Workplace Factors Research Articles

Digital workplace: A conceptual model for better performance in the IT industry

BACKGROUND: Designing the future workplace as flexible and location independent is one of the actions every leader can take for better performance at individual or organizational levels. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to provide a deep understanding of the concept of a digital workplace, identifies its key components/digital tools from selected IT companies, create a digital workplace as a conceptual model and analyze how it (DWP) impacts the performance of the organization and its employees in the IT industry. METHODS: The survey was conducted through a structured questionnaire from 500 IT employees of the top 15 IT software service companies in Bengaluru. The percentage method was adopted to analyze the data to create a proposed conceptual model. RESULTS: The digital workplace, a conceptual model, was created based on the literature reviewed and the data collected from respondents of IT companies. The conceptual model included Digital workplace, Employees Efficiency, Engagement, Digital Competency, Employee, and organizational performance. The results showed that the digital workplace has a strong relationship with major digital components, which positively impact the organization’s performance in the IT industry. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed conceptual model showed how the digital workplace and other factors impact the organisation’s performance in the IT industry.

Secondary traumatic stress among home visiting professionals.

This study examined the reliability and factor structure of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) and the prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among home visitors. Survey data were collected between 2015 and 2020 from 301 home visitors with caseloads. Participants completed the 17-item STSS, which assesses intrusion, avoidance, and arousal symptoms using the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria. Internal reliabilities of the scale and subscales were measured and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to validate hypothesized model solutions. Symptom prevalence among the sample was calculated and linear regressions were conducted to examine whether personal and workplace factors were associated with STS. Analyses confirmed that the STSS had sound internal consistency and that both 3- and single-factor measurement models fit the data. Approximately 10% of home visitors met the clinical criteria for PTSD, though prevalence decreased to 8% after omitting an intrusion item that was endorsed by most respondents. Increased exposure to adverse childhood experiences and poorer work environment ratings were associated with increased STS. Non-Hispanic White race was associated with elevated arousal symptoms. No other personal or workplace factors were associated with scores on the STSS full scale or subscales. This study reaffirms that the STSS has sound psychometric properties, but it also raises questions about the prevalence and etiology of STS. Given the likely costs of PTSD to personal well-being and professional efficacy, further research is needed to advance the measurement and prediction of secondary traumatic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Australian dental practitioners experience of burnout.

The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with burnout in Australian dental practitioners. A cross-sectional survey of 1483 Australian dental practitioners was conducted from Oct to Dec 2021. Participants reported burnout using the Sydney Burnout Measure, and aspects of mental health including psychological distress, depression, and anxiety disorders. Predictors of burnout were explored using a generalized linear model with a stepped approach including demographic, health and risk factor variables. One in four participants were classified as likely to be experiencing burnout. Burnout was associated with working in a regional/rural location (β = 2.82, p < 0.001), an academic/non-clinical role (β = 5.01, p = 0.037), more years of experience as a dental practitioner (β = 0.08, p = 0.022), a current diagnosis of depression (β = 2.38, p = 0.049), moderate/severe psychological distress (β = 7.16, p < 0.001), poor self-rated physical health (β = 5.84, p < 0.001) and increasing alcohol consumption (β = 0.17, p = 0.020). Participants who scored high on resilience (β = -0.23, p = 0.002) or perfectionism (β = -0.24, p < 0.001) had lower burnout scores. Australian dental practitioners appear to be at high risk of burnout which may impact on their health and wellbeing and ability to deliver patient care. There is a need for support services to manage burnout and education to address workplace and environmental factors that may contribute to burnout.

Teachers’ worklife, mental health, and job burnout: Cases of Thailand and Indonesia

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;This study aimed to: i) explore the worklife areas, mental health, and job burnout among Thai and Indonesian teachers; ii) investigate the roles of worklife areas on mental health and burnout; and iii) compare the two groups of teachers. The participants consisted of 340 teachers (210 Thai teachers and 130 Indonesian teachers) who voluntarily responded to the online questionnaire. The instruments for data collection included the depression anxiety stress scales-21, the areas of worklife survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey. Frequency, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were utilized to analyze the data. The results revealed that the mean scores for six areas of worklife were comparable across the two groups, whereas the mean scores for mental health and job burnout were distinct. In addition, it was discovered that teachers’ worklife could predict their mental health and job burnout in Thailand and Indonesia. However, the predictive patterns varied for each scale of mental health and burnout, as well as across the two groups. The study’s findings shed light on the impacts of workplace factors on teachers’ mental well-being.&lt;/span&gt;

Respiratory function of workers at some wood factories in Bac Tu Liem district, 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the respiratory function status and associated factors among workers in wood factories in Bac Tu Liem district. Methods: A total of 80 workers from six woodworking establishments participated in this cross-sectional study. Respiratory symptom questionnaires based on ECCS-87 and ATS-DLD-78a were used to collect data on symptoms experienced within the past 12 months. Respiratory function measurements were also conducted during breaks and at the end of shifts. Results: Workers with 3-5 years of experience accounted for 63.8% of the total sample. The majority (92.5%) were exposed to harmful workplace factors for more than 8 hours per day. Only 13.8% reported using full personal protective equipment. Concentrations of respiratory particles and Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) in wood facilities exceeded allowable standards. Cough was the most commonly reported respiratory symptom, with a prevalence of 28.8%. Approximately 66.3% of subjects had normal respiratory function, while restrictive ventilation disorder accounted for the highest proportion of respiratory disorders at 21.3%. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between respiratory dysfunction and work experience (OR=2.56, p&lt;0.01), duration of exposure to hazardous factors (OR=1.8, p&lt;0.05), use of personal protective equipment (OR=7.12, p&lt;0.05), and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms (OR=1.73, p&lt;0.01). Conclusions: workers in furniture manufacturing facilities in Bac Tu Liem district face exposure to high concentrations of total particles, respiratory particles, and toxic gases that surpass permissible standards. The study also found a significant relationship between respiratory dysfunction and employee characteristics. Keywords: Respiratory function, wood workers, wood factories.

Pengaruh Workplace dan Manajemen Stres terhadap Burnout pada Perawat di Masa Pandemi Covid 19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have a high risk of burnout, due to high work stress, workload, risk of COVID-19 infection, through close contact with patients. This study aims to analyze the effect of workplace factors and stress management on burnout in UPT Tarogong Health Center nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is a verifiative descriptive research, with a census sampling method or whole sampling, namely all nurses at UPT Puskesmas Tarogong. Primary data were collected through interviews and surveys using the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire, Quick Burnout Assessment questionnaire, and stress management questionnaire. The workplace questionnaire for aspects of workload, control, reward, and fairness is at a sufficient level, while community values and values are at a high level, meaning that improvements are still needed in workload management, decision making, communication, and a more transparent reward system for nurses at UPT Puskesmas Tarogong. Nurses tend to use individual stress management methods, primarily using personal relaxation techniques as well as discussions with spouses or families to manage work stress levels. Burnout is at a considerable level that is characterized by a degree of depersonalization and a mild decrease in performance. Workplace and stress management affect the burnout of nurses UPT Puskesmas Tarogong, and the effect of workplace on burnout is greater than the influence of stress management so that improvements are needed in workload management, decision making, and effective communication with nurses, also workplace intervention and stress management are needed in Puskesmas to reduce the level of burnout, so management needs to implement a stress management program, both organizationally such as holding recreation for nurses, and it is necessary to divide the distribution of workload fairly and actively discuss with nurses.

Assessment Of Workplace Related Factors Affecting Tolerance Of Ambiguity Among Trainee Doctors.

To assess workplace factorsinfluencing the tolerance of ambiguity among trainee doctors. The sequential mixed-method study was conducted from June 2021 to February 2022 at the Fauji Foundation Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised postgraduate trainee doctors of either gender associated with various specialties.Thebaseline toleranceof ambiguity scorewas establishedusingtheToleranceofAmbiguity in Medical Students and Doctors scale. A group of selected trainees was interviewed face-to-face to examine the workplace factors that they regarded as beneficial or detrimental to their tolerance of ambiguity. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS 24 and thematic analysis was done for qualitative data. Of the 132 subjects, 59 (21.9%) were males and 73 (55.3%) were females. The overall mean age was 20.95±2.186 years. Of the total, 55(41.7%)subjects were in the first year of training, 28(21.2%) in the second year, 26 (19.6%) in the third year, and 23(17.4%) in the fourth year. There were 78(59.1%)trainees who were married compared to 54 (40.9%) who were unmarried. Against the baseline tolerance of ambiguity score of 132, the overall aggregate mean tolerance of ambiguity level was 71.28 ± 5.81 showing a moderate level. There was no significant correlation between the tolerance of ambiguity and the trainees'age, years oftraining and maritalstatus(p>0.05).The qualitative phase comprised interviews with 9(6.8%) subjects.Thematic analysis suggested that the traineesperceivedautonomy,peersupport,supervisorsupport,manageable workload, and professional development opportunities asfacilitat or softolerance of ambiguity,whilebarrierswere identified as poor physical environment, attitude ofseniors and supervisors, management issues and excessive workload.During the coronavirus diseae-2019 pandemic, excessive workload and fear of infection were identified asfactors affecting tolerance of ambiguity. The medical trainees were found to have a moderate level of tolerance to ambiguity. Autonomy, peer support, supervisor support, manageable workload, and professional development opportunities contributed positively to this aspect.

Workplace factors that promote and hinder work ability and return to work among individuals with long-term effects of COVID-19: A qualitative study.

Long COVID is defined by the persistence of physical and/or psychological and cognitive symptoms debuting after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Individuals affected describe impairing and debilitating symptoms sometimes making it difficult to take part in work and social life. Long COVID is likely to have an impact on the work force. The aim of the study was to explore workplace factors that promote and hinder work ability and return to work among individuals with long-term effects of COVID-19. A qualitative design was used. Data were collected by semi-structured focus group interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. To increase trustworthiness, several researchers were involved in the data collection and analysis. Five focus group interviews were conducted with individuals suffering from long-term effects from COVID-19 affecting their work ability. In total, 19 individuals participated in the study, and all were working at least 50 per cent at the time of recruitment. Five main themes emerged from the analysis: Communication and support, Possibilities to adjust work, Acceptance of new limitations, Increased need for recovery from work and Lack of knowledge and understanding of the effects of Covid. The results suggested that it is useful to facilitate communication, support and work adjustments for individuals suffering from Long COVID. It is also important to accept limitations and fluctuations in work ability and encourage recovery during and after work.

Mental Health at the Workplace: Rights of Employees

In several ways, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly altered social and working environments. Social distancing policies, mandatory lockdowns, isolation periods, and the fear of becoming ill, in addition to the suspension of productive activity, loss of income, and fear of the future, all have an impact on citizens' and workers' mental health. Workplace factors can have a significant effect on whether people's mental health improves or deteriorates due to the pandemic. This article discusses Malaysian law's position on mental health and whether employers can be held liable for their employees' mental health. The goal of this article is to examine the legal aspects of workplace mental health issues. We conducted doctrinal research on existing laws and policies focusing on workers' rights issues related to mental health in the workplace during the pandemic. It is discovered that, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders are more likely to affect healthcare workers, particularly those on the frontlines, migrant workers, and workers in contact with the public. Job insecurity, long periods of isolation, and uncertainty about the future exacerbate the psychological condition, particularly among younger people and higher educational backgrounds. Therefore, numerous organisational and job-related interventions can help mitigate this scenario, but the regulatory mechanisms governing this matter must be clearly defined.

Successful Implementation of Breastfeeding at Workplace: Review of Practical Knowledge and Skill for Female Workers

Introduction: Working mother has less time to breastfeed, increasing the risk of breastfeeding discontinuation and exclusive breastfeeding. This can impact the health of both mother and child.Objective: This review aims to discuss the factors for successful breastfeeding in working motherDiscussion: The factors influencing breastfeeding practices among working mothers are exclusive breastfeeding practice and workplace factors. The mother’s intention to breastfed is the most critical factor in ensuring successful breastfeeding for working mothers. Preparation required when breastfeeding mothers return to work are breastfeeding strategic plan, stress management, attitude towards breastfeeding, family support, support from the work environment, and expressing breastmilk. Meanwhile, the things that need to be prepared when mothers breastfeed at work are pumping and storing equipment, supporting work environment and facilities, hygiene practices, breastfeeding schedule, and adequate nutrition intake. Conclusion: To support the implementation of breastfeeding at workplace, there are several things that need to be prepared, both from the mother, family, and work environment. The preparation include knowledge, attitude, psychological, devices for express and storage breastmilk, pumping schedule, good quality nutrition intake, and understanding lactation management. In addition, breastfeeding work environment also support the success of breastfeeding among working mothers.

Psychosocial and organisational work factors as predictors of sickness absence among professionally active adults with common mental disorders

BackgroundThe incidence of sickness absence (SA) due to common mental disorders (CMDs) has increased in recent decades. It is hence important to elucidate how individuals with CMDs can maintain work. The aim was to analyse the relationship between psychosocial and organisational workplace factors and a spell of > 14 days of SA among persons with CMDs.MethodsIncluded were respondents of the Swedish Work Environment Survey (SWES) 1993–2013, diagnosed with a CMD up to five years before the interview in the SWES (n = 3,795). Relative Risk (RR) regression models with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) analysed associations between psychosocial-, and organisational workplace factors and a subsequent spell of SA > 14 days.ResultsLow control over work (RR:1.16; CI:1.01–1.35), job strain (RR:1.25; CI:1.04–1.49), no flexible working hours (RR:1.25; CI:1.08–1.45) or no possibility to work from home (RR:1.37; CI:1.13–1.66) were significantly related to an increased risk of SA. Persons diagnosed with depression experiencing job strain had the highest increased risk of SA (RR:1.55; CI: 1.07–2.25).ConclusionsA sustainable work-life among working individuals with CMDs can be provided by reducing job strain, and if possible, by increasing flexibility regarding workplace and working hours. This may prevent spells of SA, and hereby increase productivity.

Predictors of Nursing Faculty Job and Career Satisfaction, Turnover Intentions, and Professional Outlook: A National Survey.

Retaining talented and experienced nurses in clinical practice and academia is crucial for maintaining continuity, ensuring high-quality care and education, and fostering a positive work environment. Although factors influencing nursing staff retention are well documented, little is known about how workplace factors impact nursing faculty retention outcomes. A national survey involving 645 nursing faculty across Canada was undertaken. Multivariate regression analysis with interaction effects was conducted to determine the association between work-related factors (i.e., workplace culture and work-life imbalance) and faculty job and career satisfaction, turnover intentions, and professional outlook. Supportive workplace culture positively influenced faculty job and career satisfaction and professional outlook, while it negatively impacted turnover intentions. Conversely, work-life imbalance decreased faculty job and career satisfaction and professional outlook (i.e., confidence in nursing program, profession), and it increased intentions to leave the job. Our results offer insights into the work-life experiences of Canadian faculty members and shed light on key factors that impact their job-related outcomes. In the context of competing resources, every effort must be made to improve modifiable workplace factors such as the academic work environment and create targeted interventions and policies to promote faculty retention.

Effects of Interventions to Prevent Work-Related Asthma, Allergy, and Other Hypersensitivity Reactions in Norwegian Salmon Industry Workers (SHInE): Protocol for a Pragmatic Allocated Intervention Trial and Related Substudies.

Workers in the salmon processing industry have an increased risk of developing respiratory diseases and other hypersensitivity responses due to occupational exposure to bioaerosols containing fish proteins and microorganisms, and related allergens. Little is known about effective measures to reduce bioaerosol exposure and about the extent of skin complaints among workers. In addition, while identification of risk factors is a core activity in disease prevention strategies, there is increasing interest in health-promoting factors, which is an understudied area in the salmon processing industry. The overall aim of this ongoing study is to generate knowledge that can be used in tailored prevention of development or chronification of respiratory diseases, skin reactions, protein contact dermatitis, and allergy among salmon processing workers. The main objective is to identify effective methods to reduce bioaerosol exposure. Further objectives are to identify and characterize clinically relevant exposure agents, identify determinants of exposure, measure prevalence of work-related symptoms and disease, and identify health-promoting factors of the psychosocial work environment. Data are collected during field studies in 9 salmon processing plants along the Norwegian coastline. Data collection comprises exposure measurements, health examinations, and questionnaires. A wide range of laboratory analyses will be used for further analysis and characterization of exposure agents. Suitable statistical analysis will be applied to the various outcomes of this comprehensive study. Data collection started in September 2021 and was anticipated to be completed by March 2023, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline data from all 9 plants included 673 participants for the health examinations and a total of 869 personal exposure measurements. A total of 740 workers answered the study's main questionnaire on demographics, job characteristics, lifestyle, health, and health-promoting factors. Follow-up data collection is not completed yet. This study will contribute to filling knowledge gaps concerning salmon workers' work environment. This includes effective workplace measures for bioaerosol exposure reduction, increased knowledge on hypersensitivity, allergy, respiratory and dermal health, as well as health-promoting workplace factors. Together this will give a basis for improving the work environment, preventing occupational health-related diseases, and developing occupational exposure limits, which in turn will benefit employees, employers, occupational health services, researchers, clinicians, decision makers, and other stakeholders. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05039229; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05039229. DERR1-10.2196/48790.

Psychological and Social Factors of Character Link to the Gender of Employees in Terms of Organizational Functioning

The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between positively valued traits and psychological and social factors in the Polish labor market. In addition, it was shown whether the relationship between these variables differed by gender, and both negative and positive associations of these relationships were demonstrated. As a result, differences were found within the overall relationship, as well as separately by gender, between certain employee characteristics and certain levels of psychological and social workplace factors.

Predictors for work participation of people with visual impairments: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess factors associated with work participation in people with visual impairments and to explore how these factors may have changed over time. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase.com, EBSCO/APA PsycInfo, EBSCO/CINAHL and EBSCO/ERIC from database inception to 1 April 2022 was performed. We included studies with cross-sectional design, case-control, case-series or cohort design, involving visually impaired working-age adults with at least moderate visual impairment, and evaluated the association between visual impairment and work participation. Studies involving participants with deaf-blindness or multiple disabilities were excluded. We assessed study quality (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale [NOS]), examined between-study heterogeneity and performed subgroup analyses. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO, CRD42021241076. Of 13,585 records, 57 articles described 55 studies including 1,326,091 participants from mostly high-income countries. Sociodemographic factors associated with employment included higher education (odds ratio [OR] 3.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.47 to 4.51, I2 0%), being male (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.84, I2 95%), having a partner (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.67, I2 34%), white ethnicity (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.74, I2 0%) and having financial assistance (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.55, I2 85%). Disease-related factors included worse visual impairment (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.80, I2 98%) or having additional disabilities (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.62, I2 16%). Intervention-related factors included mobility aid utilisation (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.18, I2 94%). A potential moderating effect of time period and geographical region was observed for some factors. Study quality (NOS) was rated moderate to high. Several sociodemographic and disease related factors were associated with employment status. However, the results should be interpreted with caution because of overall high heterogeneity. Future research should focus on the role of workplace factors, technological adjustments and vocational rehabilitation services on work participation.

Influences of Financial and Workplace Factors on Physical Therapist Job Satisfaction.

The physical therapist labor market has recently noted higher rates of turnover and job vacancies. An understudied factor contributing to these trends in the profession is job satisfaction. The profession continues to experience relatively low wages compared with other health professions, and graduates of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs face increasingly high student debt. This study used the labor-search model as a conceptual framework to understand associations between job satisfaction, income, and educational debt. The purpose of this study is to observe the financial and workplace factors that are associated with higher levels of physical therapist job satisfaction. Data from 4764 physical therapists in one state were captured retrospectively through the state's licensure renewal process from 2014-2020. A random-effects panel analysis, with job satisfaction as the dependent variable, was used to evaluate the relationships between job satisfaction and income, educational debt, and a variety of work-related factors. Job satisfaction was negatively correlated with educational debt, number of hours worked per week, and some practice settings. Conversely, job satisfaction was positively correlated with the expected age of retirement. The percentage of time spent in research and administration was also positively correlated with job satisfaction, though additional research in this area is needed to draw meaningful conclusions on this association. The results support the conceptual framework, which suggests that early career physical therapists, motivated by high amounts of educational debt, may choose more financially advantageous practice settings and increased working hours to the detriment of job satisfaction. High levels of job satisfaction among physical therapists are correlated with low levels of educational debt, working 45hours or less per week, a longer time horizon until retirement, and practice settings other than home health and skilled nursing facilities.

Occupational risks associated with severe COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection - a Swedish national case-control study conducted from October 2020 to December 2021.

This study aimed to investigate whether workplace factors and occupations are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 in the later waves of the pandemic. We studied 552 562 cases with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 in the Swedish registry of communicable diseases, and 5985 cases with severe COVID-19 based on hospital admissions from October 2020 to December 2021. Four population controls were assigned the index dates of their corresponding cases. We linked job histories to job-exposure matrices to assess the odds for different transmission dimensions and different occupations. We used adjusted conditional logistic analyses to estimate odds ratios (OR) for severe COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The highest OR for severe COVID-19 were for: regular contact with infected patients, (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.23-1.54), close physical proximity (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.34-1.61), and high exposure to diseases or infections (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.52-1.96). Mostly working outside had lower OR (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.57-1.06). The odds for SARS-CoV-2 when mostly working outside were similar (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.80-0.86). The occupation with the highest OR for severe COVID-19 (compared with low-exposure occupations) was certified specialist physician (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.31-3.21) among women and bus and tram drivers (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.49-2.79) among men. Contact with infected patients, close proximity and crowded workplaces increase the risks for severe COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outdoor work is associated with decreased odds for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19.

Factors that influence family-focused practice in Chinese mental health workers: A cross-sectional survey.

Family-focused practice has become an emerging paradigm in mental health services. However, little is known about family-focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. To examine family-focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a convenience sample of mental health workers (n = 515) in Beijing, China. The Family-Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire was used to measure family-focused practice, as well as worker, workplace and client factors that might influence family-focused practice. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors associated with family-focused practice. On average, the participants exhibited a moderate level of engagement in family-focused practice. The factors that most significantly influenced family-focused practice in Chinese mental health workers were skill and knowledge, worker confidence and time and workload. Moreover, psychiatrists were found to engage more in family-focused practice than psychiatric nurses, and community mental health workers were more active in family-focused practice than hospital-based ones. This study provided important data concerning family-focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. The varying level of Chinese mental health workers to engage in family-focused practice has advocacy, training, research and organizational implications for mental health services in China and elsewhere.

REDUCING HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT WAITING TIME USING LEAN SIX SIGMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a beneficial data-driven tool for quality improvement. Literature regarding the use of LSS to reduce hospital outpatient waiting time is scarce despite numerous problems encountered in many countries. Aims: This systematic review aims to evaluate the causes of long outpatient waiting time, demonstrate the effectiveness of LSS and the improvement strategies applied to reduce outpatient waiting time. Methods: Literature search was performed on eight databases: Proquest, Wiley, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Oxford Journal, Sage Publication, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed English articles published from January 1, 2003, to May 25, 2021, and studies conducted in hospital settings. Results: Nine relevant articles were included. Inefficient clinic processes, inappropriate scheduling, human resources problems, workplace factors, patient communication problems, and patient characteristics are root causes found for long outpatient waiting time. All studies revealed a reduction in outpatient waiting time (5.2% to 97%) after implementation of LSS. Process redesign, improvement in appointment scheduling, patient communication, and improvement in workplace design, were strategies used to reduce outpatient waiting time. These strategies increase the number of patients seen and hospital gross revenue, as well as patient satisfaction. Conclusion: LSS is beneficial to reduce outpatient waiting time. Process redesign provide advantageous results. Keywords: hospital, lean six sigma, outpatient waiting time, process redesign

REDUCING HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT WAITING TIME USING LEAN SIX SIGMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a beneficial data-driven tool for quality improvement. Literature regarding the use of LSS to reduce hospital outpatient waiting time is scarce despite numerous problems encountered in many countries. Aims: This systematic review aims to evaluate the causes of long outpatient waiting time, demonstrate the effectiveness of LSS and the improvement strategies applied to reduce outpatient waiting time. Methods: Literature search was performed on eight databases: Proquest, Wiley, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Oxford Journal, Sage Publication, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed English articles published from January 1, 2003, to May 25, 2021, and studies conducted in hospital settings. Results: Nine relevant articles were included. Inefficient clinic processes, inappropriate scheduling, human resources problems, workplace factors, patient communication problems, and patient characteristics are root causes found for long outpatient waiting time. All studies revealed a reduction in outpatient waiting time (5.2% to 97%) after implementation of LSS. Process redesign, improvement in appointment scheduling, patient communication, and improvement in workplace design, were strategies used to reduce outpatient waiting time. These strategies increase the number of patients seen and hospital gross revenue, as well as patient satisfaction. Conclusion: LSS is beneficial to reduce outpatient waiting time. Process redesign provide advantageous results. Keywords: hospital, lean six sigma, outpatient waiting time, process redesign