, Farahnaz; Sheikhalipour, Zahra; Dianat, Iman

2017-01-01

Background: This study investigated quality of healthcare services from patients' perspectives and its relationship with patient safety culture and nurse-physician professional communication. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 surgery patients and 101 nurses caring them in a public hospital in Tabriz-Iran. Data were collected using the service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL), hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPSC) and nurse physician professional communication questionnaire. Results: The highest and lowest mean (±SD) scores of the patients' perception on the healthcare services quality belonged to the assurance 13.92 (±3.55) and empathy 6.78 (±1.88) domains,respectively. With regard to the patient safety culture, the mean percentage of positive answers ranged from 45.87% for "non-punitive response to errors" to 68.21% for "organizational continuous learning" domains. The highest and lowest mean (±SD) scores for the nurse physician professional communication were obtained for "cooperation" 3.44 (±0.35) and "non-participative decision-making" 2.84 (±0.34) domains, respectively. The "frequency of reported errors by healthcare professionals" (B=-4.20, 95% CI = -7.14 to -1.27, P<0.01) and "respect and sharing of information" (B=7.69, 95% CI=4.01 to 11.36, P<0.001) predicted the patients'perceptions of the quality of healthcare services. Conclusion: Organizational culture in dealing with medical error should be changed to non-punitive response. Change in safety culture towards reporting of errors, effective communication and teamwork between healthcare professionals are recommended.

How to support teenagers who are losing a parent to cancer: Bereaved young adults' advice to healthcare professionals-A nationwide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvariza, Anette; Lövgren, Malin; Bylund-Grenklo, Tove; Hakola, Pia; Fürst, Carl Johan; Kreicbergs, Ulrika

2017-06-01

The loss of a parent to cancer is considered one of the most traumatic events a teenager can experience. Studies have shown that teenagers, from the time of diagnosis, are already extremely worried about the consequences of a parent's cancer but tend to be left to manage these concerns on their own. The present study aimed to explore young adults' advice to healthcare professionals on how to support teenagers who are losing a parent to cancer. This work derives from a Swedish nationwide survey and employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive/interpretive design to obtain answers to an open-ended question concerning advice to healthcare professionals. Of the 851 eligible young adults who had lost a parent to cancer when they were 13-16 years of age within the previous 6 to 9 years, 622 participated in our survey (response rate = 73%). Of these 622 young adults, 481 responded to the open-ended question about what advice to give healthcare professionals. Four themes emerged: (1) to be seen and acknowledged; (2) to understand and prepare for illness, treatment, and the impending death; (3) to spend time with the ill parent, and (4) to receive support tailored to the individual teenager's needs. This nationwide study contributes hands-on suggestions to healthcare staff regarding attitudes, communication, and support from the perspective of young adults who, in their teenage years, lost a parent to cancer. Teenagers may feel better supported during a parent's illness if healthcare professionals take this manageable advice forward into practice and see each teenager as individuals; explain the disease, its treatments, and consequences; encourage teenagers to spend time with their ill parent; and recommend sources of support.

Training healthcare professionals as moral case deliberation facilitators : evaluation of a Dutch training programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Plantinga, Mirjam; Molewijk, Bert; de Bree, Menno; Moraal, Marloes; Verkerk, Marian; Widdershoven, Guy A. M.

2012-01-01

Until recently, moral case deliberation (MCD) sessions have mostly been facilitated by external experts, mainly professional ethicists. We have developed a train the facilitator programme for healthcare professionals aimed at providing them with the competences needed for being an MCD facilitator.

Training healthcare professionals as moral case deliberation facilitators: evaluation of a Dutch training programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Plantinga, M.; Molewijk, A.C.; de Bree, M.; Moraal, M.; Verkerk, M.; Widdershoven, G.A.

2012-01-01

Until recently, moral case deliberation (MCD) sessions have mostly been facilitated by external experts, mainly professional ethicists. We have developed a train the facilitator programme for healthcare professionals aimed at providing them with the competences needed for being an MCD facilitator.

Attitudes towards motherhood and fertility awareness among 20-40-year-old female healthcare professionals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Luise Lermark; Hegaard, Hanne Kristine; Andersen, Anders Nyboe

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To explore attitudes towards family formation and fertility awareness among Danish female healthcare professionals. Methods We collected cross-sectional baseline data from a prospective cohort study of 863 women, ranging in age from 20 to 40 years, working at a hospital...... in Denmark. Information about participants' intentions and attitudes towards family formation and fertility knowledge was gathered by means of a questionnaire. Results Only 2% of the respondents did not want children. Most women believed that motherhood is important, and hoped to have two to three children...

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of the ethical climate in paediatric cancer care.

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Bartholdson, Cecilia; Sandeberg, Margareta Af; Lützén, Kim; Blomgren, Klas; Pergert, Pernilla

2016-12-01

How well ethical concerns are handled in healthcare is influenced by the ethical climate of the workplace, which in this study is described as workplace factors that contribute to healthcare professionals' ability to identify and deal with ethical issues in order to provide the patient with ethically good care. The overall aim of the study was to describe perceptions of the paediatric hospital ethical climate among healthcare professionals who treat/care for children with cancer. Data were collected using the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey developed by Olsson as a separate section in a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse perceptions of the ethical climate. Participants and research context: Physicians, nurses and nurse-aides (n = 89) from three paediatric units participated in this study: haematology/oncology, chronic diseases and neurology. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the regional ethical review board. Different perceptions of the ethical climate were rated as positive or negative/neutral. Nurses' ratings were less positive than physicians on all items. One-third of the participants perceived that they were able to practice ethically good care as they believed it should be practised. Differences in professional roles, involving more or less power and influence, might explain why physicians and nurses rated items differently. A positive perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care seems to be related to inter-professional trust and listening to guardians/parents. A negative/neutral perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care appears to be influenced by experiences of ethical conflicts as well as a lack of ethical support, for example, time for reflection and discussion. The two-thirds of participants who had a negative/neutral perception of the possibility to practice ethically good care are at risk of developing moral stress. Clinical ethics support needs to be implemented in care

Patient aggression towards different professional groups of healthcare workers

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Krystyna Kowalczuk

2017-03-01

Nurses are most exposed to different forms of patient aggression, with verbal attacks being most prevalent. Nurses employed at inpatient healthcare units experienced aggression more frequently than those working in outpatient healthcare units.

Predictive value and construct validity of the work functioning screener-healthcare (WFS-H)

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Boezeman, Edwin J.; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Sluiter, Judith K.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To test the predictive value and convergent construct validity of a 6-item work functioning screener (WFS-H). Methods: Healthcare workers (249 nurses) completed a questionnaire containing the work functioning screener (WFS-H) and a work functioning instrument (NWFQ) measuring the following: cognitive aspects of task execution and general incidents, avoidance behavior, conflicts and irritation with colleagues, impaired contact with patients and their family, and level of energy and motivation. Productivity and mental health were also measured. Negative and positive predictive values, AUC values, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated to examine the predictive value of the screener. Correlation analysis was used to examine the construct validity. Results: The screener had good predictive value, since the results showed that a negative screener score is a strong indicator of work functioning not hindered by mental health problems (negative predictive values: 94%-98%; positive predictive values: 21%-36%; AUC:.64-.82; sensitivity: 42%-76%; and specificity 85%-87%). The screener has good construct validity due to moderate, but significant (pvalue and good construct validity. Its score offers occupational health professionals a helpful preliminary insight into the work functioning of healthcare workers. PMID:27010085

Predictive value and construct validity of the work functioning screener-healthcare (WFS-H).

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Boezeman, Edwin J; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Sluiter, Judith K

2016-05-25

To test the predictive value and convergent construct validity of a 6-item work functioning screener (WFS-H). Healthcare workers (249 nurses) completed a questionnaire containing the work functioning screener (WFS-H) and a work functioning instrument (NWFQ) measuring the following: cognitive aspects of task execution and general incidents, avoidance behavior, conflicts and irritation with colleagues, impaired contact with patients and their family, and level of energy and motivation. Productivity and mental health were also measured. Negative and positive predictive values, AUC values, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated to examine the predictive value of the screener. Correlation analysis was used to examine the construct validity. The screener had good predictive value, since the results showed that a negative screener score is a strong indicator of work functioning not hindered by mental health problems (negative predictive values: 94%-98%; positive predictive values: 21%-36%; AUC:.64-.82; sensitivity: 42%-76%; and specificity 85%-87%). The screener has good construct validity due to moderate, but significant (ppredictive value and good construct validity. Its score offers occupational health professionals a helpful preliminary insight into the work functioning of healthcare workers.

Where the Rubber Hits the Road: What Home Healthcare Professionals Need to Know About Driving Safety for Persons With Dementia.

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Pastor, Diane K; Jones, Andrea; Arms, Tamatha

2017-01-01

Driving cessation for people with dementia is a significant personal safety and public health issue. Home healthcare professionals frequently encounter situations where patients/clients should not continue to drive, and family members are unaware of how to approach the issue. This article will inform readers of the current state of the healthcare driving assessment process, measures and instruments used to assess, and effective strategies and resources when working with families facing the dilemma of how and when to proceed with a driving cessation plan.

Exploring attitudes of healthcare professionals towards ICT-based interventions for nursing home residents with dementia: a mixed-methods approach.

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O'Sullivan, Julie Lorraine; Gellert, Paul; Hesse, Britta; Jordan, Laura-Maria; Möller, Sebastian; Voigt-Antons, Jan-Niklas; Nordheim, Johanna

2018-02-01

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could be useful for delivering non-pharmacological therapies (NPTs) for dementia in nursing home settings. To identify technology-related expectations and inhibitions of healthcare professionals associated with the intention to use ICT-based NPTs. Cross-sectional multi-method survey. N = 205 healthcare professionals completed a quantitative survey on usage and attitudes towards ICTs. Additionally, N = 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Participants were classified as intenders to use ICTs (53%), non-intenders (14%) or ambivalent (32%). A MANCOVA revealed higher perceived usefulness for intenders compared to non-intenders and ambivalent healthcare professionals (V =.28, F(12, 292)= 3.94, p ICTs in the workplace. Furthermore, benefits for residents emerged as a key requirement. Staff trainings should stress specific benefits for residents and healthcare professionals to facilitate successful implementation and acceptance of ICTs in nursing home settings.

Professionals' perceptions about healthcare resources for co-occuring disorders in Spain.

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Roncero, Carlos; Vega, Pablo; Martínez-Raga, Jose; Barral, Carmen; Basurte-Villamor, Ignacio; Rodríguez-Cintas, Laia; Mesías, Beatriz; Grau-López, Lara; Casas, Miguel; Szerman, Nestor

2014-01-01

Since provision of integrated services for patients with dual pathology or dual disorders (coexistence of an addictive disorder and other psychiatric disorders) constitutes an important challenge, this study compared the perceptions of health-care professionals with the existing, current state of specific resources for patients with dual pathology in Spain. Epidemiological, observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study with a large, representative sample of health care professionals attending patients with dual pathology in treatment resources throughout Spain. Participants completed a specifically designed ad-hoc on-line questionnaire about their perceptions on the existence of available resources and treatment needs for patients with dual pathology. To compare professionals' perceptions with existing available resources, the same on-line questionnaire was also completed by commissioners and managers responsible for national and regional healthcare plans on drug abuse. A total of 659 professionals, mostly psychologists (43.40%) or psychiatrists (32.93%) agreed to participate in the study. The highest degree of concordance between the perceptions of professional and the actual situation was found regarding the existence of mental health and addiction networks (either separately or unified) (74.48%), followed by specific workshops (73.08%) and sub-acute inpatient units (67.38%), specific hospitalization units (66.26%), detoxification units (63.15%) and outpatient programs (60.73%). We detected a lower degree of agreement regarding specific occupational rehabilitation centers (59.34%) day hospitals (58.93%), day centers (57.88%), outpatient intermediate resources (48.87%), psychiatric acute admission units (46.54%) and therapeutic communities (43.77%). In addition, on average, health care professionals underestimated the number of resources present in their respective communities. Relevant differences exist between the perceptions of professional and existing

Attitudes towards motherhood and fertility awareness among 20-40-year-old female healthcare professionals.

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Mortensen, Luise Lermark; Hegaard, Hanne Kristine; Andersen, Anders Nyboe; Bentzen, Janne Gasseholm

2012-12-01

To explore attitudes towards family formation and fertility awareness among Danish female healthcare professionals. We collected cross-sectional baseline data from a prospective cohort study of 863 women, ranging in age from 20 to 40 years, working at a hospital in Denmark. Information about participants' intentions and attitudes towards family formation and fertility knowledge was gathered by means of a questionnaire. Only 2% of the respondents did not want children. Most women believed that motherhood is important, and hoped to have two to three children. About half of the respondents intended to have their last child after the age of 35 years. The most important prerequisites for family formation included: living in a stable relationship, having completed one's studies, a sound financial situation, a job that can be kept when having children, access to public child day care, and the possibility of travelling. As many as 50% of women underrated the impact of a woman's age on fertility, and overestimated the success rates of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Many female healthcare professionals contemplated giving birth after the age of 35 years. Knowledge of fertility and ART success rates is needed to make well-informed decisions about when to have children.

Managing Ethical Difficulties in Healthcare: Communicating in Inter-professional Clinical Ethics Support Sessions.

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Grönlund, Catarina Fischer; Dahlqvist, Vera; Zingmark, Karin; Sandlund, Mikael; Söderberg, Anna

2016-12-01

Several studies show that healthcare professionals need to communicate inter-professionally in order to manage ethical difficulties. A model of clinical ethics support (CES) inspired by Habermas' theory of discourse ethics has been developed by our research group. In this version of CES sessions healthcare professionals meet inter-professionally to communicate and reflect on ethical difficulties in a cooperative manner with the aim of reaching communicative agreement or reflective consensus. In order to understand the course of action during CES, the aim of this study was to describe the communication of value conflicts during a series of inter-professional CES sessions. Ten audio- and video-recorded CES sessions were conducted over eight months and were analyzed by using the video analysis tool Transana and qualitative content analysis. The results showed that during the CES sessions the professionals as a group moved through the following five phases: a value conflict expressed as feelings of frustration, sharing disempowerment and helplessness, the revelation of the value conflict, enhancing realistic expectations, seeing opportunities to change the situation instead of obstacles. In the course of CES, the professionals moved from an individual interpretation of the situation to a common, new understanding and then to a change in approach. An open and permissive communication climate meant that the professionals dared to expose themselves, share their feelings, face their own emotions, and eventually arrive at a mutual shared reality. The value conflict was not only revealed but also resolved.

Summary of: Mind the gap! A comparison of oral health knowledge between dental, healthcare professionals and the public.

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Levine, R S

2014-02-01

The importance of consistent, accurate and unambiguous messages are well documented in oral health promotion literature. Whether the reality of delivering messages in the field fulfils these principle is questionable. This paper explores the perceptions of dental professionals, healthcare professionals and lay community members with regard to key oral health messages in order to highlight any inconsistencies and knowledge gaps between and within groups for disease risk factors. A questionnaire was administered to individuals who belonged to three groups: dental professionals, healthcare professionals and lay community members. The questionnaire established knowledge regarding risk factors for caries, periodontal disease and erosion. Thirty-five (57.4%) of the dental group answered the whole questionnaire correctly, with 22 (27.8%) and 9 (5.1%) of the healthcare and lay community group answering the whole questionnaire correctly, respectively. The question of fluoride levels in children's toothpaste was the main reason for incorrect answers in the dental group. The results of this survey demonstrate a knowledge gradient from dental professionals through to healthcare professionals and then to lay members of the community. The knowledge base observed in the dental group is reflected in the other two groups as would be expected albeit with a significant gap between each group. As expected the dental professionals are generally well informed, but not as well informed as could be expected.

Job Demands, Burnout, and Teamwork in Healthcare Professionals Working in a General Hospital that Was Analysed At Two Points in Time

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Mijakoski, Dragan; Karadzhinska-Bislimovska, Jovanka; Stoleski, Sasho; Minov, Jordan; Atanasovska, Aneta; Bihorac, Elida

2018-01-01

AIM: The purpose of the paper was to assess job demands, burnout, and teamwork in healthcare professionals (HPs) working in a general hospital that was analysed at two points in time with a time lag of three years. METHODS: Time 1 respondents (N = 325) were HPs who participated during the first wave of data collection (2011). Time 2 respondents (N = 197) were HPs from the same hospital who responded at Time 2 (2014). Job demands, burnout, and teamwork were measured with Hospital Experience Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, respectively. RESULTS: Significantly higher scores of emotional exhaustion (21.03 vs. 15.37, t = 5.1, p Teamwork levels were similar at both points in time (Time 1 = 3.84 vs. Time 2 = 3.84, t = 0.043, p = 0.97). CONCLUSION: Actual longitudinal study revealed significantly higher mean values of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in 2014 that could be explained by significantly increased job demands between analysed points in time. PMID:29731948

Online virtual patients - A driver for change in medical and healthcare professional education in developing countries?

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Dewhurst, David; Borgstein, Eric; Grant, Mary E; Begg, Michael

2009-08-01

The development of online virtual patients has proved to be an effective vehicle for pedagogical and technological skills transfer and capacity building for medical and healthcare educators in Malawi. A project between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Malawi has delivered more than 20 collaboratively developed, virtual patients, contextualised for in-country medical and healthcare education and, more significantly, a cadre of healthcare professionals skilled in developing digital resources and integrating these into their emerging curricula. The process of engaging with new approaches to teaching and delivering personalised, context sensitive content via a game-informed, technology-supported process has contributed to the ability of healthcare educators in Malawi to drive pedagogical change, meet the substantial challenges of delivering new curricula, cope with increasing student numbers and promote teacher professional development. This initial phase of the project has laid the foundation for a broader second phase that focuses on promoting curriculum change, developing educational infrastructure and in-country capacity to create, and integrate digital resources into education and training across multi-professional groups and across educational levels.

Effectiveness of external inspection of compliance with standards in improving healthcare organisation behaviour, healthcare professional behaviour or patient outcomes

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Flodgren, Gerd; Pomey, Marie-Pascale; Taber, Sarah A; Eccles, Martin P

2014-01-01

Background Inspection systems are used in health care to promote quality improvements, i.e. to achieve changes in organisational structures or processes, healthcare provider behaviour and patient outcomes. These systems are based on the assumption that externally promoted adherence to evidence-based standards (through inspection/assessment) will result in higher quality of health care. However, the benefits of external inspection in terms of organisational, provider and patient level outcomes are not clear. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of external inspection of compliance with standards in improving healthcare organisation behaviour, healthcare professional behaviour and patient outcomes. Search methods We searched the following electronic databases for studies: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, Scopus, HMIC, Index to Theses and Intute from their inception dates up to May 2011. There was no language restriction and studies were included regardless of publication status. We searched the reference lists of included studies and contacted authors of relevant papers, accreditation bodies and the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO), regarding any further published or unpublished work. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), interrupted time-series (ITSs) and controlled before and after studies (CBAs) evaluating the effect of external inspection against external standards on healthcare organisation change, healthcare professional behaviour or patient outcomes in hospitals, primary healthcare organisations and other community-based healthcare organisations. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently applied eligibility criteria, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of each included study. Since meta-analysis was

Conscientious objection to deceased organ donation by healthcare professionals

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Shaw, David; Gardiner, Dale; Lewis, Penney; Jansen, Nichon; Wind, Tineke; Samuel, Undine; Georgieva, Denie; Ploeg, Rutger; Broderick, Andrew

2017-01-01

In this article, we analyse the potential benefits and disadvantages of permitting healthcare professionals to invoke conscientious objection to deceased organ donation. There is some evidence that permitting doctors and nurses to register objections can ultimately lead to attitudinal change and acceptance of organ donation. However, while there may be grounds for conscientious objection in other cases such as abortion and euthanasia, the life-saving nature of donation and transplantation ren...

Poor knowledge of age-related fertility decline and assisted reproduction among healthcare professionals.

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García, Désirée; Vassena, Rita; Prat, Andrés; Vernaeve, Valérie

2017-01-01

Reproduction is a matter of concern for individuals and society due to the postponement of childbearing, and healthcare professionals are the main source of information and counselling. This study aims to evaluate how knowledgeable healthcare professionals are about fertility and assisted reproduction, and to explore attitudes towards social oocyte freezing. A cross-sectional study was performed with 201 professionals (gynaecologists, physicians and nurses) from four public centres in Spain. Participants completed a survey about fertility, IVF, oocyte donation (OD) and social oocyte freezing, between May 2013 and March 2014. Reported mean age limits for pregnancy were 39.5 ± 4.5 (spontaneously), 43.7 ± 5.2 (IVF) and 49.0 ± 6.5 (OD). Gynaecologists reported a younger limit for spontaneous and IVF pregnancies (P 39, compared with 77.3% of other physicians and 72.9% of nurses. Regarding social oocyte freezing, 41.8% of gynaecologists thought it should be offered to every young woman, versus 62.7% of other physicians and 48.9% of nurses (P = 0.041). In conclusion, gynaecologists are more knowledgeable about fertility and assisted reproduction, while more restrictive towards social oocyte freezing. Knowledge and attitudes could influence the quality of information and counselling given to patients. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthcare professionals' dilemmas: judging patient's decision making competence in day-to-day care of patients suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome.

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van den Hooff, Susanne; Buijsen, Martin

2014-11-01

Patient's decision making competence (PDMC) is a widely discussed subject. Issues of competence, autonomy, well-being and protection of the patient come up every day. In this article we analyse what role PDMC plays in Dutch legislation and what dilemmas healthcare professionals may experience, notably in patients suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome. Dilemmas emerge if professionals want to meet the requirements mentioned in Dutch law and the desires of their patients. The autonomy of the patient and the healthcare professionals' duty to take care of their patient's best interests, create a tension and lead to uncomfortable situations. Healthcare professionals describe difficulty finding a balance between these issues and assessing the degree of mental competence still present. In long term care situations, quality of the relationship between healthcare professionals and their patients seems to be of much more importance in decision making on minor issues of competence than simply relying on legal or house rules. In being committed to their cases, professionals will be more sensitive to individuals habits, abilities, welfare and dignity, which will make it easier to decide on issues of competence, and to find creative solutions to their dilemmas.

The Imminent Healthcare and Emergency Care Crisis in Japan

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Suzuki, Tetsuji

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Japan has a universal healthcare system, and this paper describes the reality of the healthcare services provided, as well as current issues with the system.Methods: Academic, government, and press reports on Japanese healthcare systems and healthcare guidelines were reviewed.Results: The universal healthcare system of Japan is considered internationally to be both low-cost and effective because the Japanese population enjoys good health status with a long life expectancy, while healthcare spending in Japan is below the average given by the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD. However, in many regions of Japan the existing healthcare resources are seriously inadequate, especially with regard to the number of physicians and other health professionals. Because healthcare is traditionally viewed as “sacred” work in Japan, healthcare professionals are expected to make large personal sacrifices. Also, public attitudes toward medical malpractice have changed in recent decades, and medical professionals are facing legal issues without experienced support of the government or legal professionals. Administrative response to the lack of resources and collaboration among communities are beginning, and more efficient control and management of the healthcare system is under consideration.Conclusion: The Japanese healthcare system needs to adopt an efficient medical control organization to ease the strain on existing healthcare professionals and to increase the number of physicians and other healthcare resources. Rather than continuing to depend on healthcare professionals being able and willing to make personal sacrifices, the government, the public and medical societies must cooperate and support changes in the healthcare system.

Attitudes of consumers and healthcare professionals towards the patient package inserts - a study in Palestine

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Al-Ramahi R

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Reading the patient package inserts (PPIs is a key source of information about medications for patients. They should be clear and understandable to the general population. Objectives: The aims of this study were to obtain base-line data on the extent of reading PPIs by consumers and possible factors that might affect this; to explore the attitude of the Palestinian public and healthcare professionals towards the patient package inserts (PPIs; and to review a random sample of PPIs for the availability of different information.Methods: The first part of the study was a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire for consumers included 15 items. The questionnaire for healthcare professionals included 10 items and it was very similar to that of consumers with some modifications. In the second part, a random sample of PPIs was reviewed. In our community pharmacies, where medications are arranged according to their producing company, a researcher was asked to choose randomly 10-15 medications for every company to check for the availability of pharmacological, pharmaceutical and clinical information. Results: A total of 304 healthcare professionals out of 320 (95.0% and 223 consumers out of 240 (92.9% accepted to answer the survey. Forty five percent consumers reported that they always read the PPIs, and 29.3% said that they read the PPIs most of the times. Increased rate of reading the leaflet was found among females (P = 0.047. The preferred language for the PPIs was Arabic for most of the consumers (89.6% while it was English for most of the healthcare professionals (80.8%. 35.9% of the consumers and 43.6% of the healthcare professionals found the font size suitable. 42.3% of the consumers and 25.5% of the healthcare professionals said that they found the information in the PPIs useful and enough. The PPIs of 135 randomly sampled medications were reviewed. Many important sections were not found in the PPIs' sample. Conclusion

Trust in telemedicine portals for rehabilitation care: an exploratory focus group study with patients and healthcare professionals.

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Van Velsen, Lex; Wildevuur, Sabine; Flierman, Ina; Van Schooten, Boris; Tabak, Monique; Hermens, Hermie

2016-01-27

For many eServices, end-user trust is a crucial prerequisite for use. Within the context of Telemedicine, the role of trust has hardly ever been studied. In this study, we explored what determines trust in portals that facilitate rehabilitation therapy, both from the perspective of the patient and the healthcare professional. We held two focus groups with patients (total n = 15) and two with healthcare professionals (total n = 13) in which we discussed when trust matters, what makes up trust in a rehabilitation portal, what effect specific design cues have, and how much the participants trust the use of activity sensor data for informing treatment. Trust in a rehabilitation portal is the sum of trust in different factors. These factors and what makes up these factors differ for patients and healthcare professionals. For example, trust in technology is made up, for patients, mostly by a perceived level of control and privacy, while for healthcare professionals, a larger and different set of issues play a role, including technical reliability and a transparent data storage policy. Healthcare professionals distrust activity sensor data for informing patient treatment, as they think that sensors are unable to record the whole range of movements that patients make (e.g., walking and ironing clothes). The set of factors that affect trust in a rehabilitation portal are different from the sets that have been found for other contexts, like eCommerce. Trust in telemedicine technology should be studied as a separate subject to inform the design of reliable interventions.

Surface Microbiology of Smartphone Screen Protectors Among Healthcare Professionals.

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Raza, Ibrahim; Raza, Awais; Razaa, Syed Ahmad; Sadar, Ahmad Bani; Qureshi, Ahmad Uzair; Talib, Usama; Chi, Gerald

2017-12-26

The use of smartphones with touch screens has become a norm for healthcare professionals (HCP). The risk of smart screen contamination has been proven, and guidelines are available to deal with possible contamination. A large number of smartphone users apply plastic or glass screen protectors onto their mobile phone screens to prevent scratches. However, these materials are not scratch proof, and their antipathogenic properties have not been studied. We have conducted a study to determine the frequency of smartphone screen protector contamination and compared the data with contamination on the bare area on the same mobile screens. The sample size included only HCPs working in acute care settings and having at least eight hours of exposure time every day. A total of 64 samples were collected, which reported 62.5% (n = 40/64) positive culture swabs from the protected areas of the screen and 45.3% (n = 29/64) from the unprotected area of the screen. Micrococcus and Gram-negative rods grew only on samples taken from the protected area whereas the bare area showed no such growth. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency based on smart screen size, duration of use during duty hours, or the setting where it was used. Smartphone screen protectors from healthcare providers may harbor pathogenic bacteria, especially in acute care settings. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci followed by Bacillus species were the most commonly yielded bacteria among house officers and postgraduate trainees in the present study.

Communication Access for Deaf People in Healthcare Settings: Understanding the Work of American Sign Language Interpreters.

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Olson, Andrea M; Swabey, Laurie

Despite federal laws that mandate equal access and communication in all healthcare settings for deaf people, consistent provision of quality interpreting in healthcare settings is still not a reality, as recognized by deaf people and American Sign Language (ASL)-English interpreters. The purpose of this study was to better understand the work of ASL interpreters employed in healthcare settings, which can then inform on training and credentialing of interpreters, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of healthcare and communication access for deaf people. Based on job analysis, researchers designed an online survey with 167 task statements representing 44 categories. American Sign Language interpreters (N = 339) rated the importance of, and frequency with which they performed, each of the 167 tasks. Categories with the highest average importance ratings included language and interpreting, situation assessment, ethical and professional decision making, manage the discourse, monitor, manage and/or coordinate appointments. Categories with the highest average frequency ratings included the following: dress appropriately, adapt to a variety of physical settings and locations, adapt to working with variety of providers in variety of roles, deal with uncertain and unpredictable work situations, and demonstrate cultural adaptability. To achieve health equity for the deaf community, the training and credentialing of interpreters needs to be systematically addressed.

A survey of Autism knowledge and attitudes among the healthcare professionals in Lahore, Pakistan

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Imran Nazish

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The diagnosis and treatment of Autism in Pakistan occurs in multiple settings and is provided by variety of health professionals. Unfortunately, knowledge and awareness about Autism is low among Pakistani healthcare professionals & the presence of inaccurate and outdated beliefs regarding this disorder may compromise early detection and timely referral for interventions. The study assessed the baseline knowledge and misconceptions regarding autism among healthcare professionals in Pakistan which can impact future awareness campaigns. Methods Physicians (psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists and family physicians and non-physicians (psychologists and speech therapists participated in this study. Knowledge of DSM-IV TR criteria for Autistic Disorder, beliefs about social, emotional, cognitive, treatment and prognosis of the disorder were assessed. Demographic information regarding the participants of the survey was also gathered. Results Two hundred and forty seven respondents (154 Physicians & 93 Non-physicians participated in the study. Mean age of respondents was 33.2 years (S.D 11.63 with 53% being females. Reasonably accurate familiarity with the DSM IV-TR diagnostic criteria of Autistic Disorder was observed. However, within the professional groups, differences were found regarding the utilization of the DSM-IV-TR criteria when diagnosing Autistic Disorder. Non-Physicians were comparatively more likely to correctly identify diagnostic features of autism compared with Physicians (P-value Conclusion Results suggests that current professionals in the field have an unbalanced understanding of autism due to presence of several misconceptions regarding many of the salient features of autism including developmental, cognitive and emotional features. The study has clinical implications and calls for continued education for healthcare professionals across disciplines with regards to Autism in Pakistan.

Pedagogical processes in healthcare: an exploratory study of pedagogic work with patients and next of kin.

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Hult, Håkan; Lindblad Fridh, Marianne; Lindh Falk, Annika; Thörne, Karin

2009-12-01

Care and education have much in common, and work in the healthcare sector is closely associated with learning and teaching. It is felt that many in the healthcare and medical services are not aware of their pedagogic skills and how they can be developed. FRAME OF REFERENCE: Belonging to a community of practice means that you share perspectives, methods and language. The aim is to describe the pedagogical discourse by identifying pedagogical processes and studying the staff's awareness of such processes or situations in which a pedagogical approach would be useful in their work with patients and next of kin. A qualitative study based on individual and group interviews. The analysis is directed by grounded theory. The pedagogical processes varied in length and quality. Most were unplanned and were usually embedded in treatment. The pedagogical process is linear (planning, goal setting, teaching and evaluating) in an educational setting but we found that the beginning and end can be unclear and the goals can be vague or non-existent. The pedagogical process is best described using the concepts Read, Guide and Provide learning support. The pedagogical discourse in healthcare is almost silent. Data indicate that at the collective level there is very little support for professional development of pedagogical ability. Tacit knowledge may therefore remain silent even though it may be possible to formulate and describe it. There is a strong need to focus on the pedagogical parts of the work and to encourage and support the development of professional pedagogical knowledge.

An exploration of partnership through interactions between young 'expert' patients with cystic fibrosis and healthcare professionals.

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MacDonald, Kath; Irvine, Lindesay; Smith, Margaret Coulter

2015-12-01

To explore how young 'expert patients' living with Cystic Fibrosis and the healthcare professionals with whom they interact perceive partnership and negotiate care. Modern healthcare policy encourages partnership, engagement and self-management of long-term conditions. This philosophy is congruent with the model adopted in the care of those with Cystic Fibrosis, where self-management, trust and mutual respect are perceived to be integral to the development of the ongoing patient/professional relationship. Self-management is associated with the term; 'expert patient'; an individual with a long-term condition whose knowledge and skills are valued and used in partnership with healthcare professionals. However, the term 'expert patient' is debated in the literature as are the motivation for its use and the assumptions implicit in the term. A qualitative exploratory design informed by Interpretivism and Symbolic Interactionism was conducted. Thirty-four consultations were observed and 23 semi-structured interviews conducted between 10 patients, 2 carers and 12 healthcare professionals. Data were analysed thematically using the five stages of 'Framework' a matrix-based qualitative data analysis approach and were subject to peer review and respondent validation. The study received full ethical approval. Three main themes emerged; experiences of partnership, attributes of the expert patient and constructions of illness. Sub-themes of the 'ceremonial order of the clinic', negotiation and trust in relationships and perceptions of the expert patient are presented. The model of consultation may be a barrier to person-centred care. Healthcare professionals show leniency in negotiations, but do not always trust patients' accounts. The term 'expert patient' is unpopular and remains contested. Gaining insight into structures and processes that enable or inhibit partnership can lead to a collaborative approach to service redesign and a revision of the consultation model. © 2015

Helping professionals and Border Force secrecy: effective asylum-seeker healthcare requires independence from callous policies.

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Dudley, Michael

2016-02-01

To examine the Australian Border Force Act (BFA) and its context, its implications for asylum-seeker healthcare and professionals, and contemporary and historical parallels. Prolonged immigration detention and policies aiming to deter irregular migration cause maritime asylum-seekers undeniable, well-publicised harms and (notwithstanding claims about preventing drownings) show reckless indifference and calculated cruelty. Service personnel may be harmed. Such policies misuse helping professionals to underwrite state abuses and promote public numbing and indifference, resembling other state abuses in the 'war on terror' and (with qualification) historical counterparts, e.g. Nazi Germany. Human service practitioners and organisations recently denounced the BFA that forbids disclosure about these matters.Continuing asylum-seeker healthcare balances the likelihood of effective care and monitoring with lending credibility to abuses. Boycotting it might sacrifice scrutiny and care, fail to compel professionals and affect temporary overseas workers. Entirely transferring healthcare from immigration to Federal and/or State health departments, with resources augmented to adequate standard, would strengthen clinical independence and quality, minimise healthcare's being securitised and politicised, and uphold ethical codes. Such measures will not resolve detention's problems, but coupled with independent auditing, would expose and moderate detention's worst effects, promoting changes in national conversation and policy-making. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Healthcare professionals' views of smart glasses in intensive care: A qualitative study.

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Romare, Charlotte; Hass, Ursula; Skär, Lisa

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to describe healthcare professionals' views of smart glasses before their implementation in an intensive care unit, both regarding quality of use of the glasses and to identify possible intensive care situations where the glasses could be used to increase patient safety. Data were generated through focus group interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings describe participants' views of smart glasses divided into three categories; Smart glasses to facilitate work at intensive care unit; Quality of use and Utilisation. Participants assumed smart glasses to cause both effect and affect in intensive care. Participants' concern for patients arose recurrently and through their concern intention to work to promote patient safety. Smart glasses are suggested as a complement to existing monitoring and routines and cannot replace human presence in intensive care. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Care as a mutual endeavour : experiences of a multiple sclerosis patient and her healthcare professionals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oeseburg, B.; Abma, T.A.

2006-01-01

In Dutch healthcare policy patients are seen as informed, autonomous experts and active decision makers with control over their illness and care. Healthcare professionals are expected to operate as providers of information. The purpose of this article is to argue that the consumerist approach of the

Determining Mobbing Perceptions and Job Satisfaction among Healthcare Professionals

OpenAIRE

KILIÇ, Nurhayat; TEL, Havva

2017-01-01

Aim: This study has been carried out as defi nitive to determine job satisfaction and mobbing perception of health care workers.Method: Three hundred and ninety healthcare professionals were enrolled in the study. Study data were collected with a personal information form, mobbing perceptional scale, and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale. In the analysis of the data, percentage distribution, the Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis Variance Analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis tests were ...

Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education

OpenAIRE

Holuby, Ronnie Scott; Pellegrin, Karen L; Barbato, Anna; Ciarleglio, Anita

2015-01-01

Introduction: The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care.Methods: To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentia...

The Impact of Electronic Health Records on Healthcare Professional's Beliefs and Attitudes toward Face to Face Communication

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Nickles, Kenneth Patrick

2012-01-01

The impact of electronic health records on healthcare professional's beliefs and attitudes toward face to face communication during patient and provider interactions was examined. Quantitative survey research assessed user attitudes towards an electronic health record system and revealed that healthcare professionals from a wide range of…

Opening the gift: social inclusion, professional codes and gift-giving in long-term mental healthcare

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ootes, S. T. C.; Pols, A. J.; Tonkens, E. H.; Willems, D. L.

2013-01-01

Deinstitutionalisation has not only made the social inclusion of clients a key objective in long-term mental healthcare, it may also affect the role of the care professional. This article investigates whether the social inclusion objective clashes with other long-standing professional values,

The Quality of Clinical Information in Adverse Drug Reaction Reports by Patients and Healthcare Professionals: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis.

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Rolfes, Leàn; van Hunsel, Florence; van der Linden, Laura; Taxis, Katja; van Puijenbroek, Eugène

2017-07-01

Clinical information is needed to assess the causal relationship between a drug and an adverse drug reaction (ADR) in a reliable way. Little is known about the level of relevant clinical information about the ADRs reported by patients. The aim was to determine to what extent patients report relevant clinical information about an ADR compared with their healthcare professional. A retrospective analysis of all ADR reports on the same case, i.e., cases with a report from both the patient and the patient's healthcare professional, selected from the database of the Dutch Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb, was conducted. The extent to which relevant clinical information was reported was assessed by trained pharmacovigilance assessors, using a structured tool. The following four domains were assessed: ADR, chronology, suspected drug, and patient characteristics. For each domain, the proportion of reported information in relation to information deemed relevant was calculated. An average score of all relevant domains was determined and categorized as poorly (≤45%), moderately (from 46 to 74%) or well (≥75%) reported. Data were analyzed using a paired sample t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. A total of 197 cases were included. In 107 cases (54.3%), patients and healthcare professionals reported a similar level of clinical information. Statistical analysis demonstrated no overall differences between the groups (p = 0.126). In a unique study of cases of ADRs reported by patients and healthcare professionals, we found that patients report clinical information at a similar level as their healthcare professional. For an optimal pharmacovigilance, both healthcare professionals and patient should be encouraged to report.

Parent experiences of communication with healthcare professionals in neonatal intensive care units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weis, Janne; Lundqvist, Pia

2016-01-01

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this review are to explore parents' experiences of communication with healthcare professionals and to identify the meaningfulness of communication to parents in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).More specifically, the objectives are to identify....

Impaired work functioning due to common mental disorders in nurses and allied health professionals: the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire.

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Gärtner, F R; Nieuwenhuijsen, K; van Dijk, F J H; Sluiter, J K

2012-02-01

Common mental disorders (CMD) negatively affect work functioning. In the health service sector not only the prevalence of CMDs is high, but work functioning problems are associated with a risk of serious consequences for patients and healthcare providers. If work functioning problems due to CMDs are detected early, timely help can be provided. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a detection questionnaire for impaired work functioning due to CMDs in nurses and allied health professionals working in hospitals. First, an item pool was developed by a systematic literature study and five focus group interviews with employees and experts. To evaluate the content validity, additional interviews were held. Second, a cross-sectional assessment of the item pool in 314 nurses and allied health professionals was used for item selection and for identification and corroboration of subscales by explorative and confirmatory factor analysis. The study results in the Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire (NWFQ), a 50-item self-report questionnaire consisting of seven subscales: cognitive aspects of task execution, impaired decision making, causing incidents at work, avoidance behavior, conflicts and irritations with colleagues, impaired contact with patients and their family, and lack of energy and motivation. The questionnaire has a proven high content validity. All subscales have good or acceptable internal consistency. The Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire gives insight into precise and concrete aspects of impaired work functioning of nurses and allied health professionals. The scores can be used as a starting point for purposeful interventions.

Psychological contract breach among allied health professionals.

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Rodwell, John; Gulyas, Andre

2015-01-01

Allied health professionals are vital for effective healthcare yet there are continuing shortages of these employees. Building on work with other healthcare professionals, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of psychological contract (PC) breach and types of organisational justice on variables important to retention among allied health professionals: mental health and organisational commitment. The potential effects of justice on the negative outcomes of breach were examined. Multiple regressions analysed data from 113 allied health professionals working in a medium-large Australian healthcare organisation. The main negative impacts on respondents' mental health and commitment were from high PC breach, low procedural and distributive justice and less respectful treatment from organisational representatives. The interaction between procedural justice and breach illustrates that breach may be forgivable if processes are fair. Surprisingly, a betrayal or "aggravated breach effect" may occur after a breach when interpersonal justice is high. Further, negative affectivity was negatively related to respondents' mental health (affective outcomes) but not commitment (work-related attitude). Healthcare organisations should ensure the fairness of decisions and avoid breaking promises within their control. If promises cannot reasonably be kept, transparency of processes behind the breach may allow allied health professionals to understand that the organisation did not purposefully fail to fulfil expectations. This study offers insights into how breach and four types of justice interact to influence employee mental health and work attitudes among allied health professionals.

Educational interventions to train healthcare professionals in end-of-life communication: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Chung, Han-Oh; Oczkowski, Simon J W; Hanvey, Louise; Mbuagbaw, Lawrence; You, John J

2016-04-29

Practicing healthcare professionals and graduates exiting training programs are often ill-equipped to facilitate important discussions about end-of-life care with patients and their families. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions aimed at providing healthcare professionals with training in end-of-life communication skills, compared to usual curriculum. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from the date of inception to July 2014 for randomized control trials (RCT) and prospective observational studies of educational training interventions to train healthcare professionals in end-of-life communication skills. To be eligible, interventions had to provide communication skills training related to end-of-life decision making; other interventions (e.g. breaking bad news, providing palliation) were excluded. Our primary outcomes were self-efficacy, knowledge and end-of-life communication scores with standardized patient encounters. Sufficiently similar studies were pooled in a meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Of 5727 candidate articles, 20 studies (6 RCTs, 14 Observational) were included in this review. Compared to usual teaching, educational interventions to train healthcare professionals in end-of-life communication skills were associated with greater self-efficacy (8 studies, standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.57;95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.75; P communication scores (8 studies, SMD 0.69; 95% CI 0.41-0.96; p communication training may improve healthcare professionals' self-efficacy, knowledge, and EoL communication scores compared to usual teaching. Further studies comparing two active educational interventions are recommended with a continued focus on contextually relevant high-level outcomes. PROSPERO CRD42014012913.

Realist synthesis of educational interventions to improve nutrition care competencies and delivery by doctors and other healthcare professionals

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Mogre, Victor; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Stevens, Fred; Aryee, Paul; Cherry, Mary Gemma; Dornan, Tim

2016-01-01

Objective To determine what, how, for whom, why, and in what circumstances educational interventions improve the delivery of nutrition care by doctors and other healthcare professionals work. Design Realist synthesis following a published protocol and reported following Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) guidelines. A multidisciplinary team searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, PsyINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct for published and unpublished (grey) literature. The team identified studies with varied designs; appraised their ability to answer the review question; identified relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes (CMOs); and entered them into a spreadsheet configured for the purpose. The final synthesis identified commonalities across CMO configurations. Results Over half of the 46 studies from which we extracted data originated from the USA. Interventions that improved the delivery of nutrition care improved skills and attitudes rather than just knowledge; provided opportunities for superiors to model nutrition care; removed barriers to nutrition care in health systems; provided participants with local, practically relevant tools and messages; and incorporated non-traditional, innovative teaching strategies. Operating in contexts where student and qualified healthcare professionals provided nutrition care in developed and developing countries, these interventions yielded health outcomes by triggering a range of mechanisms, which included feeling competent, feeling confident and comfortable, having greater self-efficacy, being less inhibited by barriers in healthcare systems and feeling that nutrition care was accepted and recognised. Conclusions These findings show how important it is to move education for nutrition care beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge. They show how educational interventions embedded within systems of healthcare can improve

Healthcare professional versus patient goal setting in intermittent allergic rhinitis.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, J; Seeto, C; Saini, B; Bosnic-Anticevich, S; Krass, I; Armour, C; Smith, L

2008-01-01

To examine the impact of healthcare professional versus patient goal setting for the self-management of intermittent allergic rhinitis (AR) on symptom severity and quality of life. This was a 6 week, parallel group study. Group A participants, with pharmacist facilitation, nominated personally relevant goals and strategies relating to their AR. Group B participants had their goals and strategies set by the pharmacist. The main outcome measures used included perceived symptom severity and quality of life. In addition, goals and strategies data from participants of both groups were collected and analysed. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in symptom severity and quality of life scores however Group B symptom severity scores improved more. Group B set a greater number of goals and strategies which were better structured and more task specific. This is the first study to investigate the impact of goal setting on patient behaviour in a chronic yet episodic illness. Our results suggest that self-management goals set by the healthcare professional which are clinically indicated but tailored to the patient's nominated symptoms yields better outcomes than goals nominated by the patient. A brief, structured intervention, tailored to patient symptoms, can enhance self-management of intermittent allergic rhinitis.

The prevalence of compassion fatigue and burnout among healthcare professionals in intensive care units: A systematic review

OpenAIRE

Mol, Margo; Kompanje, Erwin; Benoit, Dominique; Bakker, Jan; Nijkamp, Marjan; Seedat, Soraya

2015-01-01

textabstractBackground: Working in the stressful environment of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an emotionally charged challenge that might affect the emotional stability of medical staff. The quality of care for ICU patients and their relatives might be threatened through long-term absenteeism or a brain and skill drain if the healthcare professionals leave their jobs prematurely in order to preserve their own health. Purpose: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the literature related...

How healthcare professionals respond to parents with religious objections to vaccination: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruijs, Wilhelmina L M; Hautvast, Jeannine L A; van IJzendoorn, Giovanna; van Ansem, Wilke J C; Elwyn, Glyn; van der Velden, Koos; Hulscher, Marlies E J L

2012-08-01

In recent years healthcare professionals have faced increasing concerns about the value of childhood vaccination and many find it difficult to deal with parents who object to vaccination. In general, healthcare professionals are advised to listen respectfully to the objections of parents, provide honest information, and attempt to correct any misperceptions regarding vaccination. Religious objections are one of the possible reasons for refusing vaccination. Although religious objections have a long history, little is known about the way healthcare professionals deal with these specific objections. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the responding of healthcare professionals to parents with religious objections to the vaccination of their children. A qualitative interview study was conducted with health care professionals (HCPs) in the Netherlands who had ample experience with religious objections to vaccination. Purposeful sampling was applied in order to include HCPs with different professional and religious backgrounds. Data saturation was reached after 22 interviews, with 7 child health clinic doctors, 5 child health clinic nurses and 10 general practitioners. The interviews were thematically analyzed. Two analysts coded, reviewed, discussed, and refined the coding of the transcripts until consensus was reached. Emerging concepts were assessed using the constant comparative method from grounded theory. Three manners of responding to religious objections to vaccination were identified: providing medical information, discussion of the decision-making process, and adoption of an authoritarian stance. All of the HCPs provided the parents with medical information. In addition, some HCPs discussed the decision-making process. They verified how the decision was made and if possible consequences were realized. Sometimes they also discussed religious considerations. Whether the decision-making process was discussed depended on the willingness of the parents to

How healthcare professionals respond to parents with religious objections to vaccination: a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruijs Wilhelmina LM

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years healthcare professionals have faced increasing concerns about the value of childhood vaccination and many find it difficult to deal with parents who object to vaccination. In general, healthcare professionals are advised to listen respectfully to the objections of parents, provide honest information, and attempt to correct any misperceptions regarding vaccination. Religious objections are one of the possible reasons for refusing vaccination. Although religious objections have a long history, little is known about the way healthcare professionals deal with these specific objections. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the responding of healthcare professionals to parents with religious objections to the vaccination of their children. Methods A qualitative interview study was conducted with health care professionals (HCPs in the Netherlands who had ample experience with religious objections to vaccination. Purposeful sampling was applied in order to include HCPs with different professional and religious backgrounds. Data saturation was reached after 22 interviews, with 7 child health clinic doctors, 5 child health clinic nurses and 10 general practitioners. The interviews were thematically analyzed. Two analysts coded, reviewed, discussed, and refined the coding of the transcripts until consensus was reached. Emerging concepts were assessed using the constant comparative method from grounded theory. Results Three manners of responding to religious objections to vaccination were identified: providing medical information, discussion of the decision-making process, and adoption of an authoritarian stance. All of the HCPs provided the parents with medical information. In addition, some HCPs discussed the decision-making process. They verified how the decision was made and if possible consequences were realized. Sometimes they also discussed religious considerations. Whether the decision-making process was

Validation of a 15-item care-related regret coping scale for health-care professionals (RCS-HCP).

Science.gov (United States)

Courvoisier, Delphine Sophie; Cullati, Stephane; Ouchi, Rieko; Schmidt, Ralph Eric; Haller, Guy; Chopard, Pierre; Agoritsas, Thomas; Perneger, Thomas V

2014-01-01

Coping with difficult care-related situations is a common challenge for health-care professionals. How these professionals deal with the regrets they may experience following one of the many decisions and interventions they must make every day can have an impact on their own health and quality of life, and also on their patient care practices. To identify professionals most at need for extra support, development and validation of a tool measuring coping style are needed. We performed a survey of physicians and nurses of a French-speaking University hospital; 469 health-care professionals responded to the survey, and 175 responded to the same survey one-month later. Regret was assessed with the regret coping scale developed for this study, self-report questions on the frequency of regretted situations and the intensity of regret. Construct validity was assessed using measures of health-care professionals' quality of life (including job and life satisfaction, and self-reported health) as well as sleep problems and depression. Based on factor analysis and item response analysis, the initial 31-item scale was shortened to 15 items, which measured three types of strategies: problem-focused strategies (i.e., trying to find solutions, talking to colleagues) and two types of emotion-focused strategies, A (i.e., self-blame, rumination) and B (e.g., acceptance, emotional distance). All subscales showed high internal consistency (α >0.85). Overall, as expected, problem-focused and emotion-focused B strategies correlated with higher quality of life, fewer sleep problems and less depression, and emotion-focused A strategies showed the opposite pattern. The regret coping scale (RCS-HCP) is a valid and reliable measure of coping abilities of hospital-based health-care professionals.

Description of a teaching method for research education for palliative care healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhondali, Wadih; Nguyen, Linh My Thi; Peck, Michelle; Vallet, Fabienne; Daneault, Serge; Filbet, Marilene

2015-04-01

Despite the rapidly growing availability of palliative care services, there is still much to be done in order to better support clinicians who are starting research programs. Among the barriers identified in the literature, methodological issues and lack of research training programs are often reported. Our aim was to describe an educational research method for healthcare professionals working in palliative care and to report the result of a survey conducted among a three-year sample of students. The course was provided for a multidisciplinary group and was open to all healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. It took place over a single session during a full day. We used a 20-question e-survey to assess student outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, current status of their project). We received answers from 83 of the 119 students (70%) who took the course. The majority were physicians (n = 62, 75%), followed by nurses (n = 17, 21%). During the class, students assessed the role of the teacher as an information provider (n = 51, 61%), role model (n = 36, 43%), and facilitator (n = 33, 40%), and considered all of these roles as suitable, with a score of 3.9-4.7 out of 5. Participants reported a high level of support from the teacher, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD, 1.7) out of 10, and good overall satisfaction with a mean score of 7.6 (1.8). Finally, 51 participants (77%) were able to start their research project after the class, 27 (41%) to complete it, and 8 (12%) to submit their research to a journal or conference. Our results suggest that newer teaching methods such as roleplay, group work, and target acquisition are feasible and effective in a palliative research curriculum. Additional studies are needed to confirm the objective outputs of educational interventions, including research outputs.

Oncology healthcare professionals' perspectives on the psychosocial support needs of cancer patients during oncology treatment.

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Aldaz, Bruno E; Treharne, Gareth J; Knight, Robert G; Conner, Tamlin S; Perez, David

2017-09-01

This study explored oncology healthcare professionals' perspectives on the psychosocial support needs of diverse cancer patients during oncology treatment. Six themes were identified using thematic analysis. Healthcare professionals highlighted the importance of their sensitivity, respect and emotional tact during appointments in order to effectively identify and meet the needs of oncology patients. Participants also emphasised the importance of building rapport that recognises patients as people. Patients' acceptance of treatment-related distress and uncertainty was described as required for uptake of available psychosocial supportive services. We offer some practical implications that may help improve cancer patients' experiences during oncology treatment.

Acidentes de trabalho com profissionais de saúde de um hospital universitário Work accidents among healthcare professionals in a university hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanne Alves Bakke

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Esta pesquisa almejou estudar os registros de acidentes de trabalho envolvendo profissionais de saúde em um hospital universitário, determinando as categorias profissionais com maiores índices de ocorrências e os setores mais críticos da organização. Os dados dos registros de acidentes analisados foram: sexo, idade, profissão, local do acidente, tipo de acidente, agente da lesão, área afetada e número de horas entre o início da jornada e a ocorrência do acidente. Os documentos foram obtidos através da Comissão Interna de Prevenção de Acidentes (CIPA do hospital e os dados foram analisados com a aplicação do teste do Qui-Quadrado para avaliar as diferenças entre dados. As mulheres e a equipe de enfermagem foram os mais acometidos e a maioria dos acidentes envolveu material biológico. Houve ocorrência significativa entre 0 e 4 horas após o início da jornada. Estas informações deverão embasar medidas preventivas entre os profissionais de saúde e da administração.This research aimed to study the occurrence of work accidents involving healthcare professionals in a university hospital, determining those professional categories with greatest number of occurrences and the most critical sectors in the organization. The data analyzed from the work accidents register were: sex, age, profession, place of accident, type of accident, cause of lesion, affected area and number of hours between the beginning of the work journey to the accident. The documents were obtained through the Comissão Interna de Prevenção de Acidentes (CIPA, and data were analyzed with Qui-Square Test. Female individuals and the nursing team were the most affected, and most of the accidents involved biological material. There were significant occurrences between 0 and 4 hours after the beginning of the work journey. Information from this study should provide a basis for preventive measures among health and administrative professionals.

(De)stabilizing Self-Identities in Professional Work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buch, Anders; Andersen, Vibeke

2013-01-01

It is characteristic of much professional work that it is performed in ambiguous contexts. Thus, uncertainty, unpredictability, indeterminacy, and recurrent organizational transformations are an integral part of modern work for, e.g., engineers, lawyers, business consultants, and other profession......It is characteristic of much professional work that it is performed in ambiguous contexts. Thus, uncertainty, unpredictability, indeterminacy, and recurrent organizational transformations are an integral part of modern work for, e.g., engineers, lawyers, business consultants, and other...... implications for the way professionals make sense of their work and their own identities. The identity work of professionals is interwoven with their professional training and career background. With an academic training and a professional career, the individual typically identifies with the profession...

Healthcare professionals and managers' participation in developing an intervention: A pre-intervention study in the elderly care context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bergman Howard

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to increase the chances of success in new interventions in healthcare, it is generally recommended to tailor the intervention to the target setting and the target professionals. Nonetheless, pre-intervention studies are rarely conducted or are very limited in scope. Moreover, little is known about how to integrate the results of a pre-intervention study into an intervention. As part of a project to develop an intervention aimed at improving care for the elderly in France, a pre-intervention study was conducted to systematically gather data on the current practices, issues, and expectations of healthcare professionals and managers in order to determine the defining features of a successful intervention. Methods A qualitative study was carried out from 2004 to 2006 using a grounded theory approach and involving a purposeful sample of 56 healthcare professionals and managers in Paris, France. Four sources of evidence were used: interviews, focus groups, observation, and documentation. Results The stepwise approach comprised three phases, and each provided specific results. In the first step of the pre-intervention study, we gathered data on practices, perceived issues, and expectations of healthcare professionals and managers. The second step involved holding focus groups in order to define the characteristics of a tailor-made intervention. The third step allowed validation of the findings. Using this approach, we were able to design and develop an intervention in elderly care that met the professionals' and managers' expectations. Conclusion This article reports on an in-depth pre-intervention study that led to the design and development of an intervention in partnership with local healthcare professionals and managers. The stepwise approach represents an innovative strategy for developing tailored interventions, particularly in complex domains such as chronic care. It highlights the usefulness of seeking out the

Job Demands, Burnout, and Teamwork in Healthcare Professionals Working in a General Hospital that Was Analysed At Two Points in Time.

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Mijakoski, Dragan; Karadzhinska-Bislimovska, Jovanka; Stoleski, Sasho; Minov, Jordan; Atanasovska, Aneta; Bihorac, Elida

2018-04-15

The purpose of the paper was to assess job demands, burnout, and teamwork in healthcare professionals (HPs) working in a general hospital that was analysed at two points in time with a time lag of three years. Time 1 respondents (N = 325) were HPs who participated during the first wave of data collection (2011). Time 2 respondents (N = 197) were HPs from the same hospital who responded at Time 2 (2014). Job demands, burnout, and teamwork were measured with Hospital Experience Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, respectively. Significantly higher scores of emotional exhaustion (21.03 vs. 15.37, t = 5.1, p job demands were found at Time 2. Teamwork levels were similar at both points in time (Time 1 = 3.84 vs. Time 2 = 3.84, t = 0.043, p = 0.97). Actual longitudinal study revealed significantly higher mean values of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in 2014 that could be explained by significantly increased job demands between analysed points in time.

Knowledge of risk factors, beliefs and practices of female healthcare professionals towards breast cancer, Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanem, Samia; Glaoui, Meriem; Elkhoyaali, Siham; Mesmoudi, Mohamed; Boutayeb, Saber; Errihani, Hassan

2011-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in Morocco. Screening for early detection has led to reduction in mortality from the disease. It is known that female healthcare professionals have greater influence on women's positive perception of breast cancer and motivation to practice screening methods for early detection of the disease. This study aims to investigate knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, beliefs about treatment and practice of screening methods among a cohort of female healthcare professionals in Morocco. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire to assess the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, beliefs about treatment and practice of screening methods among 136 female doctors and nurses working in the university hospital of Rabat, Morocco. Stratified random sampling method was employed. Chi square test, analysis of variance and Mantel-Haenszel test were performed in data analysis using SPSS v19.0. Female doctors were the only professional group that had satisfactory knowledge of risk factors while the nurses had an unsatisfactory knowledge with a mean score of 43%. A half of participants believed that that herbal therapy can cure breast cancer. 75% practice breast self-examination once a month and only 15% have ever had a mammogram. Age, profession and beliefs were not significantly associated with rate of BSE in this study; however this rate is influenced by knowledge of breast cancer risk factors. Results from this study suggest the need for continuing medical education programs aimed at improving knowledge of breast cancer among the nurses.

Communicating with Healthcare Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

... at follow-up appointments by talking with your healthcare team about your concerns, asking questions and getting ... from the time you spend with all your healthcare providers, not just your doctor. Use the skills ...

Professional conceptualisation and accomplishment of patient safety in mental healthcare: an ethnographic approach

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Braithwaite Jeffrey

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study seeks to broaden current understandings of what patient safety means in mental healthcare and how it is accomplished. We propose a qualitative observational study of how safety is produced or not produced in the complex context of everyday professional mental health practice. Such an approach intentionally contrasts with much patient safety research which assumes that safety is achieved and improved through top-down policy directives. We seek instead to understand and articulate the connections and dynamic interactions between people, materials, and organisational, legal, moral, professional and historical safety imperatives as they come together at particular times and places to perform safe or unsafe practice. As such we advocate an understanding of patient safety 'from the ground up'. Methods/Design The proposed project employs a six-phase data collection framework in two mental health settings: an inpatient unit and a community team. The first four phases comprise multiple modes of focussed, unobtrusive observation of professionals at work, to enable us to trace the conceptualisation and enactment of safety as revealed in dialogue and narrative, use of artefacts and space, bodily activity and patterns of movement, and in the accomplishment of specific work tasks. An interview phase and a social network analysis phase will subsequently be conducted to offer comparative perspectives on the observational data. This multi-modal and holistic approach to studying patient safety will complement existing research, which is dominated by instrumentalist approaches to discovering factors contributing to error, or developing interventions to prevent or manage adverse events. Discussion This ethnographic research framework, informed by the principles of practice theories and in particular actor-network ideas, provides a tool to aid the understanding of patient safety in mental healthcare. The approach is novel in that it

Professional conceptualisation and accomplishment of patient safety in mental healthcare: an ethnographic approach

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background This study seeks to broaden current understandings of what patient safety means in mental healthcare and how it is accomplished. We propose a qualitative observational study of how safety is produced or not produced in the complex context of everyday professional mental health practice. Such an approach intentionally contrasts with much patient safety research which assumes that safety is achieved and improved through top-down policy directives. We seek instead to understand and articulate the connections and dynamic interactions between people, materials, and organisational, legal, moral, professional and historical safety imperatives as they come together at particular times and places to perform safe or unsafe practice. As such we advocate an understanding of patient safety 'from the ground up'. Methods/Design The proposed project employs a six-phase data collection framework in two mental health settings: an inpatient unit and a community team. The first four phases comprise multiple modes of focussed, unobtrusive observation of professionals at work, to enable us to trace the conceptualisation and enactment of safety as revealed in dialogue and narrative, use of artefacts and space, bodily activity and patterns of movement, and in the accomplishment of specific work tasks. An interview phase and a social network analysis phase will subsequently be conducted to offer comparative perspectives on the observational data. This multi-modal and holistic approach to studying patient safety will complement existing research, which is dominated by instrumentalist approaches to discovering factors contributing to error, or developing interventions to prevent or manage adverse events. Discussion This ethnographic research framework, informed by the principles of practice theories and in particular actor-network ideas, provides a tool to aid the understanding of patient safety in mental healthcare. The approach is novel in that it seeks to articulate an 'anatomy

Quality care provision for older people: an interview study with patients and primary healthcare professionals

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van de Pol, Marjolein Helena Johanna; Fluit, Cornelia Rita Maria Gertruda; Lagro, Joep; Niessen, Danielle; Rikkert, Marcellinus Gerardus Maria Olde; Lagro-Janssen, Antoinette Leonarda Maria

2015-01-01

Background In recent years, primary health care for the ageing population has become increasingly complex. Aim This study sought to explore the views and needs of healthcare professionals and older patients relating to primary care in order to identify focal areas for improving primary health care for older people. Design and setting This research was structured as a mixed interview study with focus groups and individual interviews. Participants were made up of primary healthcare professionals and older patients. Patients were recruited from five elderly care homes in a small city in the southern part of the Netherlands. Method All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by two individual researchers applying constant comparative analysis. Data collection proceeded until saturation was reached. Results Participants in the study agreed about the need for primary care for older patients, and showed sympathy with one another’s perspectives. They did note, however, a number of obstacles hindering good healthcare provision. The major themes that arose were: ‘autonomy and independence’, ‘organisational barriers’, and ‘professional expertise’. Participants generally noted that it is important to clarify differences in perspectives about good care between patients and healthcare professionals. Conclusion Effective primary care intervention for older patients requires mutual understanding of the expectations and goals of all parties involved. There are a number of important requirements, especially accessible patient information in the form of care plans; specialist training for nurses and GPs on complex care and multimorbidity; and training on discussing autonomy, goal setting, and shared care. Further improvement in health care for older people and its evaluation research should focus on these requirements. PMID:26212845

Reflections on two years after establishing an orthogeriatric unit: a focus group study of healthcare professionals' expectations and experiences.

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Abrahamsen, C; Nørgaard, B; Draborg, E; Nielsen, D

2017-08-25

For decades hospitals have been "vertically" organized, with the risk that specialization leads to fragmented and one-sided views of patient care and treatment that may cause poor communication and coordination of care and treatment. Two years after the introduction of an orthogeriatric unit for elderly patients admitted with fragility fractures, we studied the involved healthcare professionals' perspectives and experiences with working in an interprofessional organization. We performed four focus groups interviews with 19 healthcare workers representing different professions. The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation (STC). Three themes were identified: 1) A patient-centred approach, 2) An opportunity for professional growth and 3) The benefits of interprofessional collaboration. The interviewees emphasized in particular the systematic and frequent face-to-face communication enabled by the interprofessional team meetings as essential to their feeling of enhanced collegial solidarity. All groups expressed their respect for other groups' competences and their vital contributions to good orthogeriatric care. However, collaboration was challenged by the groups' divergent views of the patients and of the relevance of the information given in the weekly meetings. Heavy workloads were also mentioned. The opportunity for professional growth was also felt to be imperilled by some professionals. All participants indicated their view that the orthogeriatric organization had improved the quality of care and treatment. Furthermore, good communication, mutual respect for other professional competences and shared goals were found to have enhanced interprofessional collaboration and improved the sense of having a shared mission. However, differences in approaches and expectations continued to challenge the orthogeriatric model after 2 years. Neither did all professionals find orthogeriatric care professionally challenging.

Introducing simulation-based education to healthcare professionals: exploring the challenge of integrating theory into educational practice.

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Katoue, Maram G; Iblagh, Nadia; Somerville, Susan; Ker, Jean

2015-11-01

Introducing simulation-based education to the curricular programme of healthcare professionals can be challenging. This study explored the early experiences of healthcare professionals in the use of simulation. This was in the context of the Kuwait-Scotland transformational health innovation network programme. Two cohorts of healthcare professionals undertook a simulation module as part of faculty development programme in Kuwait. Participants' initial perceptions of simulators were gathered using a structured questionnaire in the clinical skills centre. Their subsequent ability to demonstrate the application of simulation was evaluated through analyses of the video-recordings of teaching sessions they undertook and written reflections of their experiences of using simulation. In theory, participants were able to identify simulators' classification and fidelity. They also recognised some of the challenges of using simulators. In their teaching sessions, most participants focused on using part-task trainers to teach procedural skills. In their written reflections, they did not articulate a justification for their choice of simulator or its limitations. This study demonstrated a theory-to-practice gap in the early use of simulation by healthcare educators. The findings highlight the need for deliberate practice and adequate mentorship for educators to develop confidence and competence in the use of simulation as part of their educational practice. © The Author(s) 2015.

Integrated palliative care is about professional networking rather than standardisation of care: A qualitative study with healthcare professionals in 19 integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries.

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den Herder-van der Eerden, Marlieke; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen; Payne, Sheila; Preston, Nancy; Linge-Dahl, Lisa; Radbruch, Lukas; Van Beek, Karen; Menten, Johan; Busa, Csilla; Csikos, Agnes; Vissers, Kris; van Gurp, Jelle; Hasselaar, Jeroen

2018-06-01

Integrated palliative care aims at improving coordination of palliative care services around patients' anticipated needs. However, international comparisons of how integrated palliative care is implemented across four key domains of integrated care (content of care, patient flow, information logistics and availability of (human) resources and material) are lacking. To examine how integrated palliative care takes shape in practice across abovementioned key domains within several integrated palliative care initiatives in Europe. Qualitative group interview design. A total of 19 group interviews were conducted (2 in Belgium, 4 in the Netherlands, 4 in the United Kingdom, 4 in Germany and 5 in Hungary) with 142 healthcare professionals from several integrated palliative care initiatives in five European countries. The majority were nurses ( n = 66; 46%) and physicians ( n = 50; 35%). The dominant strategy for fostering integrated palliative care is building core teams of palliative care specialists and extended professional networks based on personal relationships, shared norms, values and mutual trust, rather than developing standardised information exchange and referral pathways. Providing integrated palliative care with healthcare professionals in the wider professional community appears difficult, as a shared proactive multidisciplinary palliative care approach is lacking, and healthcare professionals often do not know palliative care professionals or services. Achieving better palliative care integration into regular healthcare and convincing the wider professional community is a difficult task that will take time and effort. Enhancing standardisation of palliative care into education, referral pathways and guidelines and standardised information exchange may be necessary. External authority (policy makers, insurance companies and professional bodies) may be needed to support integrated palliative care practices across settings.

The Empathic Process and Misconceptions that Lead to Burnout in Healthcare Professionals.

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Villacieros, Marta; Olmos, Ricardo; Bermejo, José Carlos

2017-12-04

Empathy has been identified as a relevant variable in order to predict burnout in healthcare professionals. In addition, assertiveness and self-esteem have been considered relevant variables to develop empathic capacity. In the other hand, misconceptions surrounding empathy constitute a risk factor for burnout. Two adult samples (N = 252 and N = 275) were used to explore and confirm the underlying structure of two questionnaires. The Exercise of Process of Empathy (EPE) scale (18 items) confirmatory factor analysis including 5 dimensions (cognitive and emotional comprehension, attention, clarity and assertiveness), showed reasonable goodness- of-fit indices χ2(130) = 269.63, p empathy scale (16 items) confirmatory factor analysis, including 3 dimensions (feeling, confluence and character misconceptions) also obtained reasonable goodness-of-fit indices χ 2 (101) = 250.59, p empathy process) a protection factor (b* = -.183). The model partially explains how misconceptions empathy process and self-esteem (b* = -.334) relate to burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals; what is more, it heralds a potential means to prevent it.

'I think it will eventually be done away with': Attitudes among healthcare professionals towards the current system of animal experimentation.

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Dignon, Andrée

2016-08-01

This article describes a study of attitudes to the current system of animal experimentation (for the production of health interventions) among 52 UK healthcare professionals. These healthcare professionals participated in three separate focus groups (of 18, 17 and 17 participants) and were invited to respond to the question 'what is your opinion about the current system of animal testing?' The study focused specifically on their views of the current system (rather than their views of animal testing in general). The healthcare professionals were critical of the current system, particularly with regard to regulation, secrecy, validity, unnecessary suffering and welfare. © The Author(s) 2014.

Perceptions of telecare training needs in home healthcare services: a focus group study.

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Guise, Veslemøy; Wiig, Siri

2017-02-23

The implementation and use of telecare requires significant changes to healthcare service organisation and delivery, including new ways of working for staff. Competency development and training for healthcare professionals is therefore required to enable necessary adaptation of clinical practice and ensure competent provision of telecare services. It is however unclear what skills healthcare staff need when providing care at a distance and there is little empirical evidence on effective training strategies for telecare practice. Training should however emphasise the experiences and preferences of prospective trainees to ensure its relevance to their educational needs. The aim of this study was to explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of training related to the general use of telecare, and to identify specific training needs associated with the use of virtual visits in the home healthcare services. Six focus group interviews were held with a total of 26 participants working in the home healthcare services in Norway, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, health workers, and healthcare assistants. The data material was analysed by way of systematic text condensation. The analysis resulted in five categories relevant to telecare training for healthcare professionals: Purposeful training creates confidence and changes attitudes; Training needs depend on ability to cope with telecare; The timing of training; Training must facilitate practical insight into the patients' perspective; and Training content must focus on the telecare process. Findings are discussed in light of implications for the form and content of a training program for healthcare professionals on how to undertake virtual home healthcare visits. Appropriate preparation and training for telecare use is important for healthcare professionals and must be taken seriously by healthcare organisations. To facilitate the knowledge, skills

A qualitative thematic review: emotional labour in healthcare settings.

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Riley, Ruth; Weiss, Marjorie C

2016-01-01

To identify the range of emotional labour employed by healthcare professionals in a healthcare setting and implications of this for staff and organisations. In a healthcare setting, emotional labour is the act or skill involved in the caring role, in recognizing the emotions of others and in managing our own. A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies which included emotion work theory in their design, employed qualitative methods and were situated in a healthcare setting. The reporting of the review was informed by the ENTREQ framework. 6 databases were searched between 1979-2014. Studies were included if they were qualitative, employed emotion work theory and were written in English. Papers were appraised and themes identified. Thirteen papers were included. The reviewed studies identified four key themes: (1) The professionalization of emotion and gendered aspects of emotional labour; (2) Intrapersonal aspects of emotional labour - how healthcare workers manage their own emotions in the workplace; (3) Collegial and organisational sources of emotional labour; (4) Support and training needs of professionals This review identified gendered, personal, organisational, collegial and socio-cultural sources of and barriers to emotional labour in healthcare settings. The review highlights the importance of ensuring emotional labour is recognized and valued, ensuring support and supervision is in place to enable staff to cope with the varied emotional demands of their work. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Psychological rumination and recovery from work in intensive care professionals: associations with stress, burnout, depression and health.

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Vandevala, Tushna; Pavey, Louisa; Chelidoni, Olga; Chang, Nai-Feng; Creagh-Brown, Ben; Cox, Anna

2017-01-01

The work demands of critical care can be a major cause of stress in intensive care unit (ICU) professionals and lead to poor health outcomes. In the process of recovery from work, psychological rumination is considered to be an important mediating variable in the relationship between work demands and health outcomes. This study aimed to extend our knowledge of the process by which ICU stressors and differing rumination styles are associated with burnout, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity among ICU professionals. Ninety-six healthcare professionals (58 doctors and 38 nurses) who work in ICUs in the UK completed a questionnaire on ICU-related stressors, burnout, work-related rumination, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity. Significant associations between ICU stressors, affective rumination, burnout, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity were found. Longer working hours were also related to increased ICU stressors. Affective rumination (but not problem-solving pondering or distraction detachment) mediated the relationship between ICU stressors, burnout, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity, such that increased ICU stressors, and greater affective rumination, were associated with greater burnout, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity. No moderating effects were observed. Longer working hours were associated with increased ICU stressors, and increased ICU stressors conferred greater burnout, depression and risk of psychiatric morbidity via increased affective rumination. The importance of screening healthcare practitioners within intensive care for depression, burnout and psychiatric morbidity has been highlighted. Future research should evaluate psychological interventions which target rumination style and could be made available to those at highest risk. The efficacy and cost effectiveness of delivering these interventions should also be considered.

Prevalence of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among professionals of the primary healthcare network

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Tássia Silvana Borges

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To estimate the prevalence of latent M. tuberculosis infection and identify characteristics related to latent infection among workers of the primary healthcare network.Methods: Cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study, conducted in 2011, included 137 basic health workers who performed their activities in a municipality. Interviews were carried out addressing characteristics of exposure at work (BCG vaccination, length of time working in the health system, potential exposure to tuberculosis, HIV infection, use of corticosteroids, diabetes, use of tobacco or alcohol and subsequently performed tuberculin skin test (TST. Data was analyzed with Fischer and Student’s t-test (p < 0.05. Results: Health professionals were mostly women (n=126, 92% with mean age of 35.3 (± 9.1 years. Among the reactors, 25 (55.5% sought medical care, and of these, 7 (28% underwent prophylactic treatment. The prevalence of latent tuberculosis was 32.8%. Of the characteristics evaluated, only smoking (OR 3.03; 95%CI 1.05-8.77 was associated with latent infection. Conclusion: The estimated prevalence of latent M. tuberculosis infection among the evaluated health workers was 32.8%. As for the characteristics studied, it was not possible to relate them to latent infection among workers in primary healthcare network, with the exception of the smoking habit. doi: 10.5020/18061230.2014.p269

[The construction of professional images of healthcare assistants and registered nurses].

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Robin, Dominik; Schaffert, René

2016-02-01

In the field of nursing in Switzerland, educations have experienced a fundamental reorganization with the implementation of the new law on Vocational and Professional Education and Training (2004). Among other things, this change affects professional images. To show how the different professional images in the field of nursing are being constructed in the descriptions of professions by graduates after the reshaping of the educations and the occupational field in general. In 110 semi-structured interviews, healthcare assistants and registered nurses (college diploma and Bachelor of Science) in their early careers were asked to explain their professional image. The participant's answers were analysed based on a qualitative content analysis and considering the theoretical background of Berger and Luckmann (1977). The interviews show that professional images emerge on the interaction of societal attributes and individual processes of adoption and revision. Graduates are challenged to adjust stereotypes and to achieve a balance between their own professional image and a missing or inappropriately perceived societal image. There should be further emphasis on the differentiation between the professions and the different educations in the field of nursing in order to achieve a better public perception of the different professions.

[Digital health as a motor for change towards new healthcare models and the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. Disruption of healthcare processes].

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Garcia-Cuyàs, Francesc; de San Pedro, Marc; Martínez Roldan, Jordi

2015-11-01

We find ourselves at the end of an era of asymmetry in the domain of health information where the majority of this data is in the hands of the healthcare system. Increasingly, the public are calling for a more central role in the new paradigm that enables them to duly exercise their right of access to their health data while availing of more reliable and safer technologies which contribute to the management of their condition and promote healthy lifestyles. So far, the TIC Salud strategic plan has been developed independently from the Generalitat de Catalunya Health Department's Healthcare Plan, which sets out health policy strategy in Catalonia. However, from its initial design stage the new Healthcare Plan (2016- 2020) envisages incorporating a new strategic Information and communications technology (ICT) line called "Digital Health". Incorporating ICT into the Health Plan will allow these technologies to become integral part of all strategic healthcare processes, acting as a driving force for a shift towards a new healthcare models and an innovative relationship between the public and healthcare professionals. The Digital Health implies a disruption in itself, by way of the convergence of several technologies and their positive impact on health and healthcare procedures, by way of the public's access to information concerning their health, and by creating new opportunities for promoting health and the salutogenic paradigm which empowers people to develop their health, welfare and quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Interventions for sustained healthcare professional behaviour change: a protocol for an overview of reviews.

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Dombrowski, Stephan U; Campbell, Pauline; Frost, Helen; Pollock, Alex; McLellan, Julie; MacGillivray, Steve; Gavine, Anna; Maxwell, Margaret; O'Carroll, Ronan; Cheyne, Helen; Presseau, Justin; Williams, Brian

2016-10-13

Failure to successfully implement and sustain change over the long term continues to be a major problem in health and social care. Translating evidence into routine clinical practice is notoriously complex, and it is recognised that to implement new evidence-based interventions and sustain them over time, professional behaviour needs to change accordingly. A number of theories and frameworks have been developed to support behaviour change among health and social care professionals, and models of sustainability are emerging, but few have translated into valid and reliable interventions. The long-term success of healthcare professional behavioural change interventions is variable, and the characteristics of successful interventions unclear. Previous reviews have synthesised the evidence for behaviour change, but none have focused on sustainability. In addition, multiple overlapping reviews have reported inconsistent results, which do not aid translation of evidence into practice. Overviews of reviews can provide accessible succinct summaries of evidence and address barriers to evidence-based practice. We aim to compile an overview of reviews, identifying, appraising and synthesising evidence relating to sustained social and healthcare professional behaviour change. We will conduct a systematic review of Cochrane reviews (an Overview). We plan to systematically search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We will include all systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials comparing a healthcare professional targeted behaviour change intervention to a standard care or no intervention control group. Two reviewers will independently assess the eligibility of the reviews and the methodological quality of included reviews using the ROBIS tool. The quality of evidence within each comparison in each review will be judged based on the GRADE criteria. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion. Effects of interventions will be systematically tabulated and the

Shared communication processes within healthcare teams for rare diseases and their influence on healthcare professionals' innovative behavior and patient satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budych Karolina

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A rare disease is a pattern of symptoms that afflicts less than five in 10,000 patients. However, as about 6,000 different rare disease patterns exist, they still have significant epidemiological relevance. We focus on rare diseases that affect multiple organs and thus demand that multidisciplinary healthcare professionals (HCPs work together. In this context, standardized healthcare processes and concepts are mainly lacking, and a deficit of knowledge induces uncertainty and ambiguity. As such, individualized solutions for each patient are needed. This necessitates an intensive level of innovative individual behavior and thus, adequate idea generation. The final implementation of new healthcare concepts requires the integration of the expertise of all healthcare team members, including that of the patients. Therefore, knowledge sharing between HCPs and shared decision making between HCPs and patients are important. The objective of this study is to assess the contribution of shared communication and decision-making processes in patient-centered healthcare teams to the generation of innovative concepts and consequently to improvements in patient satisfaction. Methods A theoretical framework covering interaction processes and explorative outcomes, and using patient satisfaction as a measure for operational performance, was developed based on healthcare management, innovation, and social science literature. This theoretical framework forms the basis for a three-phase, mixed-method study. Exploratory phase I will first involve collecting qualitative data to detect central interaction barriers within healthcare teams. The results are related back to theory, and testable hypotheses will be derived. Phase II then comprises the testing of hypotheses through a quantitative survey of patients and their HCPs in six different rare disease patterns. For each of the six diseases, the sample should comprise an average of 30 patients with

3D Printing Prototypes for Healthcare Professionals: Creating a Reciprocating Syringe.

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Rothenberg, Steven; Abdullah, Selwan; Hirsch, Jeffrey

2017-10-01

3D printing (additive manufacturing) has been around since 1984, but interest in the technology has increased exponentially as it has become both accessible and inexpensive. The applications of the technology in healthcare are still being explored; however, initial forays have been encouraging. It has the potential to revolutionize the process of prototyping for healthcare professionals by democratizing the process and enhancing collaboration, making it cheaper to do iterative prototyping with little or no engineering experience. This case report details the creation of a multi-lumen reciprocating syringe with 3D printing. The product has been created and tested using a variety of publicly available resources. It provides a detailed overview of the approach and the framework required to create such a medical device. However, the implications of this report are much larger than this one product, and the fundamental ideas discussed here could be used for creating customized solutions for many healthcare problems.

Building Bridges between healthcare professionals, patients and families: A coproduced and integrated approach to self-management support in stroke.

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Jones, Fiona; Pöstges, Heide; Brimicombe, Lucinda

2016-10-14

Programmes providing self-management support for patients and families are gaining attention and have shown promising outcomes with regards to reducing long-term unmet needs post stroke. However, notions of what good self-management support looks like can differ depending on professional opinion, individual preferences, skills and experiences of patients and their families as well as on how care and rehabilitation is organised in a particular healthcare setting. This resonates with the perspective of patient-centred care, according to which the meaning of good care is not universal, but rather jointly shaped between healthcare professionals and patients in everyday interactions. While self-management support is continuously co-produced in care and rehabilitation practices, most self-management programmes are typically provided as an 'add-on' to existing statutory care. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of how self-management support can be made an integral part of everyday care and rehabilitation using Bridges methodology. The authors provide a self-reflective account on 'Bridges' an integrated approach to self-management support, which is used by healthcare professionals within acute and community stroke rehabilitation across the UK, and in some parts of New Zealand and Australia. Bridges is based on self-efficacy principles, but has a central aim of professionals sharing decision-making and expertise with patients and families in every healthcare interaction. Methodologically, the co-production of a Bridges support package with local healthcare professionals and patients is critical. The authors present the values articulated by the support package and how it engages professionals, patients and Bridges training facilitators in a continuous process of adjusting and re-adjusting situated self-management support practices. Our reflections reveal the need to consider development and implementation of self-management support as one and the same on

'Wouldn't it be easier if you continued to be a guy?' - a qualitative interview study of transsexual persons' experiences of encounters with healthcare professionals.

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von Vogelsang, Ann-Christin; Milton, Camilla; Ericsson, Ingrid; Strömberg, Lars

2016-12-01

To describe transsexual persons' experiences of encounters with healthcare professionals during the sex reassignment process. Transsexual persons are individuals who use varying means to alter their natal sex via hormones and/or surgery. Transsexual persons may experience stigma, which increases the risk of psychological distress. Mistreatments by healthcare professionals are common. Qualitative studies addressing transsexual persons' experiences of healthcare are scarce. Qualitative descriptive design. A Swedish non-clinical convenience sample was used, consisting of six persons who had been diagnosed as transsexual, gone through sex reassignment surgery or were at the time of the interview awaiting surgery. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken, and data were analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. Three categories and 15 subcategories were identified. The encounters were perceived as good when healthcare professionals showed respect and preserved the transsexual person's integrity, acted in a professional manner and were responsive and built trust and confidence. However, the participants experienced that healthcare professionals varied in their level of knowledge, exploited their position of power, withheld information, expressed gender stereotypical attitudes and often used the wrong name. They felt vulnerable by having a condescending view of themselves, and they could not choose not to be transsexual. They felt dependent on healthcare professionals, and that the external demands were high. Transsexual persons are in a vulnerable position during the sex reassignment surgery process. The encounters in healthcare could be negatively affected if healthcare professionals show inadequate knowledge, exploit their position of power or express gender stereotypical attitudes. A good encounter is characterised by preserved integrity, respect, responsiveness and trust. Improved education on transgender issues in nursing and medical education is

Lean in healthcare from employees' perspectives.

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Drotz, Erik; Poksinska, Bozena

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to contribute toward a deeper understanding of the new roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of employees in Lean healthcare organizations. The paper is based on three cases studies of healthcare organizations that are regarded as successful examples of Lean applications in the healthcare context. Data were collected by methods including interviews, observations, and document studies. The implementation of Lean in healthcare settings has had a great influence on the roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of the employees. The focus has shifted from healthcare professionals, where clinical autonomy and professional skills have been the guarding principles of patient care, to process improvement and teamwork. Different job characteristics may make it difficult to implement certain Lean practices in healthcare. Teamwork and decentralization of authority are examples of Lean practices that could be considered countercultural because of the strong professional culture and uneven power distribution, with doctors as the dominant decision makers. Teamwork, value flow orientation, and company-wide involvement in CI were associated with positive effects on the organizations' working environment, staff development, and organizational performance. In order to succeed with Lean healthcare, it is important to understand and recognize the differences in job characteristics between Lean manufacturing and healthcare. This paper provides insights into how Lean implementation changes the roles, responsibilities, and job characteristics of healthcare staff and the challenges and implications that may follow from this.

Structured-Exercise-Program (SEP): An Effective Training Approach to Key Healthcare Professionals

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Miazi, Mosharaf H.; Hossain, Taleb; Tiroyakgosi, C.

2014-01-01

Structured exercise program is an effective approach to technology dependent resource limited healthcare area for professional training. The result of a recently conducted data analysis revealed this. The aim of the study is to know the effectiveness of the applied approach that was designed to observe the level of adherence to newly adopted…

Healthcare associated infection: good practices, knowledge and the locus of control in heatlhcare professionals.

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Taffurelli, Chiara; Sollami, Alfonso; Camera, Carmen; Federa, Francesca; Grandi, Annise; Marino, Marcella; Marrosu, Tiziano; Sarli, Leopoldo

2017-07-18

  The incidence of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) is an important indicator of the quality of care. The behaviors associated with the prevention of infections are not only supported by rational knowledge or motivation, but are mediated by social, emotional and often stereotyped behaviors. The awarness of the good practices related to HAI, may be a factor. Other studies, identify how the perception of the problem in healthcare professionals is often influenced by a tendency towards an external Locus of Control: the patient, the family, the other wards, other care settings. The aim of this study is to investigate the perception of healthcare professionals. In particular they have been measured their  awarness of the good practices, perceptions of the potential contamination level of some commonly used objects, knowledge about the management of invasive devices, Locus of Control.   A cross-sectional correlational design was utilized.  An ad hoc questionnaire was interviewed by 222 health professionals nurses and physicians in a northern hospital of Italy. The percentage of professionals who have attended training courses over the last 5 years was quite high, both for upgrades on HAI (78.7%) and Vascular Catheters (78.8%), while the percentage of professionals who updated on bladder catheterization (59.46%) was lower. The mean  score of good practice awareness towards HAI (5.06), is high. The perception of the potential level of contamination of some devices had a  mean ranging from 4.62 (for the drip) to 5.26 (for the door handle). The average value of the Locus of Control (43.54) indicates that participants demonstrated a value that is midway between External and Internal. The correlation test analysis revealed no significant relationships among professionals'age, knowledge about HAI, or infection related venus catheter. Also, results revealed that there were statistically significant positive relationships between professionals' Good Practices

The healthcare professional and the Bolam test.

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Jones, J W

2000-03-11

This article will cover the history of the tort of negligence and how the judgement in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson enabled the courts to 'develop the law' to allow the concept of a 'duty of care' to develop which was extended to include healthcare professionals. The Bolam test is then described and how it has come to play such a prominent role in assisting the courts to assess if an appropriate standard has been achieved in medical negligence litigation. Attempts by the courts to move away from Bolam are discussed and the difficulties encountered because of the reluctance of the appellate courts to approve such decisions. Finally the recent House of Lords decision in Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority is examined and the implications this may have on the Bolam test.

'Just wait then and see what he does': a speech act analysis of healthcare professionals' interaction coaching with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

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McKnight, Lindsay M; O'Malley-Keighran, Mary-Pat; Carroll, Clare

2016-11-01

There is evidence indicating that parent training programmes including interaction coaching of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can increase parental responsiveness, promote language development and social interaction skills in children with ASD. However, there is a lack of research exploring precisely how healthcare professionals use language in interaction coaching. To identify the speech acts of healthcare professionals during individual video-recorded interaction coaching sessions of a Hanen-influenced parent training programme with parents of children with ASD. This retrospective study used speech act analysis. Healthcare professional participants included two speech-language therapists and one occupational therapist. Sixteen videos were transcribed and a speech act analysis was conducted to identify the form and functions of the language used by the healthcare professionals. Descriptive statistics provided frequencies and percentages for the different speech acts used across the 16 videos. Six types of speech acts used by the healthcare professionals during coaching sessions were identified. These speech acts were, in order of frequency: Instructing, Modelling, Suggesting, Commanding, Commending and Affirming. The healthcare professionals were found to tailor their interaction coaching to the learning needs of the parents. A pattern was observed in which more direct speech acts were used in instances where indirect speech acts did not achieve the intended response. The study provides an insight into the nature of interaction coaching provided by healthcare professionals during a parent training programme. It identifies the types of language used during interaction coaching. It also highlights additional important aspects of interaction coaching such as the ability of healthcare professionals to adjust the directness of the coaching in order to achieve the intended parental response to the child's interaction. The findings may be used

Dysfunctional Effects of a Conflict in a Healthcare Organization.

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Raykova, Ekaterina L; Semerjieva, Mariya A; Yordanov, Georgi Y; Cherkezov, Todor D

2015-01-01

Conflicts in healthcare settings are quite common events because of the continuous changes and transformations today's healthcare organizations are undergoing and the vigorous interaction between the medical professionals working in them. To survey the opinions of medical professionals about the possible destructive effects of conflicts on them in the workplace. We conducted a direct individual survey of 279 medical employees at four general hospitals. We used a set of questions that reflect the negative effects and consequences of conflict on healthcare professionals as direct or indirect participants. All data were analysed using the descriptive statistics and non-parametric analysis at a significance level for the null hypothesis of p Workplace conflicts contribute a lot to the stress, psychological tension and emotional exhaustion medical professionals are exposed to. The confrontation the conflict brings the participants into acts as a catalyst of the conflict and enhances the manifestation of hostile actions. A conflict generates a situation which has an impact on the behaviour of all participants involved in it giving rise to emotional states such as anger, aggression and reproaches. The destructive consequences resulting from a conflict are seen in the reduced work satisfaction and demotivation to perform the work activity. The contradictions that arise as a result affect negatively the team cooperation and obstruct the collaborative efforts in solving the problems in the healthcare setting. A conflict in a healthcare setting exerts a considerable destructive effect on an employee, therefore it requires prompt identification and effective intervention to minimise its unfavourable outcomes.

Training of professionals in post-graduation courses in public health and primary healthcare in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Engstrom, Elyne Montenegro; Motta, José Inácio; Venâncio, Sandra Aparecida

2016-05-01

This paper examines post-graduation professional training and qualification courses in the fields of public health and primary healthcare. Its aim is to reflect on the construction and methodological proposal of two courses given by ENSP/Fiocruz in partnership with the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, over the years 2010 to 2014: The Professional Master's Degree in Primary Healthcare (MPAPS), and Specialization in Public Health. Systematization of academic documents of the courses, with preparation of emerging analytical categories (theoretical management-interface history, field of pedagogy). Two classes of the MPAPS course (n=24 students per group) and five of the Specialization course (average 30 per group) were held in the period, with approval rates at the 90%-80% level, with curriculum structure adjusted to the local situation. As challenges that were implemented, we highlight: 1) On the epistemological level: development of competencies for professional training that would produce results coherent with health, as social/cultural production; 2) from the learning point of view: preparation of dynamics that give value to the students, their social-cultural context and experiences; 3) work environments and relationships, bringing their structured analysis into the learning environment.

Views of commissioners, managers and healthcare professionals on the NHS Health Check programme: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Katie; Harte, Emma; Martin, Adam; MacLure, Calum; Griffin, Simon J; Mant, Jonathan; Meads, Catherine; Saunders, Catherine L; Walter, Fiona M; Usher-Smith, Juliet A

2017-11-15

To synthesise data concerning the views of commissioners, managers and healthcare professionals towards the National Health Service (NHS) Health Check programme in general and the challenges faced when implementing it in practice. A systematic review of surveys and interview studies with a descriptive analysis of quantitative data and thematic synthesis of qualitative data. An electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, Health Management Information Consortium, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Health, PsycInfo, Web of Science, OpenGrey, the Cochrane Library, NHS Evidence, Google Scholar, Google, ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry from 1 January 1996 to 9 November 2016 with no language restriction and manual screening of reference lists of all included papers. Primary research reporting views of commissioners, managers or healthcare professionals on the NHS Health Check programme and its implementation in practice. Of 18 524 citations, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. There was evidence from both quantitative and qualitative studies that some commissioners and general practice (GP) healthcare professionals were enthusiastic about the programme, whereas others raised concerns around inequality of uptake, the evidence base and cost-effectiveness. In contrast, those working in pharmacies were all positive about programme benefits, citing opportunities for their business and staff. The main challenges to implementation were: difficulties with information technology and computer software, resistance to the programme from some GPs, the impact on workload and staffing, funding and training needs. Inadequate privacy was also a challenge in pharmacy and community settings, along with difficulty recruiting people eligible for Health Checks and poor public access to some venues. The success of the NHS Health Check Programme relies on engagement by those responsible for its

Attitude of patients, healthcare professionals, and noninjured lay persons towards online video instructions on mild traumatic brain injury: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoek, Amber E; Hamer, Maaike van den; Deelstra, Carianne K; Beeck, Ed F van; Dippel, Diederik W J; Haagsma, Juanita A; Rood, Pleunie P M

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine the attitude of patients, healthcare professionals, and noninjured lay persons towards adding a video with discharge instructions to patient care for patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). A survey was conducted at the emergency department (ED). Participants consisted of MTBI patients (n = 50), healthcare professionals (n = 50), and noninjured lay persons (n = 50). The participants viewed a video with discharge instructions on MTBI and filled out a questionnaire that measured their attitude towards the use of a video as part of discharge instructions. Nearly all healthcare professionals (94%) and 70% of the noninjured lay persons considered the video to be a valuable addition to oral discharge instructions. For 84% of patients, verbal information from the doctor is of importance. And, 50% of patients would like to receive additional video discharge instructions. The majority of noninjured lay persons and healthcare professionals and half of the MTBI patients consider a video with discharge instructions to be a valuable addition to patient care. Video discharge instructions are a relative low-cost measure that could enhance patient care at the ED, provided that this does not compromise the personal contact between patient and healthcare professional.

Informal care, employment and quality of life: Barriers and facilitators to combining informal care and work participation for healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Heitink, Eveline; Heerkens, Yvonne; Engels, Josephine

2017-01-01

In The Netherlands, one out of six Dutch employees has informal care tasks; in the hospital and healthcare sector, this ratio is one out of four workers. Informal carers experience problems with the combination of work and informal care. In particular, they have problems with the burden of responsibility, a lack of independence and their health. These problems can reveal themselves in a variety of mental and physical symptoms that can result in absenteeism, reduction or loss of (work) participation, reduction of income, and even social isolation. The aim of the study was to describe the factors that informal carers who are employed in healthcare organizations identify as affecting their quality of life, labour participation and health. We conducted an exploratory study in 2013-2014 that included desk research and a qualitative study. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare employees who combine work and informal care. Data were analyzed with Atlas-TI. We identified five themes: 1. Fear and responsibility; 2. Sense that one's own needs are not being met; 3. Work as an escape from home; 4. Health: a lack of balance; and 5. The role of colleagues and managers: giving support and understanding. Respondents combine work and informal care because they have no other solution. The top three reasons for working are: income, escape from home and satisfaction. The biggest problems informal carers experience are a lack of time and energy. They are all tired and are often or always exhausted at the end of the day. They give up activities for themselves, their social networks become smaller and they have less interest in social activities. Their managers are usually aware of the situation, but informal care is not a topic of informal conversation or in performance appraisals. Respondents solve their problems with colleagues and expect little from the organization.

Improvement and renewal of healthcare processes : results of an empirical research project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bij, van der J.D.; Dijkstra, L.; Vries, de G.; Walburg, J.A.

1999-01-01

Professionals in healthcare organizations, who generally produce high-quality work, commonly operate in isolation or locally. However, due to developments in society and legislation, healthcare organizations are forced to integrate healthcare activities, and achieve integral quality management,

Impact of CAre-related Regret Upon Sleep (ICARUS) cohort study: protocol of a 3-year multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of novice healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheval, Boris; Cullati, Stéphane; Pihl-Thingvad, Jesper; Mongin, Denis; Von Arx, Martina; Chopard, Pierre; Courvoisier, Delphine S

2018-03-27

Healthcare professionals are particularly at risk of developing numerous physical and psychological health problems. The experiences of emotional burden associated with providing healthcare, notably care-related regret, have been associated with these health problems, but only using cross-sectional data so far. Evidence of a causal impact of regret has not been assessed. The Impact of CAre-related Regret Upon Sleep (ICARUS) study is the first prospective and international cohort study established to examine how newly practising healthcare professionals adapt to their challenging job by assessing the impact of care-related regret on sleep and job quitting. The ICARUS cohort study will include newly practising healthcare professionals working in acute care hospitals and clinics recruited between May 2017 and November 2019. Data collection, which will begin as soon as the participant starts working with patients, will consist of a 1-year weekly assessment using a secure web survey. Follow-up data will be collected at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after the end of the first year. We will collect detailed information on the experience of care-related regret (ie, highest regret intensity, accumulation of regrets and coping strategies related to regrets), sleep problems and job quitting. Moreover, quality of life, health status and burnout will be assessed during the follow-up. Several confounders factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, personality, night shifts and work environment characteristics, will be assessed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Geneva Canton, Switzerland (CCER2016-02041), the Ethics Committee of London South Bank University (HSCSEP/17/06) and the University Research Ethics Committee of Bedfordshire (UREC106). Other study centres deemed local ethical approval unnecessary since the main ethics committee (Geneva) had already accepted the project. Results will be published in relevant scientific journals and be disseminated in

Healthcare professionals' organisational barriers to health information technologies-a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lluch, Maria

2011-12-01

This literature review identifies and categorises, from an organisational management perspective, barriers to the use of HIT or ICT for health. Based on the review, it offers policy interventions. This systematic literature review was carried out during December 2009 and January 2010. Additional on-going reviews of updates through automated system alerts took place up until this paper was submitted. A total of thirty-one sources were searched including nine software platforms/databases, fifteen specialised websites/targeted databases, Google Scholar, ISI Science Citation Index and five journals hand-searched. The study covers seventy-nine articles on organisational barriers to ICT adoption by healthcare professionals. These are categorised under five main headings - (I) Structure of healthcare organisations; (II) Tasks; (III) People policies; (IV) Incentives; and (V) Information and decision processes. A total of ten subcategories are also identified. By adopting an organisational management approach, some recommendations to remove organisational management barriers are made. Despite their apparent promise, health information technologies (HIT) have proved difficult to implement. This systematic review reveals the implementation barriers associated to organisational management and their interrelations. Several important future directions in the field are also suggested: (1) there is a need for further research providing evidence of HIT cost-effectiveness as well as the development of optimal HIT applications; (2) more information is needed regarding organisational change, incentives, liability issues, end-users HIT competences and skills, structure and work process issues involved in realising the benefits from HIT. Future policy interventions should consider the five dimensions identified when addressing the impact of HIT in healthcare organisational systems, and how the impact of an intervention aimed at a particular dimension would interrelate with others. 2011

Self-management: challenges for allied healthcare professionals in stroke rehabilitation--a focus group study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Satink, T.J.; Cup, E.H.; Swart, B.J.M. de; Sanden, M.W. van der

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: Self-management has become an important concept in stroke rehabilitation. This study explored allied healthcare professionals' (AHPs) perceptions and beliefs regarding the self-management of stroke survivors and their knowledge and skills regarding stroke self-management interventions.

Medication therapy management clinic: perception of healthcare professionals in a University medical center setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah M

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the overall perception and utilization of the pharmacist managed medication therapy management (MTM clinic services, by healthcare professionals in a large, urban, university medical care setting.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, anonymous survey sent to 195 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists at The University of Illinois Outpatient Care Center to determine their perception and utilization of the MTM clinic. The survey consisted of 12 questions and was delivered through a secure online application. Results: Sixty-two healthcare professionals (32% completed the survey. 82% were familiar with the MTM clinic, and 63% had referred patients to the clinic. Medication adherence and disease state management was the most common reason for referral. Lack of knowledge on the appropriate referral procedure was the prominent reason for not referring patients to the MTM clinic. Of the providers that were aware of MTM services, 44% rated care as ‘excellent’, 44% as ‘good’, 5% as ‘fair’, and 0% stated ‘poor’. Strengths of MTM clinic identified by healthcare providers included in-depth education to patients, close follow-up, and detailed medication reconciliation provided by MTM clinic pharmacists. Of those familiar with MTM clinic, recommendations included; increase marketing efforts to raise awareness of the MTM clinic service, create collaborative practice agreements between MTM pharmacists and physicians, and ensure that progress notes are more concise.Conclusion: In a large, urban, academic institution MTM clinic is perceived as a valuable resource to optimize patient care by providing patients with in-depth education as it relates to their prescribed medications and disease states. These identified benefits of MTM clinic lead to frequent patient referrals specifically for aid with medication adherence and disease state management.

Visioning future emergency healthcare collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Söderholm, Hanna M.; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2010-01-01

physicians, nurses, administrators, and information technology (IT) professionals working at large and small medical centers, and asked them to share their perspectives regarding 3DMC's potential benefits and disadvantages in emergency healthcare and its compatibility and/or lack thereof......New video technologies are emerging to facilitate collaboration in emergency healthcare. One such technology is 3D telepresence technology for medical consultation (3DMC) that may provide richer visual information to support collaboration between medical professionals to, ideally, enhance patient......, and resources. Both common and unique perceptions regarding 3DMC emerged,illustrating the need for 3DMC, and other collaboration technologies,to support interwoven situational awareness across different technological frames....

New working conditions and consequences on activity of home healthcare workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Van De Weerdt, Corinne; Baratta, René

2012-01-01

Home healthcare is steadily growing in Europe. There are a number of reasons for this development: aging population, rising hospital costs, preference to stay in one's own home. Nevertheless, it has been known that home healthcare workers are frequently exposed to a variety of potentially serious occupational hazards. Furthermore, emotional labor is frequently high in this profession. This paper describes an ergonomic study conducted at a home healthcare service. The research focuses on analyzing working conditions of home healthcare aides and nurses, as well as the impacts of their work in terms of job satisfaction, well-being, emotions at work, relationships with the others and occupational stress. The study show that employee strategies are specifically centered around preserving the relationship between patients and workers and coping with the job demands. This paper also shows that home healthcare workers express emotions and conceal them from others. Finally, recommendations discussed with the manager and workers to improve working conditions in this sector led to practical proposals: for example, implementing certain equipment items better suited to difficult care, encouraging assistance between healthcare workers when operations require this through adequate organizational measures, extending work emotion-focused discussion groups with management involvement.

Professional Learning through Everyday Work: How Finance Professionals Self-Regulate Their Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Littlejohn, Allison; Milligan, Colin; Fontana, Rosa Pia; Margaryan, Anoush

2016-01-01

Professional learning is a critical component of ongoing improvement and innovation and the adoption of new practices in the workplace. Professional learning is often achieved through learning embedded in everyday work tasks. However, little is known about how professionals self-regulate their learning through regular work activities. This paper…

Discourses of healthcare professionals about health surveillance actions for Tuberculosis control.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitano, Fernando; Sicsú, Amélia Nunes; Sousa, Luciana de Oliveira; Silva, Laís Mara Caetano da; Palha, Pedro Fredemir

2017-04-06

To analyze the meanings produced in the Health Surveillance actions for tuberculosis control, carried out by healthcare professionals in Mozambique. Qualitative study using the theoretical and methodological framework of the French Discourse Analysis. A total of 15 healthcare professionals with more than one year of experience in disease control actions participated in the study. Four discursive blocks have emerged from the analysis: tuberculosis diagnosis process; meeting, communication and discussion of treatment; local strategies for tuberculosis control; involvement of family and community leaders in the tuberculosis control. The statements of the healthcare professionals suggest, as Health Surveillance actions, practices that include collecting sputum in the patient's home and sending it to the laboratory; deployment of the medical team with a microscope for tuberculosis testing; and testing for diseases that may be associated with tuberculosis. In this context, the actions of Health Surveillance for tuberculosis control involve valuing all actors: family, community leaders, patients and health professionals. Analisar os sentidos produzidos sobre as ações de Vigilância em Saúde no controle da tuberculose desenvolvidas por profissionais de saúde em Moçambique. Estudo qualitativo que tem como referencial teórico-metodológico a Análise de Discurso de matriz francesa. Participaram do estudo 15 profissionais de saúde, com mais de 1 ano de experiência em ações de controle da doença. Da análise, emergiram quatro blocos discursivos: processo do diagnóstico da tuberculose; reunião, comunicação e discussão do tratamento; estratégias locais para o controle da tuberculose; envolvimento da família e dos líderes comunitários no controle da tuberculose. Os dizeres dos profissionais de saúde sugerem, como ações de Vigilância em Saúde, práticas que incluem a coleta de escarro na residência do paciente e seu encaminhamento ao laboratório; o

[Healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to standard hospital precautions].

Science.gov (United States)

Mandana Bambenongama, Norbert; Losimba Likwela, Joris

2013-01-01

The infectious risk in the healthcare setting is potentially ubiquitous. Several infectious agents may be transmitted to healthcare professionals, most of which are carried by blood and body fluids. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers in delivery rooms and operating theatres about standard precautions in healthcare settings in order to deduce the actions to be implemented to improve their security. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2011. A questionnaire was sent to 96 people using the direct interview technique. Only 20% of study subjects were familiar with the main bloodborne viruses (HBV, HCV and HIV). 67.8% of them considered that standard precautions must be applied only to women in labour and suspected HIV-positive patients. Almost all respondents (91.1%) had already been subject to at least one AES during the last 12 months. Respondents appeared to have a poor knowledge of the recommended actions following an AES. Recapping of needles after care is a practice reported by 55.6% of respondents. Routine use of protective barriers is unsatisfactory. The frequent failure of systematic application of standard precautions in healthcare settings by healthcare workers in the city of Isiro should lead the Ministry of Health to implement a process designed to increase awareness about standard precautions and improve the equipment necessary for strict compliance with these precautions.

Health-care professionals' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to patient capacity to consent to treatment: an integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamont, Scott; Jeon, Yun-Hee; Chiarella, Mary

2013-09-01

This integrative review aims to provide a synthesis of research findings of health-care professionals' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to patient capacity to consent to or refuse treatment within the general hospital setting. Search strategies included relevant health databases, hand searching of key journals, 'snowballing' and expert recommendations. The review identified various knowledge gaps and attitudinal dispositions of health-care professionals, which influence their behaviours and decision-making in relation to capacity to consent processes. The findings suggest that there is tension between legal, ethical and professional standards relating to the assessment of capacity and consent within health care. Legislation and policy guidance concerning capacity assessment processes are lacking, and this may contribute to inconsistencies in practice.

Cautioning Health-Care Professionals : Bereaved Persons Are Misguided Through the Stages of Grief

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stroebe, Margaret; Schut, Henk; Boerner, Kathrin

2017-01-01

Science and practice seem deeply stuck in the so-called stage theory of grief. Health-care professionals continue to "prescribe" stages. Basically, this perspective endorses the idea that bereaved people go through a set pattern of specific reactions over time following the death of a loved one. It

The impact of a father's presence during newborn resuscitation: a qualitative interview study with healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Merryl E; Pattison, Helen M

2013-03-27

To explore healthcare professionals' experiences around the time of newborn resuscitation in the delivery room, when the baby's father was present. A qualitative descriptive, retrospective design using the critical incident approach. Tape-recorded semistructured interviews were undertaken with healthcare professionals involved in newborn resuscitation. Participants recalled resuscitation events when the baby's father was present. They described what happened and how those present, including the father, responded. They also reflected upon the impact of the resuscitation and the father's presence on themselves. Participant responses were analysed using thematic analysis. A large teaching hospital in the UK. Purposive sampling was utilised. It was anticipated that 35-40 participants would be recruited. Forty-nine potential participants were invited to take part. The final sample consisted of 37 participants including midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses and paediatricians. Four themes were identified: 'whose role?' 'saying and doing' 'teamwork' and 'impact on me'. While no-one was delegated to support the father during the resuscitation, midwives and anaesthetists most commonly took on this role. Participants felt the midwife was the most appropriate person to support fathers. All healthcare professional groups said they often did not know what to say to fathers during prolonged resuscitation. Teamwork was felt to be of benefit to all concerned, including the father. Some paediatricians described their discomfort when fathers came to the resuscitaire. None of the participants had received education and training specifically on supporting fathers during newborn resuscitation. This is the first known study to specifically explore the experiences of healthcare professionals of the father's presence during newborn resuscitation. The findings suggest the need for more focused training about supporting fathers. There is also

Conflicts between healthcare professionals and families of a multi-ethnic patient population during critical care: an ethnographic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Keer, Rose-Lima; Deschepper, Reginald; Francke, Anneke L; Huyghens, Luc; Bilsen, Johan

2015-12-22

Conflicts during communication in multi-ethnic healthcare settings is an increasing point of concern as a result of societies' increased ethno-cultural diversity. We can expect that conflicts are even more likely to arise in situations where difficult medical decisions have to be made, such as critical medical situations in hospital. However, in-depth research on this topic is rather scarce. During critical care patients are often unable to communicate. We have therefore investigated factors contributing to conflicts between healthcare professionals and family members from ethnic minority groups in critical medical situations in hospital. Ethnographic fieldwork was done in one intensive care unit of a multi-ethnic urban hospital in Belgium over 6 months (January 2014 to June 2014). Data were collected through negotiated interactive observation, in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals, from patients' medical records, and by making notes in a logbook. Data were analysed by using grounded theory procedures. Conflicts were essentially related to differences in participants' views on what constitutes 'good care' based on different care approaches. Healthcare professionals' views on good care were based predominantly on a biomedical care model, whereas families' views on good care were mainly inspired by a holistic lifeworld-oriented approach. Giving good care, from the healthcare professionals' point of view, included great attention to regulations, structured communication, and central decision making. On the other hand, good care from the families' point of view included seeking exhaustive information, and participating in end-of-life decision making. Healthcare professionals' biomedical views on offering good care were strengthened by the features of the critical care context whereas families' holistic views on offering good care were reinforced by the specific characteristics of families' ethno-familial care context, including their different ethno

Healthcare professionals' views of the experiences of individuals living with Crohn's Disease in Spain. A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Sanjuán, Sofía; Lillo-Crespo, Manuel; Richart-Martínez, Miguel; Sanjuán-Quiles, Ángela

2018-01-01

Crohn's Disease (CD) in Spain lacks of a unified National Clinical Pathway and not even any early detection program and professional follow-up outpatient attention once it has been diagnosed. Little is known about the Spanish health professionals' views of the experiences of individuals living with Crohn's Disease nationwide and also about how the Spanish Health System faces this situation. A qualitative research method was conducted to explore this topic through in-depth interviews with eleven healthcare professionals, who represented different clinics treating people with CD from the province of Alicante (Spain). Three topics and seven sub-topics were derived from the analysis of the content emerging from the interviews. The three main topics were: the healthcare system as a hindrance for ongoing treatment of CD, the impact of the disease, support networks. The knowledge of CD gained by healthcare professionals, in the contexts studied here within, with regards to the psychosocial aspects and the experience of those living with the disease and their immediate circles, is poor, if not null on an academic level, becoming experiential on their incorporation into the professional field. Additionally, a priori, they lack the tools to address the doubts and concerns of patients from the moment of diagnosis through the ongoing care of the patient. Organizational hindrances, such as the lack of time and consensual guidelines for adequately monitoring CD patients in Alicante (Spain), further restrict the patient-professional relationship. Due to the consensus established by the National Agency regulating the contents of the Health Professions' Education and Training across the country, we are assuming that the phenomenon highlighted may be similar in other parts of Spain. Therefore, it can be said that healthcare professionals have a limited understanding of the impact of CD on the day-to-day life of those affected, not being considered a part of the CD patients' formal

Perceptions of music therapy for older people among healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Waqas Ullah; Mohamad Onn Yap, Irin Arina; O'Neill, Desmond; Moss, Hilary

2016-03-01

To investigate the perceptions of healthcare providers on music therapy and their recommendations on wider adoption in a hospital setting. A qualitative exploratory study employing short semistructured interviews using a thematic analysis method of data analysis. A qualitative exploratory study, employing short semistructured interviews was conducted in March 2015 in an urban teaching hospital to explore healthcare providers' attitudes towards and recommendations on music therapy. Convenience sampling was used for recruitment of hospital staff from a multidisciplinary geriatric unit. Only staff who had exposure, awareness, or participated in the hospital music therapy programme were asked to partake in an in-depth qualitative interview. Themes emerging reflected a belief among hospital staff that music therapy was of benefit to patients and staff; perceptions of how a hospital music therapy programme should be implemented and a desire for expansion of the music therapy programme throughout the hospital setting. Music therapy is of great importance to patients and healthcare professionals, and thus more attention is warranted to better integrate and advance this programme. This study is important because although numerous studies have examined music therapy from a patient health perspective, no report has analysed the perceptions of healthcare providers on this intervention and their recommendations on further development of music therapy services. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Biotelemetry: could technological developments assist healthcare in rural India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kanika

2005-01-01

In India 60-70% of the population live in rural villages. The rural population suffers from a burden of disease and disorders due to the non-availability of appropriate healthcare personnel and facilities. Since 1950, the Indian Government has responded with a series of five-year plans but has been unable to address the lack of healthcare professionals prepared to work in isolated and rural areas. The use of biotelemetry is proposed as a solution, its advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The development of biotelemetry in India will improve healthcare for the rural and remote population and ease the effects of the shortage of rural healthcare professionals. However, a number of questions remain and require further consideration.

Domestic abuse awareness and recognition among primary healthcare professionals and abused women: a qualitative investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Taylor, Julie; Kroll, Thilo; Duncan, Fiona

2014-11-01

To investigate the dynamics of domestic abuse awareness and recognition among primary healthcare professionals and abused women. Domestic abuse is a serious, public health issue that crosses geographical and demographic boundaries. Health professionals are well placed to recognise and respond to domestic abuse, but empirical evidence suggests that they are reluctant to broach the issue. Moreover, research has shown that women are reluctant to disclose abuse. A two-phase, qualitative study was conducted in Scotland. Twenty-nine primary health professionals (midwives, health visitors and general practitioners) participated in the first phase of the study, and 14 abused women took part in phase two. Data were collected in 2011. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with the health professionals, and three focus groups were facilitated with the abused women. Data were analysed using a framework analysis approach. Differing levels of awareness of the nature and existence of abuse are held by abused women and primary healthcare professionals. Specifically, many women do not identify their experiences as abusive. A conceptual representation of domestic abuse - the "abused women, awareness, recognition and empowerment' framework - arising from the study - presents a new way of capturing the complexity of the disclosure process. Further research is necessary to test and empirically validate the framework, but it has potential pedagogical use for the training and education of health professionals and clinical use with abused women. The framework may be used in clinical practice by nurses and other health professionals to facilitate open discussion between professionals and women. In turn, this may empower women to make choices regarding disclosure and safety planning. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Healthcare professionals' perceptions of Islamic beliefs and traditions as barriers to organ donation and transplantation in Algeria].

Science.gov (United States)

Laidouni, Nouhad; Briones-Vozmediano, Érica; Garrido Clemente, Pilar; Gil González, Diana

The aim of this study is to explore healthcare professionals' perception of the influence of Islamic beliefs and traditions concerning organ donation and transplants in Algeria. Exploratory qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews of 17 healthcare professionals (9 men, 8 women) of different specialties in a University hospital in Algiers (Algeria). Qualitative content analysis of transcripts was performed using the computer software ATLAS.ti 5. Healthcare professionals believe that religious beliefs do not affect living donation but say they have a negative impact on donation of cadaveric organs due to the existence of myths derived from the Islamic religion and lack of knowledge of the Algerian population about the positioning of religious leaders in relation to organ donation and transplantation. There is confusion among the Algerian population on the position of Islam around organ donation and transplantation, mainly to the detriment of the rate of cadaveric donation. Collaboration between the health sector and religious leaders to raise public awareness could improve the willingness of the population to donate organs after death. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Medical education for equity in health: a participatory action research involving persons living in poverty and healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudon, Catherine; Loignon, Christine; Grabovschi, Cristina; Bush, Paula; Lambert, Mireille; Goulet, Émilie; Boyer, Sophie; De Laat, Marianne; Fournier, Nathalie

2016-04-12

Improving the knowledge and competencies of healthcare professionals is crucial to better address the specific needs of persons living in poverty and avoid stigmatization. This study aimed to explore the needs and expectations of persons living in poverty and healthcare professionals in terms of medical training regarding poverty and its effects on health and healthcare. We conducted a participatory action research study using photovoice, a method using photography, together with merging of knowledge and practice, an approach promoting dialogue between different sources of knowledge. Nineteen healthcare professionals and persons from an international community organization against poverty participated in the study. The first phase included 60 meetings and group sessions to identify the perceived barriers between persons living in poverty and healthcare teams. In the second phase, sub-committees deployed action plans in academic teaching units to overcome barriers identified in the first phase. Data were analysed through thematic analysis, using NVivo, in collaboration with five non-academic co-researchers. Four themes in regard to medical training were highlighted: improving medical students' and residents' knowledge on poverty and the living conditions of persons living in poverty; improving their understanding of the reality of those people; improving their relational skills pertaining to communication and interaction with persons living in poverty; improving their awareness and capacity for self-reflection. At the end of the second phase, actions were undertaken such as improving knowledge of the living conditions of persons living in poverty by posting social assistance rates, and tailoring interventions to patients' reality by including sociodemographic information in electronic medical records. Our findings also led to a participatory research project aiming to improve the skills and competency of residents and health professionals in regard to the quality of

Group supervision for healthcare professionals within primary care for patients with psychosomatic health problems: a pilot intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullington, Jennifer; Cronqvist, Agneta

2018-03-01

In primary health care, efficacious treatment strategies are lacking for these patients, although the most prominent symptoms accounting for consultation in primary care often cannot be related to any biological causes. The aim was to explore whether group supervision from a specific phenomenological theory of psychosomatics could provide healthcare professionals treating patients with psychosomatic health issues within primary care a deeper understanding of these conditions and stimulate profession-specific treatment strategies. Our research questions were as follows: (i) What is the healthcare professionals' understanding of psychosomatics before and after the intervention? (ii) What are the treatment strategies for this group of patients before and after the intervention? The study was an explorative qualitative intervention pilot study. The six participants from a primary healthcare setting in a medium-sized city in Sweden participated in the study. A supervision group was formed, based on a mix of professions, age, gender and years of clinical experience. Supervision consisted of one 75-minutes meeting every month during the course of 6 months. Participants were interviewed before and after the supervision intervention. The study showed two distinct categories emerged from the data. One category of healthcare professionals espoused a psycho-educative approach, while the other lacked a cohesive approach. The supervision improved the second category of healthcare professionals' understanding of psychosomatics. The psycho-educative group did not change their understanding of psychosomatics, although they felt strengthened in their approach by the supervision. Profession-specific strategies were not developed. This pilot study indicates that a relatively short supervision intervention can aid clinicians in their clinical encounters with these patients; however, further research is necessary to ascertain the value of the specific phenomenologically based

Graduates' development of interprofessional practice capability during their early socialisation into professional roles.

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Morgan, C Jane

2017-07-01

Graduates entering the healthcare workforce can expect to undertake interprofessional practices, requiring them to work at the intersection of knowledge and practice boundaries that have been built over years of socialisation in their respective professions. Yet, in complex health environments, where health challenges go beyond the knowledge and skills of any single profession, there is a growing concern that healthcare practitioners lack capability to collaborate with each other. This article presents the findings from a year-long hermeneutic phenomenological study of graduates' temporal experiences of practice roles in their respective fields of healthcare and in collaboration with other professions. Research findings emerged through an inductive analytic process using thematic analysis techniques and provides an insight into graduates' early professional practice in contemporary healthcare contexts and the development of their professional practice at the interface of professional boundaries. The 18 graduates from six health professions developed their professional practice in working contexts where intersecting professional boundaries resulted in strengthening professional identity in their chosen professions, through articulating distinct knowledge and skills to other professions during collaborative work. Concurrently they established flexible working relationships with members of other professions, resulting in expanding health perspectives and extending practice knowledge and skills beyond their distinct professions. The study provides new understanding of the relationship between areas of professionalism, identity, and collaborative practice in an evolving health workforce, through the experiences of graduates in their early work as registered health practitioners.

(Dissatisfaction of health professionals who work with oncology

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Maiara Bordignon

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: identify sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work for health professionals who work with oncology. Methods: Qualitative research conducted with 31 professionals from a multidisciplinary health team who worked in an Oncology Inpatient Unit of a public hospital in the south of Brazil, using a semi-structured interview, analyzed according to Bardin’s proposal. Results: the main sources of job satisfaction emerged from the relationship between patients and health professionals. The dissatisfaction sources were connected to the working environment and conditions. Conclusion:. A humanized look to health professionals who work with oncology, with changes in their work environment seems to be relevant in the context investigated.

Ethical concerns and dilemmas of Finnish and Dutch health professionals.

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Hopia, Hanna; Lottes, Ilsa; Kanne, Mariël

2016-09-01

Healthcare professionals encounter ethical dilemmas and concerns in their practice. More research is needed to understand these ethical problems and to know how to educate professionals to respond to them. To describe ethical dilemmas and concerns at work from the perspectives of Finnish and Dutch healthcare professionals studying at the master's level. Exploratory, qualitative study that used the text of student online discussions of ethical dilemmas at work as data. Participants' online discussions were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The sample consisted of 49 students at master's level enrolled in professional ethics courses at universities in Finland and the Netherlands. Permission for conducting the study was granted from both universities of applied sciences. All students provided their informed consent for the use of their assignments as research data. Participants described 51 problematic work situations. Among these, 16 were found to be ethical dilemmas, and the remaining were work issues with an ethical concern and did not meet criteria of a dilemma. The most common problems resulted from concerns about quality care, safety of healthcare professionals, patients' rights, and working with too few staff and inadequate resources. The results indicated that participants were concerned about providing quality of care and raised numerous questions about how to provide it in challenging situations. The results show that it was difficult for students to differentiate ethical dilemmas from other ethical work concerns. Online discussions among healthcare providers give them an opportunity to relate ethical principles to real ethical dilemmas and problems in their work as well as to critically analyze ethical issues. We found that discussions with descriptions of ethical dilemmas and concerns by health professionals provide important information and recommendations not only for education and practice but also for health policy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Assessment of attitudes for interprofessional team working and knowledge of health professions competencies for final year health professional students

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Pei Se Wong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Inter-professional education (IPE contributes to the development of an ‘inter-professional, collaborative and practice-ready’ healthcare workforce that is well prepared to respond to local healthcare needs. Little is known about the extent, to which health professional students who are nearing graduation understand the competencies of diverse health professions. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of final-year undergraduate students’ towards interprofessional team working and their knowledge of the competencies of 6 health professions. This study evaluated the final-year health professional students’ from six (6 health professions programmes namely medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, dietetics and biomedical sciences programmes. Attitudes towards Health Care Team Scale (ATHCTS was used to measure students’ attitudes towards teamwork while a checklist was used measure students’ knowledge of 6 health professionals competencies. Construct validity was ascertain and findings from ATHCTS showed mean scores ranges from 48.57 to 54.23 indicating positive attitudes toward working within interprofessional health care teams. While the ACTHS findings were positive, the competencies checklist showed mixed findings in that students correctly identified some competencies and had misconceptions for others. For example, the majority of students regarded physicians as competent in ‘assessment and evaluation’ and ‘medication management’ while less than 50% of participants recognised the importance of assessment of patient’s health-illness as a competency for dieticians. Gaps identified in final year students’ knowledge of the roles and competencies of health professions has an impact on future interprofessional collaborative practice suggesting a need to further improve curriculum design and delivery of IPE.

Is current training in basic and advanced cardiac life support (BLS & ACLS) effective? A study of BLS & ACLS knowledge amongst healthcare professionals of North-Kerala.

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Nambiar, Madavan; Nedungalaparambil, Nisanth Menon; Aslesh, Ottapura Prabhakaran

2016-01-01

Healthcare professionals are expected to have knowledge of current basic and advanced cardiac life support (BLS/ACLS) guidelines to revive unresponsive patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the current practices and knowledge of BLS/ACLS principles among healthcare professionals of North-Kerala using pretested self-administered structured questionnaire. Answers were validated in accordance with American Heart Association's BLS/ACLS teaching manual and the results were analysed. Among 461 healthcare professionals, 141 (30.6%) were practicing physicians, 268 (58.1%) were nurses and 52 (11.3%) supporting staff. The maximum achievable score was 20 (BLS 15/ACLS 5). The mean score amongst all healthcare professionals was 8.9±4.7. The mean score among physicians, nurses and support staff were 8.6±3.4, 9±3.6 and 9±3.3 respectively. The majority of healthcare professionals scored ≤50% (237, 51.4%); 204 (44.3%) scored 51%-80% and 20 (4.34%) scored >80%. Mean scores decreased with age, male sex and across occupation. Nurses who underwent BLS/ACLS training previously had significantly higher mean scores (10.2±3.4) than untrained (8.2±3.6, P =0.001). Physicians with <5 years experience ( P =0.002) and nurses in the private sector ( P =0.003) had significantly higher scores. One hundred and sixty three (35.3%) healthcare professionals knew the correct airway opening manoeuvres like head tilt, chin lift and jaw thrust. Only 54 (11.7%) respondents were aware that atropine is not used in ACLS for cardiac arrest resuscitation and 79 (17.1%) correctly opted ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia as shockable rhythms. The majority of healthcare professionals (356, 77.2%) suggested that BLS/ACLS be included in academic curriculum. Inadequate knowledge of BLS/ACLS principles amongst healthcare professionals, especially physicians, illuminate lacunae in existing training systems and merit urgent redressal.

Development and reliability of the explicit professional oral communication observation tool to quantify the use of non-technical skills in healthcare.

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Kemper, Peter F; van Noord, Inge; de Bruijne, Martine; Knol, Dirk L; Wagner, Cordula; van Dyck, Cathy

2013-07-01

A lack of non-technical skills is increasingly recognised as an important underlying cause of adverse events in healthcare. The nature and number of things professionals communicate to each other can be perceived as a product of their use of non-technical skills. This paper describes the development and reliability of an instrument to measure and quantify the use of non-technical skills by direct observations of explicit professional oral communication (EPOC) in the clinical situation. In an iterative process we translated, tested and refined an existing checklist from the aviation industry, called self, human interaction, aircraft, procedures and environment, in the context of healthcare, notably emergency departments (ED) and intensive care units (ICU). The EPOC comprises six dimensions: assertiveness, working with others; task-oriented leadership; people-oriented leadership; situational awareness; planning and anticipation. Each dimension is specified into several concrete items reflecting verbal behaviours. The EPOC was evaluated in four ED and six ICU. In the ED and ICU, respectively, 378 and 1144 individual and 51 and 68 contemporaneous observations of individual staff members were conducted. All EPOC dimensions occur frequently, apart from assertiveness, which was hardly observed. Intraclass correlations for the overall EPOC score ranged between 0.85 and 0.91 and for underlying EPOC dimensions between 0.53 and 0.95. The EPOC is a new instrument for evaluating the use of non-technical skills in healthcare, which is reliable in two highly different settings. By quantifying professional behaviour the instrument facilitates measurement of behavioural change over time. The results suggest that EPOC can also be translated to other settings.

Should palliative care patients' hope be truthful, helpful or valuable? An interpretative synthesis of literature describing healthcare professionals' perspectives on hope of palliative care patients

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Olsman, Erik; Leget, Carlo; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje; Willems, Dick

2014-01-01

Healthcare professionals' perspectives on palliative care patients' hope influence communication. However, these perspectives have hardly been examined. To describe healthcare professionals' perspectives on palliative care patients' hope found in the literature. The interpretative synthesis

Shared leadership and group identification in healthcare: The leadership beliefs of clinicians working in interprofessional teams.

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Forsyth, Craig; Mason, Barbara

2017-05-01

Despite the proposed benefits of applying shared and distributed leadership models in healthcare, few studies have explored the leadership beliefs of clinicians and ascertained whether differences exist between professions. The current article aims to address these gaps and, additionally, examine whether clinicians' leadership beliefs are associated with the strength of their professional and team identifications. An online survey was responded to by 229 healthcare workers from community interprofessional teams in mental health settings across the East of England. No differences emerged between professional groups in their leadership beliefs; all professions reported a high level of agreement with shared leadership. A positive association emerged between professional identification and shared leadership in that participants who expressed the strongest level of profession identification also reported the greatest agreement with shared leadership. The same association was demonstrated for team identification and shared leadership. The findings highlight the important link between group identification and leadership beliefs, suggesting that strategies that promote strong professional and team identifications in interprofessional teams are likely to be conducive to clinicians supporting principles of shared leadership. Future research is needed to strengthen this link and examine the leadership practices of healthcare workers.

Controlling healthcare professionals: how human resource management influences job attitudes and operational efficiency.

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Cogin, Julie Ann; Ng, Ju Li; Lee, Ilro

2016-09-20

We assess how human resource management (HRM) is implemented in Australian hospitals. Drawing on role theory, we consider the influence HRM has on job attitudes of healthcare staff and hospital operational efficiency. We adopt a qualitative research design across professional groups (physicians, nurses, and allied health staff) at multiple levels (executive, healthcare managers, and employee). A total of 34 interviews were carried out and analyzed using NVivo. Findings revealed a predominance of a control-based approach to people management. Using Snell's control framework (AMJ 35:292-327, 1992), we found that behavioral control was the principal form of control used to manage nurses, allied health workers, and junior doctors. We found a mix between behavior, output, and input controls as well as elements of commitment-based HRM to manage senior physicians. We observed low levels of investment in people and a concentration on transactional human resource (HR) activities which led to negative job attitudes such as low morale and frustration among healthcare professionals. While hospitals used rules to promote conformity with established procedures, the overuse and at times inappropriate use of behavior controls restricted healthcare managers' ability to motivate and engage their staff. Excessive use of behavior control helped to realize short-term cost-cutting goals; however, this often led to operational inefficiencies. We suggest that hospitals reduce the profusion of behavior control and increase levels of input and output controls in the management of people. Poor perceptions of HR specialists and HR activities have resulted in HR being overlooked as a vehicle to address the strategic challenges required of health reform and to build an engaged workforce.

[Factors associated with job satisfaction of human resources in healthcare].

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Вежновець, Тетяна А; Парій, Валентин Д; Вишнивецький, Іван І; Москаленко, Максим В

Healthcare employee satisfaction is an important criterion for the efficiency of human resource management and prognostic impact factor for high turnover of staff. Furthermore, job satisfaction positively affects patient satisfaction, which is an important indicator for quality of care. The goal of our study was to identify factors associated with job satisfaction in healthcare organizations in Ukraine. We conducted sociological and psychological survey of 190 healthcare professionals (81% response rate) in Kherson City Hospital. Job satisfaction and organizational climate was assessed through developed questionnaire, "Test Motype" method of Gerchikov (motivational profile designing) and "Diagnosis Syndrome emotional burnout" method of Boyko. Spearman rank correlation was used for analysis. Job satisfaction positively correlated with personnel age and time record, career prospects, professional development, superior-subordinate, peer-to-peer and patient communications (pJob satisfaction did not correlate with responsibility of executives, factors for satisfaction of job description, working conditions and range of wages (all p> 0.05). Based on findings we developed dual job satisfaction-dissatisfaction approach specific for healthcare employee in Ukraine. This model includes internal factors such as work experience, career prospects, professional motivation; external factors such as leadership, governance, work environment, customer satisfaction and preventive factors such as staff role, job description, company policies, salary and benefits.

Should palliative care patients' hope be truthful, helpful or valuable? An interpretative synthesis of literature describing healthcare professionals' perspectives on hope of palliative care patients

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Olsman, E.; Leget, C.; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.D.; Willems, D.

2014-01-01

Background: Healthcare professionals? perspectives on palliative care patients? hope influence communication. However, these perspectives have hardly been examined. Aim: To describe healthcare professionals? perspectives on palliative care patients? hope found in the literature. Design: The

Individual, interpersonal, and organisational factors of healthcare conflict: A scoping review.

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Kim, Sara; Bochatay, Naike; Relyea-Chew, Annemarie; Buttrick, Elizabeth; Amdahl, Chris; Kim, Laura; Frans, Elise; Mossanen, Matthew; Khandekar, Azhar; Fehr, Ryan; Lee, Young-Mee

2017-05-01

Unresolved conflicts among healthcare professionals can lead to difficult patient care consequences. This scoping review examines the current healthcare literature that reported sources and consequences of conflict associated with individual, interpersonal, and organisational factors. We identified 99 articles published between 2001 and 2015 from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Excerpta Medical Database. Most reviewed studies relied on healthcare professionals' perceptions and beliefs associated with conflict sources and consequences, with few studies reporting behavioural or organisational change outcomes. Individual conflict sources included personal traits, such as self-focus, self-esteem, or worldview, as well as individuals' conflict management styles. These conflicts posed threats to one's physical, mental, and emotional health and to one's ability to perform at work. Interpersonal dynamics were hampered by colleagues' uncivil behaviours, such as low degree of support, to more destructive behaviours including bullying or humiliation. Perceptions of disrespectful working environment and weakened team collaboration were the main interpersonal conflict consequences. Organisational conflict sources included ambiguity in professional roles, scope of practice, reporting structure, or workflows, negatively affecting healthcare professionals' job satisfactions and intent to stay. Future inquiries into healthcare conflict research may target the following: shifting from research involving single professions to multiple professions; dissemination of studies via journals that promote interprofessional research; inquiries into the roles of unconscious or implicit bias, or psychological capital (i.e., resilience) in healthcare conflict; and diversification of data sources to include hospital or clinic data with implications for conflict sources.

The effectiveness of assertiveness communication training programs for healthcare professionals and students: A systematic review.

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Omura, Mieko; Maguire, Jane; Levett-Jones, Tracy; Stone, Teresa Elizabeth

2017-11-01

Communication errors have a negative impact on patient safety. It is therefore essential that healthcare professionals have the skills and confidence to speak up assertively when patient safety is at risk. Although the facilitators to and barriers of assertive communication have been the subject of previous reviews, evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance assertive communication is lacking. Thus, this paper reports the findings from a systematic review of the effectiveness of assertiveness communication training programs for healthcare professionals and students. The objective of this review is to identify, appraise and synthesise the best available quantitative evidence in relation to the effectiveness of assertiveness communication training programs for healthcare professionals and students on levels of assertiveness, communication competence and impact on clinicians' behaviours and patient safety. The databases included: CINAHL, Cochrane library, EMBASE, Informit health collection, MEDLINE, ProQuest nursing and allied health, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. The search for unpublished studies included: MedNar, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. Studies published in English from 2001 until 2016 inclusive were considered. The review included original quantitative research that evaluated (a) any type of independent assertiveness communication training program; and (b) programs with assertiveness training included as a core component of team skills or communication training for healthcare professionals and students, regardless of healthcare setting and level of qualification of participants. Studies selected based on eligibility criteria were assessed for methodological quality and the data were extracted by two independent researchers using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal and data extraction tools. Eleven papers were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Eight

[Nursing home placement of people with dementia: a secondary analysis of qualitative data and literature review on perspectives of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals].

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Nguyen, Natalie; Renom-Guiteras, Anna; Meyer, Gabriele; Stephan, Astrid

2018-06-01

Background: Nursing home placement of people with dementia can become necessary when informal care is no longer sufficient. Informal carers experience the transition period as an additional burden. Aim: Experiences and views of informal carers and healthcare professionals regarding the transition from people with dementia to a nursing home are investigated to improve the support for informal carers. Method: This secondary analysis included data from all five focus groups with n = 30 informal carers and healthcare professionals conducted as part of the “RightTimePlaceCare” project. To supplement the material which resulted from a single interview question, a literature analysis with the same focus was conducted. Results: The merged results indicated that informal carers needed professional support early on at home until after the nursing home placement. Concerns regarding nursing homes, financial aspects and family related issues were important aspects in the decision making. Healthcare professionals recommended provision of early guidance regarding those matters and making own experiences with nursing homes. Healthcare professionals should serve as mediators during the transition process and improve the collaboration between service providers. Conclusions: Empowering families to make informed choices could be facilitated by offering advice at home about their options for formal support services, financial support, and housing solutions. Healthcare professionals should support caregivers to make a decision, coordinate the placement and to cope with the new situation.

How can insulin initiation delivery in a dual-sector health system be optimised? A qualitative study on healthcare professionals' views.

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Lee, Ping Yein; Lee, Yew Kong; Ng, Chirk Jenn

2012-04-30

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in developing countries. However, glycaemia control remains suboptimal and insulin use is low. One important barrier is the lack of an efficient and effective insulin initiation delivery approach. This study aimed to document the strategies used and proposed by healthcare professionals to improve insulin initiation in the Malaysian dual-sector (public-private) health system. In depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in Klang Valley and Seremban, Malaysia in 2010-11. Healthcare professionals consisting of general practitioners (n = 11), medical officers (n = 8), diabetes educators (n = 3), government policy makers (n = 4), family medicine specialists (n = 10) and endocrinologists (n = 2) were interviewed. We used a topic guide to facilitate the interviews, which were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic approach. Three main themes emerged from the interviews. Firstly, there was a lack of collaboration between the private and public sectors in diabetes care. The general practitioners in the private sector proposed an integrated system for them to refer patients to the public health services for insulin initiation programmes. There could be shared care between the two sectors and this would reduce the disproportionately heavy workload at the public sector. Secondly, besides the support from the government health authority, the healthcare professionals wanted greater involvement of non-government organisations, media and pharmaceutical industry in facilitating insulin initiation in both the public and private sectors. The support included: training of healthcare professionals; developing and disseminating patient education materials; service provision by diabetes education teams; organising programmes for patients' peer group sessions; increasing awareness and demystifying insulin via public campaigns; and subsidising glucose

Health professional networks as a vector for improving healthcare quality and safety: a systematic review.

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Cunningham, Frances C; Ranmuthugala, Geetha; Plumb, Jennifer; Georgiou, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna I; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2012-03-01

While there is a considerable corpus of theoretical and empirical literature on networks within and outside of the health sector, multiple research questions are yet to be answered. To conduct a systematic review of studies of professionals' network structures, identifying factors associated with network effectiveness and sustainability, particularly in relation to quality of care and patient safety. The authors searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science and Business Source Premier from January 1995 to December 2009. A majority of the 26 unique studies identified used social network analysis to examine structural relationships in networks: structural relationships within and between networks, health professionals and their social context, health collaboratives and partnerships, and knowledge sharing networks. Key aspects of networks explored were administrative and clinical exchanges, network performance, integration, stability and influences on the quality of healthcare. More recent studies show that cohesive and collaborative health professional networks can facilitate the coordination of care and contribute to improving quality and safety of care. Structural network vulnerabilities include cliques, professional and gender homophily, and over-reliance on central agencies or individuals. Effective professional networks employ natural structural network features (eg, bridges, brokers, density, centrality, degrees of separation, social capital, trust) in producing collaboratively oriented healthcare. This requires efficient transmission of information and social and professional interaction within and across networks. For those using networks to improve care, recurring success factors are understanding your network's characteristics, attending to its functioning and investing time in facilitating its improvement. Despite this, there is no guarantee that time spent on networks will necessarily improve patient care.

Long working hours in the healthcare system of the Belo Horizonte municipality, Brazil: a population-based cross-sectional survey.

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Andrade, Juliana M; Assunção, Ada A; Abreu, Mery N S

2017-04-21

Health personnel are key players in developing and improving healthcare systems, caring for individuals and their communities, and helping improve quality of life. However, these professionals are often exposed to long working hours because of the pressing need for their services at potentially any time of day. The long working hours they endure are a major risk factor for both acute and chronic health problems. The present study aimed to analyze occurrences of long working hours and their association with individual characteristics and employment factors among workers in the municipal healthcare system in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In this cross-sectional study, a ramdomly selected proportional sample of 1549 participants was analyzed from among the total of 13 602 workers in the Belo Horizonte municipal healthcare system in 2009. "Long" working hours were defined as >44 h/week. A self-administered questionnaire was used for accumulating data. Associations with outcomes were estimated using logistic regression, in univariate and multivariate models. The rate of occurrence of long working hours was 31.4% (95% CI 29.1-33.7). Lower educational level (high school, technical, or uncompleted undergraduate [OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.47-0.78 p long working hours in relation to the group with the highest educational level (completed undergraduate or postgraduate). Male sex (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.26-2.09 p long working hours. It was observed that number of long weekly working hours was related to individual characteristics and employment factors.

Do we treat individuals as patients or as potential donors? A phenomenological study of healthcare professionals' experiences.

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Orøy, Aud; Strømskag, Kjell Erik; Gjengedal, Eva

2015-03-01

Organ donation and transplantation have made it possible to both save life and to improve the quality of life for a large number of patients. In the last years there has been an increasing gap between the number of patients who need organs and organs available for transplantation, and the focus worldwide has been on how to meet the organ shortage. This also rises some ethical challenges. The objective of this study was to explore healthcare professionals' experience of ethics related to care and interaction with critically ill patients with severe brain injuries and their families. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to explore the participants' experiences. Methods for collecting data were a combination of participant observations and in-depth interviews. Two ICUs in a Norwegian university hospital were recruited for data collection. A total of 12 cases were observed, and 32 of the healthcare professionals involved were interviewed. The study was approved by the Regional Committee for Research Ethics. Permission to the study in the ICUs was obtained from the Chief Physician in the two ICUs respectively. The right of the participants was ensured by written, voluntary, and informed consent. From the thematic analysis, a structure of the participants' experiences emerged as a process. While the patients' condition was clarified through phases of prognostic ambiguity, gradual clarification and prognostic certainty, interaction with the families was characterized by ambiguity that involved withholding. The prognostic process had a great impact on how the healthcare professionals interacted with the family. The interaction challenged the participants' caring values in various ways and captured an important structure in their experiences of the ethical interaction with the patients' families. These challenges distinguish caring for families in donation situations from caring for relatives of critically ill patients in general. In the discussion we have

Advancing Work Practices Through Online Professional Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noesgaard, Signe Schack

The natural expectation for professional development courses is that they will improve a participant’s work performance, but do they? This PhD research challenges several assumptions underlying the design of online professional development courses, revealing that it is after such interventions...... was not effective and subsequently terminate change that could have advanced their practices. This underlines the need to think beyond the course format to make online professional development interventions continuous, committing, and contextual. The research suggests rethinking online professional development...... as adaptive “just-in-time” technologies and proposes a design theory called “situated online professional development,” entailing six design principles for advancing work practices....

The Influence of Work Characteristics in the Quality of Life of Mental Health Professionals

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Andreia Paula

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Mental health professionals are the main instrument for intervention in this area considered as a priority in Public Health and are subject to emotional exhaustion and stress that can negatively affect their quality of life. Aims: This study aims to assess the influence of job characteristics on health-related quality of life of health professionals.Methods: To address this it was decided to conduct a cross-sectional analytical study with a quantitative approach. SF-36v2 was used as a generic instrument for assessing quality of life, which is already validated for Portuguese population, complemented by a social and professional survey. Data collection took place from 28 January to 30 April 2013.Results and Conclusions: The sample comprised 201 mental health professionals in Portugal. Health-related quality of life shows statistically significant differences in the groups of studied professionals, according to the number of hours worked per week (p=0.04 and the degree of job satisfaction (p<0.001. The assessment of the quality of life of mental health professionals allows the implementation of changes in the organization of mental health services and may contribute to an improvement in the provision of healthcare services.

Conflict and professionalism: perceptions among nurses in Saudi Arabia.

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Zakari, N M; Al Khamis, N I; Hamadi, H Y

2010-09-01

To examine the relationship between nurses' perceptions of conflict and professionalism. In Saudi Arabia, health-care sectors are constantly undergoing major changes because of social, consumer-related, governmental, technological and economic pressures. These changes will influence the nature of health-care organizations, such as hospitals' work environment. The ability of nurses to practise in a professional manner may be influenced by their work environment and conflict level. A cross-sectional design was conducted in this study. A simple random selection of three health-care sectors in Saudi Arabia was performed and 346 nurse managers, as well as bedside nurses participated to provide information about conflict levels and professionalism. The Perceived Conflict Scale was used to assess the level of conflict, and the Valiga Concept of Nursing Scale was used to assess the professionalism perception among nurses. The intragroup/other department type of conflict had a statistically significant correlation with the perception of professionalism. In addition, the findings point to a low perception among the participating nurses regarding their professionalism. A number of factors might explain the low level of perception of professionalism. These relate to the workplace itself, as well as to the personal background of the nurses, which includes the personal interest in the nursing profession, as well as the family's, society's and the consumers' views of the profession. Given the findings of this study, nurse managers are encouraged to create a work environment that supports professionalism and minimizes conflict.

Influence of Child Factors on Health-Care Professionals' Recognition of Common Childhood Mental-Health Problems

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Burke, Delia A; Koot, Hans M; de Wilde, Amber; Begeer, Sander

2016-01-01

Early recognition of childhood mental-health problems can help minimise long-term negative outcomes. Recognition of mental-health problems, needed for referral and diagnostic evaluation, is largely dependent on health-care professionals' (HCPs) judgement of symptoms presented by the child. This

Generational differences on work engagement levels of government healthcare institution employees

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Veronica Hlongwane

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to explore generational differences on work engagement levels of employees in a South African government healthcare institution. The Ultrech Work Engagement Scale measured the participants’ levels of work engagement and it was administered to a random sample size of government healthcare institution employees (n=289. Statistical analyses of the data were conducted and the results of ANOVA indicated that the levels of work engagement significantly differ depending on the employees’ generational cohort or group for the dimensions vigour, dedication and absorption. In terms of contributions and practical implications, recommendations are made regarding proposed organisational development interventions to enhance employees’ work engagement levels in a healthcare institution context as well as to conduct future research.

Perception of primary health professionals about Female Genital Mutilation: from healthcare to intercultural competence

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Fàbregas Ma Jose

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM, a deeply-rooted tradition in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, carries important negative consequences for the health and quality of life of women and children. Migratory movements have brought this harmful traditional practice to our medical offices, with the subsequent conflicts related to how to approach this healthcare problem, involving not only a purely healthcare-related event but also questions of an ethical, cultural identity and human rights nature. Methods The aim of this study was to analyse the perceptions, degree of knowledge, attitudes and practices of the primary healthcare professionals in relation to FGM. A transversal, descriptive study was performed with a self-administered questionnaire to family physicians, paediatricians, nurses, midwives and gynaecologists. Trends towards changes in the two periods studied (2001 and 2004 were analysed. Results A total of 225 (80% professionals answered the questionnaire in 2001 and 184 (62% in 2004. Sixteen percent declared detection of some case in 2004, rising three-fold from the number reported in 2001. Eighteen percent stated that they had no interest in FGM. Less than 40% correctly identified the typology, while less than 30% knew the countries in which the practice is carried out and 82% normally attended patients from these countries. Conclusion Female genital mutilations are present in primary healthcare medical offices with paediatricians and gynaecologists having the closest contact with the problem. Preventive measures should be designed as should sensitization to promote stands against these practices.

Professional activity. How is family physicians' work time changing?

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Woodward, C A; Ferrier, B; Cohen, M; Brown, J

2001-07-01

To examine hours worked professionally, work preferences, and changes in both of these and their correlates. Repeated surveys done in 1993 and 1999. Ontario family practices. Cohort of physicians certified in family medicine between 1989 and 1991 after family medicine residency who were surveyed in 1993 when they resided in Ontario. Self-reported hours spent weekly on professional activities, desired hours of professional work, and balance between work and other activities. Fifty-three percent (293) of 553 physicians responded to the 1999 survey; 91% had remained family physicians; 85% of these had participated in the 1993 survey. The difference between the hours that family physicians preferred to work professionally and their actual hours of work had increased since 1993. Childless physicians, women physicians with preschool children, and women physicians married to other physicians worked fewer hours professionally than other physicians in 1999. Female physicians and physicians without children worked closer to their preferred hours than other physicians. Reporting a preference to work fewer hours professionally in 1993 was linked with a reduction in professional activities by 1999. Greater attention should be paid in physician resource planning to the family life cycle of female physicians. Lifestyle changes could lead to a reduction in professional activity among these physicians.

An evaluation of approaches used to teach quality improvement to pre-registration healthcare professionals: An integrative review.

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Armstrong, Lorraine; Shepherd, Ashley; Harris, Fiona

2017-08-01

Improving the quality of healthcare remains central to UK and international policy, practice and research. In 2003, The Institute of Medicine's 'Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality', advocated quality improvement as a core competency for all healthcare professionals. As a result, developing capacity and capability of those applying improvement methodologies in the pre-registration population has risen, yet, little is known about the teaching approaches employed for this purpose. To describe and analyse educational approaches used to teach quality improvement to pre-registration healthcare professionals and identify enabling and impeding factors. Integrative review. CINAHL, PsychINFO, MEDLINE, ERIC, ASSIA, SCOPUS and Google Scholar were accessed for papers published between 2000 and 2016. Publications where quality improvement education was delivered to pre-registration healthcare professionals were eligible. One author independently screened papers, extracted data using a modified version of the Reporting of Primary Studies in Education Guideline and evaluated methodological quality using the Weight of Evidence Framework. The Kirkpatrick Education Evaluation Model was used to explore the impact of teaching approaches. Enabling and impeding factors were thematically analysed. A narrative synthesis of findings is presented. Ten papers were included, representing nursing, pharmacy and medicine from UK, Norway and USA. Studies comprised four quantitative, four mixed method, one qualitative and one cluster randomised trial, all allocated medium Weight of Evidence. Teaching approaches included experiential learning cited in all studies, didactics in seven, group work in four, seminars in three, self-directed learning in three and simulation in one. Most studies measured Level 1 of the Kirkpatrick Model (reaction), all but one measured Level 2 (skills, knowledge or attitudes), none measured Level 3 (behaviour) and one measured Level 4 (patient outcomes

Self-reported receipt of healthcare professional?s weight management counselling is associated with self-reported weight management behaviours of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

OpenAIRE

Mogre, Victor; Wanaba, Peter; Apala, Peter; Nsoh, Jonas A.

2016-01-01

Background Weight loss has been shown to influence the health outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients. Providing weight management counselling to diabetes patients may help them adopt appropriate weight management behaviours to lose weight. This study determined the association between self-reported receipt of healthcare professional?s weight management counselling and the weight management behaviours of type 2 diabetes patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 type 2 ...

Use of a Nationwide Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record by Healthcare Professionals and Patients: A Case Study with the French DMP.

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Seroussi, Brigitte; Bouaud, Jacques

2017-01-01

If the wide adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is necessary to address health information sharing and care coordination issues, it is not sufficient. In order to address health information sharing, some countries, among which, France, have implemented a centralized framework with "new" nationwide care records. The French DMP is a centralized, nationally shared, electronic medical record, created according to the opt-in model. More than five years after the launching of the DMP project, DMPs have been created for 1.5% of the target population, which demonstrates the poor adoption of the tool by healthcare professionals. Among the 583,997 existing DMPs in June 2016, 41% were empty, and 24% of non-empty DMPs were actually accessed. If these "active" DMPs were equally accessed by both healthcare professionals and patients, patients accessed DMP documents four times more than healthcare professionals.

Towards understanding healthcare professionals' adoption and use of technologies in clinical practice: Using Qmethodology and models of technology acceptance.

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Ladan, Muhammad Awwal; Wharrad, Heather; Windle, Richard

2018-03-09

Technologies have globally been recognised to improve productivity across different areas of practice including healthcare. This has been achieved due to the expansion of computers and other forms of information technologies. Despite this advancement, there has also been the growing challenge of the adoption and use of these technologies within practice and especially in healthcare. The evolution of information technologies and more specifically e-health within the healthcare practice has its own barriers and facilitators. This paper describes a pilot study to explore these factors that influence information and technology adoption and use by health professionals in the clinical area in Sub-Saharan Africa. We report on the use of Q-methodology and the models of technology acceptance used in combination for the first time. The methodology used for this study aims to explore the subjectivity of healthcare professionals and present their shared views (factors) on their adoption and use of e-health within clinical practice.

Effects of healthcare professional delivered early feeding interventions on feeding practices and dietary intake: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Matvienko-Sikar, Karen; Toomey, Elaine; Delaney, Lisa; Harrington, Janas; Byrne, Molly; Kearney, Patricia M

2018-04-01

Childhood obesity is a global public health challenge. Parental feeding practices, such as responsive feeding, are implicated in the etiology of childhood obesity. This systematic review aimed to examine of effects of healthcare professional-delivered early feeding interventions, on parental feeding practices, dietary intake, and weight outcomes for children up to 2 years. The role of responsive feeding interventions was also specifically examined. Databases searched included: CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Maternity and Infant Care. participants are parents of children ≤2 years; intervention includes focus on early child feeding to prevent overweight and obesity; intervention delivered by healthcare professionals. Sixteen papers, representing 10 trials, met inclusion criteria for review. Six interventions included responsive feeding components. Interventions demonstrated inconsistent effects on feeding practices, dietary intake, and weight outcomes. Findings suggest some reductions in pressure to eat and infant consumption of non-core beverages. Responsive feeding based interventions demonstrate greater improvements in feeding approaches, and weight outcomes. The findings of this review highlight the importance of incorporating responsive feeding in healthcare professional delivered early feeding interventions to prevent childhood obesity. Observed inconsistencies across trials may be explained by methodological limitations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supporting primary healthcare professionals to care for people with intellectual disability: a research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Lennox, Nicholas; Van Driel, Mieke L; van Dooren, Kate

2015-01-01

The vast health inequities experienced by people with intellectual disability remain indisputable. Persistent and contemporary challenges exist for primary healthcare providers and researchers working to contribute to improvements to the health and well-being of people with intellectual disability. Over two decades after the only review of supports for primary healthcare providers was published, this paper contributes to an evolving research agenda that aims to make meaningful gains in health-related outcomes for this group. The present authors updated the existing review by searching the international literature for developments and evaluations of multinational models of care. Based on our review, we present three strategies to support primary healthcare providers: (i) effectively using what we know, (ii) considering other strategies that offer support to primary healthcare professionals and (iii) researching primary health care at the system level. Strengthening primary care by supporting equitable provision of health-related care for people with intellectual disability is a much needed step towards improving health outcomes among people with intellectual disability. More descriptive quantitative and qualitative research, as well as intervention-based research underpinned by rigorous mixed-methods evaluating these strategies at the primary care level, which is sensitive to the needs of people with intellectual disability will assist primary care providers to provide better care and achieve better health outcomes. Many people with intellectual disability have poor health. The authors reviewed what has been written by other researchers about how to improve the health of people with intellectual disability. In the future, people who support adults with intellectual disability should continue doing what they do well, think of other ways to improve health, and do more research about health. At all times, the needs of people with intellectual disability should be the

Dissecting through barriers: A follow-up study on the long-term effects of interprofessional education in a dissection course with healthcare professional students.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yu Hang Eric; Palombella, Andrew; Salfi, Jenn; Wainman, Bruce

2018-04-16

Several studies have shown significant improvements in the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professional students toward interprofessional education (IPE) immediately following intervention with IPE courses. However, there remains little evidence on the lasting effects of IPE courses and the long-term influences of these IPE experiences are poorly documented. The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term effects of an intensive, ten-week interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course at McMaster University. Attitudes and perceptions of past participants towards interprofessional learning were evaluated, now that they have started working with other healthcare professionals outside of the IPE course setting. Thirty-four past participants who have clinical experience working in interprofessional settings or are currently working in the healthcare field completed a follow-up questionnaire consisting of a modified Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and open-ended questions. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant decrease in their attitude towards teamwork and collaboration and respect for other health professions, but a significant improvement in their understanding of roles and responsibilities compared to their results immediately after the IPE intervention. Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions revealed several themes such as developing interprofessional competencies, developing relationships, and remembering the strengths of the IPE dissection course. The results of this study indicate that the IPE experience in anatomy was highly valued by the students and that past participants maintain a clear understanding of their scope of practice, but the reality of clinical practice may have eroded gains made in the program. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junwei; Wu, Guangdong

2018-02-15

Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility.

Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility. PMID:29462860