Practice In Italy Research Articles

Hemithyroidectomy versus total thyroidectomy in the intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: the Italian Societies of Endocrine Surgeons and Surgical Oncology Multicentric Study.

The surgical treatment of the intermediate-risk DTC (1-4cm) remains still controversial. We analyzed the current practice in Italy regarding the surgical management of intermediate-risk unilateral DTC to evaluate risk factors for recurrence and to identify a group of patients to whom propose a total thyroidectomy (TT) vs. hemithyroidectomy (HT). Among 1896 patients operated for thyroid cancer between January 2017 and December 2019, we evaluated 564 (29.7%) patients with unilateral intermediate-risk DTC (1-4cm) without contralateral nodular lesions on the preoperative exams, chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, familiarity or radiance exposure. Data were collected retrospectively from the clinical register from 16 referral centers. The patients were followed for at least 14months (median time 29.21months). In our cohort 499 patients (88.4%) underwent total thyroidectomy whereas 65 patients (11.6%) underwent hemithyroidectomy. 151 (26.8%) patients had a multifocal DTC of whom 57 (10.1%) were bilateral. 21/66 (32.3%) patients were reoperated within 2months from the first intervention (completion thyroidectomy). Three patients (3/564) developed regional lymph node recurrence 2years after surgery and required a lymph nodal neck dissection. The single factor related to the risk of reoperation was the histological diameter (HR = 1.05 (1.00-1-09), p = 0.026). Risk stratification is the key to differentiating treatment options and achieving better outcomes. According to the present study, tumor diameter is a strong predictive risk factor to proper choose initial surgical management for intermediate-risk DTC.

Professional and amateur AVT. The Italian dubbing, subtitling and fansubbing of The Handmaid’s Tale

ABSTRACT Nowadays, digitalisation has an enormous impact on the way multimedia content is created and conveyed. It affects the intra-, interlingual and intercultural transfer of audiovisual products, which can be enjoyed dubbed, subtitled, voiced over etc. Most importantly, technology has facilitated the spread of phenomena such as fansubbing and fandubbing across the world. Hence, this study seeks to assess the impact of the current fast-changing mediascape on traditional and new AVT modes. To this end, we analyse the first two seasons of the North American TV series The Handmaid’s Tale (Bruce Miller, 2017-) in their Italian dubbed, subtitled and (ItaSA) funsubbed versions. A preliminary investigation of the dubbed and subtitled versions shows that the latter is an intralingual (condensed) version of the former (a.k.a. dubtitles), which is an unusual practice in Italy. Interviews with the dubbing company and the subtitlers attempted to explain the rationale behind this. Furthermore, the textual examination of the different treatment of religious references, text-internal references, and coarse language in the dubbed/subtitled and the fansubbed versions of this series shows the fluidity of professional and amateur AVT, which appear to intersect within today’s ever-changing mediascape.

PO-1347 Prostate cancer RT pattern of practice in Italy between 2004-2011: an analysis by the AIRO database

PO-1347 Prostate cancer RT pattern of practice in Italy between 2004-2011: an analysis by the AIRO database

ANALYSIS ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC ON SPORTS PRACTICE IN ITALY: REFLECTIONS, CONSEQUENCES AND PERSPECTIVES

Measures aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have led to social distancing and the limitation of exits for all age groups. Physical movement was drastically limited or stopped, with important consequences on physical and mental well-being. This can have a negative effect on body image, especially on the younger population, leading to a lower level of self-efficacy and self-esteem. Many opportunities to be physically active have been suspended (Hall et al., 2020) with potential consequences for children and adults. As a matter of fact, physical inactivity can have a negative effect on body image, especially in younger population (Gaddad et al., 2018) with severe consequences in self-efficacy and academic achievement (D’Amico & Cardaci, 2003). In older adults the greater sedentary time, can lead to the increased risk of ill-health and poor wellbeing when associated with isolation (Schrempft et al., 2019; Herbolsheimer et al., 2018). Many research activities, in the field of social sciences and biology, have analyzed the benefits of physical activity on psycho-physical well-being. There are numerous scientific evidences showing how exercise decreases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and some forms of cancer, in addition to helping preventing obesity and diabetes (Warburton, Nicol, Bredin, 2006). Furthermore, physical exercise has significant effects on mental health (Stuart, 2016); in particular, the benefits of sport have been explored to counteract the development of states of anxiety (Anderson, Shivakumar, 2013) and depression (Craft, Perna, 2004). We can affirm that sport is an important moderating variable in the perception of individual well-being, the integrity of which depends on numerous factors of an environmental and personal nature, which, all together, determine our health state. Through this study we wanted to analyze how the pandemic has changed the sports practice habits of the Italian population in the period of social restrictions. The O.P.E.S. Organizzazione per l'Educazione allo Sport (Organization for Sports Education) distributed and collected the results of a social survey questionnaire that reached hundreds of people practicing sports by collecting data on both users and changes in the service offer. This article scientifically analyzes the results of the questionnaire and on the basis of these evaluations are proposed on the impact of the COVID 19 emergency period on sports practice in Italy.

A family nurse-led intervention for reducing health services’ utilization in individuals with chronic diseases: The ADVICE pilot study

ObjectivesIntensive health services’ utilization is common in older individuals affected by chronic diseases. This study assessed whether a structured family nurse-led educational intervention would be effective in reducing health services’ use (readmissions and/or emergency service access) among older people affected by chronic conditions. MethodsThis is a non-randomized before-after pilot study. A sample of 78 patients was recruited from two general practices in Italy and 70 among them were followed for 8 months. Standard home care was provided during the first four months’ period (months 1–4), followed by the educational intervention until the end of the study (months 5–8). The intervention, based on the teach-back method, consisted of by-weekly 60-min home sessions targeting aspects of the disease and its treatment, potential complications, medication adherence, and health behaviours. Rates of health services’ use were collected immediately before (T0), and after the interventions (T1). Differences in utilization rates were examined by the McNemar’s test. Potential factors associated with the risk of health services’ use were explored with a Cox proportional hazard regression model. ResultsThe sample (n = 78) was predominantly female (n = 50, 64.1%), and had a mean age of 76.2 (SD = 4.8) years. Diabetes mellitus was the most frequent disease (n = 27, 34.6%). McNemar’s test indicated a significant reduction in health services’ use at T1 (McNemar χ2 = 28.03, P < 0.001). Cox regressions indicated that time and patient education, as well as their interaction, were the only variables positively associated with the probability of health services’ use. ConclusionA teach-back intervention led by a family nurse practitioner has the potential to reduce health services’ use in older patients with chronic diseases.

PONDx: real-life utilization and decision impact of the 21-gene assay on clinical practice in Italy

Clinicopathological prognostic features have limited value to identify with precision newly diagnosed patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (BC), who would benefit from chemotherapy (CT) in addition to adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT). The 21-gene Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® (RS) assay has been demonstrated to predict CT benefit, hence supporting personalized decisions on adjuvant CT. The multicenter, prospective, observational study PONDx investigated the real-life use of RS® results in Italy and its impact on treatment decisions. Physicians’ treatment recommendations (HT ± CT) were documented before and after availability of RS results, and changes in recommendations were determined. In the HR+ HER2− early BC population studied (N = 1738), physicians recommended CT + HT in 49% of patients pre-RS. RS-guided treatment decisions resulted in 36% reduction of CT recommendations. PONDx confirms that RS results provide clinically relevant information for CT recommendation in early-stage BC, resulting in a reduction of more than a third of CT use.

Neonatal Air Medical Transportation Practices in Italy: A Nationwide Survey

The present article shows the current neonatal air transport organization and activity in Italy. The results were obtained on the basis of a recent 2019 survey (year of activity 2018) performed by the Neonatal Transport Study Group of the Italian Society of Neonatology. The total number of newborn transports during the year 2018 was 6,464. The air-suitable transports were 512 of 5,852 (8.74%), and among them, 101 of 512 (19.72%) were performed by helicopter and 34 by airplane. Besides the availability of air transport, the interfacility distance, weather and traffic conditions, and rural mountainous roads were the main factors in determining the vehicle choice. Neonatal air transport in Italy is not homogeneously distributed and needs organizational corrections. The high density of neonatal emergency transport services on the national territory indicates the need to overcome the limits imposed by regional administrative borders, thus expanding the geographic area of competence.

The right to exit the footnote: a story of rediscovery and revival of Fritz Jahr’s bioethics (with special regard to Italy)

Despite the numerous works evaluating Fritz Jahr’s importance for bioethics, there is still a widespread practice at best to put his name in some of the footnotes. The similar practice is recognized in Italy and the full appreciation of his work – contrary to the reception of Van Rensselaer Potter’s work – is still to come. First part of this paper is concerned with the mentioned uncommendable practice as a main motive of the article. Second part shortly captures the main facts about life and work of Fritz Jahr. Third part is dedicated to summary of extensive work of Van Rensselaer Potter. Next part reveals the trends and practices in Italy concerning the reception of those two «fathers of bioethics» and delineate the lines of research based on their work. In conclusion the authors call for caution and attentive approach to history of bioethics because mixing those research lines could be at least deceptive if not completely unfruitful.

Representations of parenting and the neo-liberal discourse: parents’ and professionals’ views on child-rearing practices in Italy

ABSTRACT With neoliberal ideologies having inspired social policies for families across the world, the discourse on childrearing as the sole responsibility of individual parents has become dominant. The neologism ‘parenting’ refers more and more to a de-contextualized performance, with targets to be reached, and necessary competences to be learned. Currently, discourse on parenting thus entails what has been defined as ‘parental determinism’ which in turn leads to blaming parents, often described as incompetent and in need of guidance. It is, therefore, not surprising that parents’ voices have seldom been considered and systematically explored. This paper presents a qualitative study, carried out in a northern Italian province, which compared representations of childrearing in different contexts by mothers and fathers, on the one hand, and by practitioners involved in various capacities with parents, on the other. In total, 55 mothers and fathers and 49 professionals were interviewed. The resulting data enabled the identification of common views, as well as clashes in perspectives and instances of parental resistance to dominant discourses on parenting.

Effect of COVID-19-related lockdown on ophthalmic practice in Italy: A report from 39 institutional centers.

To compare the number of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy in the 2 months following the beginning of lockdown (study period) because of COVID-19 epidemic with those performed in the two earlier months of the same year (intra-year control) and in the period of 2019 corresponding to the lockdown (inter-year control). Retrospective analysis of surgical procedures carried out at 39 Academic hospitals. A distinction was made between elective and urgent procedures. Intravitreal injections were also considered. Percentages for all surgical procedures and incidence rate ratios (IRR) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) events were calculated. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. A total of 20,886 versus 55,259 and 56,640 patients underwent surgery during the lockdown versus intra-and inter-year control periods, respectively. During the lockdown, only 70% of patients for whom an operation/intravitreal injection was recommended, finally underwent surgery; the remaining patients did not attend because afraid of getting infected at the hospital (23%), taking public transportation (6.5%), or unavailable swabs (0.5%). Elective surgeries were reduced by 96.2% and 96.4%, urgent surgeries by 49.7% and 50.2%, and intravitreal injections by 48.5% and 48.6% in the lockdown period in comparison to intra-year and inter-year control periods, respectively. IRRs for RRDs during lockdown dropped significantly in comparison with intra- and inter-year control periods (CI: 0.65-0.80 and 0.61-0.75, respectively, p < 0.001 for both). This study provides a quantitative analysis of the reduction of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy because of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Community Pharmacy Practice in Italy during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic: Regulatory Changes and a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Seroprevalence.

Pharmacists in the community and the essential requirement to safeguard their own health have become fundamental since the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The aims of this paper were (I) to analyze the directives provided to pharmacists in 2020 regarding preventative safety measures to be adopted; (II) to determine the number of pharmacists who came into contact with SARS-CoV-2 in North-West Italy and relate this to the adopted preventative measures. The first aim was pursued by conducting a bibliographic research, consulting the principal regulatory sources. The second one was achieved with an observational study by administering a questionnaire and performing a serological test. The various protection measures imposed by national and regional legislation were analyzed. Two hundred and eighty-six pharmacists (about 8% of the invited ones) responded to the survey. Ten pharmacists reported a positive result to the serological test. Of the subjects who presented a positive result, three declared that they had not used a hand sanitizer, while two stated that they had not scheduled the cleaning and decontamination of surfaces. Two interviewees had not set up a system of quota restrictions on admissions. In four cases, a certified cleaning company had decontaminated the premises. The results of our study show that during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the most pressing challenge for community pharmacists has been the protection of staff and clients inside the pharmacy; the challenge to be faced in the near future will probably be the management of new responsibilities.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dermatologic practice: an Italian survey.

BackgroundSince December 2019, the global population has been experiencing an unprecedented challenge due to Corona virus disease (COVID-19). A pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11th 2020, with an escalation of new cases worldwide. Dermatology units experienced a reorganization of regular activity, also providing clinical diagnosis and medical assistance to COVID-19-positive patients who developed cutaneous manifestations.ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Italian dermatologic clinical practice.Materials & MethodsThis was a prospective online survey, consisting of a questionnaire with 35 multiple-choice questions uploaded on the website of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology — SIDeMaST.ResultsA total of 136 dermatologists, 78 women (57%) and 58 men (43%), participated in the survey. The mean age was 58 ± 14 years. In total, 60% of participants reported an impact of the pandemic on their practice, in most cases consisting of a remarkable reduction in routine clinical activity (58%). Concern regarding possible infection was evaluated with a score ranging from 0 (no concern) to 5 (extremely concerned): the fear of becoming infected was high (≥3 in 40%), as was the fear of infecting families, colleagues or patients (≥3 points in 45%).ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic is having a strong impact on dermatology practice in Italy. The identification of critical points may help scientific societies to improve the clinical scenario and create specific strategies to overcome the emergency.

The conceptualization of nursing in the Italian literature: an integrative analysis to inform theory development

Nursing theories are essential for orienting nursing practice. To date, three models for nursing practice have been developed in Italy. In addition, significant epistemological reflections have been published, sparking a rich professional debate regarding the theoretical foundations of nursing in Italy. However, conceptual models from other countries are often still used, despite many difficulties associated with applying them in practice. In order to investigate and redress this 'theoretical gap' and related implications for intervention, three scoping reviews of the Italian nursing literature were conducted to examine three categories of nursing knowledge: (a) nursing practice in Italy; (b) the basic nursing concepts of person, health, environment and nursing; and (c) regulatory/normative statements regarding what nursing practice should be in Italy. The purpose of this investigation was to identify how nursing is conceptualized in the Italian literature through an integrative narrative analysis of three scoping reviews. The Scoping Review according to the recommendations published by Arksey and O'Malley and subsequently implemented by Levac et al. has been selected as the optimal methodology for mapping nursing knowledge. At the end of the reviews carried out to answer the three research questions, the researchers integrated the results by conducting a coding of the results. The narrative synthesis highlighted a systemic conception of persons in their social context, 'incorporated' within relational systems. Persons are imagined as active agents with self-determination toward promoting their own health. Health, derived from levels of equilibrium between multiple systemic components and based on the person's holistic view, is a fundamental right and a collective social interest. Maintaining or promoting a person's health requires careful consideration of all these constitutive and integral elements. The nursing process is implemented through technical acts as well as relational and caring skills. Professional autonomy, influenced by clinical and organizational contexts, is expressed in collaboration with other professionals who contribute to the healthcare process. The results of this integrative narrative analysis suggest the need for a holistic vision of persons, with an active role in their health management, indissociable from the system of relationships in which this is contextualized, within which nurses are embedded. In light of the results of our investigation, the promotion of a conceptualization of nursing based on the centrality of the person-social relational system and on the active role of persons that nurses work with, this could guide approaches used in nursing education and administration. This could help enhance care provided by nurses and persons' participation in decisions regarding their own health.

Surrogacy and "Procreative Tourism". What Does the Future Hold from the Ethical and Legal Perspectives?

Background and objectives: To explore the ethical and legal complexities arising from the controversial issue of surrogacy, particularly in terms of how they affect fundamental rights of children and parents. Surrogacy is a form of medically-assisted procreation (MAP) in which a woman “lends” her uterus to carry out a pregnancy on behalf of a third party. There are pathological conditions, such as uterine agenesis or hysterectomy outcomes, that may prevent prospective mothers from becoming pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term; such patients may consider finding a surrogate mother. Many issues relating to surrogacy remain unresolved, with significant disagreements and controversy within the scientific community and public opinion. There are several factors called into play and multiple parties and stakeholders whose objectives and interests need to somehow be reconciled. First and foremost, the authors contend, it is essential to prioritize and uphold the rights of children born through surrogacy and heterologous MAP. Materials and methods: To draw a parallel between Italy and the rest of the world, the legislation in force in twelve European countries was analyzed, eleven of which are part of the European Union (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Portugal) and three non-members of the same (United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia), as well as that of twelve non-European countries considered exemplary (United States, Canada, Australia, India, China, Thailand, Israel, Nigeria and South Africa); in particular, legislative sources and legal databases were drawn upon, in order to draw a comparison with the Italian legislation currently in force and map out the evolution of the Italian case law on the basis of the judgments issued by Italian courts, including the Constitutional and Supreme Courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR); search engines such as PubMed and Google Scholar were also used, by entering the keywords “surrogacy” and “surrogate motherhood”, to find scientific articles concerning assisted reproduction techniques with a close focus on surrogacy. Results: SM is a prohibited and sanctioned practice in Italy; on the other hand, it is allowed in other countries of the world, which leads Italian couples, or couples from other countries where it is banned, to often contact foreign centers in order to undertake a MAP pathway which includes surrogacy; in addition, challenges may arise from the legal status of children born through surrogacy abroad: to date, in most countries, there is no specific legislation aimed at regulating their legal registration and parental status. Conclusion: With reference to the Italian context, despite the scientific and legal evolution on the subject, a legislative intervention aimed at filling the regulatory gaps in terms of heterologous MAP and surrogacy has not yet come to fruition. Considering the possibility of “fertility tourism”, i.e., traveling to countries where the practice is legal, as indeed already happens in a relatively significant number of cases, the current legislation, although integrated by the legal interpretation, does not appear to be effective in avoiding the phenomenon of procreative tourism. Moreover, to overcome some contradictions currently present between law 40 and law 194, it would be appropriate to outline an organic and exhaustive framework of rules, which should take into account the multiplicity of interests at stake, in keeping with a fair and sustainable balance when regulating such practices.

About the model law for the CIS member states “On fiduciary management of property and trust”

Abstract On 22 November 2019, the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States adopted a model law for the CIS member states “On fiduciary management of property and trusts”. Its section on fiduciary management of property was inspired in a very high degree by innovative ideas of Professor M. Lupoi on such a functional surrogate device of “trusts” as the construction of “affidamento fiduciario”, already absorbed in the legislation of the Republic of San Marino and implemented in practice in Italy due to the principle of the freedom of contract. The section on trusts contains also some borrowings from foreign experience.

A 3-Month Naturalistic Follow-Up Treatment With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Frequent Attenders of General Medical Practice: What Correlates With a Good Response?

Frequent attenders (FAs), defined as patients repeatedly attending general practitioners, frequently exhibit underdiagnosed psychiatric comorbidities, leading to the hypothesis that frequent attendance may be related to an undetected psychiatric burden. This study explores the role of psychiatric comorbidities and psychopharmacological treatment on the clinical outcomes of a cohort of FAs of the general medical practice in Italy. The study included 75 FAs assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Clinical Global Impression, Global Assessment Functioning, and Illness Behavior Inventory, administered at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1). Data were analyzed on the bases of the presence of any mental disorder and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, with respect to other psychopharmacological treatments. Results showed better outcomes among patients with a mental disorder, particularly anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms disorders, and when under SSRI treatment. Our findings corroborate the role of psychiatric comorbidity on frequent attendance in the context of general clinical practice with a positive outcome when receiving appropriate treatment with SSRI.

PSY21 Prevalence, Treatment Patterns and Resource Utilization of Patients Affected By Atopic Dermatitis in Real-World Clinical Practice in Italy

PSY21 Prevalence, Treatment Patterns and Resource Utilization of Patients Affected By Atopic Dermatitis in Real-World Clinical Practice in Italy

Does trust play a role when it comes to donations? A comparison of Italian and US higher education institutions.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced severe cutbacks in funding over the past few years, with universities examining options for alternative funding streams, such as alumni funding. Identifying the factors influencing their alumni’s intentions to invest in their alma mater can be of significant importance when establishing a sustainable revenue stream. Within this context, empirical research on the potential role of trust is scarce. This paper aims to deepen the analysis of the relationship between alumni trust and engagement as well as three outcomes, namely support, commitment, and attitude toward donation. A structural equation model was tested on two samples of US (n = 318) and Italian (n = 314) alumni. Although both countries are affluent and developed countries, the USA has an established tradition of alumni donations, which is not such a developed practice in Italy. For both countries, results confirm that engagement is an antecedent of trust, which in turn leads to the three investigated outcomes (support, commitment, and attitude toward donations). In contrast, the effect of commitment on attitude toward donations is significant only for the USA universities. The paper has interesting theoretical and managerial implications. From a theoretical point of view, the study aims to address a gap concerning the role of trust in the HE context. Managerially, the study has significant implications for universities that want to change alumni attitude toward donations.

Psychological reactions to COVID-19 and epidemiological aspects of dental practitioners during lockdown in Italy.

Due to droplet production and exposure to saliva and blood, dental practitioners are at high risk of COVID-19 contagion during their routine procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of Italian dentists and to analyze their reactions in relation to Sars-CoV-2 pandemic professional restrictive measures. An online structured survey composed of 40 questions has been sent to dental practitioners all over Italy to investigate their behavior and to analyze their reactions in relation to Sars-CoV-2 pandemic restrictive measures introduced by the Italian national administrative order of 10 March 2020 (DM-10M20). 1109 dentists replied. To assess concerns and psychological responses the sample was divided into two groups based on the number of cases registered in their work area. In the first group were included all the responders working in the Italian regions that had more than 15,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 29, 2020. The second group included responders working in the Italian regions that had less than 15,000 confirmed cases. The 45.2% of the respondents showed minimal anxiety, 34.5% showed mild anxiety, 13.9% showed moderate anxiety, while 6.4% showed a score indicative of a severe level of anxiety. The COVID-19-related emergency condition had a highly negative impact on dental practices in Italy. Those who completed the survey reported practice closure or reduction during the lockdown, and a high level of concern about the professional future for all dental practitioners. Concerns related to professional activity were accompanied by severe anxiety levels.

Gender, Socioeconomic, and Health Characteristics Associated with Influenza Vaccination Coverage (VC) among Italian Healthcare Workers: Secondary Analysis of a National Cross-Sectional Survey.

Influenza epidemics pose a great overload over health-care facilities with an increase in the burden of disease for patients and healthcare costs. Despite a well-established amount of research in the area, vaccination rates show room for improvement and more research is needed in finding systematic interventions useful in improving healthcare workers (HCWs) vaccination coverage (VC). The purpose of this study was to describe the self-reported frequency of influenza immunization in HCWs and to identify demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health factors associated with this practice in Italy. Data about 5823 workers participating in the Italian national survey about health and healthcare services utilization are analyzed in the present study. Overall, 18.8% of HCWs reported being vaccinated against seasonal flu. In the multilevel regression, older workers had a higher likelihood of vaccine uptake (OR: 6.07; 95% CI 4.72–7.79), similar to those with chronic conditions or poor self-perceived health status (OR: 2.18 95% CI 1.17–4.09). On the other hand, the results highlighted a lower rate of VC in female HCWs (OR: 0.73 95% CI 0.61–0.86). Data confirm the low compliance towards flu immunization among Italian HCWs and highlight an important gap to be investigated in women.