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To be regularly physically active is of major importance for the health of people with metabolic risk factors. Many of these persons are insufficiently active and in need of support. This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators perceived by health care professionals' within Swedish primary care in their work to support persons with metabolic risk factors to increase their physical activity. A qualitative design with focus group discussions was used. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis with a manifest, inductive approach. Primary health care in five Swedish healthcare regions. Nine physiotherapists, ten physicians and five nurses participated in six digital focus group discussions including two to six participants. Barriers and facilitators to supporting persons with metabolic risk factors to increase their physical activity were found within four generic categories, where the barriers and facilitators related to each generic category: 'Patient readiness for change', 'Supporting the process of change', 'The professional role', and 'The organisation of primary care'. The findings suggests that barriers and facilitators for supporting patients with metabolic risk factors can be found at several levels within primary care, from individual patient and the health care professionals to the organisational level. In the primary care setting, this should be highlighted when implementing support to increase physical activity in people with metabolic risk factors. Health care professionals within primary care are in a position to support people with metabolic risk factors to increase their physical activity. Barriers and facilitators to support the patients should be addressed at several levels within primary care. The study highlights factors on multiple levels such as professional responsibility, organisational prioritisation and resources, and the challenge to motivate behaviour change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The person-centred practice framework represents the cornerstone of a middle-range theory. Internationally, person-centredness has become an increasingly common topic. The measurement of the existence of a person-centred culture is complex and subtle. The Person-Centred Practice Inventory—Staff (PCPI-S) measures clinicians' experience of a person-centred culture in their practice. The PCPI-S was developed in English. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to translate the PCPI-S into German and to cross-culturally adapt and test in the acute care setting (PCPI-S aG Swiss) and (2) to investigate the psychometric properties of the PCPI-S aG Swiss. Methods: The two-phase investigation of this cross-sectional observational study followed the guidelines and principles of good practice for the process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation of self-reporting measures. Phase 1 involved an eight-step translation and cultural adaptation of the PCPI-S testing in an acute care setting. In Phase 2, psychometric retesting and statistical analysis based on a quantitative cross-sectional survey were undertaken. To evaluate the construct validity, a confirmatory factor analysis was implemented. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the internal consistency. Results: A sample of 711 nurses working in a Swiss acute care setting participated in testing the PCPI-S aG Swiss. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good overall model fit, validating the strong theoretical framework, which underpins the PCPI-S aG Swiss. Cronbach's alpha scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Conclusion: The chosen procedure ensured cultural adaptation to the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The psychometric results were good to excellent and comparable with other translations of the instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic put extreme pressure on healthcare systems worldwide, forcing a heavy workload on healthcare professionals. Frontline treatment and care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 compelled healthcare professionals to rapidly adapt to new working conditions. This study explores the experiences of frontline healthcare professionals to learn more about how frontline work affects their learning and skills development but also interprofessional collaboration during a pandemic. Methods: In-depth, one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 healthcare professionals. A broad interdisciplinary group, the participants were employed in public hospitals in four of Denmark's five regions. Using a reflexive methodology for the data analysis allowed reflexive interpretation when interpreting subjects and interpreting the interpretation. Results: The study identified two empirical themes: into the unknown and in the same boat, which we critically interpreted using learning theory and theory on interprofessionalism. The study found that the healthcare professionals moved from being experts in their own fields to being novices in the frontline of the pandemic, and then back to being experts based on interprofessional collaboration that included shared reflection. Working in the frontline was imbued with a unique atmosphere in which workers were equals and functioned interdependently, the barriers normally obstructing interprofessional collaboration set aside to focus on combating the pandemic. Conclusions: This study reveals new insights regarding knowledge on frontline healthcare professionals in terms of learning and developing new skills, as well as the importance of interprofessional collaboration. The insights contributed to the understanding of the importance of shared reflection and how the development of expertise was a socially embedded process where discussions were possible without fear of being ridiculed and healthcare professionals were willing to share their knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study find the understanding of knowledge sharing and employee learning, employee adaptability on health care sector employees in Chennai. In the recent years since every organization increasing knowledge sharing rate. Hence it is essential for any organization to identify the leading causes of health care professionals to prevent them. This research highlights more on the relationship between how the knowledge sharing leads employee adoptability and employee learning. Here knowledge sharing are considered as independent variables. The employee learning and employee adaptability has been taken as dependent variable. A sample of 250 employees have approached through the convenience sampling method to participate in this survey. Descriptive research design is applied. Questionnaire has been used to collect the primary data from the health care professional. The collected data are analysed descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The study results shows that knowledge sharing positively influenced to employee learning and adaptability of health care professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both developed and developing nations, the rising prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and underreporting of ADRs in pharmacovigilance centers have become major problems. The goal of this study was to access the overall knowledge, attitude and practices toward pharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting among Albanian healthcare professionals. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from December 2021 to February 2022 including physicians, community pharmacists and nurses in Tirana, Albania. There were distributed a total of 511 questionnaires to healthcare professionals, where 410 of them were returned, resulting in an 80.23 percent response rate. Physicians and pharmacists compare to nurses had better knowledge about pharmacovigilance and its main purpose. Pharmacists had better knowledge regarding the establishment of the pharmacovigilance law (67.62%) and how to report ADRs (51.43%), Of all, 85.42% of physicians, 74.29% of pharmacists and 40.38% of nurses resulted had a positive attitude towards ADR reporting as a professional obligation, as well as 57.29% of physicians, 58.57% of pharmacists and 22.12% (p < 0.05) of nurses, declared that they have reported ADRs. Only physicians have reported ADRs to the national pharmacovigilance center. The findings of this study show that most of the healthcare professionals in Tirana do not have a thorough understanding of pharmacovigilance techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate time trends in the prevalence of hoarseness among health care professionals in primary health care units (PHC) and in hospitals from 2007 to 2018. Moreover, purpose was to discover potential indoor environmental quality (IEQ) risk factors as well as to determine the effect of the remediation of the indoor air problems on the prevalence of hoarseness. Methods: The health status was collected from all employees in these units/hospitals (N = 1564/1199) with questionnaires and the follow-ups were carried out as an open cohort. Based on building condition inspections, buildings were classified to be an "exposed" or "reference" buildings by third-party experts. The before and after remediation results were compared to reference buildings. Results: During follow-up, hoarseness has not increased in those PHC units with good IEQ. In the pilot study, the prevalence of hoarseness in non-exposed reference building was 5.9%, and it stayed approximately at the same level throughout the follow-up. Whereas in buildings with an IEQ problem the prevalence of hoarseness varied between 16.2 and 36.1% and it decreased to 11.4% after the remediations. In a large hospital with severe IEQ problems, the prevalence of hoarseness was 39.1%, and in hospital buildings with a milder exposure 23.3%. The most important risk factors for hoarseness were asthma, allergic rhinitis and IEQ problems. Conclusion: A good indoor environment and the remediation of damaged buildings seem to promote a better condition of the voice in health care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on how intersexuality is understood by health professionals, on the perspectives of activists and on how countries have dealt with these issues. It is perceived that intersex variations, which in most cases do not require medical intervention, have been delegated to the bosom of medicine, witnessing a process of medicalization of intersexuality and an attempt to normalize the bodies. The expectations related to sexual dimorphism influence the discourses of health professionals, medical practices and, consequently, the lives of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health literacy is essential for shared decision-making and improved health outcomes, and patients with inadequate health literacy often need additional support from health and social care professionals. Despite global calls for developing tertiary-level health literacy education, the extent of this in Australian health and social care professional degrees is unknown. This research explored students' health literacy knowledge across five health and social care professional disciplines. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated to student health and social care professionals enrolled in one of two Australian universities. Questions explored students' factual and conceptual health literacy knowledge, and responses were inductively themed and reported descriptively. Of the 90 students who participated, the depth of health literacy knowledge was low. Students frequently identified understanding as components of health literacy; however, most students did not identify health information access, appraisal and use. Additionally, students' knowledge of helping patients with inadequate health literacy was limited. Adjusting patient education to their health literacy level and evaluating patient understanding was poorly understood. Without a solid understanding of fundamental health literacy principles, newly-graduated health and social care professionals will be poorly equipped to facilitate patients' health literacy-related challenges in the community. Further exploration of health literacy education is urgently recommended to identify areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With an increasing focus on developing survivorship services tailored for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, incorporation of viewpoints from both survivors and health care professionals (HCPs) is important. This study aims to explore the perceptions of current and prospective survivorship services from both groups in Singapore to propose service design and delivery strategies. Methods: Focus group discussions with 23 AYA cancer survivors between the ages of 16 and 39 years at diagnosis and 18 HCPs were conducted in National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and Singapore Cancer Society (SCS). All focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim. Deductive thematic analysis was performed according to the components of a design thinking model: empathizing with AYA survivors, defining care gaps, proposing services, and implementation strategies. Results: AYA survivors preferred age-specific services that are aligned with their personal goals. Current survivorship care failed to address the needs of survivors' dependents (caregivers and children) and to consider the utility of each service temporally. Prospective services should clarify disease disclosure obligation in job search and introduce a care navigator. Key implementation strategies included (1) training HCPs on communication techniques with AYA, (2) selecting engagement platforms that complement survivors' information-seeking behavior, (3) improving outreach to survivors through appropriate branding and publicity, and (4) consolidating services from multiple providers. Conclusions: The design of survivorship care services for AYA survivors should be systematic in its conceptualization process and employ implementation strategies. The coordination of the wide spectrum of services warrants a concerted effort by cancer centers, community partners, and the government.

Sara Domínguez-Salas,1 Carmen Rodríguez-Domínguez,1 Ana Isabel Arcos-Romero,1 Regina Allande-Cussó,2 Juan Jesús García-Iglesias,3 Juan Gómez-Salgado3,4 1Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Dos Hermanas, Seville, Spain; 2Department of Nursing, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; 3Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain; 4Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, EcuadorCorrespondence: Carmen Rodríguez-Domínguez, Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Avenida de las Universidades s/n, Dos Hermanas, Seville, 41007, Spain, Tel +34 955 641 600 (Ext. 2625), Email mcrodriguez@uloyola.esPurpose: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the working, personal and health conditions of health professionals has been highlighted, although it is necessary to verify whether certain instruments used in research on this topic have sufficient psychometric support for their use. This need was the main motivation for undertaking the present study. We aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) in a sample of active health care workers during the pandemic.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2020 with 2326 active health care workers (78.7% women). The instruments that were applied included the UWES-9 scale, the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13), the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and an item on self-perceived health.Results: The three-factor structure related to the correlation of pairs of errors presented the best fit. The reliability of the UWES-9 was highlighted by the adequate internal consistency of the items, the existence of invariance according to gender, and its convergent and discriminant validity.Conclusion: The findings of this work support the use of the UWES-9 to assess the work engagement of health personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify it as an adequate measure of this psychological variable and the constructs that comprise it.Keywords: gender invariance, UWES-9, engagement, health care professionals, COVID-19, psychometric

Abstract Background By sharing patient stories, health care professionals (HCPs) may communicate their attitudes, values and beliefs about caring and treatment. Previous qualitative research has shown that HCPs usually associate paediatric palliative care (PPC) with death or dying and that they find the concept challenging to understand and difficult to implement. Attending to HCPs’ stories may provide a richer account of their understanding of PPC. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore PPC stories narrated by HCPs to gain increased insight into their understanding of what PPC entails. Methods This qualitative study collected data from four focus group interviews with 21 HCPs from different units in two Norwegian hospitals. Stories told by the HCPs to illustrate their comprehension of PPC were analysed following thematic analysis procedures. Results Four themes were identified illustrating what PPC meant to the participants: creating spaces for normality, providing tailored support for the family, careful preparations for saying goodbye and experiencing dilemmas and distress. The stories centred on family care, particularly relating to dramatic or affective situations when the death of a child was imminent. Conclusion The stories reflect how the HCPs view PPC as a specific field of health care that requires particular professional sensitivity, including good communication, collaboration and planning. Thus, the HCPs in this study demonstrated knowledge about the core qualities needed to succeed in PPC. However, similar to previous research, the stories illustrate that how HCPs speak about PPC is strongly associated with end-of-life care, and by that the HCPs do not capture the breadth of the PPC concept. The findings highlight the importance of increasing knowledge about the meaning and content of PPC among HCPs in order to maintain quality of life for all children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions throughout their illness trajectory.

Rabia Latif,1 Nazish Rafique,1 Lubna Al Asoom,1 Ahmed A Alsunni,1 Ayad Mohammed Salem,1 Kholoud Al Ghamdi,1 Rasha AlNujaidi,2 Maha Alblaies,2 Sara Alali,2 Leyan Alotaibi,2 Nada Alghamdi2 1Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 2College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Rabia Latif, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, PO Box: 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 3 8577000 3335134, Email rlhussain@iau.edu.saObjective: COVID-19 is a public health emergency of international concern. There is still no definitive cure for this highly transmittable illness. Immunization and breaking the chain of infection is the only successful approach to mitigate its spread. Our study explored the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and its associating factors among Health Care Professionals (HCPs) working in Saudi Arabia.Methods: For this cross-sectional study, an online survey was conducted from December 01, 2020, to March 31, 2021, among 978 HCPs in Saudi Arabia. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of demographic information, COVID-19 preventive behaviors, knowledge, attitude, fear, and risk. Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis, Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression tests were used in data analysis.Results: Most of the HCPs were Saudi nationals (86.9%), females (63.1%), age group 20– 29 years (42.3%), Middle Eastern ethnicity (82.5%), and working in the government sector (80.8%). A 52.2% of the participants were compliant with COVID-19 preventive behavior. The most and the least compliant preventive behaviors were “wearing masks” (88.8% compliance) and “keeping social distancing” (60.7% compliance). Preventive behavior was significantly higher in HCPs having a) more knowledge of COVID-19 (U=104849; p 0.001); b) positive attitude (U=84402; p 0.001); c) higher fear (U=103138; p less than 0.001) and d) nursing profession (p 0.01). COVID-19 knowledge (p< 0.001), attitude (p< 0.001), and fear (p< 0.001) contributed significantly to the prediction of preventive behavior compliance. A unit increase in COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and fear scores raised the odds of being compliant with preventive behavior by factors of 2.34, 1.87, and 1.53 respectively.Conclusion: About half of the study participants were compliant with COVID-19 preventive behavior. Preventive behavior is significantly higher among HCPs having more knowledge of COVID-19, more fear, a positive attitude, and the “nursing” profession. Having more knowledge, a positive attitude, and more fear of COVID-19 may increase the likelihood of being compliant with preventive behavior.Keywords: health care professionals, health personnel, COVID-19, prevention, behavior

Abstract Background In low to middle income countries (LMICs) with limited health care providers (HCPs) and health infrastructure, digital technologies are rapidly being adopted to help augment service delivery. In this sphere, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are increasingly leveraging mobile health (mHealth) technologies to improve service and information provision in rural areas. This systematic review aimed to identify HCPs perspectives on barriers to, and facilitators of, mobile phone based SRH services and information in rural areas of LMICs from current literature. Methods Searches were conducted using the following databases: Medline, Scopus, PsychINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Library. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, twelve full text qualitative studies published in English between January 2000 and December 2020 were included. The methodological quality of papers was assessed by two authors using the critical skills appraisal programme and synthesized using the narrative thematic analysis approach. Results Positive HCPs experiences surrounding the provision of mHealth based SRH services in LMICs included saving consultation time, ability to shift tasks, reduction in travel costs, easy referrals and follow up on clients, convenience in communicating health information confidentially, and the ability to consult groups of clients remotely rather than face-to-face. Barriers to the provision of mHealth reported by HCPs included lack of technological infrastructure, unreliable networks, limited power, the cost of mobile airtime/data and mobile phones and limited technological literacy or skills. Conclusions Implementing innovative mHealth based SRH services could bridge a service provision and access gap of SRH information and services in rural areas of LMICs. Despite the advantages of this technology, several challenges associated with delivering mHealth SRH services need to be urgently addressed to enable scale-up and integration of sexual and reproductive mHealth into rural health systems.

Abstract Background There is an increasing trend towards person-centred care (PCC) worldwide, suggesting that PCC should be mastered by future health care professionals. This study aims to explore programme directors’ views on facilitators and barriers to implementing PCC in four of the largest national study programmes in Sweden training future health care professionals. Methods A qualitative design was applied and interviews were conducted with 19 programme directors of Swedish national study programmes in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Themes were sorted according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) in an abductive approach. COREQ guidelines were applied. Results The overarching theme, as interpreted from the programme directors’ experiences, was ‘Person-centred care is on the move at different paces.’ The theme relates to the domains identified by the CFIR as outer setting, innovation, inner setting and process. PCC was understood as something familiar but yet new, and the higher education institutions were in a state of understanding and adapting PCC to their own contexts. The movement in the outer setting consists of numerous stakeholders advocating for increased patient influence, which has stirred a movement in the inner setting where the higher educational institutions are trying to accommodate these new demands. Different meanings and values are ascribed to PCC, and the concept is thus also ‘on the move’, being adapted to traditions at each educational setting. Conclusion Implementation of PCC in Swedish higher education is ongoing but fragmented and driven by individuals with a specific interest. There is uncertainty and ambiguity around the meaning and value of PCC and how to implement it. More knowledge is needed about the core of PCC as a subject for teaching and learning and also didactic strategies suitable to support students in becoming person-centred practitioners.

Abstract Background Healthcare professionals worldwide are prone to sleep disturbance. Such sleep disturbance is associated with lower patient safety and quality of care. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep disturbance and determine the effect of work schedule characteristics on sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals in Europe and South Korea. Methods We used the sixth European Working Conditions Survey and the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey for analyses. The study included 2285 healthcare professionals aged 18–65 years. Work schedule characteristics included shift work, night work, working hours per week, long work hours (i.e., more than 10 hours per shift), quick return to work, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Results The overall prevalence of sleep disturbance was 37.7%. The multivariate logistic regression model indicated that long work hours, quick return to, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules were significant factors associated with sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals. Conclusion The findings revealed that several work schedule-related factors were associated with sleep disturbances in healthcare professionals in Europe and Korea. Institutions and policymakers should implement strategies and policies to reduce the unpredictability of work schedules to ensure an adequate rest period between shifts and to reduce sleep disturbances.

The aim of this work is to analyze the available scientific information and summarize the main results of modern research on the symptoms and causes, clinical consequences and methods of prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in medical staff. Materials and methods. An analysis of published full-text articles from PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsychNet, Google Scholar, Scopus databases was performed to systematize data on symptoms and causes, clinical consequences and methods of prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in health care professionals. In addition, earlier publications of historical interest value were included in the analysis. Results. The analysis of the main symptoms and factors of post-traumatic stress disorder of medical workers was carried out. The analysis found that 15–43 % of physicians suffered from depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Its occurrence in health professionals was associated with a number of risk factors, which can be divided into labor, social and psychological. The labor factors were of the greatest importance in the syndrome occurrence. Despite the fact that there were a number of psychological and pharmacological care programs aimed at the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, none of them currently has evidence of its effectiveness. There are no clinical prediction methods that would identify health care workers at a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder development. The risk of traumatic exposure was particularly pronounced among resident physicians, who usually lack training and practice compared with more experienced physicians. Conclusions. A funding is needed for methodologically based researches and effective measures, developed on this ground, to eliminate post-traumatic stress disorder in health care professionals. If the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder could not be addressed at the state level, it would jeopardize the stability of the entire health care system functioning.

Background: Ethics of care provides a framework for health care professionals to manage ethical dilemmas and moral resilience may mitigate stress associated with the process and outcomes of ethical reasoning. This review addresses the empirical study of ethics of care and moral resilience, published in the health care literature, and identifies potential research gaps. Methods and procedure: Arksey O'Malley's framework was adopted to conduct this scoping review. A literature search was conducted across six databases: CINAHL Plus with full text, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus and MEDLINE. We collected and synthesised information on the nature of studies including study design, methods and key findings. Results: While there is an abundance of literature describing the potential strengths of an ethics of care approach to ethical reasoning and growing interest in the role of moral resilience in protecting against moral distress, both concepts have received little empirical attention. A total of six relevant publications were selected for review. No studies explored the relationship between ethics of care and moral resilience. However, studies focused upon ethics of care approach as a facilitator of patient-practitioner professional relationships and effective ethical decision making in health care practice. Current evidence explores key characteristics consistent with moral resilience in health care professionals. Conclusion: This review identified a dearth of research in ethics of care and moral resilience in healthcare practice. Further empirical investigation may provide a deeper understanding of the translation of ethics of care and moral resilience to health care practice to facilitate workplace culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Sweden, antenatal and child health care are offered free of charge to all expectant and new parents. Professionals in antenatal and child health care play an important role in supporting parents. Previous research shows that same‐sex mothers face heteronormative assumptions and insufficient support during their transition to parenthood. Objective: To explore professionals' experiences of supporting two‐mother families in antenatal and child health care. Method: A qualitative method with focus group discussions was used. An interview guide was followed, and the discussions were held online. The data was analysed according to inductive content analysis. Settings and participants: The participants were midwives (n = 8) and nurses (n = 5) in antenatal and child health care from different parts of Sweden. Participants were recruited through the coordinating midwives and child health care nurses in the different regions. Findings: One main category was identified: Striving to be open‐minded in supporting same‐sex mothers. Health care professionals described meeting well‐prepared mothers, with an equal commitment between each other, and mothers on guard against heteronormative views. Professionals provided support through empowerment by creating a safe environment and aiming at providing equal support to all parents or tailored support to same‐sex mothers. Mothers described handling challenges, as a balancing act to acknowledge both mothers. Struggling with documents and communication and a lack of information were other challenges to be handled. Professionals reflected on their own professional competence and expressed that knowledge acquired through education, experience and personal interest all contributed to their competence. Conclusions: Forms and documentation need to be updated to be gender neutral to be including to a variety of family constelleations. Health care professionals need time to reflect on norms and challenges to better support both mothers in a two‐mother family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Social Work Department of a large Australian health service has led an organisation-wide risk identification reporting system providing oversight of family violence cases. The availability of this data offered a unique opportunity for robust evidence collection of the victim survivor experience, and the clinical response, over an eight-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The audit of family violence notifications and clinical notes (n  = 283) identified 36 per cent of cases were impacted by pandemic-related factors. Psychological (69 per cent) and physical abuse (64 per cent) were the most identified forms of family violence. Multiple pandemic-related stressors were evident, including financial stress (38 per cent), housing instability (27 per cent) and unemployment (22 per cent). Telehealth was seen as both an opportunity for further control by perpetrators as well as a strategy to stay connected with at risk and isolated patients. Two focus groups with clinical staff (n  = 16) described evidence of an increased shared sense of responsibility amongst multidisciplinary colleagues towards family violence presentations during COVID-19. The findings contribute to emerging knowledge about risks and barriers impacting victim survivors during disasters, such as pandemics, and offer strategies for improving practice. Findings highlight the important role of social workers in data collection and analysis to inform their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are one of the main causes of morbidity among healthcare professionals. It has various secondary consequences on productivity by diminishing the quantity and quality of work completed by the affected personnel, in addition to having a primary impact on the individual with pain and discomfort. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to determine the overall prevalence rate of WRMSD among dentists, physiotherapists, and surgeons and also identify the commonly affected regions of the body about specific health care professions among each of the three professions, as recorded by the cross-sectional studies performed in various countries and regions of the world. METHODS: A systematic search strategy was framed following the PRISMA guidelines based on the present inclusion and exclusion criteria. A critical search of articles was conducted during June 2020 in CINAHL (DOAJ), PubMed, Google Scholar Scopus, PEDro databases and SAGE journals. RESULTS: Out of the 42 articles that met the eligibility criteria, there were 39 cross-sectional studies, 2 pilot cross-sectional surveys and 1 prospective cohort study with one-year follow-up. All studies included in this review used various survey tools for recording the demographic details and measuring the prevalence of WRMSDs and other outcome factors. CONCLUSION: We conclude that all three health care professionals (dentists, physiotherapists and surgeons) are highly prone to develop WRMSDs with surgeons and dentists being more vulnerable when compared to physiotherapists. The lower back and neck are identified as the two most commonly affected regions among all three professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The role of health professionals working in primary care in providing services to all segments of society and in protecting and improving the health of all individuals is extremely important. The aim of this study is to determine the healthy lifestyle behaviors of primary health care workers in Karabük city center and to examine some factors that may affect the choice of a healthy lifestyle. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October-December 2019 with the participation of 334 healthcare professionals in Karabük. The questionnaire with 27 questions and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II (HLBS-II) were administered. Results: The median age of the health care workers participating in the study was 38.2 ± 10.6. Of the participants 53.8% were women and approximately three-quarters of the participants (70.8%) were married. In terms of occupational groups, 10.9% of the participants were physicians, 25.0% were nurses and midwives, 16.7% were health officers/technicians and 47.4% were composed of other employees. The HLBS-II total score was found to be 126.8±21.3. The HLBS-II total score were higher in women, those who defined their health status as good, university graduates those who did not smoke, had good nutrition, exercised, and were satisfied with their body appearance. CONCLUSION: In our study, it was found that the healthy life behavior scores of health workers were at a good level. Especially men, smokers, high school graduates, obese, those who do not pay attention to their nutrition and physical activity should be informed and be supported by healthy living behavior programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The model and components of acute care that optimise patient-centred outcomes in injured older patients are not defined. • There is variability in models and components of acute care for injured older patients across Australia and New Zealand. • Opportunity exists to standardise and validate models of care optimising patient-centred outcomes in injured older patients. The epidemiology of injured patients has changed, with an increasing predominance of severe injury and deaths in older (65 years and above) patients after low falls. There is little evidence of the models of care that optimise outcomes for injured older patients. This study aims to describe clinician perspectives of existing models of acute care for injured older patients in Australia and New Zealand. This cross-sectional online survey of healthcare professionals (HCP) managing injured older patients in Australia or New Zealand hospitals was conducted between November 2nd and December 12th, 2020. Recruitment was via survey link and snowball sampling to professional organisations and special interest groups via email and social media. HCP were asked, using a Likert scale, how likely four typical case vignettes were to be admitted to one of twelve options for ongoing care. Additional questions explored usual care components. Participants (n=157) were predominantly Australian medical professionals in a major trauma service (MTS) or metropolitan hospital. The most common age defining "geriatric" was aged 65 years and older (43%). HCP described variability in the models and components of acute care for older injured patients in Australia and New Zealand. As a component of care, cognitive, delirium and frailty screening are occurring (60%, 61%, 46%) with HCP from non-major trauma services (non-MTS) reporting frailty and cognitive impairment screening more likely to occur in the emergency department (ED). Access to an acute pain service was more likely in a MTS. Participants described poor likelihood of a geriatrician (highest 16%) or physician (highest 12%) review in ED Despite a low response rate, HCP in Australia and New Zealand describe variability in acute care pathways for injured older patients. Given the change in epidemiology of injury towards older patients with low force mechanisms, models of acute injury care should be evaluated to define a cost-effective model and components of care that optimise patient-centred outcomes relevant to injured older patients. HCP described some factors they perceive to determine care, and outcomes of variability, offering guidance for future research and resource allocation in the Australia and New Zealand trauma system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Danish health care system provides palliative care for terminally ill patients and their family caregivers. However, initiatives to support family caregivers are not systematically organized. We aimed to examine the association between self-reported experience of missing contact to health care professionals involved in palliative care, and symptoms of grief and depression three years post-loss. We conducted a prospective population-based survey of 3635 family caregivers to terminally ill patients. At six months follow-up, the caregivers reported whether they missed contact to the general practitioner, home care nurse, hospital staff, and/or palliative care team. Associations between missing contact and symptoms of prolonged grief (Prolonged-Grief-13) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II) three years after bereavement were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression analysis. We found that an experience of missing contact with health care professionals six months after bereavement was significantly associated with symptoms indicative of prolonged grief disorder and depression after three years. The strongest association was found for missing contact with the general practitioner with an adjusted OR = 4.0 (95%CI: 1.9;8.3) for prolonged grief and an adjusted OR = 5.2 (95% CI: 3.4;7.9) for depression. Experiencing missing contact with health care professionals shortly after bereavement was associated with adverse psychological reactions. Family caregivers may benefit from bereavement support to prevent further complications. A proactive approach with assessment of support needs and risk of complications early during the patient's illness trajectory may target support at those who needs it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development and evaluation of eHealth interventions in clinical care should be accompanied by a thorough assessment of their implementation. The NASSS (Non-adoption, Abandonment, and Challenges to the Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability of Health and Care Technologies) framework was designed to facilitate the implementation and scale-up of health technology programs, providing an option for analyzing the progression of these initiatives as they are implemented in real-time. Considering health care provider perspectives within the framework for implementation offers valuable insights into the early identification of barriers and facilitators in the implementation of potentially effective eHealth innovations. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies on eHealth interventions that encompass longer time frames and delve into the complexities of scaling up and sustaining such interventions within real-world health care environments. Objective: This study aims to investigate the perspectives and insights of health care professionals (HCPs) regarding the implementation of an eHealth intervention in pediatric health care while applying the NASSS framework to theorize and evaluate the conditions influencing the implementation of eHealth solutions. Methods: Semistructured interviews were performed with health care providers, including both staff and management personnel, within a university pediatric hospital (N=10). The data collection process occurred concurrently with a clinical trial focused on developing and assessing an eHealth app for self-management in pediatric care following hospital discharge. Using an abductive approach, the interviews were initially analyzed qualitatively and subsequently mapped onto the 7 domains of the NASSS framework to identify factors influencing implementation, encompassing facilitators, barriers, and varying levels of complexity. Results: In the realm of pediatric care, the family was identified as the primary unit of care, and patient heterogeneity was a prominent feature. The implementation of eHealth tools, while deemed usable and flexible, was also seen as a delicate balance between safety and adaptability, highlighting challenges related to health care integration. Child participation and secrecy, especially for adolescents, contributed to the complexity of using eHealth. HCPs had high eHealth literacy, and thus challenges concerning adoption were related to work adaptations and the risk of "app overload." The readiness for implementation was experienced as induced through the research study and the pandemic situation. However, to move from research to implementation in clinical practice, organizational challenges identified a need to update the concept of care and ensure activity measurements. In a wider context, HCPs raised concerns related to regulatory requirements for documentation, public procurement, and data safety. Implementation became more complex due to a lack of overview in a large organization. Conclusions: Important perspectives for implementation were considerations of regulatory requirements, as well as the need for a shared vision of eHealth and the establishment of eHealth-related work as part of regular health care. Key contextual factors that support reach and impact are communication channels between different levels at the hospital and a need for paths and procedures compatible with legal, technological, and security concerns. Further research should focus on how eHealth interventions are perceived by children, adolescents, their parents, and other stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the impact of the predictors of workplace violence (harassment, physical violence, stalking, and ostracism) on sustainable work performance with mediating the role of social well-being of Pakistani nurses considering the ‘hierarchy of need’ theory. A survey method was used to conduct the current study. The data was collected from 400 respondents of four nursing teaching colleges, affiliated with hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. The data was analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) software using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results revealed a negative influence of workplace violence on the performance of nurses. Moreover, it tends to dissatisfy their safety and social needs, the most important human needs according to Maslow’s theory. Since Maslow’s time, researchers continued to explore how safety and social needs impact the well-being of nurses. Social well-being is related to better physical, mental, and social health and conversely, feeling isolated (unmet safety and social need) bears negative consequences for health and well-being. Eventually, it became the reason for low performance. The findings confirmed that workplace violence is the strong predictor of sustainable performance. Whereas, nurse’s social well-being mediates the relationship between the predictors (workplace violence) and the outcome variable (performance). Therefore, the study concluded that when safety and social needs are fulfilled, nurses perform their duties enthusiastically. This is the first endeavor to use the “hierarchy of need” theory in order to mediate the effect of violence, performance, and social well-being of nurses. Therefore, the current study served as a baseline for further research in this area. The findings helped the higher authorities and hospitals’ management to devise such policies which help nurses towards organizational growth and sustainable work environment.

Parbati Thapa,1 Bhuvan KC,1,2 Shaun Wen Huey Lee,1 Juman Abdulelah Dujaili,1 Sudesh Gyawali,3 Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim,4 Alian A Alrasheedy5 1School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; 2College of Public Health, Medical, and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; 3Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal; 4Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 5Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Bhuvan KC, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Subang Jaya, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia, Email kcbhuvan@gmail.com Alian A Alrasheedy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, Email aarshiedy@qu.edu.saBackground: Pain is a public health problem and affects millions of people globally. Effective pain management is possible through comprehensive pain management guidelines, adequate facilities, and trained healthcare professionals. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding pain management in Western Nepal.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in hospitals of Pokhara, Nepal. Healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, were enrolled. Tools for the study were “The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP)” and a validated practice-based questionnaire. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were used to describe the outcomes. Kruskal–Wallis H-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to analyze the association between the mean rank of KASRP score and sample characteristics. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant for all statistical tests.Results: A total of 336 healthcare professionals were enrolled in this study (108 medical doctors, 150 nurses, and 78 pharmacists). The mean KASRP scores (% ± SD) obtained by doctors, pharmacists, and nurses were 58.48± 8.98, 53.01± 7.80, and 52.26± 6.39, respectively. A significant difference was found between the KASRP score and sample characteristics (p< 0.001). The pain assessment tool is used by 96 (29%) healthcare professionals every time they meet the patients. Doctors and nurses used it more frequently as compared to pharmacists. Many of the pharmacists, 40 (51%), reported that they counsel the patients on the prescribed medicine (analgesics, NSAIDs, and opioids) every time. As only few participants had already attended a training on pain management, most healthcare professionals, 110 (33%), agreed and 198 (59%) strongly agreed that training related to pain management is needed in NepalConclusion: Adequate training and support are required to enhance the knowledge, attitude and ultimately better practice for healthcare professionals regarding pain management in Nepal.Keywords: pain management, knowledge, attitude, practice, healthcare professionals, Nepal

Abstract Background Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking as an option to end life prematurely is gaining international attention, and health care professionals are increasingly confronted with the wish to die through voluntary stopping of eating and drinking by individuals. While to date, there are no guidelines in Switzerland to orient professional support, it is of interest how professionals and other people involved react to the situation. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how health care professionals in Switzerland accompany individuals during voluntary stopping of eating and drinking and to analyze this decision-making process. Methods Charmaz's grounded theory constructivist methodology uses guidelines for systematic, theory-driven data analysis underpinned by a pragmatic philosophical perspective. Data were collected in autumn 2016 as part of a regional palliative care conference on voluntary stopping of eating and drinking. All participants of the expert meeting (N = 50, including nurses, counsellors, ethicists, medical doctors, politicians, volunteers, and relatives) were invited to the focus group interviews, of which N = 47 participated. We conducted five focus group interviews, each lasting one hour. Results The results showed that the accompaniment of those willing to die during voluntary stopping of eating and drinking was either discussed and cleared with one another or was unspoken and silently accompanied. Conclusions The demands of participants for more knowledge must be heeded, and there is also a need for systematic instructions on how to proceed in the case of voluntary stopping of eating and drinking support and what needs to be considered.

Background: A medicinal cannabis pilot program was launched in Denmark in 2018 to support patients as countermeasure against self-medication by use of cannabis products from the illicit market. The aim was to facilitate patient access to adjuvate therapy using medicinal cannabis under the guidance of physicians. Objective: The aim of this interview study was to elucidate how health care professionals (HCPs) perceive cancer patients enquiring about cannabis medicine (CM), including medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based medicine, for adjuvant palliative therapy. Design: The program used semistructured qualitative research interviews with thematic analysis. Setting/Participants: Fifty HCPs took part in the study with 10 informants in each of the following 5 groups: oncologists, palliative care specialists, general practitioners, registered nurses in oncology, and in palliative care. Results: The informants reported that optional CM as adjuvant therapy was only discussed when initiated by the patient or relatives. Reluctance by HCPs to enter into a dialogue about CM with their patients was mainly explained by the lack of clinical evidence for the use of CM in palliative care of patients with cancer. None of the oncologists had ever prescribed CM, while three palliative care specialists and two general practitioners had issued prescriptions on rare occasions. Conclusion: HCPs involved in cancer treatment and palliative care are in general reluctant to discuss optional adjuvant CM therapy with their patients. The Danish health care authorities need to address this barrier to ensure that patients eligible for CM therapy are given this option as intended by the launch of the national pilot program.

Abstract Background There is strategic objective to incorporate the principles and practice of co‐design into routine service development and improvement. Aim The aim was to explore the concept and feasibility of service co‐design with patients and health professionals with regards to the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer care pathway. Methods and Results Qualitative telephone interviews and face‐to‐face focus groups in one region of England. Twenty patients completed interviews. Nine patients and ten professionals formed two focus groups. Patients were referred through the urgent (two week) GP referral route and were within six months of receiving their first treatment for an UGI cancer. Professionals were working as service planners and providers of the UGI cancer care pathway. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Six themes emerged: Responsibilities and expectations, Knowledge and understanding, Valuing patient input, Building relationships, Environment for co‐design activities, Impact and effectiveness. Based on the themes a checklist has been created to provide practical suggestions for both professionals and patients on approaching co‐design for service improvement. Conclusion This study offers policy and practice partners a clearer understanding of co‐design and factors to consider when approaching co‐design in real life settings.

Background and objectiveThe role of healthcare professionals in society is unique since they are providers of health information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate Knowledge of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Stroke among undergraduate health care Students (UHCS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodologyAn online cross-sectional study was conducted among UHCS at KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to November 2022, using self-administered 34-item questionnaires divided into five sections to assess participants' knowledge of stroke risk factors, warning signs, and management and source of information about the stroke. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to analyze the data (SPSS).ResultsOf the 300 questionnaires distributed, 205 students completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 68.3%. Of whom 63 (30.7%) were pharmacy, 81 (39.5%) were nursing and 61 (29.8%) were emergency medical services (EMS) Students. One hundred and eighty-two (88.8%) of the students agreed that stroke affects bodily movement. With regards to risk factors, students identified high blood pressure 182 (88.8%), followed by heart disease 175 (85.4%), advanced age 164 (80%), previous Stroke history 158(77.1%), and lack of physical activity 156 (76.1%). Difficulty in speaking or slurred speech 164 (80%), dizziness, and loss of balance 163 (79.5%) were identified as the warning signs of stroke. In this study, 41.3 % of the pharmacy students reported a good level of knowledge than nursing and EMS students. However, 32.2% (N = 66) of the healthcare undergraduates reported good knowledge. The knowledge score was significantly associated with the year of study, and educational degree (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, there were no differences between parents working in healthcare settings (p = 0.99).ConclusionIn conclusion, the knowledge of stroke among healthcare students at King Saud University varied. The reported knowledge gap mostly relates to stroke risk factors and warning signs. Therefore, increasing public awareness of potential risk factors and stroke warning signs needs to receive more attention.

BackgroundThe utilization of modern communication technology in the healthcare field is known as telemedicine, and it represents an advancement in the healthcare industry. For effective implementation of these technologies, healthcare professionals must possess the appropriate knowledge and hold a positive perspective toward the implementation of telemedicine. The current study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perspective of healthcare professionals in King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia toward telemedicine.MethodsThis study was carried out in a diverse hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia and it was a cross-sectional study. The study took place from June 2019 until February 2020, during which 370 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals participated. The data was gathered by using a structured self-administered questionnaire.ResultsThe analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study, 237 (63.7%), had limited knowledge of telemedicine. About 41 (11%) participants had a good understanding of the technology, and 94 participants (25.3%) had extensive knowledge. The overall attitude of the participants toward telemedicine was positive, with a mean score of 3.26. The mean attitude scores varied significantly (P < 0.001) among the different professions, with physicians scoring 3.69, allied healthcare professionals scoring 3.31, and nurses scoring 3.07. The coefficient of determination (R2) was used to evaluate the variation in attitude toward telemedicine and it was found that education (12.4%) and nationality (4.7%) had the least impact on the attitude toward telemedicine.ConclusionHealthcare professionals are crucial to the successful implementation and continuity of telemedicine. However, despite their positive attitude toward telemedicine, most of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study had limited knowledge of it. There were differences in attitude among different groups of healthcare professionals. As a result, it is necessary to create specialized educational programs for healthcare professionals to guarantee the proper implementation and continuation of telemedicine.

Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has created a challenging situation, especially for the frontline Health Care Professionals (HCPs), who are routinely exposed and thus are at a higher risk of infection. Pranayama, a component of Yoga, is known to improve immune function and reduce infection. However, no clinical trial on the efficacy of Pranayama in preventing COVID-19 has yet been conducted. Aim and objective: This quasi-randomized clinical trial assessed the efficacy of Pranayama in preventing COVID-19 infection in HCPs routinely exposed to COVID-19. Methodology: The study was conducted at 5 different COVID-19 hospitals, India in year 2020. The inclusion criteria were being an HCP exposed to COVID-19 patients and being negative on antibody tests. 280 HCPs were recruited sequential and assigned to intervention and control groups. Of these, 250 HCPs completed the study. The intervention was twice daily practice, for 28 days, of specially designed Pranayama modules under the online supervision of Yoga instructors. The HCPs in the control group were advised to continue their normal daily routine, but no pranayama sessions. Participants who developed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 were subjected to Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Point of Care Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) for confirmation of the diagnosis. All the participants were tested for antibodies to COVID-19 on 28th day of the intervention to detect any asymptomatic infection. Results: The intervention (123) and control (127) groups had comparable demographics and baseline characteristics. At end of 28 days of intervention, nine participants in the control group and one in the intervention group developed COVID-19 (P-value: 0.01, Odds Ratio: 0.107, 95% CI: 0.86; Risk Ratio: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.89). Conclusion: The intervention of twice daily practice of the Pranayama module for 28 days in HCPs might have made a noteworthy contribution and may have helped in preventing COVID-19 infection.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an increasingly prevalent and progressive degenerative disease. Palliative care for PD should be integrated into the routine care for people with PD. However, PD health care professionals typically lack knowledge of palliative care, highlighting the necessity of educational programs in this field. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary blended learning program for health care professionals specialized in PD in the Netherlands. Methods: We used a pre-posttest intervention design. The intervention consisted of an e-learning in combination with an online network meeting in which the participating health care professionals discussed palliative care for PD with specialists from the field of palliative care. Outcome variables included self-rated level of knowledge (scale 1-10), familiarity with specialized palliative care services (5-point Likert scale) and the validated End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS). Results: A total of 1029 participants from sixteen different disciplines, all active in the care for people with PD, with a mean age of 45 years and 13 years of working experience, followed the blended learning program. Self-rated level of knowledge improved from 4.75 to 5.72 (0.96; p < 0.001; 95% CI change = [0.85... 1.08]. Familiarity with palliative care services also increased by 1.06 (from 1.85 to 2.90; p=<0.001; 95% CI change = [1.00... 1.12]). Conclusion: A blended learning program can improve self-rated knowledge about palliative care and its services. Such programs might be a first step towards optimal integration of palliative care expertise and services within PD-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Blood transfusion is also a tissue transplant and continues to be applied in many areas. Blood Transfusion training should be given to all healthcare professionals, and information should be updated in light of new developments. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge of physicians and nurses about the clinical use and transfusion of blood products. Material and Method: A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions was applied to 147 doctors and nurses working in the surgical and coronary intensive care units of XXXX Hospital between 01.10.2021 and 15.10.2021 to determine and compare their knowledge levels on blood and blood product transfusion. Questionnaire questions were prepared under four main headings: Basic transfusion information, clinical use of blood products, transfusion reactions, and storage of blood products. Results: 65.3% (n: 96) of the participants were female, and the mean age was 29.6±6.5. The mean age of the doctors and nurses, respectively (35.3±8.1 vs. 27.4±4.0 <0.001), was statistically significant. No employee could answer all questions correctly, and only four physicians answered 15 questions correctly. Nurses could answer a maximum of 13 questions (n: 3). While physicians gave statistically significant answers to 4 questions in total, it was determined that other healthcare professionals gave statistically better answers than physicians in only one question (Question 14). All employees' average correct answers were 9 (range 7-10). Physicians gave correct answers to 10 (9-12) questions and other healthcare professionals 9 (7-10) questions, and it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It is essential to maintain the knowledge level of physicians and health workers in transfusion practices after graduation. It should be ensured that they benefit from scientific meetings and in-service training regarding current developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the experiences and perceptions of patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery with perioperative health care professionals. The study used a qualitative research design and was conducted by interviewing eight patients who underwent CABG surgery. Study data were collected between April 24, 2020 and February 25, 2021 via a demographic information form and a semi-structured interview form and analyzed by using Heidegger's phenomenological approach. The participants were between the ages of 51 and 70. They were patients who had undergone CABG surgery 2 months before data collection. Two themes were elicited from the interviews: "If you are bad, I am bad, too", which indicated negative experiences of CABG, and "If you are good, I am safe", which indicated positive patient experiences. In addition, eight sub-themes were determined under these two themes. In the perioperative process, patients may experience feelings of restlessness, fear, vulnerability, insecurity, and threat when ignored by health care professionals. The provision of interaction between the health professional and the patient, along with family support, changes the perceived care positively and makes patients feel cared for, well, and safe. Awareness of health care professionals about patient experiences during the CABG surgery process points to an important aspect of quality health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to explore how health care professionals experience adaptation of user-involvement for people with dementia receiving health and social care. A qualitative explorative design was used with eight focus groups as the method of data collection. A total of 49 health care professionals were included representing a variety of professions, municipal and specialized health services, and all health regions of Norway. The transcribed focus group interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis following six steps to identify categories and the overall theme. Six main categories were identified: 1) facilitation of self-determination, 2) challenges of reduced or lack of awareness, 3) family caregivers' concern and protection, 4) open communication, 5) establishing a trustworthy relationship, and 6) clarifying expectations. To maintain independent lives for people with dementia, health care professionals must facilitate and support shared decision-making using an open and trustworthy communication. To facilitate user-involvement, health care professionals need to develop and implement strategies that consider the perspectives of people with dementia and support the relationship between people with dementia and their informal caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify factors that health and allied health practitioners consider central to excellence in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) with the objective of supporting improvements in monitoring, accountability and service delivery within the sector. Methods: In a qualitative, exploratory designed study, interviews were undertaken with seventeen participants from 10 health and allied health disciplines (general practice, dentistry, pharmacy, psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy and palliative care) with experience of working in Victorian RACFs. The interviews focused on how practitioners perceived excellence within RACFs. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Thematic analysis yielded five themes, which correspond with different dimensions or ways of understanding excellence, including resident well‐being, residences as a true home, good practice models, effective management and skilled staff, and unmet needs. Under each of these themes, participants referred to issues closely related to the concerns of their particular professions as well as those more general in nature. Conclusions: The diversity in issues to which participants drew attention highlights the importance of obtaining the perspectives of a broad range of practitioners providing services to RACF residents to achieving excellence in the sector. Commonalities in their responses indicate the potential for a greater level of collaboration among the health and allied health professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:Main purpose of this study was evaluating inactive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine subsequent anti-S1 IgG feedback and the aspects involved in such reactions for professionals in healthcare (HCP) as the dominant risk group. Methods: Thirty-six HCPs with previous COVID-19 infection and 164 with no priors, 200 in total, who was working in the Ankara Public Health Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory were included. Main tool of identifying humoral immune response quantifably in serum samples which were obtained 28 days after administering each of two doses of vaccine was Roche Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 kit. Results: Average antibody levels of 164 negative HCPs were 15.82 ± 8.59 IU/mL and 26.042 ± 10.73 IU/mL while 36 positive HCPs demonstrated antibody responses as 66.083 ± 33.927 IU/mL and 90 ± 27.012 IU/mL 28 days after each of two doses of vaccine for both individual groups respectively. A statistically meaningful difference was found in antibody levels after two vaccine doses in both groups (p < 0.0001). The authors observed statistically higher average antibody levels after initial vaccine dosage in HCPs with infection than the antibody levels of naive individuals after second dose (p < 0.0001). Age, gender and vaccination feedback did not have a statistically meaningful disparity (p > 0.05). Conclusions: It was concluded that the average antibody level achieved after inital dose n HCPs with COVID-19 infection was surpassing the average antibody level obtained after the second dose in naive HCPs. The authors recommend further clinical researches on antibody levels and the extent of protection to prohibit COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are able to tolerate and benefit from physical activity (PA). Therefore, it is important that health care professionals (HCPs) advise patients to perform PA before, during, and after transplantation. By understanding which medical conditions and safety issues are associated with the (non-) promotion of PA, concrete actions and interventions can be planned and implemented.Methods: Physicians (N = 51), nurses (N = 52), and physical therapists (N = 26) participated in a nationwide cross-sectional online survey. HCPs' understanding of 15 medical conditions as contraindications for PA was assessed. Significant group differences were determined using chi-square analysis.Results: Acute infection was the only condition which was considered as contraindication by all HCPs (62.7%). Cachexia (78%), having a stoma (91%), or port (96.2%), psychological problems (88.4%), and leukopenia (83.3%) were not considered as contraindications. Six conditions were rated inconsistently between the groups, whereas physicians had the least concerns regarding PA. Physicians with an additional training in PA perceived a platelet count of ≤ 50,000/μl significantly less often as contraindication (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The large number of potentially-answers especially in nursing staff and physical therapists might reflect caution or uncertainty. There is a clear need for a good multidisciplinary cooperation between all HCPs in order to support patients to confidently engage in PA. Furthermore, education possibilities and evidence-based courses to build knowledge regarding safety concerns should be the standard practice in the setting of HSCT. The investigative nature of the paper indicates that certain trends should be interrogated in a causal-longitudinal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional residential care providers face several stressors due to the burden of caring for dependent people. This burden may affect the way in which care is carried out. Resilience, as personal strengths, may help them to be more effective in their workplace and in their interaction with patients, and this may be related to the development of participation skills and prosocial behaviours. A total of 125 professional's caregivers from Spain responded to the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale Resilience Scale and the PB new Prosocial Conduct Scale over the years 2018 and 2019. We checked the predictive power of resilience as well as other predictors (sex, type of contract and total months worked in professional caregiving) on prosocial behaviour in caregivers' professionals with multiple regression analysis. Results showed resilience as the only significant predictor, explaining 21% of the variance in prosocial behaviour (R2 = 0.21, F(5, 115) = 6.16, p < 0.001). This indicates that resilience is a variable prediction of prosocial behaviour in health and social professionals. Resilience gets in the individual the capacity to be attentive to give answers in certain situations, being a predictor of great relevance of the prosocial behaviours. Thus, it is necessary to deepen the research on professional caregivers to be able to train and empower them in skills that improve their quality of life and by strength, that of dependent people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: By sharing patient stories, health care professionals (HCPs) may communicate their attitudes, values and beliefs about caring and treatment. Previous qualitative research has shown that HCPs usually associate paediatric palliative care (PPC) with death or dying and that they find the concept challenging to understand and difficult to implement. Attending to HCPs' stories may provide a richer account of their understanding of PPC. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore PPC stories narrated by HCPs to gain increased insight into their understanding of what PPC entails. Methods: This qualitative study collected data from four focus group interviews with 21 HCPs from different units in two Norwegian hospitals. Stories told by the HCPs to illustrate their comprehension of PPC were analysed following thematic analysis procedures. Results: Four themes were identified illustrating what PPC meant to the participants: creating spaces for normality, providing tailored support for the family, careful preparations for saying goodbye and experiencing dilemmas and distress. The stories centred on family care, particularly relating to dramatic or affective situations when the death of a child was imminent. Conclusion: The stories reflect how the HCPs view PPC as a specific field of health care that requires particular professional sensitivity, including good communication, collaboration and planning. Thus, the HCPs in this study demonstrated knowledge about the core qualities needed to succeed in PPC. However, similar to previous research, the stories illustrate that how HCPs speak about PPC is strongly associated with end-of-life care, and by that the HCPs do not capture the breadth of the PPC concept. The findings highlight the importance of increasing knowledge about the meaning and content of PPC among HCPs in order to maintain quality of life for all children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions throughout their illness trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Virtual reality therapy (VRT) is a new psychotherapeutic approach integrating virtual reality technology and psychotherapy. This case series aimed to study effectiveness of VRT in treating psychological problems. We described four cases of first-line health care professionals with emerging clinically significant early psychological problems during the COVID-19 outbreak, and specifically received the VRT treatment. We compared the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 items (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), PHQ-15, and Athens Insomnia Scale to evaluate psychological symptoms and sleep quality before and after sessions. All four cases showed a reduction in scale comparison. General scores of the PHQ-9 reduced 65%, GAD-7 reduced 52.17%, PHQ-15 decreased 38.17%, and scores of the Athens Insomnia Scale reduced 67.44%. Meanwhile, a reduction in depression, anxiety, psychosomatic, and sleeping symptoms was also found, which decreased 76.92% in general. These results are highly significant statistically. This case series demonstrated the effectiveness of VRT on psychological problems as a promising approach to apply on various psychological distress and disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was evidence of challenges surrounding the psychological well-being of health care professionals (HCPs). HCPs already frayed psychological ability to cope risks being further compromised by COVID-19-related stresses. Critical Theoretical Analysis: Most research on stress, psychological distress, and coping among HCPs is done in a piecemeal manner without a theoretical model connecting these different but related phenomena. This critical advancement article aims to apply and extend Wheaton and Montazer's model of stressors, stress, and distress to the literature on HCPs, generally, and COVID-19, specifically, to summarize past and guide future research on HCPs' mental health, resilience, and coping. Our model describes how different sources of support buffer the effect of stressors on stress and how coping strategies moderate the effect of stress on psychological distress. Advance: We extended the model by (a) distinguishing context from the support in HCPs' environment; (b) distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive coping strategies and their relationships with antecedents and outcomes; (c) describing the adverse impacts that psychological distress has on patients, HCPs, and health services; and (d) describing how such outcomes can become stressors, in turn, further contributing to HCPs' stress in a vicious cycle. Practice Implications: Our model provides a broader perspective of HCPs' work-related mental health and helps guide the creation, implementation, and evaluation of different sources of support and promote adaptive coping strategies. This model helps HCPs, researchers, and health services managers better understand and respond to the well-being crisis HCPs are facing, especially during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) leads to better health care processes through collaboration between health care professionals and patients. Training is recognized as a promising intervention to foster SDM by health care professionals. However, the most effective training type is still unclear. Reflexivity is an exercise that leads health care professionals to question their own values to better consider patient values and support patients while least influencing their decisions. Training that uses reflexivity strategies could motivate them to engage in SDM and be more open to diversity. Objective: In this secondary analysis of a 2018 Cochrane review of interventions for improving SDM by health care professionals, we aimed to identify SDM training programs that included reflexivity strategies and were assessed as effective. In addition, we aimed to explore whether further factors can be associated with or enhance their effectiveness. Methods: From the Cochrane review, we first extracted training programs targeting health care professionals. Second, we developed a grid to help identify training programs that used reflexivity strategies. Third, those identified were further categorized according to the type of strategy used. At each step, we identified the proportion of programs that were classified as effective by the Cochrane review (2018) so that we could compare their effectiveness. In addition, we wanted to see whether effectiveness was similar between programs using peer-to-peer group learning and those with an interprofessional orientation. Finally, the Cochrane review selected programs that were evaluated using patient-reported or observer-reported outcome measurements. We examined which of these measurements was most often used in effective training programs. Results: Of the 31 training programs extracted, 24 (77%) were interactive, among which 10 (42%) were considered effective. Of these 31 programs, 7 (23%) were unidirectional, among which 1 (14%) was considered effective. Of the 24 interactive programs, 7 (29%) included reflexivity strategies. Of the 7 training programs with reflexivity strategies, 5 (71%) used a peer-to-peer group learning strategy, among which 3 (60%) were effective; the other 2 (29%) used a self-appraisal individual learning strategy, neither of which was effective. Of the 31 training programs extracted, 5 (16%) programs had an interprofessional orientation, among which 3 (60%) were effective; the remaining 26 (84%) of the 31 programs were without interprofessional orientation, among which 8 (31%) were effective. Finally, 12 (39%) of 31 programs used observer-based measurements, among which more than half (7/12, 58%) were effective. Conclusions: Our study is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of SDM training programs that include reflexivity strategies. Its conclusions open avenues for enriching future SDM training programs with reflexivity strategies. The grid developed to identify training programs that used reflexivity strategies, when further tested and validated, can guide future assessments of reflexivity components in SDM training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the level of burnout syndrome, and to investigate the relationship between burnout, personality traits, coping strategies, and other related personal factors among mental health professionals working in a tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: Online questionnaires were sent to 160 mental health professionals at Siriraj Hospital. The questionnaire comprised questions collecting demographic data, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (Thai version), the Big Five Inventory, and the Coping Scale. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: A total of 121 (75.6%) responses were collected. Of the 121 participants, 41.3% reported high total burnout levels. However, no difference in total burnout was found between the different mental health professions. The group aged between 20-29 years demonstrated higher burnout than the others. Individuals with bachelor’s and master’s degrees showed greater burnout than those with lower than undergraduate degrees. Moreover, individuals who worked for less than five years had higher burnout than those in other groups. Furthermore, neuroticism and avoidance significantly predicted the burnout syndrome. Conclusion: In contrast to previous studies in Thailand, the results highlighted the risk factors for burnout syndrome in terms of personal, work-related, and client-related burnout. These results can strengthen awareness surrounding mental health conditions, for the effective provision of psychoeducation and psychological interventions.

Background: Global outbreak of deadly Corona virus disease has forced health care professionals of various disciplines in Hospital and community setting to use personal protective equipment (PPE) which consists of completely encapsulated suit, led the frontline health care professionals to face not only the physical discomfort but also other health consequences. Aims and Objectives: This study is conducted to assess the physical, physiological, and psychological health consequences faced by health care workers using Level III PPE when attending COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the month of December 2020 and January 2021 amongst Medicos, Paramedicals, Nurses and other health care professionals in a tertiary care hospital attending COVID-19 duty using an online questionnaire which included sociodemographic profile, frequency of the duty, physical, physiological, psychological difficulties faced while using PPE, and the responses was recorded according to three-point Likert’s scale. Data were analyzed using suitable statistical methods with the help of SPSS V.23. Results: A total of227 front line warriors were included in the study with 157 (69%) males, 70 (31%) females among them 121 (53%) medicos, 68 (30%) nurses, 23 (10%) paramedicals, 15 (7%) others. Majority of them that is 186 were in 21–30 years age group, 31 in 31–40 years, 10 in >41 years. 124 (55%) used PPE for 4–6 h, 84 (37%) >6 h and 19 (8%) used for