Categories Of Health Professionals Research Articles

Continuing Professional Development Program in Health Facilities in Rwanda: A Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of Health Professionals.

Continuous professional development (CPD) is an important pillar in healthcare service delivery. Health professionals at all levels and disciplines must continuously update their knowledge and skills to cope with increasing professional demands in the context of a continuously changing spectrum of diseases. This study aimed to assess the CPD programs available in healthcare facilities (HFs) in Rwanda. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using purposive sampling. Accordingly, the respondents belonged to different categories of health professionals, namely nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, general practitioners, and specialist doctors. Thirty-five participants from district, provincial, and national referral hospitals were interviewed between September and October 2020. A thematic analysis was conducted using Atlas ti.7.5.18, and the main findings for each theme were reported as a narrative summary. The CPD program was reported to be available, but not for all HPs and HFs, because of either limited access to online CPD programs or limited HF leaders. Where available, CPD programs have sometimes been reported to be irrelevant to health professionals and patients' needs. Furthermore, the planning and implementation of current CPD programs seldom involves beneficiaries. Some HFs do not integrate CPD programs into their daily activities, and current CPD programs do not accommodate mentorship programs. The ideal CPD program should be designed around HPs and service needs and delivered through a user-friendly platform. The motivators for HPs to engage in CPD activities include learning new things that help them improve their healthcare services and license renewal. This study provides an overview of the status and perceptions of the CPD program in HFs in Rwanda and provides HPs' insights on the improvements in designing a standardized and harmonized CPD program in Rwanda.

A French classification to describe medical deserts: a multi-professional approach based on the first contact with the healthcare system

BackgroundIncreasing inequalities in accessibility to primary care has generated medical deserts. Identifying them is key to target the geographic areas where action is needed. An extensive definition of primary care has been promoted by the World Health Organization: a first level of contact with the health system, which involves the co-presence of different categories of health professionals alongside the general practitioner for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Previous analyses have focused mainly on a single type of provider while this study proposes an integrated approach including various ones to define medical deserts in primary care.MethodOur empirical approach focuses on the first point of contact with the health system: general practitioners, proximity primary care providers (nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacies, laboratories, and radiologists), and emergency services. A multiple analysis approach was performed, to classify French municipalities using the information on the evolution and needs of health care accessibility, combining a principal component analysis and a hierarchical ascending classification.ResultsTwo clusters of medical deserts were identified with low accessibility to all healthcare professionals, socio-economic disadvantages, and a decrease in care supply. In other clusters, accessibility difficulties only concern a part of the health supply considered, which raises concern for the efficiency of primary care for optimal healthcare pathways. Even for clusters with better accessibility, issues were identified, such as a decrease and high needs of health care supply, revealing potential future difficulties.ConclusionThis work proposes a multi-professional and multi-dimensional approach to medical deserts based mainly on an extensive definition of primary care that shows the relevance of the co-presence of various healthcare professionals. The classification also makes it possible to identify areas with future problems of accessibility and its potential consequences. This framework could be easily applied to other countries according to their available data and their health systems’ specificities.

PP38 Immersion in water during childbirth: A survey to the Spanish National Health System

IntroductionCertain doubts about immersion in water during birth mainly regarding the safety of the infant, warrant analysis of the data to determine whether immersion in water during childbirth is safe and effective. The aim is to describe the situation regarding the use of water immersion during childbirth in hospitals of the Spanish National Health System across Spanish Autonomous Regions and Cities.MethodsA questionnaire was developed to assess the use of water immersion on maternity wards of National Health System hospitals. The survey was reviewed by several categories of health professionals and stakeholders. The online questionnaire was distributed via email. A database was created using the Microsoft Excel 365® computer program. Quantitative results were described through percentages and frequency distributions. In the case of free responses, a content analysis was performed, coding the responses into different categories.ResultsRegarding the status of water birth in Spain, the availability of the option of water birth varies across hospitals of the National Health System. Forty-six hospitals in 13 autonomous regions indicated that they had birthing pools on their delivery wards. Among these hospitals, 20 percent reported having more than 10 years of experience in water births, 45 percent between five and 10 years and 35 percent less than five years. Of the 46 responses received, 78 percent of the hospitals indicated that there was a demand for information on waterbirth by pregnant women. Regarding the existence of criteria for the adequate selection of pregnant women who could opt for immersion in water during childbirth, 89 percent of the hospitals indicated that these did exist, while 11 percent indicated that they did not have agreed criteria for the selection of candidates for water birth.ConclusionsThe availability of the option of water birth varies in hospitals across the Spanish National System. All the hospitals that have birthing pools offer them in the first stage of labor (dilation), while 32 percent also use them in the pushing stage and 15 percent during delivery of the placenta. It would be advisable to have standardized protocols and training to ensure the possibility that all pregnant women, regardless of their place of residence, can safely opt for water immersion during childbirth with satisfactory results.

PP36 Immersion In Water During Childbirth

IntroductionImmersion in water is a non-pharmacological method for pain relief during childbirth. The aim was to describe the experiences, values and preferences of women regarding water immersion during childbirth identified in the evidence.MethodsA systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence was conducted. Databases were searched from 2009 to 2022 and screened for inclusion using pre-determined criteria. Studies that used qualitative methods for data collection and analysis to investigate the opinions of women or health professionals in hospital settings were included. Non-qualitative studies, mixed methods studies that did not separately report qualitative findings and studies in languages other than English or Spanish were excluded. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Research Checklist was used to assess study quality and findings were synthesized using thematic synthesis, as described by Thomas and Harden.The final report was reviewed by several categories of health professionals that care for mothers and infants, as well women.ResultsThirteen studies met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Nine studies have been identified that reflect the experience of women in relation to immersion in water during childbirth, a study exploring the factors that determine the use of immersion during childbirth according to the point of view of both women and midwives, and three more studies on midwives’ experience with water immersion during childbirth. In the qualitative studies the following key themes emerged: Reasons identified by the women/professionals for choosing a water birth, benefits experienced in water births and barriers and facilitators of immersion in water during childbirth.ConclusionsThe evidence from qualitative studies indicates that women associated water birth with a sense of autonomy and control over labor, and a lower level of associated pain. Further, a water birth was considered a positive experience. From the point of view of midwives, to make water births safe, there is a need for adequate resources, as well as rigorous standardized protocols.

Evaluation of the Sustainability of the Essential Public Health Effort Program at the Team-based Nusantara Sehat Assignment Health Center, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia

Background. The Nusantara Sehat Team-based Program (NST) is a program that places health workers with 9 categories of health professionals in remote border areas and islands (DTPK) for 2 years every batch. NST aims to fill the shortage of health workers at the DTPK puskesmas so that the main tasks of the puskesmas can continue. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of the essential public health program at the NST placement center between 2016 and 2018
 Method. Quantitative research method with cross sectional design. The population is the NST batch 1-2 community health center (2016) as post-placement and NST batch 6-8 health center (2018) as placement in 28 provinces, 43 districts, 39 health centers. The sample is the community at the placement and post-placement health centers. Data collection was carried out by interviewing the people who were selected as samples using a questionnaire by trained enumerators. A statistical test was conducted to assess the average coverage index of the essential public health program at the puskesmas by comparing the average coverage index of the program during placement and after placement with an independent t-test
 The result. The results of the study showed that the NST essential public health program experienced sustainability, as seen from the results of statistical analysis, it was found that p = 0.26 95% CI (0.11-0.41) at the NST placement health center and p = 0.76 95% CI (0.36-0.49) at post-placement health centers. Sustainable programs are health promotion, empowerment, environmental health, MCH and Nutrition. Programs that are not sustainable are disease prevention
 
 Keywords: Sustainability, Nusantara Sehat Team-based Program

Multiprofessional Team Performance In The Intensive Care Unit: Challenges And Perspectives

Background: The assistance provided in Intensive Care Units is focused on specialized care for patients in critical condition. Considering critical patients admitted to Intensive Care Units, multidisciplinary care consists of complex and special care. In this context, the question arises about the role of multidisciplinary team assistance in implementing adequate care centered on the patient as a whole and not just focusing on the disease. Objective: The study aimed to investigate in national publications the challenges and perspectives of the multidisciplinary team's performance in the Intensive Care Unit. Methodology: This is a bibliographic review article in which an exploratory research was carried out, with a qualitative approach. The search took place in the LILLACS and SCIELO databases from February to May 2023. 22 scientific articles were analyzed using as inclusion criteria articles published in Portuguese; complete, published and indexed in the aforementioned databases in the last ten years. Results: As a result, it became clear that the know-how of different categories of health professionals working together plays a fundamental role in the care of critical patients in the Intensive Care Unit and this requires these professionals to have scientific knowledge and technical skills in care services. Furthermore, they must seek to provide qualified, comprehensive, multidisciplinary care based on scientific evidence. It was concluded that assistance to critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit is highly relevant and essential. Conclusion: It was observed that is essential for those professionals to carry out their activity in an ethical, holistic manner, aiming at physical, biological, psychological and social care in order to guarantee patient safety at all moments of care through the use of effective communication and noise free

Measuring the Self-Efficacy of Health Professionals in Hand Hygiene and Glove Usage during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Brazilian Multicenter Observational Survey

In social cognitive theory, self-efficacy refers to the belief of a person in their own capacity to successfully perform certain tasks or behaviors. This study measured the self-efficacy of health professionals in hand hygiene (HH) and glove usage (GU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an observational Brazilian multicenter study with a cross-sectional design with an online application of an instrument measuring the self-efficacy of health professionals in HH and GU. Health professionals (n = 193) participated in this study: 96 (49.7%) were nursing professionals, 38 (20.2%) were dental professionals, 21 (10.9%) were physicians, 10 (5.2%) were pharmacists, and 27 (14.0%) were other health professionals. Regarding the instrument applied, the maximum score (100 points) was achieved by 167 (86.5%) participants on Question 2 (confidence in regular routine behaviors), and the lowest scores achieved were 0, 10, 30, 40, and 50 points, referring to 18 (9.3%) participants, on Question 14 (the influence of management’s conduct related to practices). A total of 64.1% dental professionals, 57.1% of physicians, 39.6% of nurses, 20.0% of pharmacists, and 55.6% of other health professionals were classified as having self-efficacy. There was only a significant association between being a dental professional and having self-efficacy regarding HH and GU during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to other health professional categories.

Transtorno mental comum e fatores relacionados ao trabalho de fisioterapeutas na pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract Introduction The physiotherapists were one of the health professional categories on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic front line, however little is known how the pandemic has affected the mental health of these professionals. Objective To analyze the relation-ship between the presence of common mental disorder (CMD) and elements related to the work of physiotherapists who have been assisting patients with COVID-19. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey study composed by physiotherapists from four states of Brazil: Alagoas, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte. Working conditions evaluated were type of contract, weekly worked hours, time working, job satisfaction, and psychosocial aspects related to work. The CMD assessment was performed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Results A total of 288 physiotherapists answered the electronic form, out of which 76.2% had CMD. Fear of reinfection (OR 2.75, 95%CI: 1.35-5.63) and previous infection by COVID-19 (OR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.09-3.78) were factors related to a higher chance of risk of CMD. However, those who reported being satisfied with the work (OR: 0.28, 95%CI 0.11-0.72) and being more than 30 years old (OR: 0.46, 95%CI 0.24-0.88) had a lower chance of CMD risk. Conclusion Physiotherapists showed a higher prevalence of CMD. Fear of reinfection and previous infection by COVID-19 were risk factors to CMD, while satisfaction with the work and being more than 30 years old were protective factors to CMD.

The World Health Organization targets for cervical cancer control by 2030: a baseline assessment in six African countries-part I.

We present and analyse the findings of a survey of the readiness of the healthcare systems in Eswatini, Guinea, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, to implement the necessary measures for attaining the targets for cervical cancer control, set by The World Health Organization (WHO), by the year 2030. A questionnaire with 129 questions with preset answer options was completed in 2020, by ministries of health programme coordinators for non-communicable diseases, cancer control and/or reproductive health, and by WHO country offices, in the six countries selected. The findings on demographics, burden of disease, governance and management, laboratory services, equipment, supplies and medicines, as well as on personnel and training are presented here. The burden of cervical cancer in the countries studied is considerable, according to The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimations. The incidence of the disease is augmented by the high prevalence of HIV infection, in most of the countries surveyed. Most of the population live in rural areas, where access to the health services is far from ideal. Facilities for screening with human papilloma virus tests and for histopathology are limited. One pathologist covers the diagnostic needs of between 0.5 and 4 million inhabitants. Most other categories of health professionals are under-represented, and the capacity to train them is inadequate. Strong country commitment and leadership, innovative solutions and extensive international cooperation would be needed to attain the targets of cervical cancer control set by WHO, in these countries.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study: A Cross-Sectional Study

FGM/C is a harmful practice that involves injury of the external female genitalia without medical purpose. It is mainly practiced in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. However, with the migratory flows, women and girls with FGM/C and its consequences live all over the world. The lack of knowledge on how to care for women and girls living with FGM/C extends among all categories of health professionals involved in women’s health, including infectious disease specialists. This is a national, exploratory descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to generate descriptive statistics about FGM/C among HIV-infected migrant women included in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Among the 387 women interviewed about FGM/C and who provided an answer, 80 (20.7%) reported to have undergone FGM/C. Fifty-six of the 80 women (70.0%) who reported having undergone FGM/C, also reported that they had never discussed their cutting with a health professional before. Our study demonstrates how common female genital mutilation is in women living with HIV and who have migrated to Switzerland and suggest how care and prevention could be improved significantly.

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE HEALTH STATUS OF DENTISTS OF THE DENTAL PROFILE

Resume. Today, dental care is one of the most popular types of medical care. In terms of the number of appeals, it ranks second after the number of appeals to physicians. In the age group of the population over 35 years of age, problems related to dental and oral diseases come to the fore and the need for orthopedic treatment reaches 60-100%. The dental health of the population of Ukraine has a steady tendency to deteriorate. Dentists are considered to be specialists with a high level of morbidity, as their work requires physical strength and endurance in the face of various harmful professional factors. Dentists are one of the most numerous categories of health professionals, who rank third in terms of occupational disease.
 Purpose and objectives. Conduct a health analysis among dentists.
 Materials and methods of research. As part of the study, a sociological survey of 167 dentists was conducted, a questionnaire was developed and an anonymous questionnaire method was applied.
 Results of the research. All doctors who took part in the survey said they were satisfied with the choice of profession, despite the fact that 70% rate the level of psycho-emotional stress as high, 30% medium, 10 low. 40% of the surveyed doctors indicated that they experience maximum psycho-emotional stress during dental reception in the presence of a large flow of patients, 20% indicated that they experience increased stress during a conversation with a patient, 20% during manipulations in the mouth. The structure of occupational pathology of dentists is dominated by diseases of the musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, nervous system and skin diseases. At the same time, chronic forms predominate among these diseases (73.4%), which directly indicates late treatment in medical institutions. The most harmful factor for health in the profession 52.4% of respondents believe that psycho-emotional stress, 19.6% believe that such a factor is physical activity, 26.4% consider contact with infectious patients the most dangerous factor, 1.6% find it difficult to answer this question.
 Among the listed diseases in the questionnaire, dentists noted that they are most afraid of contracting HIV (41%), hepatitis (30%), tuberculosis (27%), are not afraid of infection and 1% are afraid of infection. However, 40% of respondents said that if a patient has a history of contagious diseases, the tactics of treatment and personal protection will change.
 The analysis of the incidence of the upper respiratory tract and lungs among dentists of different age groups revealed an increase in incidence with age. However, there was a decrease in morbidity in the group of 51 years and older, which is probably associated with a decrease in the reactivity of the organism and a decrease in response to the influence of external pathogens in this age group.
 According to the survey, 83% of dentists reported a feeling of tension during the working day, by the end of the working day 70% of dentists noted a feeling of fatigue and 87% fatigue of the visual organs.
 Conclusion. The most pronounced and common for dentists of various dental specialties is the intensity of the labor process, which is expressed by high psycho-emotional stress. The leading factor in the development of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists is the length of intervals during which the doctor takes an awkward fixed posture.

Creation and validation of a high-fidelity simulation scenario for suicide postvention.

Objectiveto create and validate a high-fidelity simulation scenario about the initial support to suicide bereaved people.Methoda methodological research study to create and validate a simulation scenario about postvention. Its creation was based on scientific recommendations, the validation process was carried out by experts, based on an instrument developed by the authors; the data were statistically analyzed using the Content Validity Index and Gwet concordance coefficient.Resultsthe scenario was created to provide initial support to suicide bereaved people in the Primary Health Care context. As learning objectives, welcoming, health care and organization monitoring were proposed according to technical-scientific recommendations. The scenario was validated by 10 specialists in the themes of postvention (5 judges) and high-fidelity simulation (5 judges). The scenario items met the acceptance and reliability criteria (Content Validity Index = 0.80) and satisfactory concordance (Gwet coefficient = 0.640).Conclusionthe study presented in full a scenario on postvention with innovative potential that can be used free of charge in clinical simulation development during training of different categories of health professionals, to act in support of suicide bereaved people.

Temporal trend of accidents due to percutaneous exposure in a public hospital in Brazil, 2007-2019.

to analyze the temporal trend of accidents due to percutaneous exposure in a public hospital in Brazil, between 2007 and 2019, according to sociodemographic and professional characteristics. analysis of time series of accidents due to percutaneous exposure that occurred in health workers. Sociodemographic and professional variables, accident profile, post-accident behavior and accident incidence rates were evaluated. The Prais Winsten regression was used for trend analysis and calculation of the annual percentage change, with a significance level of 5%. 761 occupational accidents were recorded. There was a downward trend in the rate of percutaneous injuries among female workers (-0.012%; p=0.009), who had secondary education (-0.011%; p=0.035) and among all health professional categories (-0.010%; p =0.019). There was an increasing trend (0.018%; p= 0.050) among workers with ≥ 61 months of professional experience. the analysis showed a decreasing incidence of percutaneous accidents, which can be explained by multiple factors.

Job Satisfaction Among Public Sector Doctors and Nurses in India

In most countries, the efforts to attract and retain health workers have been focused on extrinsic measures of motivation, with very less focus on a better understanding of job satisfaction—an important intrinsic factor and construct. The main aim of this study was to assess job satisfaction, its seven dimensions, and motivation among health service providers (doctors and nurses) employed within the public sector in India. The study was conducted in three districts representing two states in India. The study participants represent the doctors and nurses from public health and service delivery centres. Data were collected from a total of 307 healthcare providers (152 doctors and 157 nurses).‘Measure job satisfaction’ tool was adapted that contained 41 items capturing seven dimensions of job satisfaction on a five-point Likert scale with a higher score indicating a higher level of job satisfaction and vice versa. In addition, one single statement was used to assess motivation.Average scores were calculated for each of the seven dimensions of job satisfaction, motivation and for overall job satisfaction. Parametric tests such as t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for comparisons of job satisfaction scores according to the place of work, years of work experience, appointment type and health professional categories. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22.0. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out to assess the relationship between job satisfaction and motivation and regression analysis of motivation was carried to assess predictors of job satisfaction, demographic and work-related factors’ effect on motivation.The average scores for most of the dimensions of job satisfaction were low for both doctors and nurses with the lowest scores reported for the dimensions of ‘professional support’ and ‘personal satisfaction’ while the highest score reported for ‘satisfaction with pay’. Significant results in the difference of mean scores were found for all seven dimensions of job satisfaction except for ‘prospects’ at different levels of place of work, ‘standard of care’ at different levels of length of service and ‘training’ for different levels of types of appointment. The mean scores of motivation were found to be significantly different for different levels of place of work and also between the doctors and nurses. The regression analysis of motivation on various predictors of job satisfaction suggests that personal satisfaction and satisfaction in prospect were highly significant while other variables such as gender and place of posting were marginally significant. Understanding of job satisfaction can provide useful insights to both extrinsic as well as intrinsic aspects of work motivation, which arguably is the most critical area of health systems research that could potentially feed into streamlined and improved health workforce management policies aimed at addressing the shortage and retention of the health workforce.

Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Barriers to Standard Hand Hygiene Practice Amidst COVID-19 in the Tamale Teaching Hospital of Ghana: A Study conducted on First Degree Rotation Nurses of University for Development Studies

Background: Hand hygiene is recognized as the leading measure to prevent cross-transmission of COVID-19. The compliance of nurses with handwashing guidelines is vital in preventing COVID-19 disease transmission among patients. Globally, few studies have explored this subject, especially on the nursing students’ perceptions and barriers of standard hand hygiene precautionary measures amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 Purpose: The study aimed to assess the perceptions and barriers associated with standard hand hygiene practice during the COVID-19 era among first degree nursing students undertaking their clinical rotation at the Tamale Teaching Hospital of Ghana. This study was conducted in April 2021. 
 Materials and methods: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach. The study population consisted of first degree student nurses of the University for Development Studies who were on clinical rotation at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region of Ghana. The exclusion criteria were nursing students from other tertiary institutions who were having their vacation practicum at the hospital. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants from the wards of the hospital.
 A standard statistical formula was used to arrive at a sample size of 120. Data was collected by using a paper-based self-designed structured questionnaire in English language that has closed- and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics involving frequencies and percentages were used in representing data.
 By using a chi-square test, a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant when the association between independent and dependent variables was cross-tabulated. The statistical software that was used for analyzing the data was SPSS version 23. 
 Results: The study had a total of 120 participants with a mean age of 26.48 and a standard deviation of 3.49. On the distribution of perception about hand hygiene, findings indicated that 105 (87.5%) had good perception. Religion and sex respectively were significantly associated with hand hygiene perceptions (χ2= 13.118, p=0.011; χ2=12.49, p=0.014).
 Conclusion: Though few of the student nurses had a satisfactory perception regarding hand hygiene, it is a cause to worry about since there exist other barriers influencing standard hand hygiene practices at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
 Recommendation: There is the need for the quality assurance unit of the hospital to ensure strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols by all categories of health professionals by seeing to it that standard hand hygiene practices are adhered to, irrespective of religious background.

Modeling global transfusion medicine education.

Modeling global transfusion medicine education.

Insomnia episodes, new-onset pharmacological treatments, and other sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Brazilian health care professionals.

To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on insomnia and other sleep disturbances in health care professionals. A survey was distributed using social media and organizational emails to Brazilian active health care professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. We explored potential associated factors including age, sex, occupation, workplace, work hours, income, previous infection with COVID-19, recent/current contact with COVID-19 patients, regional number of incident deaths, anxiety, and burnout. We evaluated new-onset/previous insomnia worsening episodes (primary outcome), new pharmacological treatments, sleep quality, duration, nightmares, and snoring (secondary outcomes). A total of 4,384 health professionals from all regions of the country were included in the analysis (44 ± 12 years, 76% females, 53.8% physicians). Overall, 55.7% were assisting patients with COVID-19, and 9.2% had a previous COVID-19 infection. The primary outcome occurred in 32.9% of respondents in parallel to 13% new pharmacological treatments for insomnia. The sleep quality worsened for 61.4%, while 43.5% and 22.8% reported ≥ 1-hour sleep duration reduction and worsening or new-onset nightmares, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.008; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.001-1.015), females (OR: 1.590; 95% CI 1.335-1.900), weight change (decrease: OR: 1.772; 95% CI 1.453-2.161; increase: OR: 1.468; 95% CI 1.249-1.728), prevalent anxiety (OR: 3.414; 95% CI 2.954-3.948), new-onset burnout (OR: 1.761; 95% CI 1.489-2.083), family income reduction > 30% (OR: 1.288; 95% CI 1.069-1.553), and assisting patients with COVID-19 (OR: 1.275; 95% CI 1.081-1.506) were independently associated with new-onset or worsening of previous insomnia episodes. We observed a huge burden of insomnia episodes and other sleep disturbances in health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drager LF, Pachito DV, Moreno CRC, etal. Insomnia episodes, new-onset pharmacological treatments, and other sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Brazilian health care professionals. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(2):373-382.

Abortion provision in Northern Ireland: the views of health professionals working in obstetrics and gynaecology units

IntroductionAbortion became decriminalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019. Until that point there existed no evidence concerning the views of health professionals on decriminalisation or on their willingness to be...

Interprofessional collaboration among health professionals in cleft lip and palate treatment and care in the public health sector of South Africa

BackgroundCollaboration among different categories of health professionals is essential for quality patient care, especially for individuals with cleft lip and palate (CLP). This study examined interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health professionals in all CLP specialised centres in South Africa’s public health sector.MethodsDuring 2017, a survey was conducted among health professionals at all the specialised CLP centres in South Africa’s public health sector. Following informed consent, each member of the CLP team completed a self-administered questionnaire on IPC, using the Interprofessional Competency Framework Self-Assessment Tool. The IPC questionnaire consists of seven domains with 51 items: care expertise (8 items); shared power (4 items); collaborative leadership (10 items); shared decision-making (2 items); optimising professional role and scope (10 items); effective group function (9 items); and competent communication (8 items). STATA®13 was used to analyse the data. Descriptive analysis of participants and overall mean scores were computed for each domain and analysed using ANOVA. All statistical tests were conducted at 5% significance level.ResultsWe obtained an 87% response rate, and 52 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants were female 52% (n = 27); with a mean age of 41.9 years (range 22–72). Plastic surgeons accounted for 38.5% of all study participants, followed by speech therapists (23.1%), and professional nurses (9.6%). The lowest mean score of 2.55 was obtained for effective group function (SD + -0.50), and the highest mean score of 2.92 for care expertise (SD + -0.37). Explanatory factor analysis showed that gender did not influence IPC, but category of health professional predicted scores on the five categories of shared power (p = 0.01), collaborative leadership (p = 0.04), optimising professional role and scope (p = 0.03), effective group function (p = 0.01) and effective communication (p = 0.04).ConclusionThe seven IPC categories could be used as a guide to develop specific strategies to enhance IPC among CLP teams. Institutional support and leadership combined with patient-centred, continuing professional development in multi-disciplinary meetings will also enrich IPC.

The experiences of home-based care workers when rendering services in the communities in Northern Tshwane and Madibeng districts.

BackgroundDespite the provision of the policy for Ward-based Primary Healthcare Outreach Teams, which requires home-based care workers to be supported by different categories of health professionals, home-based care workers continue to experience challenges during service provision in the communities. Home-based care workers form an integral part of the Ward-based Primary Healthcare Outreach Teams that form part of the streams of primary healthcare re-engineering. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of home-based care workers (HBCWs) when rendering services in the communities of Northern Tshwane district in Gauteng province and Madibeng district in the North West province.MethodsThe study design was qualitative, exploratory and descriptive. Purposive sampling was used from the population of HBCWs in Gauteng and North West. Focus group interviews were conducted. Tesch’s data analysis method was used. Themes and subthemes were identified by the researcher and co-coder, and these were summarised into subjects that were interrelated.ResultsDiverse experiences of participants emerged. These experiences included lack of human and material resources, poor funding, lack of knowledge, lack of support and respect and the need for psychological support.ConclusionThere is a need for a collaborative approach amongst the National Department of Health, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and HBCWs in patient care. Policies and support structures should be strengthened or reformed to promote comprehensive and integrated care to sustain HBCWs.