Healthcare Professionals In India Research Articles

Resuscitation following trauma & role of trauma training programmes in emergency settings: A literature review & survey

Background & objectives Traumatic injuries, especially in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), present significant challenges in patient resuscitation and healthcare delivery. This study explores the role of trauma training programmes in improving patient outcomes and reducing preventable trauma-related deaths. Methods A dual approach was adopted, first a literature review of trauma training in LMICs over the past decade, along with a situational assessment survey. For the review of literature, we searched the PubMed database to identify key challenges and innovative practices in trauma training programmes in LMIC’s. The survey, conducted among healthcare professionals in various LMICs, collected direct insights into the challenges and the status of trauma training programmes in these countries. Results The literature review analysed 68 articles, with a significant focus on the African subcontinent (36 studies), underscoring the region’s emphasis on research on trauma training programmes. These studies mainly targeted physicians, clinicians, postgraduate trainees in surgical or anaesthesia fields and medical students (86.8%), highlighting innovations like simulation-based training and the cascading training model. In our survey, we received 34 responses from healthcare professionals in India, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Nepal and Pakistan. Around 52.9 per cent reported the absence of established trauma training programmes in their settings. The majority of respondents advocated for hands-on, simulation-based training (94.1%) and emphasised the need for structured training programmes (85.3%), feedback sessions (70.6%) and updated protocols (61.8%). This combined data underlined the critical gaps and potential improvements in trauma training programmes and resuscitation practices in LMICs. Interpretation & conclusions Effective trauma care in LMICs requires the establishment of comprehensive, tailored training programmes. Key interventions should include subsidization of pre-existing trauma courses and the adoption of World Health Organization Guidelines for essential trauma care, implementation of trauma quality improvement and review processes and the incorporation of focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) in emergency departments. These steps are crucial for equipping healthcare workers with vital skills and knowledge, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement in the realm of trauma care.

Adoption of Technology by Healthcare Personnel: An Institutional Survey.

In the current era, technology has a significant influence on healthcare outcomes. Despite that, there are significant barriers and concerns toward the adoption of digital laboratory reporting systems among healthcare professionals in India. The aim of the study was to understand the overall attitude, barriers, and motivators toward the adoption of technology by healthcare personnel. The study was conducted through a single-center and prospective questionnaire survey among physicians and surgeons of various specialities, with 107 participants. The electronic laboratory system at the institution, called "AADI," could be accessed across any computer terminal and through a web-based application that could be downloaded on any mobile device. The results of the study revealed that 98 out of 107 (91.59%) healthcare professionals used the digital platform regularly to access laboratory results, while only 9 (8.4%) did not use it. The mean satisfaction score of the users was 4.62 ± 0.51. The study showed that most users found the digital system to be more secure and reliable, which led to significant time savings compared to the paper-based system. The study also found that age was a determinant of usage, with younger healthcare professionals using the application more frequently. Overall, the study suggests that digital laboratory reporting systems have significant benefits, and further efforts are needed to increase adoption in healthcare establishments in India.

Knowledge attitude and practice of materiovigilance among healthcare professionals in tertiary care hospitals

Background: Materiovigilance (Mv) refers to the systematic monitoring and evaluation of medical devices in order to assess their performance and safety during all stages of their life. The purpose of Mv is to identify and avoid any potential hazards or issues linked with medical equipment. In brief, Mv plays an important role in ensuring the performance and safety of medical equipment. It consists of the systematic observation, the collection, and analysis of data on occurrences and adverse events related to medical equipment. The study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding Mv among healthcare professionals in tertiary care hospitals. Methods: Self-prepared and validated questionnaires were distributed among healthcare Professionals in India through online forms from December 2022 to July 2023, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was used, with convenience sampling utilized. Responses from 220 subjects were analyzed. Results: The primary objective of this study was to assess the demographic details of the Healthcare Professionals as well as the distribution of knowledge, Attitude, Practice on Mv, in a list of 220 responses, 40% of them know about the Mv. Remaining 60% of them they don’t know about the Mv. Total 220 responses, 76.8% of the Healthcare professionals suggested to thought about the Mv, remaining 23.1% were disagreed. 75 out of 220 healthcare professionals acknowledged to seeing the reporting form and experiencing AE in their patients, while the remaining 145 denied it. Conclusions: This study determined the knowledge, attitude and practice of Mv among healthcare professionals in tertiary care hospitals. According to the current study, the majority of healthcare professionals were knowledgeable and supportive of Mv, however they are not as effective in practice.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on healthcare workers in a Tertiary Healthcare Center in India: a cross sectional study

Numerous speculations have continually emerged, trying to explore the association between COVID-19 infection and a varied range of demographic and clinical factors. Frontline healthcare workers have been the primary group exposed to this infection, and there have been limited global research that examine this cohort. However, while there are a few large studies conducted on Indian healthcare professionals to investigate their potential risk and predisposing factors to COVID-19 infection, to our knowledge there are no studies evaluating the development of long COVID in this population. This cross-sectional study systematically utilized the demographic and clinical data of 3329 healthcare workers (HCW) from a tertiary hospital in India to gain significant insights into the associations between disease prevalence, severity of SARS-Cov-2 infection and long COVID. Most of the study population was found to be vaccinated (2,615, 78.5%), while 654 (19.65%) HCWs were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive at least once. Of the infected HCWs, 75.1% (491) did not require hospitalization, whereas the rest were hospitalized for an average duration of 9 days. A total of 206 (6.19%) individuals were found to be suffering from long COVID. Persistent weakness/tiredness was the most experienced long-COVID symptom, while females (1.79, 1.25–2.57), individuals who consumed alcohol (1.85, 1.3–2.64) or had blood group B (1.9, 1.33–2.7) were at a significantly higher risk for developing long COVID.

Violence against Health-Care Professionals

Abstract As dentistry has moved into the 21st century, the emphasis on ethics has increased. The general public has become more or rather over mindful and attentive to their surroundings, especially toward the medical field. Assaults against health-care professionals in India have increased dramatically over the past few years. It has, therefore, become the need of the moment to learn how to tackle the problem of workplace violence and medicolegal issues that may arise. It is necessary for all professionals in the health-care community to stay updated on the current scenarios, laws, and new regulations. Knowledge of “what not to do” has become more significant rather than “what to do.” This article highlights the problem of violence against health-care professionals and the methods which can be used to prevent and stop it.

Acceptance of Annual Booster Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines Among Indian Healthcare Professionals: A Pan-India Cross-Sectional Survey.

Introduction The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed significant challenges to global health, leading to the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Vaccination efforts have effectively reduced severe outcomes and mortality, but breakthrough infections and new variants are of concern. In response, annual booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines are being considered to maintain immunity. Healthcare professionals, as frontline workers, play a pivotal role in vaccination campaigns. This study explores their attitudes toward and willingness to accept annual COVID-19 booster doses in India. Methods A pan-India cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare professionals, including faculty, resident doctors, interns, and nursing staff, across Indian medical and nursing colleges. Convenience sampling was used to collect responses via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed demographics, vaccine status, attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination, and willingness to accept annual booster doses. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of booster dose acceptance. Results A total of 535 participants responded from 28 states and 8 union territories of India. Most were 34.2 years (± 11.1 SD), and 372 (69.5%) had taken Covishield (Serum Institute of India, Pune, India) as their primary vaccine. While 525 (98.1%) had taken the first dose and 518 (96.8%) of them had taken the second dose, only 333 (62.2%) had received a booster. Around 318 (60%) of healthcare professionals were willing to accept an annual booster dose. The mean attitude score toward annual booster doses was 75.4 (range: 28-111). Healthcare professionals' trust in government recommendations and medical experts significantly influenced their willingness to accept annual booster doses. Conclusion This study provides insights into the attitudes of healthcare professionals in India toward annual COVID-19 booster doses. At the same time, a significant proportion showed a willingness to accept boosters.

COVID-19’s Social and Economic Impact on Health Care Professionals in India

Novel Corona Virus or COVID 19 is from the family Coronaviridae, known to mankind since 1962 when it was first isolated from a patient of a respiratory illness. These are pleomorphic viruses containing varying size peplomers (80- 160nM). They have very high rates of mutation due to constantly developing transcription errors & RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) jumps. These viruses are zoonotic pathogens affecting mostly animals including cattle, dogs, cats & bats. However these animal viruses can spread to humans causing pandemics like SARS & COVID19. They can cause wide range of infections from asymptomatic stage to cases requiring management at intensive care units. The first notable disease caused by Coronaviridae viruses was severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2002- 2003. After a decade there was an outbreak in Middle East countries causing thousands of deaths and causative CoV was named as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The present corona virus pandemic, which erupted in Dec 2019 from Wuhan sea food market and was later labelled as 2019 novel corona virus (nCOVID 19) by world health organisation, is posing as a major healthcare challenge across the globe. It is rapidly spreading across the globe taking millions of lives and causing chaos. It has severely jeopardized the world economy causing global recession.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of materiovigilance among nurses and healthcare technicians in a tertiary care hospital: A questionnaire-based survey

Materiovigilance is “the coordinated system of identification, collection, reporting, and analysis of any untoward occurrences associated with the use of medical devices. This aims to safeguard the well-being of patients by not only preventing the recurrence of these Medical Device Adverse Events but also by taking necessary actions for safety improvements or recalls of such devices. The increasing importance of evaluating the awareness and reporting practices of Medical Device Adverse Events among Indian Healthcare Professionals, the present study was conducted to assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Materiovigilance among nurses employed in a tertiary care hospital. This study is questionnaire-based survey which is designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical professionals. Our study found that nurses and healthcare technicians in a tertiary care hospital possessed adequate knowledge about different facets of Materiovigilance and maintained a positive attitude towards reporting adverse events associated with medical devices. However, we also noted that the translation of this knowledge and attitude into effective practice of reporting Medical Device Adverse Events was lacking within the participants.

Creating and sustaining a digital community of practice for quality improvement in South-East Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionEnsuring quality of care in Low and Middle Income countries (LMICs) is challenging. Despite the implementation of various quality improvement (QI) initiatives in public and private sectors, the sustenance of...

A Review on Violence Against Health Care Professionals in India and Its Impact

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) is an emerging and contextually relevant public health problem among healthcare professionals (HCPs) globally, including in India. It is now recognized as a significant occupational hazard and an emergency public health problem. This study reviewed to identify the concept and prevalence of WPV, its trend, consequences, impact on healthcare professionals, and preventative measures in the Indian Context. Methods: We searched Pub Med, Google Scholar, Scopus and other source, for the published articles between 2014 and 2022. Results: We included 25 studies in total. Doctors and nurses are victims in Emergency Rooms, Intensive Care Units, and Outpatient departments (OPD). The majority of incidents across all contexts involved verbal violence. Patients and visitors are perpetrators of WPV and has impacts on service. Waiting time, poor communication, infrastructural issues, and negative media coverage are predisposing factors to WPV against HCPs. Conclusion: While WPV showing increased trends, there is a need for a more systemic approach to reducing violence in the workplace that incorporates accountability at various tiers.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE DATA-DRIVEN REVOLUTION IN INDIAN HEALTH MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

Health Management Information System (HMIS) is a complete government web-based portal designed to manage healthcare data nationally in India. On 23rd October 2008, the government of India dispatched this national-level portal to screen the progress of the National Health Mission so that this HMIS portal could provide a structured report and monitor data over some time, which could help formulate the new national-level policy. This study was conducted through primary and secondary data collection and consisted of a graphical analysis of data observed from April 2008 to March 2020. Various stages of development of national-level HMIS were considered and studied. The Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) levels among the Indian healthcare professionals about the Nation Health Portal were studied. Other than that, the analysis provided information on the coverage and usage of health data reporting to national-level HMIS in India. Various underlying causes for data capturing methods and errors in HMIS were identified in the study. The existing challenges and limitations regarding using HMIS were discussed based on statistical analysis and results. The exciting advancements and standardization efforts in enhancing the quality of Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) are poised soon to make a significant impact on integrating national-level data for maximizing the effectiveness of healthcare systems. India must go a long way in the race for a data-driven revolution in health care. Note that the National level Health portal is a great initiative by the government of India.

Formula milk companies and allergy healthcare professionals in India.

India is a low-middle income country with a population of 1.4 billion and home to one quarter of the world's children. Exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months and continued breastfeeding until at least 2 years as per global recommendations are common practice. The Indian government and associated organisations have strived to protect breastfeeding, which is important in a country with high under-5 mortality, malnutrition and stunting. Allergic disease is under-recognised in India, but despite the absence of a dedicated allergy medical specialty, awareness of allergy is increasing among healthcare practitioners and in the general population. In high-income countries, overdiagnosis of allergy has become recognised as an issue in recent years. Allergy healthcare professionals have also attracted criticism for close relationships with the formula industry, which appear to have contributed to excessive use of specialised formula products and undermining of breastfeeding. Specialised formula has been used unnecessarily for preventing allergy, based on fraudulent and selectively reported science; and for managing normal infant symptoms which are mislabelled as milk allergy. This forms part of a broader formula industry corporate strategy to widen the boundaries of illness in order to expand sales and markets. In India, allergic disease management is hindered by limited understanding of the disease entity among practitioners, low access to diagnostics, limited healthcare resources, high exposure to air pollution and a large, diverse population. Data specific to India on allergic disease prevalence and interpreting allergy diagnostics are incomplete. The knowledge gaps mean allergy management in India is often extrapolated from guidance developed in high-income countries with low breastfeeding rates. As the allergy specialty develops in India, local guidance and practice will need to recognise the threat that current allergy practice poses to India's normative infant feeding culture, and ensure that breastfeeding continues to be supported at all levels.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Well-Being of Health Care Professionals in India

Abstract Introduction and Objective Health care professionals (HPs) have been at the forefront facing the pressures and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus have a higher psychological vulnerability. The incidence of psychological distress, which can negatively affect an HP's work efficiency and long-term well-being, has not been studied in depth in India. Materials and Methods A multicentric study was conducted using the digital means of communication across Max Healthcare between June and August 2020. HPs in the department of oncology, including doctors, nurses, and other support staff, were invited to voluntarily participate in the self-administered online survey. A total of 87 HPs in oncology (41 doctors, 28 nurses, and 18 in other fronts) were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Outcome of interest was psychological distress (defined as a GHQ-12 score >15). Results The overall incidence of psychological distress among HPs in oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic was 17.20%. Significantly higher levels of psychological distress were observed among HPs with a history of psychiatric illness (p = 0.003), and among HPs with a work experience of less than 10 years (p = 0.017). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the psychological well-being of HPs in India. This study implicated the recognition of the psychological well-being of HPs in oncology as an unmet need during the COVID-19 pandemic, further recommending efforts toward increasing accessibility of mental health services for them.

Psychometric Properties of the Moral Injury Symptom Scale Among Indian Healthcare Professionals.

The spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a rise in morally conflicting situations for healthcare professionals. Doctors and nurses who were serving as frontline workers, require special attention to alleviate the long-lasting impact of the potentially morally injurious events. The current study aims to validate the Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Healthcare Professionals (MISS- HP) among Indian healthcare workers. The 10-item MISS was administered to 150 doctors and 150 nurses using the purposive sampling method. Firstly, reliability was assessed using internal consistency measure. Secondly, item discrimination index was assessed by calculating the point biserial correlation for each item. Cronbach alpha indicated high internal consistency (0.77). The point biserial correlation value for each item indicated good discrimination. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to replicate the factor structure. CFA results suggested a good fit to the data. In conclusion, MISS-HP is a reliable and valid tool to assess moral injury among Indian healthcare professionals in India.

Perceptions of Indian Healthcare Practitioners Regarding the 2022 Outbreak of Monkeypox Disease.

Introduction Although only a few cases of monkeypox have been reported in India so far, it is vital for healthcare practitioners to have sufficient knowledge about its epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the perception of Indian healthcare practitioners regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox disease. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 500 medical and dental practitioners from various regions of Kerala, India. The Chi-squared test for proportion was used to determine the significant difference in the knowledge levels of the participants. Binary logistic regression (multivariate) was used to understand the knowledge of healthcare professionals regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox disease. Results A total of 424 healthcare professionals completed this survey. Overall, the level of knowledge was good in 64.9% and poor in 35.1% of the participants (p<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis did not show any statistical significance (p > 0.05) in terms of demographic characteristics. However, in this sample, participants with 6-10 years of work experience were more likely to have improved knowledge scores (odd's ratio OR 1.764). Similarly, participants between the age of 30-40 years were also likely to have improved knowledge scores (OR: 1.065). Conclusions Indian healthcare professionals had an overall good level of knowledge regarding the 2022 outbreak of monkeypox. However, a low level of knowledge was found related to the clinical presentation and immunization of monkeypox. This may be due to the low prevalence of monkeypoxin this region.

Inclusion of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the medical curriculum: A step in the right direction.

Background Although physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) was first introduced in India in the 1960s, it was not until the 1990s when it was offered as an optional rotation to Indian medical graduates. Lately, with the introduction of a competency-based undergraduate curriculum in 2018, PMR has been included as an essential subject in the medical graduate curriculum, to be implemented from 2019. We aimed to ascertain the importance of incorporating PMR in the medical graduate curriculum while also discussing the awareness about PMR among Indian healthcare professionals. Methods We drafted an online questionnaire-based survey and sent that to participants through cloud-based software. Responses were collected over a period of 4 weeks and a descriptive analysis was performed. Results The initial hypothesis was that most healthcare professionals would be unaware of the scope of PMR as a medical specialty. The results of this study did not support our hypothesis with 96.8% of the participants being familiar with PMR as a medical specialty. In addition, 85% of the participants reported being introduced to PMR either in their medical school or during their residency training and 92% of the participants appreciated the late integration of PMR within the medical graduate curriculum. Conclusions Introduction of medical graduates to PMR would help in bridging the gaps faced by people with disabilities in accessing healthcare facilities. It would also help clinicians from other specialties to collaborate with physiatrists in a more coordinated manner.

Uncovering the keys to well-being: calling, mindfulness, and compassion among healthcare professionals in India amidst the post-COVID crisis

Uncovering the keys to well-being: calling, mindfulness, and compassion among healthcare professionals in India amidst the post-COVID crisis

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study to assess anxiety among healthcare professionals in india during COVID-19 pandemic

Background and Aims: Coronavirus has resulted in unique challenges to the healthcare professionals. The pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare professionals, which may impact their ability to provide care to patients. We aimed to assess anxiety among healthcare professionals, and its relation to selected parameters. Methods: This online questionnaire-based study recruited Indian healthcare workers through convenience sampling. Anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 scale. The reasons of emotional distress were also ascertained. Results: The sample comprised of 677 healthcare professionals including resident doctors, consultants, interns, nursing personnel, and others. Moderate/severe anxiety was present in 24.4% of the respondents. Moderate/severe anxiety was more likely to occur among those who had a friend or family member affected by COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] 2.74, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.61–4.69), or who themselves had a psychiatric disorder in the past (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.36–4.38). Those who reported long working hours and inadequate sleep, fear of being infected by the virus, concerns about transmitting the virus to a family member, mob violence against doctors, and shortage of personal protective equipment had significantly higher odds of moderate/severe anxiety. Conclusion: A considerable proportion of healthcare professionals suffering from anxiety suggests the need for addressing their mental health concerns.

Financial literacy among health-care professionals in India: Challenges and way forward

Financial literacy among health-care professionals in India: Challenges and way forward

Hypertension clinical care in the era of coronavirus disease 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to seek the opinion of Indian health-care professionals (HCPs) about hypertension (HTN) care during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Methods: HCPs' opinions (n = 2832) were recorded based on survey and round table meetings. Standard questionnaire consisting of nine questions pertaining to HTN care in COVID-19 was prepared, discussed, and evaluated by experts who treat patients with HTN during COVID-19 era. Results: Smoking/tobacco use, obesity, and comorbidities (diabetes/dyslipidemia) were ranked as the top three modifiable risk factors. A total of 37% and 33% of HCPs reported an increase in blood pressure (BP) during the lockdown period in 10%–20% and 20%–40% of hypertensive patients, respectively, who were on monotherapy. Around 35% of HCPs reported that 20%–30% of their patients with HTN showed uncontrolled BP (&gt;150/100 mmHg). Dual-drug therapy in patients with uncontrolled BP was preferred by 56% of HCPs. Nearly 71% preferred dual combination for HTN management. In dual combination, 27% preferred angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) + diuretic, 26% preferred ARB + calcium channel blockers, and 18% preferred ARB + beta-blockers. The majority of HCPs (44%) consider that &lt;30% of their patients with HTN check BP at home. A total of 47% of HCPs reported acute coronary syndrome as the most common HTN-related complication. The majority of HCPs (57%) considered that avoiding contamination during BP measurement is the challenging parameter. Around 32% considered self-BP monitoring (SBPM) as the best method to improve medication adherence. Conclusion: SBPM, combination therapies, and digital connect with patients are critical aspects of HTN management during COVID-19 pandemic.