Annual Retention Survey Results

Fiona Ellwood looks at the current recruitment landscape.

'I have enough pressure as it is, without the worry of doing something wrong because of ignorance': The impact of Covid-19 on people who employ social care personal assistants

People with care and support needs were often badly affected by Covid-19, although the impact on people employing Personal Assistants (PAs) has not been addressed. We aimed to explore the experiences of people employing PAs during the pandemic to inform care systems and social work practice. Remote qualitative interviews were conducted with seventy PA employers across England in 2021–2022. Data were analysed thematically to explore salient themes. The Covid-19 pandemic elucidated role tensions of PA employers: Navigating care arrangements during a time of unprecedented uncertainty reinforced participants' role as an employer, but exposed some aspects of employment responsibilities and legal obligations that participants felt ill-equipped to manage. Reports of contact with or by social workers were few and not perceived as helpful. The often-informal nature of PA arrangements and its blurred relational boundaries affected participants' expectations of their PAs. PA employers would welcome support from social workers in their employment role and flexibility with care plans, albeit with greater autonomy over their Direct Payment (DP) budget to enhance the potential of this arrangement. In the context of declining DP uptake in England, our study offers some potential explanations for this, with suggestions for systemic change and social work practice.

Crossing the Same River Multiple Times: Cautiously setting aside pandemic practices, pharma workers appear ready for flux, change, evolution, and expanding molecular diversity

The article presents results of an employment survey on trends and the state of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in 2022. Findings reveal COVID-19 measures that are important to daily operations, stagnation of wage growth and decline in overall salary satisfaction, job security changes and drop in job satisfaction, and business concerns including corporate performance and industry growth.

Crossing the Same River Multiple Times: Cautiously setting aside pandemic practices, pharma workers appear ready for flux, change, evolution, and expanding molecular diversity

The article reports that the survey assesses various employment metrics, thoughts on ongoing trends and predictions for the future of the industry. Topics include examines the intent is to not only create a snapshot of the bio/pharma industry as it exists in 2022, but to also encapsulate the thoughts and feelings of those within.

'Most children's hospitals are struggling'...John Nickens

The article focuses on the challenges facing children's hospitals in the U.S. Topics discussed include the problem on shortage in medical professionals at these hospitals, events that have affected children's hospitals in the country, an increase in the number of child patients in the emergency room, and the conversion of hospital rooms to navigate capacity issues.

Impact of the use of laboratory tests to rule-out COVID-19 on work absenteeism in a building company in Lima. Case Report

The World Health Organization recommended to use laboratory tests in symptomatic individuals that fulfill suspicion criteria for Covid-19 as soon as symptoms started. To show the benefits of using laboratory tests on work absenteeism we report the case of a building company in Lima from June 2020 to 2021. Using laboratory tests work absenteeism reduced in 54% and savings were increased in 51% compared to a projected scenario. The use of Covid-19 tests was beneficial, reducing unnecessary work absenteeism. Copyright © 2022 Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado

Discover the best hiring strategy

In this article, author discusses about the impacts of the dental staffing crisis, poor management and bad leadership on the dentistry, increased amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia.

Rehabilitations- und Vorsorgeeinrichtungen in der Corona-Krise: Situation und postpandemische Perspektive

Background During the early phase of the Corona pandemic (March to July 2020) rehab clinics were supposed to stop offering rehab treatment in order to be ready for admitting low-care patients from acute hospitals. On the other hand, acute care hospitals postponed elective interventions for the benefit of Corona patients and rehab patients denied treatment due to the fear of becoming infected. As a consequence a loss in revenue turns out while additional costs for infection protection management arose simultaneously. Methodology Aim of the study was to specify the economic risks of rehab facilities caused by the pandemic as well as the increasing medical requirements. Based on a structured questionnaire 97 rehab providers were polled referring to e. g. the „medical treatment situation", the „revenue development", the „cost pressure" and the „effects of supporting activities of the government". Results The revenue of rehab clinics collapsed intermittently up to 70 % compared to the previous year. Simultaneously, additional costs of 349 € per patient and employee per treatment cycle (21 days) accumulated due to decreed infection prevention arrangements. This unplanned cost burden corresponds roughly to 13 % of the revenue per case. The decline of rehab treatments under the pandemic will lead on to an exaggerated demand of medically necessary treatments in future. This congestion of non-performed rehab treatments is prognosed to exceed 20 % to 25 % of the rehab treatments performed in 2019. In 29 % of the facilities the shortage of personal protective equipment was associated with dysfunctional workflows and endangerment of patients suffering an infection. 71 % of the rehab facilities stated not to have benefitted from the procurement initiative of the German Ministry of Health. Discussion The Corona pandemic has reinforced the economic vulnerability of many rehab providers. This, due to additional costs for infection prevention activities, revenue losses owing to reduced occupancy and because of an investment bottleneck accumulated over years. Furthermore, the reimbursement system is complained not to cover the total costs of treatment in an economically sufficient way. Necessary investments in infection protection are a cost-driver but also lead to a factual impairment of treatment capacity. As a consequence, a piling up of medically essential rehab treatment is assumed to happen and will effect an increasing disease burden in the health system. Core Message The risk of insolvency has enhanced for rehab facilities due to the pandemic. Simultaneously, medical requirements have arisen and cost pressure has become more intensive. Because rehabilitation to play a pivotal role in public services the reimbursement system of the rehab sector is urged to be changed. One strong opinion requires to finance the costs of keeping rehab facilities. Indeed, this financing approach should be based on an assessment of the rehab demand. Furthermore, the operating costs are advised to be paid depended on medical quality, physical condition of the patient and the complexity of treatment. Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund Bereits in den ersten 6 Monaten der Pandemie erlitten die Rehabilitations- und Vorsorgeeinrichtungen massive Erlöseinbußen. Dies einerseits durch die Aussetzung von Heilverfahren und Nachsorgeangeboten sowie die Verpflichtung, im Bedarfsfall verlegbare Patienten aus Akutkrankenhäusern zu übernehmen;andererseits führte die Verschiebung elektiver Eingriffe zugunsten der prioritären Behandlung von Covid-19-Patienten in den Akuthäusern sowie die Angst von Reha-Patienten vor einer Infektion zu einem Nachfragerückgang. Demgegenüber entstanden erhebliche Zusatzkosten durch die Organisation infektionssicherer Arbeitsabläufe sowie die Beschaffung von Produkten der persönlichen Schutzausrüstung (PSA) auf einem überhitzten freien Markt. Das Insolvenzrisiko für die Reha-Einrichtungen erhöhte sich. Methoden Ziel der Studie war es, die ökonomischen und ablauforganisatorischen Konsequenzen sowie die Infektionsrisiken für Personal und Patienten einer Unterversorgung mit PSA-Produkten im Bereich der Rehabilitation zu ermitteln sowie die Effektivität staatlicher Eingriffe bei der Beschaffung von PSA-Produkten zu reflektieren. Durchgeführt wurde im Zeitraum 25. bis 28. Woche 2020 eine Online-Befragung unter 79 Einrichtungen mittels strukturiertem Fragebogen, u. a. spezifiziert nach den Erhebungsbereichen „Versorgungssituation bei PSA-Produkten", „Umgang mit PSA-Versorgungsengpässen", „Ertragssituation", „Zusatzkosten" und „Wirksamkeit staatlicher Hilfsmaßnahmen". In weiteren 18 Einrichtungen wurden Einzelinterviews zur Praxis des Pandemie-Managements vor Ort geführt. Die Erhebung wurde auf orthopädische, kardiologische und neurologische Einrichtungen konzentriert. Ergebnisse Der Umsatz der Einrichtungen ging um zeitweise bis zu 70 % gegenüber dem Vorjahr zurück, gleichzeitig erhöhten sich die Kosten für Infektionsprophylaxe um durchschnittlich 349 € pro Patient und Mitarbeiter pro Behandlungszyklus (21 Tage), was etwa 13 % des Fall-Erlöses bedeutete. Durch den Rückgang bei Patientenbehandlungen während der Pandemie baute sich ein Behandlungsstau auf, der zwischen 20 und 25 % der Reha-Leistungen des Jahres 2019 entspricht und die Krankheitslast im Gesundheitssystem zukünftig erhöhen wird. Der Mangel an Schutzausrüstung führte in 29 % der Einrichtungen zu erschwerten Arbeitsabläufen mit Infektionsgefährdung für Patienten und Mitarbeitende. Von der Beschaffungsinitiative des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheit fühlten sich 71 % der Einrichtungen nicht versorgt. Diskussion Die Corona-Pandemie hat die Anfälligkeit zahlreicher Reha-Einrichtungen für eine wirtschaftliche Schieflage verstärkt. Ursache dafür sind pandemiebedingte Zusatzkosten, Erlösausfälle aufgrund von Belegungsrückgängen und ein Investitionsstau in zahlreichen Einrichtungen. Notwendige Maßnahmen des Infektionsschutzes erhöhen nicht nur die Kostenbelastung, sondern vermindern faktisch die verfügbare Behandlungskapazität. Als Konsequenz ist ein Behandlungsstau zu erwarten, der mit erhöhter Krankheitslast im Gesundheitssystem verbunden sein wird. Kernbotschaft Das Insolvenzrisiko hat sich für Rehabilitations- und Vorsorgeeinrichtungen durch die Corona-Krise erhöht, gleichzeitig sind die Anforderungen an medizinische Qualität und Infektionsschutz ebenso wie die Vorhalte- und Behandlungskosten gestiegen. Eine Reform der Refinanzierung von Reha-Leistungen ist notwendig: Dies betrifft die Finanzierung von Vorhaltekosten von Reha-Einrichtungen als Teil der Daseinsvorsorge. Hier ist allerdings eine versorgungsstrukturelle und institutionenorientierte Bedarfsermittlung vorzuschalten, um Mitnahmeeffekten vorzubeugen. Weiterhin ist die Vergütung der Betriebskosten qualitäts- und aufwandorientiert am Krankheitsbild und am Patientenzustand vorzunehmen.

How to future-proof your travel nurse and clinician staffing

The article discusses a lesson from Trinity Health for other health systems on how to address clinician staffing challenges that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Topics include guiding principles for creating a modern internal travel nurse program, a response to a long-standing need, and the savings from Trinity Health's in-house travel staffing approach in fiscal year 2021.

6 steps for easing physicians’ burden from coding, documentation and risk adjustment

The article focuses on multiple steps for easing physicians' burden from coding, documentation and risk adjustment. Topics discussed include the patient also began experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure and severely reduced access to healthy food as result of the increased financial strain brought on by the pandemic;and the patient did not see a physician in 2020, none of this information was documented in their medical record or coded.

The recruitment crisis

Lisa McCusker discusses the issues affecting the hiring of dental nurses