Medical Staff Satisfaction Research Articles

Job satisfaction of ISSEMyM medical staff during the sanitary contingency due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Job satisfaction of ISSEMyM medical staff during the sanitary contingency due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Do medical students and residents impact the quality of patient care? An assessment from different stakeholders in an Italian academic hospital, 2019.

Medical students and residents play an important role in patient care and ward activities, thus they should follow hospital procedures and ensure best practices and patient safety. A survey concerning staff on training was conducted to assess the perceived quality of healthcare from healthcare workers (HCWs), residents, medical students and patients in Udine Academic Hospital, Italy. Between December, 2018 and March, 2019, a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was administered in 21 units, covering four thematic areas: patients and medical staff satisfaction with the quality of care provided by residents and students, patient privacy, clinical risk management, patient perception of staff on training. Data analysis included descriptive analysis and ordered logistic regressions. A total of 596/1,863 questionnaires were collected from: HCWs (165/772), residents (110/355), students (121/389), and patients (200/347). Residents were rated high both by patients (median = 5, IQR = 4-5, OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.26-0.93) and HCWs (median = 4, IQR = 3-5, OR 0.14, 95%CI 0.08-0.26), with a lower score for medical students on the same topic, both by patients (median = 4, IQR = 3-5, OR 2.94, 95%CI 1.49-5.78) and HCWs (median = 3, IQR = 2-3, OR 0.41, 95%CI 0.25-0.67). Therefore, the role of staff on training in quality and safety of healthcare deserves integrated regular evaluation, since direct interaction with patients contributes to patients' perception of healthcare.

SATISFACTION OF HEALTH STAFF AT HEALTH FACILITIES IN VIETNAM SYSTEM OVERVIEW STUDY, PERIOD 2010-2020

Background: A famous hospital manager Joe Jansante said that "It is impossible to have patient’s satisfaction without medical staff’s satisfaction", satisfaction with the work of health workers will ensure that adequate human resources are maintained and improved quality of health services at health facilities. Objective: A systematic review to review research findings on the the satisfaction level and relevant factors, analysis of strengths, weaknesses and deficiencies that need to be supplemented by further studies.
 Methods: Systematic review.
 Results: Searched and analyzed 25 national studies related to medical staff’s satisfaction. The results show that studies were carried out on many different subjects and locations with different levels of satisfaction.Conclusion: The satisfaction level of patients is quite high (satisfaction rate is over 50%, average score is over 3.0). Factors with high satisfaction rates include: Relationship with leaders, colleagues (61,3%-88,6%); Opportunities for learning and advancement (55.56%-2.5%) and job position (81.8%-93.3%) . Factors with not high satisfaction rates include: Salary (16.7%-31.11%); Non-salary (25.1%-42.3%); Management mechanism (20.3%); Facilities (23.7% -50.4%) and records (26.8%-40%). Relevant factors: Medical staff satisfaction is not/very little related to demographic factors such as: Age, gender, region of residence. Factors related to the medical staff satisfaction level include: social relationships and mechanisms for management and operation of the unit.

A Study on the Development and Application of Korean Medical Critical Pathway of Lumbar Disc Herniation in Four Different Medical Associations

Objectives: A critical pathway defines the optimal care process, sequencing and timing of intervention by multi-disciplinary health care teams for a particular diagnosis and procedure. It plays an important role as a cost-effective health care delivery system and a tool for quality control of medical and dental services by means of standardizing medical practices. The aim of this study is to investigate the satisfaction of patients and medical staff after implementation of a critical pathway for Korean medical treatment of lumbar disc herniation in integrative medical. Methods and Results: The pre-critical pathway group included 3 patients who underwent the implementation procedure from October 2020. All three patients have successfully been applied critical pathways during inpatient and outpatient treatment. Additionally, medical staff members were satisfied with the usefulness of the critical pathway. Conclusions: The implementation of critical pathway for the Korean medical treatment with lumbar disc herniation in integrative medical hospital can appraise possible applicability in actual clinical field.

A Modern Approach to Assessing the Satisfaction of Medical Staff in a Psychiatric Institution with the Quality of Medical Services

Purpose: The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for assessing the quality of mental health services. Research material - The participation of psychiatric staff in a sociological study of the availability and quality of mental health services. Refusal of psychiatric staff to participate in the survey. The necessary questionnaires were provided to record the psychiatric staff's responses to the survey. The questionnaires were completed by the surveyed nurses as workplace respondents. In order not to violate the anonymity of the survey, the last name or first name of the respondent should not be indicated in the questionnaire. The study involved 100 people. Results - A social survey of patients in psychiatric institutions is of great importance and highlights a number of questions aimed at improving it. Thus, in order to improve the work of the hospital, first of all, the results of a sociological survey conducted among psychiatric workers should be taken into account. Employees are very incompetent to involve family members in the treatment of patients - 20%. Conclusion - There is no doubt that future solutions to the main problems identified in this paper will help improve the quality of mental health care.

Outcomes of Remote Patient Monitoring for Automated Peritoneal Dialysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: We hypothesize that remote patient monitoring (RPM) for automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and feedback could enhance patient self-management and improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of RPM-APD compared to traditional APD (T-APD) without RPM. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized controlled trial, patients on APD were randomized to T-APD (n = 29) or RPM-APD (n = 28) at 12 weeks and followed until 25 weeks. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL), patient and medical staff satisfaction with RPM-APD, and dialysis-related outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: We found no significant differences in HRQOL scores at the time of enrollment and randomization between RPM-APD and T-APD. At the end of the study, the RPM-APD group showed better HRQOL for the sleep domain (p = 0.049) than the T-APD group and the T-APD group showed better HRQOL for the sexual function domain (p = 0.030) than the RPM-APD group. However, we found no significant interactions between the time and groups in terms of HRQOL. Different HRQOL domains significantly improved over time in patients undergoing RPM-APD (effects of kidney disease, p = 0.025) and T-APD (burden of kidney disease, p = 0.029; physical component summary, p = 0.048). Though medical staff satisfaction with RPM-APD was neutral, most patients were quite satisfied with RPM-APD (median score 82; possible total score 105 on 21 5-item scales) and the rating scores were maintained during the study period. We found no significant differences in dialysis adherence, accuracy, adequacy, overhydration status, blood pressure, or the number of unplanned visits between the 2 groups. Discussion/Conclusion: Although HRQOL and dialysis-related outcomes were comparable between RPM-APD and T-APD, RPM-APD was positive in terms of patient satisfaction. Further long-term and large-scale studies will be required to determine the efficacy of RPM-APD. Trial Registration: CRIS identifier: KCT0003390, registered on December 14, 2018 – retrospectively registered, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01.jsp?seq=12348.

An ergonomics-driven QFD model to improve medical laboratory staff and patient satisfaction

Patient satisfaction is an important and frequently used outcome measure for the quality of healthcare services. Any increase in patient satisfaction scores translates directly into an improved reputation, customer loyalty, profitability, and growth. This study investigates the effect of a well-designed work environment on medical laboratory employee satisfaction and in turn on patient satisfaction. The Quality Function Deployment methodology is used to translate the voice of patients into a set of critical to quality ergonomic aspects that are converted to prioritized and actionable ergonomic processes. By understanding the importance of ergonomic process elements of medical laboratory employee satisfaction and their effect on patient satisfaction level, it is possible to make informed decisions about the workplace elements that need to be considered for improvement. The results of this study highlight the role and responsibilities of healthcare execution managers in creating ergonomics-based organizational policies and strategies, leading to improved healthcare quality performance and financial results.

JOB SATISFACTION OF MEDICAL STAFF AT NATIONAL OTORHINORARYNOLOGY HOSPITAL OF VIETNAM, 2019

Objective: Evaluation of job satisfaction of medical staff at National Otorhinorarynology Hospital of Vietnam, 2019.Methods: Design a cross-sectional descriptive study, interview 306 health workers according to a set of prepared questionnaires built on the two-factor theory of Ferederick Herzberg.Results: The overall satisfaction rate of medical staff is high, reaching 95.4%. health workers are most satisfied with their relationship with colleagues 93.5%, followed by learning and developmentopportunities 91.8%, income and policies, both are 88.9%, on benefits 88.6%, on supervisor supervision 88.2% and finally on working conditions 82.7%. Logistic regression analysis showedthat the overall satisfaction rate in the married group was lower than the single group (OR=0.75; 95%CI: 0.42-0.99; p<0.05); higher in the group of intermediate and college degrees than in theuniversity group (OR=1.63; 95%CI: 1.12-2.85; p<0.001); in the group working for more than 15 years was higher than that of the group under 5 years (OR=1.66; 95%CI: 1.06-2.23; p<0.05).Conclusion: Effective management in the hospital in the context of financial autonomy helps the satisfaction rate of health workers to be high. It is necessary to improve the infrastructure in some faculties and focus on the group of medical staff with short working years in human resources.

A Staged Approach for Contouring of Temporal Deformities Using Porous Polyethylene and Lipofilling.

Many studies evaluated the effectiveness of a single reconstructive material during temporal cranioplasty, or in comparison to the outcome of another material. To our knowledge, no previous study evaluated a staged combination of reconstruction modalities during temporal cranioplasty. In a prospective interventional study, the authors combined high-density porous polyethylene (HDPP) implant insertion (stage I) with a following lipofilling session (stage II) in 8 patients scheduled for temporal cranioplasties. This two-staged approach was evaluated 6 months after each stage independently. The patients' satisfaction as regards the aesthetic outcome was evaluated through a 5-points Likert scale by the patients themselves. For every individual patient, this psychometric analysis was repeated by medical staff from other departments. Statistical analysis of the patients and medical staff satisfaction scores showed a statistically significant increase after the addition of lipofilling session (stage II) if compared to implant insertion only (stage I). Clinically, this outcome was maintained in a long-term follow-up ranged from 1 - 8 years. Nevertheless, 2 patients needed one more lipofilling session to obtain their satisfaction as regards the final aesthetic outcome. No other complications were recorded in this study. In conclusion, combining alloplastic and autogenous reconstruction modalities in a staged approach can suffice the reconstruction requirements for such temporal defects. After a long follow-up period, the insertion of high-density porous polyethylene implant with the addition of a following lipofilling session showed more evaluators' satisfaction in terms of the final aesthetic outcome.

Satisfaction Survey of Patients and Medical Staff for Telephone-Based Telemedicine During Hospital Closing Due to COVID-19 Transmission.

Introduction: Telephone-based telemedicine was temporarily permitted in Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess satisfaction with the telemedicine done during temporary hospital closing when in-person visits were not allowed due to in-hospital COVID-19 transmission.Methods: Survey questionnaires partially taken from a telehealth usability questionnaire (TUQ) were sent to 6,840 patients who used telephone-based telemedicine from February 24 to March 7, 2020. Questionnaires sent to patients and additionally created questionnaires to evaluate telemedicine were sent to medical staff (182 doctors and 138 nurses).Results: Response rates of patients and medical staff were 13.2% and 17.2%, respectively. Patients' satisfaction with telemedicine was significantly greater than medical staff's satisfaction for all five components taken from TUQ (all p = 0.000). In addition, created questionnaires showed good reliability, obtaining similar results between doctors and nurses (all p > 0.05). More than 85% of medical staff replied that telemedicine was needed in COVID-19, whereas more than 80% of them worried about incomplete assessment and communication of medical condition. Overall satisfaction with telemedicine by medical staff was 49.7%. The strength of telephone-based telemedicine was patients' convenience (53.4%). However, incomplete assessment of patients' condition (55.0%) was its weakness.Conclusion: Satisfaction with telephone-based telemedicine by patients was significantly greater than that by medical staff (doctors and nurses). Negative views for safety and inconvenience resulted in a greater proportion of dissatisfaction among medical staff. For safe application of telemedicine, medical staff insisted that developing a platform and creating guidelines should be needed.

Post-occupancy evaluation Correlated with Medical Staffs' Satisfaction: A Case Study of Indoor Environments of General Hospitals in Sulaimani City

This study aims at identifying the notion of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) pertinent to the performance of three general hospitals constructed inside the Sulaimani City, tracing the relationship between the quality of the indoor environments and medical staff (doctors and nurses) satisfaction level. Using some indoor environment elements in the right way will positively influence the mood, stress level of the medical staff, and patient recovery as a result. The POE toolkits (AEDET and ASPECT) have been implemented on targeted wards at the selected hospitals. AEDET and ASPECT questionnaires were distributed among 152 medical staff to obtain their perspectives. In total, 112 valid questionnaires were received. The medical staff at tested hospitals were generally satisfied with the quality of newly built hospitals' indoor environment. The results have shown that exploring medical staff experiences can expose factors that affect their satisfaction levels. Also, the findings reveal that the building's physical quality can be vastly related to the fulfillment of the medical staff's satisfaction. Moreover, the findings underline the role of the quality of the indoor environment in increasing medical staff's satisfaction levels, informing design decisions. Additionally, the persuasive associative outcomes have proven that POE (AEDET and ASPECT) will be pertinent as a tool to the building's physical quality.

The Trainee to Surgeon Continuum

This special issues is dedicated to the 22nd Sabah State Surgical Clinical Conference which was conducted on the 11- 14 March 2020, held at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia. The theme of this conference was “The Trainee to Surgeon Continuum: Connecting the Dots”. Although the main aim of this conference is dedicated to surgical trainees and medical officers aspiring a career in surgery, conference for the surgical paramedics were also run concurrently. This is a commendable approach as by having a strong, dedicated and fully trained surgical teams are obviously essential in all areas of surgical department. Teamwork is essential in surgery. A surgeon alone cannot adequately fulfill his daily tasks, neither in the operating theater nor on the surgical ward. Good teamwork is linked to improved patient outcomes, better medical staff satisfaction and a reduced incidence of burnouts. Good teamwork is linked to improve patient outcomes due to lesser adverse events, good coordination and cost saving. Improvement of teamwork ability in operating theaters leads to reduced technical errors and lower perioperative mortality. This conference has created a history of its own as this is the first conference conducted with “new-normal” during the COVID19 era with strict Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) in-placed during the whole proceeding of the conference. The organizer has invited many prominent national and local prominent speakers and academics in the field of surgery to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with the participants. Many activities and programs were available in this conference including “hands on training”, poster and paper presentation. The conference had attracted more than 200 local and national participants. More than 30 papers were presented as oral and poster presentations. In this special issues only 10 papers have been selected to be published. Special briefing on General Surgical Training in Malaysia, Masters, MedEX, MRCS, JSCFE FRCS and NSR by the President of the College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (CSAMM Council). Surgery is a major medical specialty that uses manual techniques to treat a pathological condition in patients. It is a long and difficult journey to become a surgeon, fraught with much stress and many sacrifices and thus is becoming less popular choice for this generation of junior doctors. The conference will definitely be able to stimulate more interest in Surgery.

Quality of Migrant Care: Results of an Interprofessional Survey

Background: Migration is a global phenomenon. Nevertheless, there are still data lacking about physicians and other health care provider perceptions and expectations concerning the management of patients with migration background. This national survey was therefore conducted. Method: Physicians and psychotherapists working at Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin and Vivantes Hospital Group clinics, as well as resident doctors and psychotherapists, were invited to participate in this quantitative online-survey. The statistical analysis was anonymous and descriptive. Results: Overall, 355 questionnaires could be analyzed. The quality of care for migrants and non-migrants was rated as “good” or “very good” by at least 88% of the participants. The respondents estimated that 1% of the migrants were “not at all satisfied”. Of the respondents, 58% were dissatisfied at least once a week due to a language barrier. A specific training program on dealing with migrants and migrant care was desired by 61%. Conclusions: The topic of migrant care in the German health care system is relevant. Structured and systematic training on intercultural competence should be offered to improve migrant patient care quality and medical staff satisfaction. Institutionalized professional language translation could possibly improve the satisfaction of migrant patients and medical staff.

Conciliation médicamenteuse à l’entrée des patients dans une unité de chirurgie orthopédique : retour d’expérience sur plus de 2 ans de pratique

Some medication errors can be prevented by pharmacist action such as medication reconciliation. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the medication reconciliation activity after two years of practice. The secondary objective was to assess the medical staff's satisfaction following the setting up of the activity. This retrospective study was realized over a period of two years in our hospital. Patients meeting the following criteria were included: 65years and over, hospitalized in orthopedic surgery department, preferentially after a discharge of the emergency room. After the best possible medication history was established, it is compared to medicines ordered. The discrepancies were defined as intended or unintended. Study data were collected and analyzed using Excel and SPSS statistics®. A total of 899patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period, mean age was 78years (27; 104). A total of 84% of our cohort was admitted after a discharge of the emergency room. Seventy five percent of the population had at least an unintended discrepancie, a mean of 2,3unintended discrepancies per patient was identified. Seventy five percent of the unintended discrepancy were discussed and resolved. The medical staff was mostly satisfied of the activity. The medication reconciliation secured the drug management of hospitalized patients.

HUBUNGAN REMUNERASI DENGAN KINERJA DAN KEPUASAN KERJA STAF MEDIS DI RSUP DR. M. DJAMIL PADANG

The changes in the pattern of providing medical services from the fee for service to the remuneration system cause problems among medical staff, so that it can have an adverse effect on the performance and job satisfaction of staff at Dr. M. Djamil Hospital, Padang. This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between remuneration and the performance and satisfaction of medical staff at M. Djamil Hospital, Padang. The research method is descriptive analytic with quantitative and qualitative approaches (mix method). Systematic random sampling technique was obtained by 72 medical staff and 8 informants in qualitative research taken by purposive sampling. The results of the analysis using statistical tests found a significant relationship between remuneration and performance (p = 0.012 or <0.05) and there was no significant relationship between remuneration and job satisfaction (p = 0.881 or> 0.05). Based on qualitative analysis, it was concluded that most medical staff lacked understanding of remuneration, the implementation was not transparent and there was no clarity between IKI and remuneration, remuneration had an effect on improving performance and was related to staff satisfaction. We need to improve understanding of remuneration and information among staff in evaluating staff performance

Research Status of Job Satisfaction of Medical Staff and its Influencing Factors

Human resources for health are the most important and valuable asset in an organization, and the performance of human resources is an important factor affecting the success of each organization. Hospitals play an important role in people’s health and depend on human resources more than any other organization. Medical staff is the most critical factor for the development of medical and health undertakings. Therefore, how to improve the hospital’s human resources, namely the satisfaction of medical staff, is a social issue in today’s society. In our understanding of the present status of the medical staff, we analyze the problems existing in the hospital management, to explore the hospital at the same time of providing medical services to patients, lead to an improvement in hospital medical staff’s own professional level, improve the level of hospital scientific management, scientific management and analyze the related factors, for hospital managers to provide management strategy, providing reference for improving the medical staff’s work enthusiasm. On this basis, humanized management is proposed to adjust the hospital strategy, improve the medical staff’s job satisfaction, further strengthen the scientific and standardized management of the hospital, improve the medical quality, and enhance the comprehensive strength of the hospital.

Human Resource Management in Healthcare

Contemporary healthcare systems face several challenges. The main management challenges include shortage and low satisfaction of health professionals. Satisfaction and motivation of medical staff is crucial for their stabilization and quality work-medical performance. The positive impact of HRM practices on increasing employee satisfaction and engagement is scientifically proven. Currently, HRM practices in healthcare are used in a limited way, often only at the level of HR or labour law and union bargaining. This is indicative of the low level of HR development. It is desirable to make full use of HRM practices in healthcare. The aim of this paper is to identify and define the challenges of human resource management in healthcare and explain the importance of implementing developed HRM practices to improve the quality of health care delivery. The research method used is a literature search. The investigation of the relationship between quality human resource management and healthcare delivery is considered important because the knowledge and competency to manage people are not necessary to hold a management position in most healthcare professions in Slovakia. In the world’s best hospitals, we find developed HRM with a positive impact on employee satisfaction and medical indicators.

Medical Monitoring and Management System of Mobile Thyroid Surgery Based on Internet of Things and Cloud Computing

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things and cloud computing technologies, the Internet of Things technology based on comprehensive perception and interconnection and cloud computing based on virtualization, dynamic resources, and parallel computing have become the driving force for the innovation and development of informatization and intelligence. The cloud‐based Internet of Things mobile medical is an ecosystem of health information and medical information, with the medical Internet of Things at its core and highly mobile and highly shared information. Therefore, in the context of in‐depth research on mobile medical care, research on mobile postoperative thyroid monitoring and management systems based on the Internet of Things and cloud computing is a practical tool for promoting the development of mobile medical systems. Monitoring and Management. In this experiment, 48 cases of patients undergoing thyroid surgery were selected from a hospital. The experimental group was informed by the experiment that they need to be equipped with sensors. The control panel and GPS positioning module are used to obtain the exact position of the patient at the first time. The loading of the sensor is agreed by the patient and the patient’s family. Afterward, the control group will not be processed. It will conduct functional tests and software performance tests on the mobile medical monitoring and management system and analyze the satisfaction of medical staff with the mobile medical monitoring and management system. Experiments have proved that the cloud computing medical monitoring and management system is used to obtain the exact location of the patient in the first time, and the response time needs to be shorter. The response time of the system increases with the increase of the number of sensors (P < 0.05), which shows that the mobile medical monitoring and management system is essential for medical care and medical care. Obtaining the exact position of the patient for the first time is of great importance for the successful rescue of the patient.

Factors Associated With Job Satisfaction of Frontline Medical Staff Fighting Against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in China.

Purpose: The current research on frontline medical staff in China fighting against COVID-19 has not yet addressed job satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the job satisfaction of those who were sent to support Hubei province, China, or worked in local designated hospitals, and then analyze the associated influencing factors.Materials and Methods: A total of 455 medical staff who worked at the frontline of the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Hubei province was selected using simple random sampling. They were asked to fill out a self-developed general information questionnaire as well as the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), from 10 January to 10 March 2020.Results: The average job satisfaction score of the participants was 82.58 ± 11.11. The influencing factors include education (P = 0.002), years of work experience (P = 0.006), anti-epidemic work duration (P = 0.048), daily sleep duration (P < 0.001), and the form of participation (P < 0.001).Conclusions: This study, for the first time, measures the job satisfaction of frontline medical staff in fighting against COVID-19 in China. The job satisfaction of frontline medical staff was at a “relatively decent” level, higher than the previous similar measures among medical staff. Related management departments should further improve the job satisfaction of frontline medical staff by meeting their reasonable demands, strengthening the emergency response and practical operation training of junior staff, and ensuring their ample time for sleep and rest. This study is of great reference value for improving the job satisfaction level of frontline medical staff during public health emergencies, developing medical staff security policies, and promoting the establishment of emergency response teams.

Use of reflective materials during phototherapy for newborn infants with unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia.

Phototherapy is a well-established effective therapy for treating babies with significant neonatal jaundice. Studies have shown that increasing light intensity will increase its efficiency. A potentially inexpensive and easy way of increasing the intensity of light on the body of the infant may be to hang reflective materials from the sides of phototherapy units. To assess the effects of reflective materials in combination with phototherapy compared with phototherapy alone for unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia in neonates. We used the standard search strategy of Cochrane Neonatal to search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2019, Issue 11), in the Cochrane Library; Ovid MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Daily and Versions(R); and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), on 1 November 2019. We also searched clinical trials databases and the reference lists of retrieved articles for randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised trials. We included randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials if the participants, who were term or preterm infants, received phototherapy with curtains made of reflective materials of any type in the treatment arm, and if those in the comparison arm received similar phototherapy without curtains or other intensified phototherapy, such as a double bank of lights. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. Of 15 studies identified, we included 12 (1288 babies) in the review - 11 comparing phototherapy with reflective materials and phototherapy alone, and one comparing a single phototherapy light bank with reflective materials with double phototherapy. All reflective materials consisted of curtains on three or four sides of the cot and were made of white plastic (five studies), white linen (two studies), or aluminium (three studies); materials were not specified in two studies. Only 11 studies (10 comparing reflective materials versus none and one comparing reflective curtains and a single bank of lights with a double (above and below) phototherapy unit) provided sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis. Two excluded studies used the reflective materials in a way that did not meet our inclusion criteria, and we excluded one study because it compared four different phototherapy interventions not including reflective materials. The risk of bias of included studies was generally low, but all studies had high risk of performance bias due to lack of blinding of the intervention. Three studies (281 participants) reported a decline in serum bilirubin (SB) (μmol/L) at four to eight hours (mean difference (MD) -14.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) -19.80 to -9.42; I² = 57%; moderate-certainty evidence). Nine studies (893 participants) reported a decline in SB over 24 hours and showed a faster decline in SB in the intervention group, but heterogeneity (I² = 97%) was too substantial to permit a meaningful estimate of the actual effect size (very low-certainty evidence). Subgroup analysis by type of reflective material used did not explain the heterogeneity. Exchange transfusion was reported by two studies; both reported none in either group. Four studies (466 participants) reported the mean duration of phototherapy, and in each of these studies, it was reduced in the intervention group but there was substantial heterogeneity (I² = 88%), precluding meaningful meta-analysis of data. The only two studies that reported the mean duration of hospital stay in hours showed a meaningful reduction (MD -41.08, 95% CI -45.92 to -36.25; I² = 0; moderate-certainty evidence). No studies reported costs of the intervention, parental or medical staff satisfaction, breastfeeding outcomes, or neurodevelopmental follow-up. The only study that compared use of curtains with double phototherapy reported similar results for both groups. Studies that monitored adverse events did not report increased adverse events related to the use of curtains, including acute life-threatening events, but other rarer side effects could not be excluded. Moderate-certainty evidence shows that the use of reflective curtains during phototherapy may result in greater decline in SB. Very low-certainty evidence suggests that the duration of phototherapy is reduced, and moderate-certainty evidence shows that the duration of hospital stay is also reduced. Available evidence does not show any increase in adverse events, but further studies are needed.