Group Of Healthcare Professionals Research Articles

The Irish Trainee Emergency Research Network (ITERN): five years of collaboration

In 2018, a group of Irish emergency medicine (EM) trainees recognised their common interest in collaborative research and the difficulties that trainees can encounter when trying to broaden their research capacity, prompting the beginning of the Irish Trainee Emergency Research Network (ITERN) journey. Trainee-led collaboratives have been shown to be feasible and have the potential to deliver impactful research projects, generating an evidence base that may not have been possible without collaboration. This article describes the successes and achievement of ITERN and describes the processes and challenges that a trainee-led research network can encounter. The authors believe that trainee-led collaboratives can deliver powerful and impactful research for patients and broaden the research capacity of individuals, hospitals, and groups of healthcare professionals.

The (im)possibility of being a breastfeeding working mother: experiences of Ecuadorian healthcare providers

BackgroundThroughout the twentieth century, public health agencies and expert healthcare professionals have recognized breastfeeding as the most nutritious and appropriate option for feeding infants. The Ecuadorian government, in line with international guidelines, has therefore developed laws and initiatives to improve the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, especially among working mothers. However, breastfeeding rates in Ecuador are low.MethodsA qualitative methodology following social constructionist approaches was applied to explore the breastfeeding experiences of Ecuadorian women who are both mothers and healthcare professionals. Using snowball sampling, 60 healthcare professionals who breastfed their babies: 20 nurses, 20 physicians, and 20 nutritionists, took part in research interviews lasting between 30 and 92 minutes. All participants are currently offering telehealth or face-to-face consultation to their patients in Ecuador. Since Ecuador is a multicultural country, efforts were made to include participants from different regions of the country. Data gathering employed virtual semi-structured interviews including Photovoice. The interviews were carried out in Spanish, following a semi-structured topic guide. The data analysis employed constant comparative methods.ResultsThe analysis produced three overarching themes: Integrating breastfeeding in life and work; Establishing space for breastfeeding at work; Negotiations and tensions. The first theme: Integrating breastfeeding in life and work addresses participants' corporeal and emotional experiences when breastfeeding. This theme also includes the participants' experiences of how they integrated their maternal identity and adapted their breastfeeding bodies to their daily routines. The second theme: Establishing space for breastfeeding at work includes the challenges that some women encounter when incorporating and seeking to combine breastfeeding in their professional identities. The third theme: Negotiations and tensions covers how this group of female healthcare professionals had to negotiate the time and space to continue breastfeeding their children while working.

Refractory inflammatory arthritis definition and model generated through patient and multi-disciplinary professional modified Delphi process.

Various definitions have been proposed for Refractory Disease in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis; however, none were generated for Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis or involving adult and paediatric multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and patients. The study aim is to redefine Refractory Disease, using Delphi methodology. Three rounds of surveys (one nominal group and two online (2019-2020)) to achieve consensus using a predetermined cut-off were conducted voting on: a) name, b) treatment and inflammation, c) symptoms and impact domains, and d) rating of individual components within domains. Theoretical application of the definition was conducted through a scoping exercise. Votes were collected across three rounds from Patients, Researchers and nine multi-disciplinary healthcare professional groups (n = 106). Refractory Inflammatory Arthritis was the most popular name. Regarding treatment and inflammation, these were voted to be kept broad rather than specifying numbers/cut-offs. From 10 domains identified to capture symptoms and disease impact, six domains reached consensus for inclusion: 1) Disease Activity, 2) Joint Involvement, 3) Pain, 4) Fatigue, 5) Functioning and Quality of Life, and 6) Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug Experiences. Within these domains, 18 components, from an initial pool (n = 73), were identified as related and important to capture multi-faceted presentation of Refractory Inflammatory Arthritis, specifically in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Feasibility of the revised definition was established (2022-2023) with good utility as was applied to 82% of datasets (n = 61) incorporating 20 outcome measures, with two further measures added to increase its utility and coverage of Pain and Fatigue. Refractory Inflammatory Arthritis has been found to be broader than not achieving low disease activity, with wider biopsychosocial components and factors incorporating Persistent Inflammation or Symptoms identified as important. This definition needs further refinement to assess utility as a classification tool to identify patients with unmet needs.

Belgian Fertility Clinic Staff Value Healthy Lifestyle Promotion but Lack Access to a Structured Lifestyle Modification Programme: An Observational Study

Objectives: Guidelines advise promoting a healthy lifestyle among patients with fertility problems as the lifestyle of women and men proved to be associated with their fertility. Australian fertility nurses were shown to lack access to structured lifestyle modification programmes, although they value healthy lifestyle promotion. This study aimed to examine whether gynaecologists also value promoting a healthy lifestyle and whether structured lifestyle modification programmes are available in Belgian fertility clinics. Design: An observational study was conducted among health care professionals (HCPs) working in Belgian fertility clinics. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: An Australian questionnaire on attitudes and practices related to promoting a healthy lifestyle among patients with fertility problems was reciprocally back-to-back translated and three open-ended questions were added. All HCPs of Belgian fertility clinics, including gynaecologists, fertility nurses/midwives, psychologists, and embryologists, were invited by e-mail to complete the questionnaire online. Responses to closed and open-ended questions were analysed with, respectively, descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis. Finally, differences in perspectives between different groups of HCPs were explored. Results: A total of 50 fertility nurses/midwives, 42 gynaecologists, and 19 other HCPs completed the survey (n = 111). Regarding attitudes, all respondents valued informing patients about the impact of lifestyle on fertility. The vast majority of HCPs (n = 96; 86%) stated that fertility clinics have the responsibility to address unhealthy lifestyles prior to offering fertility treatment. Fertility nurses/midwives were significantly more likely than gynaecologists to state that fertility clinics have this responsibility (p = 0.040). Regarding practices, the patient’s lifestyle was most commonly discussed by the gynaecologist (n = 107; 96%) during the first appointment (n = 105; 95%). The lifestyle factors that were being addressed, according to the vast majority of respondents, were smoking, weight, age, alcohol, and recreational drugs. Only three HCPs (from three different clinics) stated that their clinic offered a structured lifestyle modification programme. HCPs explained that they lacked the resources and expertise for offering a structured lifestyle modification programme. Limitations: Response rates were limited, but the responding Belgian gynaecologists and fertility nurses/midwives confirmed the findings of the previous study in Australian fertility nurses. Conclusions: HCPs working in Belgian fertility clinics value healthy lifestyle promotion but lack access to structured lifestyle modification programmes to implement in their daily clinical practice. Future studies should focus on developing and evaluating structured lifestyle modification programmes for patients with fertility problems.

JAMES LIND ALLIANCE FIRST-TIME SOFT-TISSUE KNEE INJURIES PRIORITY-SETTING PARTNERSHIP: TOP TEN

AbstractIntroductionThe knee is the most commonly injured joint in sporting accidents. They cause substantial disability, time off work and long-term problems. There remains a limited number of high-quality randomised controlled trials assessing first time, acute soft tissue knee injuries. Key areas requiring answers include prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and delivery of care. In association with the James Lind Alliance, this BASK, BOSTAA and BOA supported prioritising exercise was undertaken over a year.MethodologyThe James Lind Alliance methodology was followed. An initial survey invited patients and healthcare professionals to submit their uncertainties regarding soft tissue knee injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and delivery of care. Over 1000 questions were submitted. Seventy-four questions were formulated to encompass common concerns. These were checked against best available evidence. Following the interim survey, 27 questions were taken forward to the final workshop in January 2023, where they were discussed, ranked and scored in multiple rounds of prioritisation by groups of healthcare professionals, patients and carers.ResultsThe Top 10 includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation questions, reflecting the concerns of patients, carers and a wider multidisciplinary team. These will be presented and explained.ConclusionThis validated process has generated an important Top 10, which has been submitted to the National Institute for Health and Care Research. All 27 questions will be published, thus being available for researchers to investigate. The questions in the Top 10 will lead to future high quality research, thus improving patient outcomes.

Exploring facilitators and barriers associated with oral care for inpatients with dysphagia post-stroke.

To explore the attitudes, facilitators and barriers in providing oral care for inpatients with dysphagia post-stroke as perceived by healthcare professionals. Dysphagia is a common complication of stroke and is associated with a higher incidence of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration. In the acute phase of stroke recovery, a dental professional is not usually part of the multidisciplinary team caring for the patient and oral care is the responsibility of the healthcare professionals in the stroke unit. There is a lack of high-quality evidence to demonstrate the most effective method of providing oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. This was a single-site study conducted with healthcare professionals working in the Stroke Unit of Cork University Hospital in Ireland, using focus groups and a qualitative thematic analysis approach. A total of three focus groups were conducted in the Stroke Unit with 17 healthcare professionals. The focus groups included representation from all healthcare professional groups providing direct clinical care to patients on the Stroke Unit including geriatric medicine, dietetics, speech and language therapy, healthcare assistance, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out and seven overarching themes emerged from the data. Three themes related to facilitators to providing oral care for this patient group: (i) a focus on oral care in both policy and practice, (ii) expanding professional roles in the provision of oral care, (iii) perceived importance of oral care in recovery and rehabilitation. Four themes related to barriers to the provision of oral care for this patient group: (i) lack of confidence and concerns related to the perceived risk for patients with dysphagia, (ii) unique challenges of patient and stroke-related factors, (iii) lack of resources and time and (iv) perceived importance of oral care in recovery and its relative importance with competing demands. Members of the stroke multidisciplinary team believe that they all have a part to play in the delivery of oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. Opportunities exist for the development of multidisciplinary interventions to improve the oral cavity assessment and oral care provided in the Stroke Unit.

Prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Health Care Professionals at Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are painful anatomical defects that are characterized by inflammatory and degenerative conditions in muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, peripheral nerves, and supporting blood vessels. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are associated with absenteeism, lost productivity, increased health care, disability, and worker’s compensation costs. Healthcare professionals are known to be at high risk for WRMSDs. Though several studies on WRMSDs among healthcare professionals have been conducted, the majority of these studies have been limited to certain professional groups such as physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and others. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence and distribution of WRMSDs among seven different groups of healthcare professionals and to evaluate the multiple risk factors that contribute to the development of WRMSDs. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and radiographers of various clinical departments in the Federal Medical Centre Asaba. Different combinations of validated and standardized questionnaires were used for collecting data on the pattern of WRMSDs and the multiple job risk factors among healthcare professionals. Descriptive (frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentages) and inferential (Chi-square test) statistics were used to analyze data. Alpha level was set at P < 0.05. Results: A total of 278 questionnaires were completed, returned, and used for data analysis. The patterns of WRMSDs showed higher occurrence among nurses (100%), dentists (100%), and medical laboratory scientists (100%). Low back pain was the most complaint (79.8%) among health care professionals followed by shoulder (45.4%) and then neck (41.2%). The elbow (5.3%) and the ankle/feet (10.7%) were the least affected. Work-relatedness of musculoskeletal disorders was highest among nurses. Performing the same task over and over again, working with a large number of patients, and working overtime was the most commonly reported job risk factors for the development of WRMSDs. Conclusion: As shown by the study, a large percentage of healthcare professionals have WRMSDs. As a result, a hospital workplace safety, continuous education, and skill development system that is based on the best available evidence of quality and safety best practices, as well as communication of behaviour change, is recommended.

PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF SELF MEDICATION AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

Self-medication is common among health care professionals due to their professional exposure to drugs and knowledge of treatment of their disease. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and pattern of self-medication practice among healthcare workers in a tertiary health facility in Northeast Nigeria. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Stratified sampling technique was employed to select eligible participants from the groups of various healthcare professionals. Thereafter simple probability sampling by balloting was used to select the required number of from for each stratum of healthcare workers. A self-administered semi-structured pretested questionnaire was used to gather the necessary information. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. The mean age of the respondents was 33.1 ± 2.3 years. The prevalence of self-medication was found to be high at 84.6%. The largest group of the healthcare workers practising self-medication were the allied health workers 37.5% comprising Pharmacists, Laboratory Scientists, and Health Record Personnel. The commonest reason given for self-medicating was being familiar with treatment options for their medical conditions 45.5%. Analgesics were the most common medications taken as self-medication, 68.2%. Among the respondents who engage in self-medication, 6.3% had experienced side effects, of which the commonest side effect was acute exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease 46.1%. Conclusion: There was high prevalence of self-medication among the healthcare workers. Familiarization with treatment options for medical conditions accounted for most reason why the respondents self-medicate.

Co-Design of a website for women with pelvic organ prolapse: A study protocol

Background: Despite high reported prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), women report difficulties accessing evidence-based and reliable information about the condition. Many rely on social media and other popular and highly visible internet platforms which have been found to contain poor quality information that is difficult for the average patient to understand. The aim of the study is to co-design an information website for women with POP. The website design will be based on the Website Developmental Model for the Healthcare Consumer (WDMHC) framework. Methods: A four phase process will be utilised as per the WDMHC framework: 1) User, task and environmental analysis; 2) Functional and representational analysis; 3) Cognitive walkthrough, keystroke level model, heuristic testing; 4) Content based testing, expert testing and user-based testing. Ethics approval has been obtained (LS-23-19-Carroll-Ful). Two groups of stakeholders will be recruited (i) patient group (ii) healthcare professional (HCP) group. Patient participants will be recruited from an online pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) support group (n=950 members). A website designer and HCP stakeholders involved in the multidisciplinary team caring for women with POP will be invited to participate. Both groups will participate in separate co-design online workshops. Focus group workshops will be video-recorded, transcribed and imported into NVivo. Themes and subthemes will be developed. The website will be designed and disseminated to all participants for feedback. Cognitive walkthrough and heuristic testing will be undertaken. Following this, necessary modifications will be made to the website. Participants will then complete a modified System Usability Scale (SUS) and the eHealth Impact Questionnaire, while five HCPs will complete the DISCERN instrument. Conclusion: This study will inform the design and testing of an information website for women with POP. The website design and content will be informed by patient and HCP stakeholder voices and the health literacy literature.

Translation, reliability, and validity of the Norwegian version of the ABILHAND-NMD and the ACTIVLIM for Myotonic Dystrophy type 1

Purpose To translate ABILHAND-NMD and ACTIVLIM into Norwegian and assess their psychometric properties in adults with Myotonic Dystrophy type 1(DM1). Methods ABILHAND-NMD and ACTIVLIM were translated into Norwegian through a standardized translation process. Psychometric properties of the translated questionnaires were tested. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3.1) was used to assess test-retest reliability and Cronbach’s α for internal consistency. The validity of the questionnaires was also assessed. Results A total of 39 adults with DM1 were included. We found excellent test-retest reliability on ABILHAND-NMD (ICC 0.91) and ACTIVLIM (ICC 0.93). We found a good internal consistency of ABILHAND-NMD with Cronbach’s α (95%CI) of 0.80 (0.69–0.88) and ACTIVLIM with Cronbach’s α (95%CI) of 0.88 (0.82–0.93) An expert group of healthcare professionals and a pilot group reported good face and content validity. We found a high correlation between ABILHAND-NMD and ACTIVLIM (r = 0.75), p < 0.001 implying good convergent validity. ABILHAND-NMD and ACTIVLIM showed no floor effect, but a potential for ceiling effect. Conclusion The Norwegian versions of ABILHAND-NMD and ACTIVLIM are reliable and valid patient reported outcome measures for Myotonic Dystrophy type 1. The questionnaires are easy to administer as they take a short time to answer, and the participants reported no problems understanding the questions.

The reminders for dental clinics in the COVID-19 post-pandemic era

Introduction: The impacts of COVID-19 are enormous and global-wide. Especially, medical treatment activities have been canceled or postponed to avoid the risk of contracting the virus. To prevent the transmission of the COVID-19, methods including early screening, isolation, mass mask use, etc. were applied during the pandemic. Due to the high percentages of vaccination and public policies, the transmission of COVID-19 is under-control. Main text: For dental care settings, researchers have proposed guidelines for the highest-risk group of healthcare professionals to mitigate the possibility of COVID-19 transmission. Nowadays, patients are flowing to reschedule dental appointments which have been canceled or postponed during the pandemic because of the proper control of COVID-19 transmission. Some dental clinics take certain steps to ensure the safety of patients as well as the treatment team. Conclusion: Some reminders are offered to the dental administrator to keep vigilant while providing quality service for the needed patients.

Risk of COVID-19 in different groups of healthcare professionals between February 2020 and June 2021 in Finland: a register-based cohort study

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been a risk group for COVID-19. To assess the cumulative incidence in different groups of HCWs and the risk factors and outcomes of COVID-19 in HCWs between February 2020 and June 2021 in Finland. We linked two national registers, National Infectious Diseases Register (NIDR) and Register of Social Welfare and Healthcare Professionals (Terhikki), using national identity codes. COVID-19 cases were identified from NIDR notifications made by laboratories and physicians, and their healthcare professions from Terhikki. We categorized healthcare professions into seven groups and calculated cumulative incidences using Kaplan-Meier estimate during three periods (1/2/2020-30/6/2020, 1/7/2020-31/12/2020, 1/1/2021-30/6/2021). We identified risk factors in a multivariable model using Cox's regression. We identified 8,009 COVID-19-cases among HCWs, with cumulative incidence of 1.79%; 83% were female, median age was 40.9 years (interquartile range, 31.2-51.6). Most COVID-19-cases occurred in nursing assistants (53%) and nurses (17%), with the highest cumulative incidences 2.07% (95%CI, 2.01-2.13%) and 1.82% (95%CI, 1.73-1.91%), respectively. Risk factors were male sex (hazard ratio (HR) 1.2; 95%CI, 1.1-1.3), foreign native language (HR 2.5; 95%CI, 2.2-2.9) and foreign country of birth (HR 1.2; 95%CI, 1.1-1.4). Physician notification data was available for 6,113/8,009 cases (76.3%); 244/6,113 (4.0%) were hospitalized and 37/6,113 (0.6%) in intensive care. Nurses and nursing assistant, especially men and professionals with foreign background, were at higher risk of COVID-19. This should be specifically addressed during training and implementing infection control measures to protect themselves and patients.

Utilisation and Predictors of Breast Self-Examination among Female Nurses in a Tertiary Medical Centre in North Central Nigeria

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in many underdeveloped nations and constituted a major public health burden. Despite this, most breast cancer patients in many underdeveloped nations present with late diseases when few options of treatment are available. Early detection through screening remains the main means of improving breast cancer outcomes. Nurses are a group of healthcare professionals and are thus expected to advocate for breast cancer screening programs. This study was conducted to determine the extent of utilisation and predictors of the practice of breast self-examination among nurses in a tertiary health care centre. The study prospectively surveyed 189 nurses on knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE) using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were obtained through a pretested self-administered structured questionnaire. The mean age of the respondents was 41.44 (±5.66) years. Sixty-seven (35.4%) of the respondents practiced BSE of which only 31.3% practiced it monthly as recommended. Family history of breast cancer (p&lt;0.001), age greater than 50 (p&lt;0.001), post-menopausal women (p&lt;0.001), and posting in surgical-related wards (p&lt;0.001) were significantly associated with the practice of BSE. The practice of BSE among the respondents was poor and the few who practiced it lacked the correct technique. The teaching of BSE should be encouraged at nursing schools with an emphasis on practice and techniques. We also suggest a need for continued nursing education. Keywords: Breast self-examination, utilisation, predictors, nurses, breast cancer, screening.

Leveraging twitter data to understand nurses’ emotion dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic

The nursing workforce is the largest discipline in healthcare and has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response since the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the impact of COVID-19 on the nursing workforce is largely unknown as is the emotional burden experienced by nurses throughout the different waves of the pandemic. Conventional approaches often use survey question-based instruments to learn nurses’ emotions, and may not reflect actual everyday emotions but the beliefs specific to survey questions. Social media has been increasingly used to express people’s thoughts and feelings. This paper uses Twitter data to describe the emotional dynamics of registered nurse and student nurse groups residing in New South Wales in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. A novel analysis framework that considered emotions, talking topics, the unfolding development of COVID-19, as well as government public health actions and significant events was utilised to detect the emotion dynamics of nurses and student nurses. The results found that the emotional dynamics of registered and student nurses were significantly correlated with the development of COVID-19 at different waves. Both groups also showed various emotional changes parallel to the scale of pandemic waves and corresponding public health responses. The results have potential applications such as to adjust the psychological and/or physical support extended to the nursing workforce. However, this study has several limitations that will be considered in the future study such as not validated in a healthcare professional group, small sample size, and possible bias in tweets.

The Reviewer Academy of the Society of Critical Care Medicine: Key Principles and Strategic Plan.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Reviewer Academy seeks to train and establish a community of trusted, reliable, and skilled peer reviewers with diverse backgrounds and interests to promote high-quality reviews for each of the SCCM journals. Goals of the Academy include building accessible resources to highlight qualities of excellent manuscript reviews; educating and mentoring a diverse group of healthcare professionals; and establishing and upholding standards for insightful and informative reviews. This manuscript will map the mission of the Reviewer Academy with a succinct summary of the importance of peer review, process of reviewing a manuscript, and the expected ethical standards of reviewers. We will equip readers to target concise, thoughtful feedback as peer reviewers, advance their understanding of the editorial process and inspire readers to integrate medical journalism into diverse professional careers.

The "oldest and the newest of nurses": Nursing and the Professionalization of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

When in the late nineteenth century American physicians increasingly replaced midwives in the care of obstetrical and gynecological patients, they could do so only because they were aided by another emerging group of healthcare professionals: nurses. Nurses were instrumental in assisting physicians in the care of patients in labor and during recovery. They were also necessary for male physicians because the vast majority of nurses were women and their presence during gynecological and obstetrical treatments made it more socially acceptable for men to examine female patients. In hospital schools in the northeast and through long-distance nursing programs, physicians taught students about obstetrical nursing and instructed them to protect the modesty of female patients. They also tried to instill strict professional hierarchies between nurses and physicians, emphasizing that nurses should never attempt to deliver a patient without a physician. But as nursing emerged into a unique professional practice separate from that of physicians, nurses were able to negotiate better education in the care of laboring patients. In order to take over women's sexual and reproductive health care from traditional providers, physicians conceded to nurses' demands for more authority in patient care.

Design Validation of a Relational Agent by COVID-19 Patients.

Relational agents (RAs) have shown effectiveness in various health interventions with and without doctors and hospital facilities. In situations such as a pandemic like the COVID-19 when healthcare professionals (HCPs) and facilities are unable to cope with increased demands, RAs may play a major role in ameliorating the situation. But they have not been well explored in this domain. To design a prototypical RA in collaboration with Covid-19 patients and HCPs and test it with the potential users, for its ability to deliver services during a pandemic. The RA is designed and developed in collaboration with infected patients (n=21) and two groups of HCPs (n=19 and n=16 respectively) to aid COVID-19 patients at various stages by performing four main tasks: testing guidance, support during self-isolation, handling emergency situations, and promoting post-recovery mental well-being. A design validation survey with 98 individuals was used to evaluate the usability of the prototype by system usability scale (SUS) and feedback on the design was collected from them. In addition, the RA's usefulness and acceptability were rated on Likert Scales by the participants. From the design validation survey, the prototypical RA received an average SUS score of 58.82. Moreover, 89.65% of participants perceived it to be helpful, and 68.97% of participants accepted it as a viable alternative to HCPs. The prototypical RA received favorable feedback from the participants, and they were inclined to accept it as an alternative to HCPs in non-life-threatening scenarios despite the usability rating falling below the acceptable threshold. Based on participants' feedback, we recommend further development of the RA with improved automation and emotional support, ability to provide information, tracking, and specific recommendations.

Pediculosis capitis and scabies in nurses from Eastern Poland - occupational risk and environmental determinants.

Nurses are a group of healthcare professionals particularly vulnerable to infestations by Pediculus humanus capitis and Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis contracted from patients under their medical care. The cross-sectional study included 322 professionally active nurses within public healthcare units in eastern Poland. The research tool was a questionnaire collecting anonymized data on the occurrence of pediculosis capitis and scabies in nurses, and their patients, concerning the environmental determinants in the period 2001-2013. The study was retrospective and participation of nurses was voluntary. The obtained results indicated that 24.8% and 9.9% of the 322 respondents were infested by head lice and scabies mites, respectively. During their professional work, most nurses contracted head lice once (76.2%) while others (23.8%) were infested twice or more. The respondents did not declare repeated occupational scabies. The risk of contracting pediculosis capitis and scabies was not related to the length of service, but increased with the rise in the number of patients provided with nursing care. In the head lice-infested patients, the majority were aged 6-10 years (31.3%), while in the case of scabietic patients, children aged 0-5 years prevailed (26.4%). In medical care facilities, regular hygienic checks of both patients and medical staff, covering the condition of the skin and scalp, should be mandatory. The spread of pediculosis capitis and scabies among nurses can be reduced by the implementation not only of protective procedures mitigating occupational risk, but also the improvement of working conditions in medical facilities.

What Matters Most? How to Find Joy at Work in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

What Matters Most? How to Find Joy at Work in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

The Impact of Psychological Interventions with Elements of Mindfulness on Burnout and Well-Being in Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review.

Healthcare professionals are highly likely to experience various causes of work-related stress, which often leads to burnout. This became even more obvious during the Covid-19 pandemic. This systematic review aimed to analyze articles where psychological interventions with elements of mindfulness (PIM) were used to support healthcare professionals to foster well-being and reduce burnout levels. Compared to other recently published reviews, it is unique, due to its focus on a wide group of healthcare professionals, a broader selection of psychological interventions, and the evaluation of any sustained effects. Systematic searches were carried out in February 2021 with different combinations of Boolean operators within six electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Cochrane Library, JSTOR and Cobiss. We included articles that had been published in the last ten years (2011 to 2021) and which reported on original research focused on evaluating the influence of PIM on healthcare professionals. MERSQI was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Of 1315 identified studies, 15 were included in this systematic review. Regardless of the specific type, duration and setting (individual vs group) of PIM applied, the results demonstrated a positive impact on well-being and burnout in participating healthcare professionals. The most studied interventions involved MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) and other mindfulness training programmes, in online as well as in-person versions. Given the new reality with the presence of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, it is of the utmost importance to offer feasible, effective interventions for burnout reduction to vulnerable groups of healthcare professionals. By focusing on their needs, several key aspects of burnout and mindfulness could be efficiently improved; this review demonstrates that short, online interventions could be as effective as longer, in-person ones.