Risk of Healthcare-Associated Transmission of Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Hospitalized Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the risk of hospital-acquired coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among high-risk hospitalized patients after exposure to an infected patient or healthcare worker (HCW) in a nonoutbreak setting. METHODS: This study was conducted at a tertiary care cancer center in New York City from 10 March 2020 until 28 February 2021. In early April 2020, the study institution implemented universal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing at admission and retesting every 3 days through the hospital stay. Contact tracing records were reviewed for all exposures to SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and HCWs. RESULTS: From 10 March 2020 to 28 February 2021, 11 348 unique patients who were SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negative at the time of admission underwent 31 662 postadmission tests during their hospitalization, and 112 tested positive (0.98%). Among these, 49 patients housed in semiprivate rooms during admission resulted in 74 close contacts and 14 secondary infections within 14 days, for an overall attack rate of 18.9%. Among those exposed to a roommate undergoing an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP), the attack rate was 35.7%. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) corroborated transmission in 6/8 evaluated pairs. In addition, three transmission events occurred in 214 patients with significant exposure to 105 COVID-19 positive healthcare workers (1.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The overall risk of hospital-acquired COVID-19 is low for hospitalized cancer patients, even during periods of high community prevalence. However, shared occupancy with an unrecognized case is associated with a high secondary attack rate in exposed roommates.

Nursing home social services: A systematic review of the literature from 2010 to 2020.

Nursing home (NH) social workers carry out person-centered care, guided by the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act. As the projected population of individuals requiring NH care is expected to grow and become more racially and ethnically diverse, the social worker in this setting becomes increasingly important. The aims of this study are to: (1) identify existing research that discusses the role of social work and nursing facilities, (2) synthesize findings to determine what is most often reported in the literature, and (3) present recommendations for practice, research, and policy. This study used the PICO framework and PRISMA guidelines to systematically search for articles published in English between 2010 and 2020 across 11 databases. A final sample of 23 articles discussed social work in the NH organized into three categories: (1) qualifications of the NH social worker (n = 5), (2) social worker responsibilities (n = 11), and (3) policy dictates practice (n = 7). Future research ought to include primary data collection methods with NH social workers, as well as NH residents and family, as residents must be at the center of their care. Considering policy modifications to further enhance the social work role of the interdisciplinary team is warranted.

Animal-Facilitated Therapy Program: Outcomes from Caring Canines, a Program for Patients and Staff on an Inpatient Surgical Oncology Unit

BACKGROUND: Animal-facilitated therapy (AFT) is a complementary medicine intervention. To the authors' knowledge, no study has investigated the benefits of an AFT program in an adult surgical oncology setting. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of an AFT program on patients and staff on a surgical oncology unit. METHODS: A quasiexperimental design was used for the patient group, and a pre-/post-test design was used for the staff group. The intervention involved the AFT program being fully integrated on a surgical inpatient unit. Outcomes included patient-reported symptoms and quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes for patients, as well as professional QOL for staff. FINDINGS: QOL indicators improved for all patients, and the level of energy at follow-up was significantly higher in the AFT group after adjusting for baseline. For staff, compassion satisfaction was high and burnout was low.