Group Of Healthcare Professionals Research Articles

Data literacy in healthcare: A systematic collection and evaluation of OERs on data acquisition

Abstract Background Data literacy is crucial in healthcare, as it allows healthcare professionals to recognize, collect, and use data for research efficiently. Teachers can use open educational resources (OERs) to increase data literacy among healthcare staff, covering the entire research process. This study focuses on examining existing OERs with a focus on data acquisition to identify the limitations of existing OERs and to develop new OERs for data collection based on these limitations. Methods The platforms ‘Twillo.de’, ‘Orca.nrw’, ‘Merlot.org’, ‘OER Commons’, ‘Serlo’, ‘VIMEO’, ‘Dailymotion’, ‘SlideShare’ and ‘YouTube’ were systematically searched for OERs focusing on quantitative and qualitative data acquisition. Only OERs published under a Creative Commons license were considered. A team of researchers then analyzed existing OERs with respect to production and content quality and sorted them into four competence levels of a learning objective matrix developed by Schüller (2020). Results Out of 4,383 search results, we identified 111 suitable OERs for qualitative data acquisition. Only 9 of these were related to health. For quantitative data acquisition, out of 4,415 search results, 145 suitable OERs were identified, 36 of which were health-related. Conclusions This study highlights the scarcity of suitable OERs for healthcare professionals to improve their health data literacy. This is for various reasons. Only a few OERs are specifically designed for healthcare professionals and, therefore, do not correspond to the lifeworld of learners in the explanatory examples. Additionally, the existing OERs are not sufficiently detailed in essential areas for learners and are customized to the competence level of the target group of healthcare professionals. Therefore, existing OERs must be adapted for healthcare professionals’ data literacy training. Key messages • The search for OERs on qualitative and quantitative data acquisition yields many results, but less than three percent of the results are suitable for training healthcare personnel. • Few Open Educational Resources (OERs) for healthcare professionals provide sufficient detail and alignment with their competency levels, which necessitates adaptations for data literacy training.

User-resistance behaviours toward electronic health records: uncovering the determinants of perceived threats

ABSTRACT This study uncovers the determinants of perceived threats that have long been associated with resistance to healthcare information technology in general, and electronic health records in particular. Conceptualised as perceived dissatisfaction with outcomes and perceived helplessness over process, these threats are discussed from the perspective of the Psychological Reactance Theory. Study participants consisting of a diverse group of healthcare professionals were drawn from sample frame of health practices. Data from a sample of 217 participants were used to test the model. Using structural equation modeling, the model relationships were analyzed, and hypotheses were tested. The study results show that perceived threats to electronic health records are triggered by two types of factors: namely, intrinsic stimuli like self-efficacy and performance expectancy; and extrinsic causes such as social enabling effect and social influence. The implications of these findings are particularly useful to both research and practice. Managers and informaticians in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings will find the results both instructive and helpful in mitigating resistance. Theorists will be enriched by the insights from the antecedents of perceived threats to advance research.

Burnout Professional Fulfilment and Sleep Quality in Indian Healthcare Workers in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Aim and Background: With more than 210 nations affected, the SARS-COV-2 became the most widespread worldwide pandemic. As of 14 April 2022, over 500 million cases were confirmed globally Given these numbers, it was hardly surprising that the Covid-19 epidemic significantly strained healthcare systems worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of Burnout, Professional fulfilment, and Sleep quality across various groups of healthcare professionals working during the Covid-19 pandemic and looked for any correlation between these three variables. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional observational research design and gathered data from respondents across various regions of India through an anonymous online or paper-based questionnaire tailored to the preferences of each participating Healthcare Worker (HCW). The assessment of professional fulfilment was conducted by employing the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index and the sleep quality of healthcare workers was determined via the use of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The variables were analyzed using statistical tools; Chi-square test, Fisher’s Exact test,Kruskal-Wallis One Way Analysis of Variance and Spearman’s rank correlation Results: Burnout was notably higher among the HCWs with poorer Sleep quality and lower in HCWs with higher Professional Fulfilment. Correlations further revealed that Burnout scores positively correlated with Work exhaustion and Interpersonal Disengagement Conclusion: This illustrates that HCWs with poorer sleep quality and lesser professional fulfilment experienced greater burnout at work during the COVID-19 pandemic Clinical significance: These insights guide healthcare providers and policy markers to optimize the well being of Healthcare Workers and foster informed preparedness in case of future pandemics. Keywords: COVID-19, PSQI, HCW, SPFI, Burnout, Professional Fulfilment, Sleep Quality.

Healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes towards polygenic risk testing for glaucoma.

Effective clinical implementation of polygenic risk testing for glaucoma relies on healthcare professionals' attitudes and knowledge of the test. Given the emerging applications of the test, it will likely impact a range of healthcare professionals and will require competency in polygenic risk scores concepts for all those involved in patient care. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess healthcare professionals' views towards polygenic testing for glaucoma. An online cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals via relevant professional organisations in Australia. The questionnaire assessed experience and confidence with genetic testing, glaucoma and genetic knowledge, recommendations for the tests, and factors affecting the decision. A total of 94 participants completed the questionnaire. The sample was composed of ophthalmologists (36%), optometrists (21%), orthoptists (17%), general practitioners (16%) and clinical geneticists/genetic counsellors (10%). Although familiarity with polygenic risk scores for glaucoma was low overall (11%), the majority reported a positive attitude towards recommending testing based on known risk factors such as family history (91%) and older age (57%). Over 95% indicated that ophthalmologists would be the most appropriate group to order polygenic risk testing and communicate results. The majority felt they would benefit from more training on polygenic risk scores (93%). Our findings indicated that multiple groups of healthcare professionals were neither familiar nor confident with the concept of glaucoma polygenic risk testing, and identified training and education needs to support the implementation of testing into clinical practice.

Evaluation of a Master’s in Genomic Medicine framework: A national, multiprofessional program to educate health care professionals in NHS England

PurposeGenomic medicine is revolutionizing health care but requires health care professionals to update their understanding of genomics and its application to clinical practice for successful implementation. To meet this need, Health Education England developed the Master’s in Genomic Medicine, a national multiprofessional program to increase genomic literacy in the National Health Service workforce. This study summarizes an evaluation of the program, which will inform its future development. MethodsUnderpinned by Moore’s evaluation framework, a mixed methods approach was used to characterize (1) learner demographics, (2) perceptions of the program, (3) knowledge and/or qualifications achieved, and (4) the outcome(s) for practice in the workplace. ResultsLearners were a diverse cohort of health care professionals, including doctors, health care scientists, nurses and midwives. Participant satisfaction was high for all elements of the program, including the curriculum, learning environment(s), and multiprofessional cohort(s), despite the challenges of engaging working professionals in part-time learning. Both learners and their managers reported enhanced genomic practice after completion of their studies. ConclusionThe Master’s in Genomic Medicine program is an effective approach to professional education in genomic medicine. This broad multiprofessional learning complements training aimed at specific groups of health care professionals.

Pragmatic Trial of Palliative Care Support Using Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Mentoring.

Increasing rates of chronic diseases and an aging population have placed palliative care at the forefront of public health efforts. The major goal of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and their families or caregivers. To reduce barriers and improve palliative care, the From Advance Care Planning Toward Palliative Care coalition was first formed in South Dakota in 2017. It comprises an interprofessional, multi-institutional group of health care professionals who aim to promote palliative care through education, research, and advocacy. The project's purpose was to increase awareness and knowledge of best palliative care practices and to improve access to resources and networking among stakeholders. In 2021 and 2022, the coalition implemented the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model. The objective was to provide a centralized structure for distant providers to obtain mentoring in palliative care through case-based learning according to a standardized communication and mentoring strategy, thereby increasing access to palliative care networking opportunities in rural and underserved regions.

Emerging Nurse Billing and Reimbursement Models.

To explore and make recommendations to implement direct billing and reimbursement models for nursing care in the United States. Nurses make up the largest group of healthcare professionals and within hospitals, nurses represent approximately a quarter of all resources and associated costs of patient care. This care is mostly hidden in daily room and board charges. The authors surveyed the recent and historical literature related to costing and billing for nursing care. These results were synthesized and led to the recommendation of several new models to cost, bill, and pay for nursing care provided by nurses who are not currently billing for their services. Two basic billing models are proposed: the 1st is to remove nursing care out of the current daily room or facility-based charges and allocate nursing care time provided to each patient during each day of stay. The 2nd is to expand existing Current Procedural Terminology codes to bill for specific activities and interventions by nurses in all settings where nursing care is delivered. It is feasible to implement the proposed methods to identify patient-level nursing intensity, cost, services, and interventions provided by individual nurses in all healthcare settings.

2296 Co-developing a qualitative study exploring the determinants of safe anti-coagulation in frail older adults.

Abstract Introduction Despite the knowledge that oral anti-coagulation (OAC) is effective in secondary prevention of stroke, prescribing rates are low in frail older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), dementia, and high fall risks. A joint decision-making approach between clinicians, patients and carers is needed to negotiate the risk–benefit balance. The aim of this participatory study was to engage with a group of older adults, their carers and healthcare professionals to identify key themes that will inform a planned qualitative study exploring frail older patients’ acceptance of and adherence to OAC. Methods We identified a group of twenty-eight adults (aged >65 years) and carers from community partners: ‘Ageing Well’ platform, Health Watch team, and the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, UK. Using two case vignettes of hypothetical OAC decisions, we hosted two virtual focus group meetings with the above cohort, followed by a virtual meeting with four geriatricians, two pharmacists, a GP and a patient champion. Inductive thematic analysis was performed on the group discussions by two researchers independently. Results Five key themes were identified as crucial to include in the future qualitative study discussions: (i) age should not be a barrier to anti-coagulation (ii) individualised, holistic assessment by a specialist is mandatory (iii) annual review of anti-coagulation should be performed, revisiting patients and carers’ understanding of the risks and benefits (iv) patient and carer education should be tailored to their medical and social background, and (v) quality of life should be a key factor in OAC decisions. Conclusion Engaging with a group of older adults in a co-development exercise helped identify key themes for a future study of anti-coagulation in frail older adults with AF.

Understanding facilitators and barriers to oxygen therapy for patients with interstitial lung disease

BackgroundInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is comprised of a heterogeneous group of pulmonary diseases. Oxygen therapy is used in patients with advanced lung disease; however, there are challenges associated with initiation...

Developing an Innovative Health Information Service System: The Potential of Chatbot Technology

This study is a research and development with 3 main objectives: (1) to design and to develop a health management system; (2) to evaluate the efficiency and acceptability of technology; and (3) to compare the average Body Mass Index (BMI) before and after utilizing the developed health management system guided by the principle of the wellness plan. The study was divided into 3 phases: (1) study phase that conducts semi-structured interview with a group of students and healthcare professionals, along with literature review; (2) development phase that the health management system used an adapted waterfall model, dividing the system into two parts: website and Line Chatbot; and (3) experimentation and evaluation phase which the data were collected by using questionnaires that were used and analyzed by using descriptive statistics. This study found that the developed health management system was evaluated at a high level by 3 experts. Additionally, the system acceptability was evaluated at a high level by sample group of 33 individuals. The result of research showed that the developed system was able to be used as a tool for primary health management in the areas of diet planning and exercise including to the ability to track and analyze your own health.

Experiences of Irish Advanced Nurse Practitioners Delivering Nursing Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The objective of this research was to explore ANP's experience in the delivery of advanced nursing care to patients and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the day-to-day work of ANPs as well as gaining an understanding of ANPs’ perceptions of how the pandemic has influenced the delivery of care to patients and the personal impact of working as an ANP during the Covid-19 pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affects healthcare staff and patients worldwide. Many studies have looked at the experiences of nursing staff during the pandemic but very few have examined the experiences of ANPs. Study design and methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted examining the experiences of Irish ANPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 ANP participants. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was performed using a Castleberry and Nolan’s (2008) five-step thematic analysis. Results: Three themes and four sub-themes were found through thematic interview analysis. These themes were, 1. Adapting to COVID with subthemes fear and anxiety of covid, feeling supported, the advent of telehealth, 2. Impact of redeployment with subtheme not prepared for redeployment, 3. Primary Care and General Practitioners. Conclusion: The identified themes provided insight into the experiences of Irish advanced nurse practitioners caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each theme shed a personal light on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the professional working lives of nurses working at an advanced level within Ireland. The finding of this study adds to a growing body of literature on the impact COVID-19 had on nursing. Advanced nurse practitioners are a cohort of nurses who had to adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 which impacted their professional and their personal lives. Implications for research, policy, and practice: Understanding how ANPs experienced the COVID-19 pandemic as a group of healthcare professionals allows for better planning for future pandemics or crises using the skills of these professionals to better serve their patient populations as well as planning healthcare workforce more effectively. What is already known about the topic? • COVID-19 has had a great impact on nursing in both positive and negative ways. • Nurses have had to adapt to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. What this paper adds • An insight into how COVID-19 impacted advanced nurse practitioners within Ireland. Keywords: Nurse practitioner; Nurse; COVID-19; Qualitative Research; Ireland Objective

Using Twitter (X) to Mobilize Knowledge for First Contact Physiotherapists: Qualitative Study.

Twitter (now X) is a digital social network commonly used by health care professionals. Little is known about whether it helps health care professionals to share, mobilize, and cocreate knowledge or reduce the time between research knowledge being created and used in clinical practice (the evidence-to-practice gap). Musculoskeletal first contact physiotherapists (FCPs) are primary care specialists who diagnose and treat people with musculoskeletal conditions without needing to see their general practitioner (family physician) first. They often work as a sole FCP in practice; hence, they are an ideal health care professional group with whom to explore knowledge mobilization using Twitter. We aimed to explore how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge, including research findings, to inform FCPs' clinical practice. Semistructured interviews of FCPs with experience of working in English primary care were conducted. FCPs were purposively sampled based on employment arrangements and Twitter use. Recruitment was accomplished via known FCP networks and Twitter, supplemented by snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted digitally and used a topic guide exploring FCP's perceptions and experiences of accessing knowledge, via Twitter, for clinical practice. Data were analyzed thematically and informed by the knowledge mobilization mindlines model. Public contributors were involved throughout. In total, 19 FCPs consented to the interview (Twitter users, n=14 and female, n=9). Three themes were identified: (1) How Twitter meets the needs of FCPs, (2) Twitter and a journey of knowledge to support clinical practice, and (3) factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. FCPs described needs relating to isolated working practices, time demands, and role uncertainty. Twitter provided rapid access to succinct knowledge, the opportunity to network, and peer reassurance regarding clinical cases, evidence, and policy. FCPs took a journey of knowledge exchange on Twitter, including scrolling for knowledge, filtering for credibility and adapting knowledge for in-service training and clinical practice. Participants engaged best with images and infographics. FCPs described misinformation, bias, echo chambers, unprofessionalism, hostility, privacy concerns and blurred personal boundaries as factors impeding knowledge sharing on Twitter. Consequently, many did not feel confident enough to actively participate on Twitter. This study explores how Twitter is and can be used to mobilize knowledge to inform FCP clinical practice. Twitter can meet the knowledge needs of FCPs through rapid access to succinct knowledge, networking opportunities, and professional reassurance. The journey of knowledge exchange from Twitter to clinical practice can be explained by considering the mindlines model, which describes how FCPs exchange knowledge in digital and offline contexts. Findings demonstrate that Twitter can be a useful adjunct to FCP practice, although several factors impede knowledge sharing on the platform. We recommend social media training and enhanced governance guidance from professional bodies to support the use of Twitter for knowledge mobilization.

Understanding the awareness of health and safety signs amongst health care workers in Pakistan - A cross-sectional study.

Safety signs are very important communication tools for accident prevention, fire safety, health hazard information, and emergency evacuation. However, they are helpful only when properly designed and understood by employees. The purpose of the present study was to assess the awareness of health and safety signs amongst health care workers including doctors, dentists and paramedics in different health care sectors across Pakistan. Data was collected via Google forms circulated through WhatsApp social media to predetermined groups of health care professionals to assess their understanding of safety signs across different health sectors. The survey included questions pertaining to awareness of 19 different health and safety signs complied with International Organization for Standardization 1710 and the Safety Signs and Signal Regulations 1996 chosen randomly. A total of 987 people participated in our study and were asked to comprehend the meaning of nineteen health and safety signs. The mean comprehension score for 19 signs was 42.2%. The mean score for warning signs was the lowest and fire safety signs was highest. The lowest comprehension scores were for oxygen cylinder sign (W029) 7.5% and highest for first aid sign (E003) 75.9%. Only two signs, that are first aid (E003) and mandatory gloves (M009) had acceptable comprehensive score of 75.9% and 73.7% respectively as per ISO 7010 i.e. >67%. Statistically significant differences were found only for trip hazard sign (W007) with respect to education and for risks of bomb explosion (W002), ionising radiation (W009), evacuation assembly point (E007), location of automated external heart defibrillator (E010) and mandatory gloves (M009) with work experience. Based on our results, we conclude that there is dire need of special and frequent training to better recognize the safety signs amongst health care employees since these kinds of interventions promote early detection of hazards and their associated risks. Thus, we propose that health care safety sign training must be included in every health care profession curriculum.

BT37 Can patients with psoriasis and eczema support their self-management by being involved in care decision making?

Abstract Eczema and psoriasis are often associated with psychological and metabolic comorbidities. They usually require long-term medical care. Currently, no intervention is available to regularly assess such patients’ needs and comorbidities and support their involvement in decision making and self-management. The objective of this study was to explore the acceptability and potential of a self-developed questionnaire (study tool) in addressing the needs, comorbidities and feedback of patients with psoriasis and eczema, to support their involvement in decision making and self-management of their chronic conditions. A mixed-methods study was conducted that included a postal survey on adult male and female patients with psoriasis and eczema. The study tool contained the Dermatology Life Quality Index and seven supplementary open-ended questions to capture patients’ views, feedback, comorbidities, coping status and needs. The survey was followed by semistructured face-to-face interviews with a sample of the patients who had participated in the survey. The final study involved sharing the research findings along with a prototype of the proposed online version of the study tool with a group of healthcare professionals. Of the 114 patients who participated in the postal survey, 108 (94.7%) expressed physical, metabolic and psychological comorbidities. Stress was identified as the dominant disease-triggering factor in 72 (63.2%) participants. Thirty-three (28.9%) participants reported that they could not cope with their chronic illness. Eighteen (15.8%) had anxiety, and 12 (10.5%) had depression and suicidal thoughts. Twenty-nine (25.4%) participants addressed their needs for support at home, and 16 (14.0%) of them asked for support at work. In the interviews, all the participants (22, 100%) welcomed the use of the study tool on a regular basis to support their needs and feedback. Nineteen (86%) of them preferred using an online version of the tool (portal system) as a convenient way of remote and interactive communication with the healthcare provider, particularly during the worsening of their skin condition. In the final study, the healthcare experts agreed that the proposed online version of the study tool (portal) would be a convenient platform for such patients to address their unmet needs, comorbidities and feedback. It can be designed to provide access to supportive services including links to patient information on skin diseases, local mental health services, patient forums and other relevant support groups and charities. In conclusion, the study tool has the potential to regularly engage and assess patients’ unmet needs, comorbidities and feedback. All the interviewees welcomed regular use of the study tool. The use of an online version of the tool can have the potential to fill important gaps in patient self-management and in health service improvement.

A Pharmacist Clinician Model as part of a collaborative clinical workforce: A philosophical critique

The term ‘clinician’ is not reserved for any healthcare professional group. However, there is a general acceptance that a clinician would have the knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to clinically assess and manage a patient autonomously. The expectation, in a modern collaborative healthcare system, is that this work would be completed as a part of a planned and integrated multi-disciplinary care delivery structure, where any given clinician delivers a devolved element of that patient's care. Forthcoming changes to regulation and professional development pathways in the UK will have a profound impact on pharmacist professional identity and practice. From 2026, all new UK pharmacist registrants will have full independent prescribing rights. A paradigm shift is expected to enable the development of a Pharmacist Clinician Model, incorporating pharmaceutical care needs with wider clinical assessment, diagnostic, and clinical management responsibilities. Consideration is given to this model and its implications. Changes to regulation, policy, education, and the governance required to deliver safe and effective pharmacist clinicians are outlined. A philosophical critique on the nature of being a clinician, and the differentiation of pharmacist clinician roles compared to other healthcare professions, is given. A further examination of the projected risks and expected benefits of this transformative practice model are then explored.

Nursing Staff in a Large Hospital System Underutilize Insurance-Based Mental Health Services.

Nurses are at high risk of burnout and subsequent mental health concerns due to problems with overstaffing, immense workload volume, and personal health risks associated with the job. Effective mental health treatments are available but potential barriers to receiving care may prevent nurses from benefiting. The Emotional Health and Well-Being Clinic (EHWC) at Houston Methodist is an outpatient mental health clinic offering therapy and medication management services for employees and employee dependents of our institution. The EHWC is uniquely positioned to observe how nurses utilize mental health services and to address barriers to effective care for this vital group of healthcare professionals. This paper provides descriptive data on the utilization of mental health services by nurses in the EHWC and a discussion of possible challenges faced by this group when seeking care. Based on these data, we propose potential solutions to ensure that nurses can achieve maximum benefit from outpatient mental health services.

Factors influencing disaster response self-efficacy among registered nurses in Bangladesh

BackgroundNurses are the most prominent healthcare professional group that receives disaster victims and provides regular healthcare support to them at the forefront of disasters and emergencies. As a result, assessing their disaster response self-efficacy (DRSE) level is critical. ObjectivesThis quantitative study assessed the level of registered nurses' disaster response self-efficacy in Bangladesh and determined the factors influencing DRSE. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, five hundred sixty registered nurses' data were collected from 12 public and private hospitals in four districts of Bangladesh between August and September of 2023. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire that included the modified Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale. To analyze the data, we utilized IBM SPSS 26 and Jamovi 2.3.21. ResultsThe study found a high level of disaster response self-efficacy (M = 3.96, SD = 0.58) among the registered nurses, while their disaster knowledge, skill, and preparedness levels were moderate. Low to moderate correlations were found between self-efficacy in disaster response and disaster-related knowledge (r = 0.349, p < 0.001), disaster skills (r = 0.526, p ˂0.001), and preparedness for disaster (r = 0.589, p ˂0.001) of the registered nurses. Older age, higher nursing designation, working experience in the emergency unit, and higher levels of disaster knowledge significantly influenced registered nurses' self-efficacy while responding to disasters. ConclusionRegistered nurses in Bangladesh have reported high self-efficacy while responding to disasters. However, to enhance their effectiveness, they need to improve their disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness. To better respond during disasters, it is advisable that nurses receive training in disaster triage, post-disaster mental and psychological health, as well as primary and advanced life support.

Prevalence and Burden of Musculoskeletal Pain among Cardiac Sonographers in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cardiac sonographers are at a high risk for work-related musculoskeletal pain (WMSP), a major occupational health problem. With limited research on WMSP prevalence among this population in Saudi Arabia, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and impact of WMSP in cardiac sonographers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia compared to a control group of healthcare professionals. Methods: An electronic survey was administered to cardiac sonographers (study group) and other healthcare professionals (control group) exposed to different occupational hazards, including allied healthcare professionals, physicians, and nurses. Modified versions of the Nordic, QuickDASH, and QuickDASH work questionnaires were used. The χ2 test was performed for comparisons. Results: A total of 168 participants completed the survey (mean age: 31.6 ± 7.7 years). Among them, 127 (76.1%) were females, comprising 61 (36.3%) sonographers and 107 (63.7%) controls. Overall, WMSP was more common (82% versus 65%, p = 0.020) and severe (p = 0.041) in cardiac sonographers than in controls. The most affected body regions in cardiac sonographers were the shoulders (72.0% versus 29.0%), followed by the hands (56.0% versus 24.6%), compared to those of the control participants. Pain experienced by cardiac sonographers significantly interfered with social and work-related activities (p < 0.05 for all). A higher number of cardiac sonographers planned to change their profession than control participants (41% versus 15.2%; p < 0.0001) owing to pain. Conclusions: WMSP was more common and severe in cardiac sonographers than in control participants of other healthcare professions in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia and interfered significantly with their social and work-related activities and future employment plans. Therefore, preventive interventional studies are required in the future.

Electronic prescription systems in Greece: a large-scale survey of healthcare professionals’ perceptions

BackgroundThe national e-prescription system in Greece is one of the most important achievements in the e-health sector. Healthcare professionals’ feedback is essential to ensure the introduced system tends to their needs and reduces their everyday workload. The number of surveys collecting the users’ views is limited, while the existing studies include only a small number of participants.MethodsIn this study, healthcare professionals’ perceptions on e-prescription are explored. For this, a questionnaire was distributed online, containing closed- and open-ended questions aiming to address strengths and identify drawbacks in e-prescription. Answers were collected from primary health care physicians, specialized medical doctors and pharmacists.ResultsIn total, 430 answers were collected (129 from primary health care physicians, 164 responses from specialized medical doctors and 137 pharmacists). Analysis of the collected answers reveals that the views of the three groups of healthcare professionals mostly converge. The positive impact e-prescribing systems have on the overall prescribing procedure in preventing errors and providing automation is commented. Among gaps identified and proposed improvements, health care professionals note the need for access to information on adverse drug reactions, side effects, drug-to-drug interactions and allergies. Flexible interaction with Therapeutic Prescription Protocols is desired to ameliorate monitoring and decision-making, while drug dosing features, and simplified procedures for copying, repeating, canceling a prescription, are perceived as useful to incorporate.ConclusionsCollecting healthcare professionals’ feedback is important, as their views can be transcribed to system requirements, to further promote e-prescribing and improve the provided health care services by facilitating decision making through safer and more efficient e-prescription. Introduction of the identified improvements can simplify the everyday workflow of healthcare professionals. To the best of our knowledge, a survey with more than 400 answered questionnaires on the use of e-prescription systems by healthcare professionals has never been conducted in Greece before.

Assessing Non-Laboratory Healthcare Professionals' Attitude towards the Importance of Patient Preparation for Laboratory Tests.

(1) Background: Various guidelines address patient preparation and its importance for venous blood sampling, such as the GP41 guideline issued by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the blood collection guidelines published by the World Health Organisation. Recommendations provided by national societies or international organisations in the field of radiology, such as The Contrast Media Safety Committee of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology, or in the field of laboratory medicine, such as the Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) and the Latin American Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE-LATAM) of the Latin American Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI), also guide this practice. There is a notable lack of understanding regarding the viewpoints held by non-laboratory healthcare professionals concerning the significance of patient preparation for laboratory testing and the impact of typical factors associated with patient preparation. This study endeavours to bridge this gap by assessing the attitude of non-laboratory healthcare professionals in Lithuania regarding these pivotal aspects. (2) Methods: A self-designed anonymous questionnaire was disseminated among 141 public healthcare institutions in Lithuania. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was evaluated by computing Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive statistics were utilised for the variables, while comparisons of attitude among groups were conducted using Mann-Whitney U (for two groups) or Kruskal-Wallis (for more than two groups) for categorical and discrete indicators. The Kruskal-Wallis post-hoc test was employed for pairwise comparisons. A significance level of p-Value < 0.05 was applied to establish statistical significance. (3) Results: A total of 158 respondents constituted two distinct groups of healthcare professionals: nurses and physicians. Most of the participants either agreed or strongly agreed that patient preparation could introduce bias into laboratory test results. Professionals with less than 20 years of work experience or those who attended training in patient preparation for sampling within a 5-year timeframe exhibited stronger agreement regarding different preanalytical factors in patient preparation and their impact on laboratory test results compared to their counterparts. (4) Conclusions: Non-laboratory healthcare professionals who participated in this survey consider proper patient preparation for laboratory testing to be a significant step towards obtaining accurate test results. They also recognize the commonly acknowledged preanalytical factors as important for ensuring reliable test results. However, attitudes towards the importance of several preanalytical factors vary depending on whether non-laboratory healthcare professionals have more or less than 20 years of work experience, as well as whether they have attended any training on this topic within the last five years or have never attended such training.