Stress, Professional Burnout, and Employee Efficiency in the Greek National Organization for the Provision of Health Services.

BACKGROUND: Workplace stress and burnout in the Greek healthcare system had been considered severe even before the high pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to investigate occupational quality of life and burnout effects on workplace errors among the administrative staff in the Greek healthcare system. METHODS: We enrolled 120 administrative healthcare employee participants between April and May 2019. Occupational burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. FINDINGS: Inadequate staffing, a low sense of well-being, exhaustion, and low family income were associated with workplace errors. Increased workload and staff shortages were associated with occupation related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted interventions supporting healthcare staff mental health are warranted. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Wellness and professional burnout can affect professional efficiency and are associated with workplace errors in the healthcare sector. Targeted interventions are warranted to support the mental health of healthcare staff during work and to prevent incidents of post-traumatic stress. Shortages of staffing may lead to an increase in the cost of the provided services.

The Impact of Change Management in the Greek National Health System: A Quantitative Study.

INTRODUCTION:  Serious changes took place in Greece due to the economic crisis of 2008, which led to significant changes in Greece's health sector. The reforms and changes that were made to the National Health System (NHS) aimed to improve it, provide quality services to its users, and adapt it to Greece's new external environment. The aim of this study was to assess the management of these changes by the leadership of the NHS and to examine their effectiveness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey was based on quantitative research methods, using a questionnaire as a research tool. The sample population comprised employees of a tertiary-care public hospital in northern Greece. RESULTS:  We recruited a sample size of 100 participants for the survey. The questionnaire's Cronbach's alpha was equal to 0.724. The overall change management was moderate, and Greece's NHS did not follow a specific change-management model that provided principles facilitating the success of the effort. The most serious problems identified by using the questionnaire were the following: the changes were not structured and clear, the management set unrealistic goals and objectives, the changes to the NHS were made without the appropriate financial support, and there is uncertainty about the future of health care in Greece. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that changes cannot be made randomly; rather, they require careful planning and organization. Further changes, continuous feedback, and development are required to improve the status of Greece's healthcare system.

Views and Experiences of Health Service Users in Greece During 2012-2018.

During the period of 2012-2018, a series of reforms took place in the Greek health care system. These reforms focused on both the health expenditure and the efficiency and quality of health services provided. In this qualitative study, we examined whether these improvements were visible to health service users based on their personal experiences with the health care system, using thematic content analysis to evaluate the research data. The results indicated that the reforms did not meet the original objectives in several fields such as primary health care, health expenditure streamlining, health service affordability, and confidence in the health care system and professionals. Further interventions are required to improve the status of the Greek health care system.