Adapting COVID-19 Contact Tracing Protocols to Accommodate Resource Constraints, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2021.

Because of constrained personnel time, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (Philadelphia, PA, USA) adjusted its COVID-19 contact tracing protocol in summer 2021 by prioritizing recent cases and limiting staff time per case. This action reduced required staff hours to prevent each case from 21-30 to 8-11 hours, while maintaining program effectiveness.

Long COVID among healthcare workers: a narrative review of definitions, prevalence, symptoms, risk factors and impacts.

INTRODUCTION: Long COVID (LC) occurs when people experience symptoms for weeks, months or even years after a COVID-19 infection. This review looks at research exploring the LC definitions, prevalence, symptoms, risk factors, and associated impacts in research on healthcare workers (HCWs). DATA SOURCES: We systematically searched five electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycInfo and PubMed) and compiled a narrative literature review based on 56 relevant studies. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: LC is prevalent among HCWs who become infected by COVID-19. Many of the most frequent symptoms associated with LC in the general population are also reported among HCWs. Some risk factors for LC are also similar to those in the general population, such as female sex, older age, and having a pre-existing respiratory illness. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: The mechanism(s) responsible for LC remains unknown. A variety of terms, timeframes and symptoms are used to define LC, creating difficulties in comparing results across studies. Much of the research is cross-sectional and fails to explore the impacts that prolonged symptoms have on HCWs' personal and professional lives. GROWING POINTS: The need to support HCWs with LC is clear. Identifying the mechanism(s) responsible for LC is a key priority, as this will inform treatments. AREAS FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: Future research should move towards a standard definition for LC. Greater attention should be paid to longitudinal and qualitative studies, which could give insights into prognosis, lived experience and work participation. Finally, studies evaluating treatments suitable for people with LC are timely.

Parental Self-Efficacy and Personal Time Help Explain Impact of Parent-Staff Interactions on Parental Distress and Bonding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors that help explain associations between parent-staff interactions and: (1) parental depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress; and (2) parent-child bonding in the neonatal intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: Our cross-sectional mixed methods survey investigated the ways in which parental-staff interactions relate to parental distress and parent-child bonding. Parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (n = 165) completed validated measures and open-ended questions about their experiences with staff. Using a sequential explanatory approach, we examined: (1) whether and how parental self-efficacy and personal time mediated parent-staff interactions on distress and bonding; and (2) parental written accounts of experiences with staff. RESULTS: Multiple mediation analyses revealed that parent-staff interactions exhibited an: (1) indirect effect on parental depression (b = -0.05, SE = 0.02, CI [-0.10, -0.01]), anxiety (b = -0.08, SE = 0.04, CI [-0.16, -0.02]), and parent-child bonding (b = -0.26, SE = 0.08, CI [-0.43, -0.11]) through parental self-efficacy; and (2) indirect effect on parental post-traumatic stress (b = -0.08, SE = 0.04, CI [-0.17, -0.00], completely standardized indirect effect = -0.06) through parental personal time. Thematic analyses revealed that emotional and instructional support from staff helped build parental self-efficacy. Trust with staff helped parents feel comfortable leaving the bedside and engage in basic needs (eg, eat, sleep). CONCLUSIONS: Family-staff dynamics are the foundation for high quality family-centered care. Staff who empower parents to participate in care, engage in parenting tasks, and take care of themselves may reduce their distress and improve relationships among staff, parents, and babies.

General psychiatry, still in no-man's land after all these years.

Mental health services have changed beyond recognition in my 38-year career. In this editorial I reflect on those changes and highlight the issues that undermine patient care and damage staff morale. In particular, modern mental health services have undermined the therapeutic relationship, the bedrock underpinning all psychiatric treatment.

Sex talks-experiences with and barriers to communication about sexuality with healthcare staff among patients with anxiety disorder in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Previous research among diverse patient populations suggests that healthcare staff routinely do not talk about sexuality with their patients even when such talks are highly indicated and relevant. AIM: In this study we sought to investigate how patients at outpatient anxiety clinics in Denmark experience sexual communication with healthcare staff and what barriers they encounter in this connection. METHODS: We employed a survey design from January 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. In collaboration with 11 outpatient anxiety clinics in Denmark, patients with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder were invited to participate in the study. The final sample included 272 patients. Survey questions were related to sociodemographic characteristics, sexual activity and dysfunctions, pharmacological treatment adherence, anxiety and depression symptoms, and experience with and barriers to sexual communication. For each participant, clinicians at the clinics provided the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, diagnostic codes, medications, and dosage. Study inclusion criteria were not having an organic disorder that may cause anxiety, not having a previous diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder or schizophrenia, and the ability to speak and read Danish. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included patients' experiences with and barriers to sexual communication with healthcare staff. RESULTS: In total, 61% of the patients in this sample group found it relevant to talk to healthcare staff about sexuality but only 28% of the study patients had done so, of whom 83% reported this communication to be a positive experience. The most frequently reported patient barriers to communication with healthcare professionals regarding sexual concerns were a belief that if sexual matters were relevant, the healthcare staff would bring it up (94%), fear of transgressing their own boundaries (94%), embarrassment (92%), and lack of knowledge as to how to start a conversation about sex (91%). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study results indicated a need for healthcare staff to routinely map out and address sexual matters in their clinical work with anxiety patients while bearing in mind the common patient barriers for this topic. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study included a large clinical outpatient sample of anxiety patients and an extensive survey. However, the results may not be generalizable across all anxiety patients or patients in general. CONCLUSION: The results of this study strongly indicate that a majority of anxiety patients find it both relevant and beneficial to discuss sexual matters with healthcare staff in connection with their anxiety treatment, and therefore healthcare staff should be educated and equipped to routinely address these matters while bearing in mind the most common patient barriers for conversations about sexuality.

Speech Communication Interference in the Operating Room.

INTRODUCTION: Operating room communication is frequently disrupted, raising safety concerns. We used a Speech Interference Instrument to measure the frequency, impact, and causes of speech communication interference (SCI) events. METHODS: In this prospective study, we observed 40 surgeries, primarily general surgery, to measure the frequency of SCI, defined as "group discourse disrupted according to the participants, the goals, or the physical and situational context of the exchange." We performed supplemental observations, focused on conducting postsurgery interviews with SCI event participants to identify contextual factors. We thematically analyzed notes and interviews. RESULTS: The observed 103 SCI events in 40 surgeries (mean 2.58) mostly involved the attending (50.5%), circulating nurse (44.6%), resident (44.6%), or scrub tech (42.7%). The majority (82.1%) of SCI events occurred during another patient-related task. 17.5% occurred at a critical moment. 27.2% of SCI events were not acknowledged or repeated and the message was lost. Including the supplemental observations, 97.0% of SCI events caused a delay (mean 5 s). Inter-rater reliability, calculated by Gwet's AC1 was 0.87-0.98. Postsurgery interviews confirmed miscommunication and distractions. Attention was most commonly diverted by loud noises (e.g., suction), conversations, or multitasking (e.g., using the electronic health record). Successful strategies included repetition or deferment of the request until competing tasks were complete. CONCLUSIONS: Communication interference may have patient safety implications that arise from conflicts with other case-related tasks, machine noises, and other conversations. Reorganization of workflow, tasks, and communication behaviors could reduce miscommunication and improve surgical safety and efficiency.

Power Dynamics Perpetuate DEI Inaction: A Qualitative Study of Community Health Clinic Teams.

PURPOSE: Despite increased clinician awareness of systemic racism, lack of substantial action toward antiracism exists within health care. Clinical staff perspectives, particularly those of racial-ethnic minorities/persons of color (POC) who disproportionately occupy support staff roles with less power on the team, can yield insights into barriers to progress and can inform future efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI, also referred to as EDI) within health care settings. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of staff members on race and role power dynamics within community health clinic teams. METHODS: We conducted semistructured 45-minute interviews with staff members working in community health clinics in a large urban health care system from May to July 2021. We implemented purposeful recruitment to oversample POC and support staff and to achieve equal representation from the 13 community health clinics in the system. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed over 6 months using a critical-ideological paradigm. Themes reflecting experiences related to race and role power dynamics were identified. RESULTS: Our cohort had 60 participants: 42 (70%) were support staff (medical assistants, front desk clerks, care navigators, nurses) and 18 (30%) were clinicians and clinic leaders. The large majority of participants were aged 26 to 40 years (60%), were female (83%), and were POC (68%). Five themes emerged: (1) POC face hidden challenges, (2) racial discrimination persists, (3) power dynamics perpetuate inaction, (4) interpersonal actions foster safety and equity, and (5) system-level change is needed for cultural shift. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the race and role power dynamics within care teams, including experiences of staff members with less power, is critical to advancing DEI in health care.

Association between nurse staffing level in intensive care settings and hospital-acquired pneumonia among surgery patients: result from the Korea National Health Insurance cohort.

This study examined the association between the number of nursing staff in intensive care units (ICUs) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) among surgical patients in South Korea. Data were obtained between 2008 and 2019 from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Cohort Database; 37,706 surgical patients who received critical care services were included in the analysis. Patients with a history of pneumonia 1 year prior to surgery or those who had undergone lung-related surgery were excluded. The ICU nursing management fee is an admission fee that varies based on the grading determined by nurse-to-bed ratio. Using this grading system, we classified four groups from the highest to the lowest level based on the proportion of beds to nurses (high, high-mid, mid-low, and low group). HAP was defined by the International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10) code. Multilevel logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between the level of ICU nurse staffing and pneumonia, controlling for variables at the individual and hospital levels. Lower levels of nurse staffing were associated with a greater incidence of HAP than higher levels of nurse staffing (mid-high, OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.12-1.57; mid-low, OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.27-2.04; low, OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.67-2.71). The intraclass correlation coefficient value was 0.177, and 17.7% of the variability in HAP was accounted for by the hospital. Higher ICU nursing management fee grades (grade 5 and above) in general and hospital settings were significantly associated with an increased risk of HAP compared to grade 1 admissions. Similarly, in tertiary hospitals, grade 2 and higher ICU nursing management fees were significantly associated with an increased risk of HAP compared to grade 1 admissions. Especially, a lower level of nurse staffing was associated with bacterial pneumonia but not pneumonia due to aspiration. In conclusion, this study found an association between the level of ICU nurse staffing and HAP among surgical patients. A lower level of nurse staffing in the ICU was associated with increased rates of HAP among surgical patients. This indicates that having fewer beds assigned to nurses in the ICU setting is a significant factor in preventing HAP, regardless of the size of the hospital.

Approaching sustainability in Laboratory Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical laboratories and the total testing process are major consumers of energy, water, and hazardous chemicals, and produce significant amounts of biomedical waste. Since the processes in the clinical laboratory and the total testing process go hand in hand it mandates a holistic, and comprehensive approach towards sustainability. CONTENT: This review article identifies the various sources and activities in Laboratory Medicine that challenge sustainability and also discusses the various approaches that can be implemented to achieve sustainability in laboratory operations to reduce the negative impact on the environment. SUMMARY: The article highlights how the integration of technological advancements, efficient resource management, staff training and sensitization, protocol development towards sustainability, and other environmental considerations contributes significantly to a sustainable healthcare ecosystem. OUTLOOK: Variables and resources that negatively impact the environment must be identified and addressed comprehensively to attain a long-lasting level of carbon neutrality.

The paradox of workplace violence in the intensive care unit: a focus group study.

BACKGROUND: Conflicts with patients and relatives occur frequently in intensive care units (ICUs), driven by factors that are intensified by critical illness and its treatments. A majority of ICU healthcare professionals have experienced verbal and/or physical violence. There is a need to understand how healthcare professionals in ICUs experience and manage this workplace violence. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive analysis of four hospitals in Sweden was conducted using semi-structured focus-group interviews with ICU healthcare professionals. RESULTS: A total of 34 participants (14 nurses, 6 physicians and 14 other staff) were interviewed across the four hospitals. The overarching theme: "The paradox of violence in healthcare" illustrated a normalisation of violence in ICU care and indicated a complex association between healthcare professionals regarding violence as an integral aspect of caregiving, while simultaneously identifying themselves as victims of this violence. The healthcare professionals described being poorly prepared and lacking appropriate tools to manage violent situations. The management of violence was therefore mostly based on self-taught skills. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to understanding the normalisation of violence in ICU care and gives a possible explanation for its origins. The paradox involves a multifaceted approach that acknowledges and confronts the structural and cultural dimensions of violence in healthcare. Such an approach will lay the foundations for a more sustainable healthcare system.

Practice efficiency and total cost of care with bispecifics and CAR-T in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: an institutional perspective.

Aim: Novel treatment options for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma include T-cell targeting therapies. Practice efficiency and cost are important for informed treatment decisions.Materials/methods: An institutional decision-maker cost model was developed for 6-month, 1-year and median cycles of treatment time horizons comparing practice efficiency and costs of epcoritamab vs glofitamab and axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel).Results: Overall, epcoritamab required the shortest personnel and chair time, except over 1 year (second shortest chair time). Across all time horizons, epcoritamab was cost-saving vs axi-cel and had similar costs to glofitamab on a per-month basis.Conclusion: Epcoritamab reduced personnel and chair time. Additionally, epcoritamab was cost-saving vs axi-cel and had similar costs to glofitamab on a per-month basis.

There are new ways to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which is a type of cancer called lymphoma. When new treatments are available it is important to see if they take more or less time to give to patients and how much they cost versus other treatments. This study looked at three drugs used to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, including epcoritamab, axi-cel and glofitamab. It estimated the time and cost with those treatments in patients who get them for 6 months, 1 year or for the most common length of time in the clinical trials. In most of the scenarios, epcoritamab had the least time needed for nurses or doctors and the least time needed for a patient to be in a chair in a clinic. When thinking about the cost per month, epcoritamab saved money versus axi-cel and was similar to glofitamab.

Clinic-based perspectives on the integration of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a tertiary cancer center.

PURPOSE: This study examines providers' and clinic staff's perspectives on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) implementation at an academic medical center. METHODS: An anonymous and voluntary survey was administered to Henry Ford Cancer providers and clinic staff 18 months after PROs program implementation in September 2020, to obtain their feedback on perceived barriers, impact on workflows, and PROs administration frequency in routine cancer care. RESULTS: A total of 180 providers and 40 clinic staff were invited to complete the survey; 31% and 63% completed the survey, respectively. Approximately 68% of providers reported that electronically integrated PROs scores were either beneficial or somewhat beneficial to their patients, while only 28% of the clinic staff reported that PROs were beneficial or somewhat beneficial to patients. According to the clinic staff, the most common barriers to PROs completion included lack of patients' awareness of the utility of the program with respect to their care, patients' health status at check-in, and PROs being offered too frequently. CONCLUSION: There is favorable acceptance of the PROs program by providers, but clinic staff found it less favorable. Interventions to address barriers and improve program engagement are needed to ensure broad adoption of PROs in oncology practice.

Working with suicidal mothers during the perinatal period: a reflexive thematic analysis study with mental health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is the leading cause of death in mothers postpartum and one of the most common causes of death during pregnancy. Mental health professionals who work in perinatal services can offer insights into the factors they perceive as being linked to mothers' suicidal ideation and behaviour, support offered to mothers and improvements to current practices. We aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of perinatal mental health professionals who have worked with suicidal mothers during the perinatal period. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or via telephone with mental health professionals working in perinatal mental health inpatient or community services across England. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: From the professionals' (n = 15) accounts three main themes were developed from their interview data. The first, factors linked to suicidal ideation and behaviour, overarched two sub-themes: (1.1) the mother's context and (1.2) what the baby represents and what this means for the mother. These sub-themes described factors that professionals assessed or deemed contributory in relation to suicidal ideation and behaviour when a mother was under their care. The second main theme, communicating about and identifying suicidal ideation and behaviour, which outlined how professionals enquired about, and perceived, different suicidal experiences, encapsulated two sub-themes: (2.1) how to talk about suicide and (2.2) types of suicidal ideation and attempts. The third main theme, reducing suicidal ideation through changing how a mother views her baby and herself, focused on how professionals supported mothers to reframe the ways in which they viewed their babies and in turn themselves to reduce suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Professionals highlighted many factors that should be considered when responding to a mother's risk of suicide during the perinatal period, such as the support around her, whether the pregnancy was planned and what the baby represented for the mother. Professionals' narratives stressed the importance of adopting a tailored approach to discussing suicidal experiences with mothers to encourage disclosure. Our findings also identified psychological factors that professionals perceived as being linked to suicidal outcomes for mothers, such as self-efficacy; these factors should be investigated further.

The confidence and competence of primary school staff to administer an adrenaline auto-injector.

School teachers are often inadequately prepared to use an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI), resulting in potentially dangerous treatment delays. The purpose of this study was to assess the observed competence, and self-reported confidence, of primary school teachers in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) to use an AAI. An evaluation of whether there was a link between confidence and competence was also assessed. Teachers from four primary schools in the RoI completed a questionnaire to assess their prior level of experience, training, and confidence levels with AAI administration. The four steps in administrating trainer AAI to a mannequin simulator were then assessed. A total of 61 teachers participated (out of a population of 80). The mean self-reported confidence was 1.82 out of 5 (SD = 0.96). There was no significant difference in confidence between trained and untrained participants (U = 240.5, NS). Participants who had received AAI administration training performed significantly more of the steps correctly (mean = 3.85, SD = 0.95) as compared to those who had received no training (mean = 2.97, SD = 1.10; U = 180.5, p = 0.008). There was no correlation between confidence in administrating AAI and the percentage of steps in the procedure performed correctly (rho = -0.17, NS).  Conclusion: Improvements in readiness to administer AAIs can be achieved through the application of more effective approaches to teaching clinical skills, changes to school policies and practices, and consideration of the design of AAIs in order to make their operation safer and simpler. It is important that teachers have the confidence and competence to safely administer an AAI. What is Known: • Poor ability in adrenaline auto-injector use seen across population groups-healthcare professionals, patients, carers, and school staff • Training in the use of adrenaline auto-injectors has positive impact on competency What is New: • Irish school teachers show poor levels of competency in adrenaline auto-injector use • No observed correlation between reported confidence and competency.

Effect of COVID-19 response work experience on turnover intention among employees of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Seoul.

BACKGROUND: According to previous studies, stress and job burnout among medical personnel increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzed the effect of the experience of COVID-19 response work on the intention of municipal hospital staffs to leave their workplaces during the pandemic. METHODS: The 3556 employees who had worked for more than 1 year at one of the eight Seoul Municipal Hospitals that either provided inpatient treatment for quarantined COVID-19 patients or operated as screening clinics were taken as the study population. In total, 1227 employees completed a web or mobile survey between October 21 and November 18, 2020. A chi-squared test was performed to confirm the difference in the distribution of turnover intention depending on whether the employees performed COVID-19 response tasks. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the factors that affected the intention to leave. RESULTS: Of the 1227 respondents, 761 (62.0%) were frontline workers who were the first line of response to COVID-19. Experience with COVID-19 response tasks (OR = 1.59, p = 0.003) was significantly associated with the intention to leave. Additionally, the probability of turnover intention was significantly higher among workers aged 20-29 years (OR = 2.11, p = 0.038) and 40-49 years (OR = 1.57, p = 0.048), unmarried individuals (OR = 1.66, p = 0.005), doctors (OR = 2.41, p = 0.010), nurses (OR = 1.59, p = 0.036), and technical staff members (OR = 2.22, p = 0.009). High turnover intention was found among those who experienced high levels of burnout (OR = 2.03, p < 0.001) and those working in non-directly managed municipal hospitals (OR = 1.87, p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Employees directly involved in COVID-19 response work displayed higher turnover intention. Various personal, job, and organizational factors significantly influenced employees' intentions to leave their positions in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. These findings suggest the necessity of introducing management programs to aid workers who have experienced sudden changes in their duties and loss of autonomy while performing COVID-19 response tasks.

Social support, psychological capital, multidimensional job burnout, and turnover intention of primary medical staff: a path analysis drawing on conservation of resources theory.

BACKGROUND: Job burnout is a prevalent and emerging challenge in the primary medical system, causing mass turnover, especially of primary medical staff. Little attention has been paid to the different dimensions of job burnout (emotional exhaustion, personality disintegration, and reduced sense of achievement), which may hinder efforts to tackle high turnover intention among primary medical staff. From the perspective of conservation of resources theory, social support and psychological capital are basic resources with potential to diminish job burnout and thus lower turnover intention. However, there is insufficient research evidence on the relationships between social support, psychological capital, and the three dimensions of job burnout within the primary medical system. OBJECTIVES: Focusing on primary medical staff, this study conducts a path analysis to examine the correlations between two types of resources (social support and psychological capital) and the three dimensions of job burnout, and to test the impact of the latter on turnover intention. Based on the results, effective management strategies to improve the work stability of primary medical staff are proposed. METHODS: Multi-stage cluster random sampling was used to select participants in Anhui Province, China. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire containing measures of the main variables and demographic questions. In total, 1132 valid questionnaires were returned by primary medical staff. Structural equation modeling was used for path analysis of the data. RESULTS: Social support was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion (ß = - 0.088, P = 0.020), personality disintegration (ß = - 0.235, P < 0.001), and reduced sense of achievement (ß = - 0.075, P = 0.040). Moreover, psychological capital was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion (ß = - 0.079, P = 0.030), personality disintegration (ß = - 0.156, P < 0.001), and reduced sense of achievement (ß = - 0.432, P < 0.001). All three dimensions of job burnout positively affected turnover intention (emotional exhaustion: ß = 0.246, P < 0.001; personality disintegration: ß = 0.076, P = 0.040; reduced sense of achievement: ß = 0.119, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of social support and psychological capital for diminishing the three dimensions of job burnout for primary medical staff and, in turn, lowering their turnover intention. Accordingly, to alleviate job burnout and improve staff retention, material and psychological supports from leaders, colleagues, family, relatives, and friends are essential, as are measures to improve the psychological energy of primary medical staff.

Prisoners' perceived oral and general health and their experience with accessing, understanding and assessing health information: A qualitative study.

Prisoners' oral health and general health are closely connected and generally poorer than that of the wider population. Moreover, knowledge of prisoners' health literacy is scarce. This study aimed to explore prisoners' perceived oral and general health and how they accessed, understood and assessed health information to gain insight into their health literacy. Twelve prisoners in a high-security prison and a halfway house participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed through thematic analysis, which identified five themes: inconsistent self-reporting of general and oral health; autonomous health behaviour through utilizing personal resources; preference for personalized adapted health information; psychological and physical proximity; and barriers. The prisoners perceived their oral and general health as good despite several health problems. They expressed scepticism towards health information from public authorities and made their own health-related choices based on previous experiences, their own 'common sense' and the experiences of people they trusted. Health information was considered useful when adjusted to their needs. Obtaining health-related information through physical encounters was considered more accessible than through online platforms. Adapting the communication to prisoners' expressed needs and their health literacy can enhance the accessibility to improve their oral and general health. In-person encounters would be preferable.

What would have made work in the COVID-19 ICU less demanding? A qualitative study from 13 Swedish COVID-19 ICUs.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic stretched Swedish intensive care unit (ICU) resources to an extent never experienced before, but even before the pandemic staffing was difficult and the number of staffed ICU beds was low. Studies have revealed high levels of COVID-19 ICU staff burn-out and fatigue, and as similar situations with high demands are likely to occur in the future a better understanding of resources that improve staff resilience is important. Using the job-demand resource theory as a framework, we explored ICU professionals' views on demands and resources when working in COVID-19 ICUs with the aim to highlight factors that increased the job resources. METHODS: Data were collected via a web survey distributed to COVID-19 ICU professionals, including both regular and temporary roles, working in 13 COVID-19 ICU wards in Stockholm and Sörmland counties during the spring 2021. A total of 251 written responses to the question "What would have made work in the COVID-19 ICU less demanding?" were analyzed using thematic analysis. One year later a member-checking focus group interview was conducted to validate and further explore staff experiences. RESULTS: The main themes were work strategy, fairness and support, continuity, accessible leadership, introduction/information, and crisis preparedness. The analysis of the focus group conducted confirmed the main results and the extreme demands on ICU staff during the initial stages of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: To increase staff health and performance in a long-term crisis our results suggest; maintaining workplace leadership, scheduling work in advance and, when possible, schedule for recovery.

Writing administrative staff back in: a Foucauldian-inspired discourse analysis of power relations in a faculty of medicine.

Administrative staff in higher and health professions education have been described as invisible and been characterized by what they are not: non-academics, non-teachers, non-faculty and non-professionals. Staff appear as passive objects in literature and minimized in institutional reports. These characterizations contribute to the undervaluing of staff and can lead to inefficiencies or tensions in the working environment within health professions education. This study sought to identify discourses connected to the undervaluing of staff work.This study used a Foucauldian-inspired critical discourse analysis approach within the context of a single Canadian Faculty of Medicine. Data collection involved compiling an archive of published literature and institutional archival documents extending approximately 150 years, interviews with twelve staff members and nine faculty members, and the author's lived experience as staff.Three primary discourses of staff were identified: staff as caregiver, matriarch, and professional. These discourses regulate staff (and their relations with faculty) differently, creating differences in what staff and faculty can do, be, or say (or not do, be, or say). While in the first two discourses of caregiver and matriarch, staff power is largely absent or obscured, in the third discourse, differing constructs of the concept of "professional" used by faculty and staff demonstrate a rise in power of staff and the declining authority of faculty.Writing administrative staff back in and centring staff voices can help provide agency to staff and reduce or help navigate possible tensions in the workplace.

Compliance and adherence to hand hygiene practices for effective infection control.

Hand hygiene (HH) is the most effective way to curb the spread of healthcare-associated infections. Nonetheless, healthcare personnel encounter difficulties in adhering to WHO HH recommendations. This study aimed to investigate HH compliance and adherence after the implementation of an action plan in a municipal hospital in Moscow. An initial evaluation of HH compliance among clinical health workers was carried out in June 2022 according to the WHO HH guidelines followed by a 3-month re-audit of HH practices. The results were compared to the baseline to evaluate compliance and adherence to HH among healthcare personnel. From June to September 2022, there were 2,732 moments of contact with patients or their immediate surroundings. The HH total compliance rate significantly (p < 0.05) increased from 52.3% in June 2022 to 83.3% in September 2022 with a 75% overall total compliance rate. The profession-specific total compliance rate was highest among nurses (79.6%) and lowest among ancillary staff (69.7%). Staff were also more adherent to the before-moments compared to the after-moments of the HH guidelines. Monthly re-audits and providing feedback resulted in a significant improvement in compliance and adherence with HH guidelines after implementation of the action plan.