Medical Workers Research Articles

Analyzing the roles, workflows, and communication dynamics of social workers within interprofessional care teams

ABSTRACT Social workers frequent interprofessional healthcare teams, but few studies examine the day-to-day experiences of these providers on interprofessional teams. Our study utilized semi-structured interviews with 54 medical social workers practicing on interprofessional healthcare teams. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the day-to-day functions of these social workers. The analysis resulted in three primary themes: 1) Social Workers’ Self-Perceptions of their Roles within Interprofessional Teams, 2) Social Workers Shifting Roles on Interprofessional Teams, and 3) Interprofessional Team Dynamics that Impact the Role of a Social Worker. Social workers perceived their primary roles as contributing a unique systems approach to interprofessional healthcare teams while emphasizing patient self-determination. These self-perceptions influenced their shifting roles on interprofessional healthcare teams (e.g. clinician, case manager, bridge builder). In addition to individual self-perceptions, the healthcare system infrastructure influenced social work roles. For example, social workers in outpatient settings more frequently assumed the role of a mental health practitioner compared to those in inpatient settings. Last, there was variation in interprofessional communication and workflow assignment based on the healthcare infrastructure. Future research should examine the education and training efforts of social workers and other allied health professions for interprofessional healthcare teams.

Organizational and economic factors of assessing the management of accessibility and quality of medical care in the Republic of Tatarstan

BACKGROUND: Today, when assessing the availability and quality of medical care, objective criteria and indicators prevail, and the factor of patient feedback as end consumers is practically not taken into account, which does not allow us to form a comprehensive view and get closer to solving this problem. AIM: To identify the factors that have the greatest impact on patients' assessment of the availability and quality of medical care, to study the influence degree of organizational and economic problems of medical organizations on this assessment and to develop quantitative indicators for managing this indicator. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted using a questionnaire from October to December 2023 based on medical organizations of the Republic of Tatarstan. Two types of questionnaires were compiled. The first questionnaire was for consumers of medical care, covering 2,419 patients of hospitals and clinics from all cities and districts of the Republic of Tatarstan. The second questionnaire was for medical personnel. A total of 20,330 medical workers took part in the survey: 5,206 doctors, 10,841 nurses, 4,283 junior medical personnel from all types of medical organizations, including central republican hospitals, city and district hospitals and clinics of Tatarstan. The results of the questionnaires were processed by means of correlation and regression analysis using the least squares method. RESULTS: It was revealed that for patients of medical organizations the most significant factors in assessing the quality of medical care were: (1) queues and constant waiting (50.5% of respondents); (2) inability to see a specialist (48.9%); (3) unavailability of diagnostic procedures (biochemical blood test, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound; 40.7%); (4) inattention, indifference of medical workers (27.5%). Factors in the work of medical institutions and personnel that had the greatest impact on patients' assessments of the indicator of availability and quality of medical care were identified: stress at work, overload and high work pressure, dissatisfaction with salary. The regression coefficients of the identified factors allow them to be used as indicators of management decisions aimed at increasing the importance of availability and quality of medical care. CONCLUSION: Patient assessments obtained by medical organizations as a result of feedback allow not only to bring the level of availability and quality of medical care as close as possible to the expectations and needs of patients, but also to identify areas of management influence to improve it.

Implementing Mental Health Screening for Adolescent Hematology and Oncology Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic illnesses experience an increase in mental health concerns. A mental health screening (MHS) process for hematology and oncology patients was implemented in a single institution. The quality improvement project was conducted to integrate a MHS process, educate providers about the importance of mental health in this patient population, and evaluate the process. Methods: The COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation-behavior) model for behavior change was used to inform strategic planning and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodologies for process improvement. Retrospective chart reviews and surveys were conducted to determine missed screening rates and providers' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and skills of the MHS process. Results: Of 334 eligible patient encounters, the missed screening rate was 15.0%, the overall error rate of completing the screening was 3.8%, the error rate of completing the suicide or self-harm indicator was 2.6%, and the missed medical social worker touch point was 4.8%. Conclusion: The rising rates of mental health concerns in AYA hematology and oncology patients call for streamlined MHS processes to improve the identification of patients who may need intervention and services. Processes should be tailored to workflows and available resources. Future PDSA cycles will include providing dedicated nursing education and determining the cost needed to meet the rising mental health needs of the AYA hematology and oncology population.

Patient engagement in a community-partnered hybrid health-related social needs navigation intervention for adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYA-NAV).

173 Background: Adolescent and young adult (AYAs) cancer survivors experience high rates of financial toxicity (FT), which is associated with poorer health outcomes. FT may disproportionately affect AYAs with unmet health-related social needs (HRSN), such as food or housing insecurity. Needs navigation may be an effective intervention to reduce financial distress, however, engagement has been a challenge in prior adult-directed interventions. We hypothesize that a hybrid navigation delivery model with community organization support and digital delivery will reduce financial distress and improve health outcomes. In a pilot study of AYA-NAV, an AYA-directed needs navigation intervention, we report patient engagement among participants. Methods: Eligible AYAs were 15-39 years old, Spanish- or English-speaking, receiving curative-intent treatment for cancer, and screened positive for FT (Comprehensive Score of Financial Toxicity < 22) or unmet HRSN (food, housing, transportation, or utilities insecurity). Participants were referred for a consultation with the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a national organization that provides case management and navigation support for people facing life limiting illness. At month 1, participants were referred to findhelp.org, a digital platform of comprehensive resources to facilitate resolution of unmet HRSN. Monthly check-ins were conducted by the study team to assess acceptability, intervention fidelity, and provide additional navigation support. We plan to enroll 30 participants on this study. Results: Of 19 AYAs that completed screening to date, 13 met criteria for FT or unmet HRSN; 13 (100%) agreed to AYA-NAV participation. To date, of 46 check-ins initiated by the study team, 33 (72%) were completed. All AYAs connected with the study team at least once during the 6-month duration of the study by text, phone, and/or in-clinic. Ten out of 13 (77%) participants reported that they spoke with a PAF case manager, and 7 (70%) of those said it was helpful. If the patient was unable to connect with PAF, more than half (55%) requested to be reconnected during a monthly check-in. Eight of the 13 (62%) participants visited findhelp.org; 6 (75%) of those found the digital platform to be helpful. Most patients referenced the high usability of findhelp.org, and 55% stated they connected to community resources via findhelp.org. Patients qualitatively reported challenges to intervention participation including medical complications, scheduling conflicts, and work commitments. Conclusions: Preliminary data demonstrate high patient engagement and intervention fidelity during a pilot feasibility study of AYA-NAV. Flexible modes for data collection and intervention delivery are important to inclusion of and retention of AYAs in hybrid navigation delivery models. Clinical trial information: NCT06072833 .

Burden of cardiovascular disease among the Western Pacific region and its association with human resources for health, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

A comprehensive profile of cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and human resources for health (HRH) distribution in the WHO Western Pacific region has yet to be presented. Studies on the relationship between HRH and CVD in this region are limited. We aimed to describe CVD trends and HRH density in the Western Pacific region and explore the association of HRH with CVD burden. Estimates of CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, and the annual density of HRH was retrieved from GBD 2019. We presented trends in CVD burden and HRH density across 31 Western Pacific countries. Spearman rank correlation analysis and generalized linear models were used to examine associations between CVD burden and HRH density. In 2021, CVD caused six million deaths and 125 million DALYs in the Western Pacific region, accounting for 39.4% and 22.5% of all-cause deaths and DALYs. From 1990 to 2021, the number of CVD deaths and DALYs increased by 94.9% and 57.3% in this region, whereas the age-standardized rate of CVD deaths and DALYs declined in all countries. In 2021, stroke and ischemic heart disease were the leading causes in the Western Pacific region, and a 32-year increase in CVD burden was primarily driven by aortic aneurysm, lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, endocarditis, and atrial fibrillation and flutter. In 2019, there was an approximately 20-fold difference in HRH density across 31 countries from the lowest in Papua New Guinea to the highest in Australia. HRH density was negatively related to the age-standardized rate of CVD deaths (r s =-0.74) and DALYs (r s =-0.73), especially strong associations between CVD burden and the density of dentistry personnel, aides & emergency medical workers, and medical laboratory technicians. CVD remains a pressing public health issue in the Western Pacific region where noticeable shortages in health workers exist. The negative associations between CVD burden and HRH density suggest that health workers, especially dentistry personnel, aides & emergency medical staff, and medical laboratory technicians merit more investment to reduce the CVD burden. National Natural Science Foundation of China (82073573 to ZZ; 82273654 to YS).

Problems of the guiltless civil liability of medical workers

The legal regulation of relations in the field of medical services in the Republic of Kazakhstan is dynamic and flexible, and its content complies with modern international standards in the field of human and citizen rights. In these conditions, the main task of the state is to improve legislation regulating civil law relations in the medical field, which is accomplished by increasing the quality of medical care through legal mechanisms to protect the rights of the patient. The problems of application and the possibility of expanding the grounds for guiltless liability in the medical field are relevant, are of great scientific and practical interest, and also considered by the author reasonably and quite timely. The author of the article raises questions that enable medical activity as part of consumer turnover, as well as a source of increased danger, which makes it possible to apply the norms of increased responsibility to relations that are associated with its implementation. The article also substantiates the need to reform the norms on compensation for moral damage in connection with its infliction to the patient, which will ensure the right to protection of infringed civil rights most fully.

Clinical characteristics, depression, anxiety, and stress of medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has an extremely high infection rate. This study aimed to investigate emotional states and COVID-19 infection of medical workers during the self-management strategy to COVID-19. Questionnaires were collected via an online questionnaire platform from 20 December 2022 to 19 January 2023, including demographic characteristics, number of vaccine doses, COVID-19 test results, occupation, attendant situations of workers, clinical symptoms, disease duration, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. A total of 748 complete questionnaires were collected. The average age of participants was 33.61 ± 8.94 years, and 79.55% participants were female. The proportion of anxiety was significantly higher in the infection group (52.32%) than in the non-infection group (28.45%) (p < 0.001), as was the proportion of stress (41.47% vs. 31.90%, p = 0.046). Medical students (odds ratios (OR) 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.93) and other staff (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40-0.98) had a lower risk for depression than doctors (p = 0.024), and attendant and infective situations of workers was the risk factor for depression (p = 0.007). Occupation (p = 0.029) and infected workers (p = 0.001) were related to anxiety. Infected attendant workers had a higher risk for stress (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.12-3.48) than uninfected attendant workers (p = 0.019). Most medical workers infected with COVID-19 had emotional disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attention and useful measures are suggested to support medical workers.

Mechanisms for Ensuring Professional Responsibility of Medical Workers through Contractual Means

This article examines the use of contractual mechanisms to promote and enforce professional responsibility among medical workers. As healthcare systems face increasing pressures and scrutiny, there is a growing need for effective ways to ensure high standards of care and ethical conduct. The study analyzes how employment contracts, codes of conduct, and other formal agreements can be structured to clearly delineate professional expectations, incentivize best practices, and provide accountability. Key contractual elements explored include specific performance metrics, ongoing training requirements, incident reporting protocols, and disciplinary procedures. The potential benefits and limitations of relying on contractual means to shape professional behavior are critically assessed. While contracts alone cannot guarantee responsible conduct, when thoughtfully designed and consistently enforced, they can serve as powerful tools for health organizations to uphold professional standards and protect patient welfare.

Characteristics of Health-Preserving Behavior of Parents Raising Children with Disabilities

The article presents the results of a study devoted to the study of health-preserving behavior of parents raising children with disabilities aged 6-10 years. The study was conducted in April-May 2024 in the Borovsky District of the Kaluga Region. The research method was a questionnaire survey of parents. The questions touched upon the implementation of such important areas of child health-preservation in the family as home nutrition, daily routine, sleep, hygiene, control over the safe use of gadgets for the child's health, the psychological climate in the family, the attitude of parents to their own health, etc. The process of interaction between parents and a medical institution and medical workers as subjects of child health-preservation was also studied. It was found that the majority of parents (85%) fully comply with the doctor's advice and prescriptions. Most parents (68%) know the specifics of the child's disease and treatment. According to 54% of parents, their children willingly follow the doctor's recommended prescriptions. 15% of parents failed to develop the skill of following doctors' recommendations in their children with disabilities. In 30% of parents, the child does not follow the doctor's orders or follows them thanks to the parents. In every third family, the sick child's sleep schedule is not followed. Only a third of parents (31%) have children who attend exercise therapy classes. Parents have a low level of health-preserving competence in the issue of healthy nutrition. The materials of the article can be used in the work of specialists in medical and social institutions, educational and public organizations, and can also be useful for researchers interested in the problem of health preservation of children with disabilities.

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ПРОЦЕССА ДОСТАВКИ ТЕЛЕМЕТРИЧЕСКИХ СООБЩЕНИЙ В СИСТЕМЕ МЕДИЦИНСКОГО ИНТЕРНЕТА ВЕЩЕЙ

Currently, research and development are relevant aimed at increasing the efficiency of transmission of telemetry messages in wireless remote monitoring systems used by medical workers to provide timely assistance to patients under observation. The technical basis for transmitting such messages is provided by medical Internet of Things systems. The article is devoted to the development of a mathematical model of the process of delivering telemetric messages in such a system. In the course of the study, analytical expressions were obtained that make it possible to estimate the average delivery time of messages from the patient’s sensory device to the healthcare worker’s wireless device, depending on the response intervals of the retransmission timers installed in the transmitting and receiving elements of the system. The results obtained allow us to theoretically substantiate the choice of retransmission timeout values that ensure minimization of the average message delivery time at the current level of bit error intensity.

СИСТЕМНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ПРИЧИН И ФАКТОРОВ НЕЖЕЛАТЕЛЬНЫХ РЕАКЦИЙ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ОМАЛИЗУМАБА

The article presents a systematic analysis of the causes and factors of adverse reactions to the use of omalizumab. Methods of monitoring appeals, expert assessment, and interviewing medical specialists were applied. The analysis showed that in Russia there is a "declarative passivity" of medical workers and patients in relation to reports of adverse reactions to the use of omalizumab, which is associated with a high workload and reluctance on the part of medical workers to issue a notification, lack of knowledge about the procedure for notification, fear of being punished for possible incorrect actions on the use of the drug; on the part of patients – by not knowing their rights and the procedure for submitting a report, by fear of spoiling relations with the attending physician. Such passivity and closeness hinders the formation of a system for the prevention of drug safety violations. The data obtained in the course of the study (on the frequency and structure of adverse reactions to the use of omalizumab in clinical practice in children and adults; information on the most dangerous combinations of omalizumab with other drugs; The characteristics of the causes and factors of adverse reactions to the use of omalizumab, as well as the untimely submission of notifications about them, have become the theoretical basis for the development of recommendations for improving pharmacovigilance activities to ensure the safety of the use of omalisamab in children and adults, which includes 4 areas: creation of organizational conditions to ensure the safety of the use of omalisamab in children and adults in medical organizations; prevention of adverse reactions to the use of omalizumab at the preclinical stage; optimization of clinical choice and support for decision-making by a medical specialist (doctor) when prescribing omalizumab based on a risk-based approach, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and the clinical situation; improving the quality of safety monitoring of the use of omalizumab.

Effectiveness of the Huddles in Improving the Patient Safety Attitudes Among Clinical Team Members.

Huddles among members of interdisciplinary medical teams involve short stand-up sessions and allow team members to focus on existing or emerging patient safety issues, thereby facilitating team communication. Hospital managers are able to recognize the current situation of the organization through patient safety attitudes, strengthen team members' awareness of patient safety, and improve the quality of health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of huddles on improving team members' attitudes toward patient safety. We used a quasi-experimental design and selected 2 adult wards with similar properties as the experimental and comparison groups by convenience sampling. Data collection was from December 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, at a teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Team members of the ward performing huddles formed the experimental group, and they participated 2 times per week in 15-minute huddles from 8:15 to 8:30 am for a total of 4 weeks. The comparison group adopted the routine team care process. Both groups completed the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire during the pre- and post-tests of the study. The experimental group scored significantly higher in the post-test than in the pre-test in all aspects of safety attitudes, with the exception of stress recognition. These improved aspects were teamwork climate (76.47 ± 15.90 vs 83.29 ± 13.52, P < .001), safety climate (75.94 ± 16.14 vs 82.81 ± 13.74, P < .001), job satisfaction (74.34 ± 20.22 vs 84.40 ± 17.22, P <.001), perceptions of management (78.02 ± 19.99 vs 85.51 ± 15.97, P < .001), and working conditions (78.85 ± 17.87 vs 86.81 ± 14.74, P < .001). Through the huddles, clinical team members improved their understanding of different aspects of safety attitudes. Such a study provided ward units with real-time improvement and adjustment in terms of patient safety during their medical work processes with better patient safety.

Right Care, Right Time, Right Place: Real-life Challenges in Delivering Sláintecare – A Multi-Centre Survey of Multidisciplinary Team Members

Abstract Background Sláintecare launched in 2018 seeks to reform the delivery of healthcare services in Ireland towards equity of access based on patient need1. However, delivering the right care, in the right place at the right time is, as yet an aspirational goal. We sought to identify the on-the ground challenges that exist in delivering Sláintecare in the day-to-day practice of multidisciplinary team members. Methods An online survey questionnaire was distributed to medical social workers, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists. Respondents were asked about their experience in applying for community-based care in their practice including home care packages, community occupational therapy and home equipment. Descriptive statistics were applied to numerical data and a thematic analysis was performed on free text responses. Results There were 31 respondents from 10 clinical sites including acute and rehabilitation settings. All nine community healthcare organisations (CHOs) were represented. 29/31 (94%) felt that access to community-based care differed based on the patient’s residential address. 23/31 (74%) stated the referral documentation and process for home care packages varied depending on the patients’ CHO. Qualitative analysis identified three core themes; Unfulfilled care hours due to dearth of carer availability differed across CHOs; inconsistencies in the application process that exists between CHO’s and incongruities in the availability of and accessibility to publicly funded services on hospital discharge. Conclusion Our survey highlights the practical challenges of delivering Sláintecare currently. It reinforces the health inequities that limits patients’ ability to access quality healthcare because of their geographical location.

Work of ART: Profiling the First 100 Patients Discharged Home From an Acute Hospital with the Active Recovery Team (ART)

Abstract Background The Active Recovery Team (ART) is a new therapy lead rehabilitation team that offers supported discharge and admission avoidance from a large acute hospital. This interdisciplinary team consists of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, medical social worker and two therapy assistants. ART accepts referrals from all services within the hospital including the emergency department. Methods As ART is a new service, a retrospective audit of the first 100 patients who discharged on the pathway was completed. Demographics included age, sex, referring specialty, presenting complaint, frailty (measured by the Clinical Frailty Score) and level of input received. ART use the coding of low, medium and high intensity to describe the intervention provided based on dosage (visits) and complexity. Results Most (67%) of the group were female and mean age was 77 years. Only 8% were pre-frail (CFS 0-3), 86% were living with mild to moderate frailty (CFS 4-6) and 6% considered severely frail (CFS 7-9). The type of intervention patients received was 31% low, 33% medium and 36% high intensity. Referrals came from a range of specialties, but the highest percentage of referrals were from emergency medicine (29%), medicine (20%), orthopaedics (18%) and geriatric medicine (16%). Most (53%) initially presented post a fall at home. Most frequent reason for ART referral (78%) was that the patient was discharging home not at their functional baseline but had potential to an achieve a specific goal(s) with further input (most frequently within domains of mobility indoors/outdoors, transfers, stairs and activities of daily living). Conclusion This is an effective pathway that improves the transition from hospital to home. ART offer patients an opportunity for further rehabilitation at home with continuity of care from the acute hospital. Future work will examine the impact of ART on length of stay, readmission rate and explore patient satisfaction with this service.

Losing the Postcode Lottery: An Observational Study Examining the Association Between Patient Address and Delayed Discharge in a Rehabilitation Centre

Abstract Background Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You published by the HSE in 2001 stated, as one of its core principles “Access to healthcare should be fair. The system must respond to people’s needs rather than have access dependent on geographic location or ability to pay.”1 Twenty years on, experience at our rehab unit suggests that inequality exists in accessing care in the community for older persons based on their residential address. The aim of our study was to examine and quantify this inequity of access. Methods A retrospective study was designed. Using the local patient information management system, all discharges in 2023 were identified. Baseline demographics, admission and discharge date and residential address were recorded. Delayed discharges were defined as patients for whom their rehabilitation programme is complete as agreed at the multi-disciplinary team meeting. Delayed discharge data was obtained from medical social work department who input this data to the HSE weekly. Patients were assigned a community healthcare organisation (CHO) based on address. CHO ‘A’ included two CHOs with predominantly rural areas whilst CHO ‘B’ comprised of one predominantly urban CHO. Results 167 patients were included. 24 discharges were delayed (14.4%). Median age was 84. Total bed days lost: 935 (mean 40.6, range 3 – 232). All nine CHOs were represented. Patients living in CHO A had increased likelihood of having discharge delayed (OR: 4.82, CI 2.86 – 8.13). Conversely, those living in CHO B were less likely to have had a discharge delayed (OR: 0.39, CI 0.15 – 0.96) Conclusion Our study demonstrates that health inequity does exist. Patients residing in rural communities are 4 times more likely to have their discharge delayed awaiting community supports compared to urban dwellers. Ending of the discrimination of patients based on their postcode and ensuring access based on need is the very essence of Sláintecare.

Selected approaches to the study of social efficiency in the organization of medical care with the use of remote technologies

Introduction. Sociological surveys are a reliable source of information about the quality of medical care provided. Assessing the subjective opinions of all participants in the treatment and preventive process about the organization of medical care allows for timely adjustments to the volume and quality of medical services provided. The study of subjective assessments of medical personnel about the quality of medical care provided determines its effectiveness and requires additional research. The purpose of the study is to study the opinions of medical workers, assess the influence of possible factors on the responses of respondents, in connection with the inclusion of remote blood pressure monitoring in their functional responsibilities. Materials and methods. Study was conducted on the basis of two city clinics of St. Petersburg No. 19 and 91. The materials were data from a sociological survey of medical workers who took part in organizing the provision of medical care using remote blood pressure monitoring to patients of the cardiology follow-up group in the period from 2018 to 2022. Results. An analysis was carried out of the influence of some factors on the respondents’ answers in connection with the inclusion of remote blood pressure monitoring in their functional responsibilities. Conclusion. Data processing showed that, in general, this led to an increase in the satisfaction of medical workers with various aspects of professional activity related to communication processes in the team – improved mutual understanding with colleagues and management and a decrease in the number of conflicts with patients. Regarding factors of labor organization and remuneration, significant resources were noted to determine directions for their solution.

Analysis of the Current Situation of Service Capacity of Medical Social Workers in Shanxi Province and the Conception of Cultivation Pathway

Objective: This study aims to analyze the current status of service competence of medical social workers in Shanxi Province and to conceptualize the cultivation path. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 88 staff members and 120 residents of eight community health service centers in Shanxi Province to understand the population’s knowledge of the connotation of medical social workers and their needs. Results: Currently, the staff and residents of the community health service centers in Shanxi Province have a low level of knowledge and a high demand for medical social workers. It is recommended to expand the scope of practice of medical school students and design a series of training programs for medical social workers to better meet the needs of community healthcare and promote the implementation of the Healthy China Strategy.

Correction of professional burnout of health workers in the process of mindfulness-based training

Background. The article reviews the problem of testing the in-person version of the burnout reduction program "OsNOVA" for health workers.The aim of the work. To present the results of the program immediately after its completion and to study the sustainability of the effect.Materials and methods. As part of the program testing, 49 doctors and nurses were interviewed. The following methods were used: Maslach Burnout Inventory; Lazarus and Folkman Inventory of Coping Strategies; Beck Depression Inventory; Perceived Stress Scale 10; Short Form 12 questionnaire; mindfulness questionnaires.Results. It was found that when implementing a program to reduce the level of professional burnout in medical workers, held in-person, there is a statistically significant decrease in those subjects whose burnout was initially high. This is accompanied by an increase in mindfulness (primarily such components as Non-judgmentalism, Observation and Awareness of Actions), productive coping strategies. Health workers with a relatively low level of burnout had an improvement in a number of indicators reflecting the burnout level, as well as an increase in the quality of life. The effect achieved by the program persisted for at least three months after the end of its active part.Conclusion. The "OsNOVA" program in an in-person format can be used to prevent professional burnout of health workers. Additional work is planned for its further improvement.

Actual problems of remote patient monitoring

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is an innovative technology that provides continuous monitoring of patients' health from a distance. The RPM system is versatile because it can be used in the treatment of acute and chronic conditions, helping doctors keep their patients under control between ward rounds or the absence of personal care. However, the implementation of this system is accompanied by numerous problems: from technical to hospital staff management problems. The object of this study is the technical challenges associated with the use of the RPM system. The problem lies in the imperfection of many elements of RPM, including: data management, sensor accuracy, compatibility and user acceptance of the technology. The research found that these technical challenges arise from insufficient standardization, poor sensor data quality, and interoperability issues between medical platforms. These results are explained by the complexity of the technological infrastructure and the need to improve the qualifications of medical workers. The main goal of the current article is to solve the scientific and technical problem of RPM through the proposal of an effective practical development - an automated system for remote monitoring of patients. Since most processes are moving towards their automation, by using the latest scientific developments, among which we can recall machine learning and neural networks and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it was decided to consider the factors of their application in remote patient monitoring systems. The results of this study can be used to optimize RPM systems in hospitals, as well as to improve the reliability and efficiency of new automated monitoring systems, which is extremely important in the context of war, which causes a shortage of medical personnel and an increase in the number of potential patients per doctor.

Assessing the Psychological Well-being of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, working in any medical organization is associated with the risk of coronavirus infection. This applies first and foremost to specialized medical organizations dealing with the treatment of patients infected with coronavirus. Medical workers experiencing increased psychological stress are at an increased risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus while providing medical care. Therefore, studying the psychological states of medical workers – doctors, nurses, orderlies - is of particular importance and relevance. Our research goal is to investigate the psychological responses of medical professionals amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The research focused on the Aktobe Medical Center (AMC), which hosts the regional pulmonology center for COVID-19 patients and the Regional Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital (RCIDH). The study is a selective, single-stage cross-sectional analysis. To assess the psychological reactions of medical workers, standardized questionnaires are used, including the PSM-25, GAD-7, and MFI-20. Statistical analysis of the data is conducted using the STATISTICA 10.0 software package from StatSoft, Inc., USA. An analysis of the research results indicates that medical personnel, nurses, and administrative staff in medical organizations associated with the risk of coronavirus infection are susceptible to adverse psychophysiological disorders. The study revealed that stress levels, anxiety, and asthenia in doctors and nursing staff are significantly higher compared to those in nurses and administrative personnel. Medical workers at risk of COVID- 19 clearly require support measures, as the potential for occupational infection has been definitively established. Additionally, the psychological risk is largely influenced by the nature of their work and their direct contact with the population and patients infected with the coronavirus. Senior and mid-level medical workers at the forefront of combating coronavirus infection is at a high risk of experiencing psycho-emotional and psychophysiological health issues. Doctors and nurses have been found to exhibit high levels of physical and mental asthenia, anxiety, and moderate-to-high levels of stress. Evaluating potential risk factors for psychophysiological disorders among healthcare workers not only provides an objective assessment of their health status, but also aids in the effective and rational organization of their work.