Maternal near miss hospitalizations in the Borana Zone, Ethiopia: A facility-based longitudinal cross-sectional study.

Background: Maternal near miss refers to a woman who nearly died but survived a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of pregnancy termination. While there has been considerable progress in reducing maternal mortality rates, maternal near miss cases can provide valuable insights into the quality of maternal healthcare and help identify areas for improvement. However, there is limited evidence on the factors contributing to maternal near miss cases, including health system failures, delays in care, and provider-related factors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the incidence, causes, and factors associated with maternal near misses in public Hospitals of Borena Zone. Methods: A facility-based longitudinal cross-sectional study design was employed at four Public Hospitals in Borena Zone from August 15, 2022, to November 15, 2022, using the WHO criteria for maternal near miss event. In total, 117 participants were included in the study. Eligibility was determined using key clinical, organ dysfunction, laboratory, and management criteria, as per the WHO guidelines for near-miss events. Underlying and contributing causes of maternal near misses were documented from each participant's records. Result: There were 1421 deliveries during the study period and 117 eligible women developed potentially life-threatening conditions. Only 61 women experienced severe maternal outcomes (55 near misses and six maternal deaths). The maternal near miss incidence ratio was 38.7 per 1000 live births, with a mortality index of 9.8%. Hypertensive disorders and obstetric hemorrhage are the leading underlying causes of maternal near misses. Conclusion: The incidence of maternal near miss was remarkably high when compared to previous studies. Giving special emphasis to life-saving interventions, critical care, reducing delays and improving the referral system are critical to improve quality of care.

Implementation of a ketamine programme for treatment-resistant depression in the public health system: Lessons from the first Australian public hospital clinic.

One could argue that we are living through a period of innovation and change in psychiatry unlike that seen before, with repurposed medications emerging as novel treatments. However, despite evidence of enhanced clinical outcomes and potential medium-term savings, delivering these promising interventions is resource-intensive and perceived as difficult in the public sector. Consequently, they are generally only available in the private sector, often at great cost, effectively making them inaccessible to the 'Have Nots'. The arrival of these paradigm-shifting treatments has inadvertently highlighted a growing mental health inequity. The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital's Ketamine Treatment Clinic was the first public-sector ketamine treatment clinic for complex mood disorders in Australia. Based on 3 years' experience establishing, developing and running a public-sector ketamine treatment service, we review the progress, perils and pitfalls for clinicians and health services contemplating establishing a public-sector ketamine treatment service of their own.

Incorporación del dietista-nutricionista en un hospital universitario: declaración de postura de la Comisión de Nutrición del Hospital Universitario La Paz / Dietitian-nutritionist incorporation in a university hospital: position statement of the Commission on Nutrition, Hospital Universitario La Paz

El presente documento tiene como objetivo plantear y justificar la incorporación del dietista-nutricionista en los equipos multidisciplinares deatención integrada en la educación, el tratamiento y el seguimiento de aquellos pacientes con patologías que cursen con alteraciones del estadonutricional, tanto en su defecto como en su exceso, en el área sanitaria de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid.El estado nutricional de los pacientes hospitalizados se beneficiará de la incorporación del dietista-nutricionista al equipo multidisciplinar que,actualmente, se ocupa de la atención de estos. El manejo de la terapia nutricional por dietistas-nutricionistas ha demostrado ser costo-efectiva,habida cuenta de la repercusión sanitaria que tiene el estado nutricional en la evolución clínica y prevención de enfermedades como la diabetes,los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, la obesidad, el cáncer, la insuficiencia cardiaca, la osteoporosis, la enfermedad celiaca y la enfermedadrenal crónica, entre otras.(AU)

The present document has the objective of justifying the incorporation of a dietician/nutritionist to the multidisciplinary teams of specialized carethat provide education, food anamnesis, nutritional recommendations, treatment and follow up of those patients in risk of malnutrition in Madrid.The appropriate nutritional status of hospitalized patients bears a close relationship with the existence of dieticians at hospitals. Dieticians usenutrition therapy as a cost-effective means to achieve significant health benefits by preventing or altering the course of diabetes, obesity, hyper-tension, lipid metabolism disorders, heart failure, osteoporosis, celiac disease, and chronic kidney disease, among other diseases.(AU)

Magnitude of maternal near-misses and associated factors in Arsi Zone public hospitals in Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022.

Background: Investigation of maternal near-misses is useful for monitoring and evaluating the quality of obstetrics care services. Despite its importance, data has been limited in Arsi Zone public hospitals. Objective: To assess the magnitude of maternal near-miss and associated factors in Arsi Zone public hospitals, Ethiopia, 2022. Method: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 327 study participants from December 2021 to June 2022. The study participants were selected through systematic random sampling. Trained data collectors used pre-tested structured questionnaires to collect data from study participants. Pertinent data were also extracted from clients' logbook. The data were entered to Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression were employed to control for possible confounders where a significance level was set to a P-value of 5 %. Result: A total of 326 study participants responded, resulting in a 99.7 % response rate. The magnitude of maternal near-miss was 34.4 % [95 % CI (29.2-39.8)]. Hypertensive disorders (35 %), hemorrhage (35 %), ruptured uterus (11 %), unsafe abortion (8 %), obstructed labour (7 %), and infection/sepsis (4.5 %) were the direct while anemia (20 %) was one of the indirect causes of maternal near-misses. ANC visit received (AOR = 2.5, 95 % CI: 1.04-5.84), First ANC booked trimester (AOR = 0.26, 95 % CI: 0.1-0.9), delay in seeking care (AOR = 3.1, 95 % CI: 1.2-8.1), delay two (AOR = 2.7, 95 % CI: 1.0-6.8) and mode of delivery (AOR = 2.8, 95 % CI: 1.3-6.1) were factors associated with maternal near-misses. Conclusion: The prevalence of maternal near-miss was high. To improve the identified factors and minimize their consequences, appropriate interventions are required at all levels to improve the quality of obstetrics care services aimed at improving positive pregnancy outcomes.

Racial and ethnic disparities in emergency department transfers to public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To examine racial/ethnic differences in emergency department (ED) transfers to public hospitals and factors explaining these differences. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: ED and inpatient data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for Florida (2010-2019); American Hospital Association Annual Survey (2009-2018). STUDY DESIGN: Logistic regression examined race/ethnicity and payer on the likelihood of transfer to a public hospital among transferred ED patients. The base model was controlled for patient and hospital characteristics and year fixed effects. Models II and III added urbanicity and hospital referral region (HRR), respectively. Model IV used hospital fixed effects, which compares patients within the same hospital. Models V and VI stratified Model IV by payer and condition, respectively. Conditions were classified as emergency care sensitive conditions (ECSCs), where transfer is protocolized, and non-ECSCs. We reported marginal effects at the means. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We examined 1,265,588 adult ED patients transferred from 187 hospitals. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Black patients were more likely to be transferred to public hospitals compared with White patients in all models except ECSC patients within the same initial hospital (except trauma). Black patients were 0.5-1.3 percentage points (pp) more likely to be transferred to public hospitals than White patients in the same hospital with the same payer. In the base model, Hispanic patients were more likely to be transferred to public hospitals compared with White patients, but this difference reversed after controlling for HRR. Hispanic patients were - 0.6 pp to -1.2 pp less likely to be transferred to public hospitals than White patients in the same hospital with the same payer. CONCLUSIONS: Large population-level differences in whether ED patients of different races/ethnicities were transferred to public hospitals were largely explained by hospital market and the initial hospital, suggesting that they may play a larger role in explaining differences in transfer to public hospitals, compared with other external factors.

Hospital governance accountability structure: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Hospitals, as complex organizations with clinical, financial, and social functions, face different barriers to providing high-quality and safe services at reasonable costs. Various initiatives have been carried out in hospital governance to improve quality, safety, and accountability. This research aims to identify the structures and dimensions that make hospital governance accountable. METHODS: The research used Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework to examine the research literature on hospital governance structure and accountability. The literature review included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus ProQuest, Google search engine, and Google Scholar databases from 2010 to 2023. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. RESULTS: Excluding unrelated and duplicate sources, 40 articles and reports were included in the study. The studies were reviewed and analyzed based on organizational type, type of source, year of publication, objectives, and key findings. Accountable governance features were extracted from the selected articles and reports. The four main themes include inclusive governance, commitment to accountability, planning for accountability, and autonomous governance. Thirteen subthemes were extracted from the study literature. CONCLUSION: Various initiatives have been implemented regarding the reform of the governance structure of public hospitals in different countries. Many of these reforms aim to improve financial and clinical accountability. The study results could be used to identify the structures and dimensions that make hospital governance accountable.

A comparison of the characteristics of adult medicine patients seeking telemedicine consultations versus in-person consultations in a Philippine public hospital.

Background: Telemedicine employs the use of technology to increase access to health care. This is especially relevant in developing countries where accessibility is an important issue. In developed countries, studies have shown that despite greater availability and accessibility, there are still disparities in telemedicine use. In the Philippines, however, it is unknown what factors are related to telemedicine use since its underutilization precludes proper characterization of telemedicine patients. We sought to compare the characteristics of telemedicine patients and patients consulting in-person in the internal medicine outpatient department of a Philippine public hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. Chart reviews were done for patients who consulted from May 2021 to July 2021. They were classified as either having telemedicine consults only or having in-person consults only. Each group was characterized and compared according to demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, and reasons for consultation. Results: Unadjusted analyses showed that younger, single, or employed individuals were more likely to use telemedicine. However, in adjusted analyses, no demographic factors were associated with telemedicine use. Only the patient type and medical concern were significantly different between patient groups in this public hospital setting. New patients and those consulting for clearance/referral purposes or endocrine-related symptoms were more likely to seek teleconsults. Conclusions: The findings showed which patients are more likely to use telemedicine in the Philippines. Continued telemedicine use for these patients should be explored to complement in-person medical care.

The neurosurgical outpatient clinic: comparison between accesses in public and private activities.

BACKGROUND: Neurosurgical clinic assesses presence and extent of pathologies of central and peripheral nervous system or disorders affecting the spine, to identify most effective treatment and possible recourse to surgery. The aim of the study is to evaluate the appropriateness of request for a neurosurgical consult both in private and in public outpatient clinics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected and analyzed all the reports of outpatient visits of public and private clinic over a period between January and December 2018. RESULTS: There were 0.62% real urgent visits in the public sector and 1.19% in the private sector (p = 0.05). Peripheral pathologies represented 12.53% and 6.21% of pathologies evaluated in public and private sector respectively (p < 0.00001). In addition, 15.76% of visits in public lead to surgery, while they represented 11.45% in private (p = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: No study is available comparing accesses of patients in neurosurgical outpatient clinics. In public clinic, visits are booked as urgent on the prescription of the general practitioner: in reality, only 5% of these visits were really confirmed as urgent by the specialist. Peripheral pathologies are more frequent in public clinic, while cranial pathologies are more frequent in private one. Patients with cranial pathologies prefer to choose their surgeon by accessing private clinic.

Adherence to COVID-19 protocols: A comparative study of public and private hospitals in Ghana.

Objective: This study aimed to comparatively examine how public and private hospitals adhered to the COVID-19 safety protocols, and the factors associated with, and barriers to adherence in Ghana. Study design: A case study design drawing on quantitative and qualitative methods to determine adherence to, and barrier of adherence to the COVID-19 protocols. Method: A sample of 283 staff participated in the quantitative study, while in-depth interviews were conducted among management staff across the public and private hospitals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test to compare differences in adherence and logistic regression model to identify the factors associated with adherence to the COVID-19 protocols. Results: The regression results showed that adherence to the COVID-19 protocols in public and private hospitals were significantly associated with staff training on adherence in public (OR = 2.08; p < 0.01) and private (OR = 1.44; p < 0.05), and knowledge on adherence in public (OR = 3.12; p < 0.01) and private (OR = 11.45; p < 0.01) hospitals. Adherence to the protocol varied significantly between public and private hospitals (0.001 > p < 0.05), with an effect size ranging from small to large. Clients' behavioural factors and poor stocking of PPEs due to financial challenges were reported as barriers to adherence in both hospital types. Conclusion: Adherence to the COVID-19 protocols was more pronounced in public hospitals than private hospitals suggesting the need for interventions targeting the latter to promote client and staff safety.

Commuting Accidents and Its Associated Factors Among Public Hospital Nurses in Selangor, Malaysia.

Commuting accidents account for 48% of work-related accidents in Malaysia. However, commuting accidents among health care workers are understudied and formally reported commuting accident numbers among nurses are likely to be an underestimate of actual numbers. This is the first study in Malaysia to attempt to establish the true incidence and associated factors for commuting accidents among nurses in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the true incidence of commuting accidents and its associated factors among public hospital nurses in Selangor, Malaysia. A validated and pilot-tested self-reported questionnaires were distributed to all nurses via an online-based platform. This study found a significant difference between the incidence of formally reported and self-reported commuting accidents from 2018 to 2022, with incidence rates ranging between 0.3 and 8.6 per 1000 nurses. Multivariable logistic regression showed that nurses working in district hospitals had lower odds to be involved in commuting accidents, while nurses working in clinical departments and traveling longer distances between home and workplaces had increased odds of commuting accidents.

Efficiency effects of public hospital closures in the context of public hospital reform: a multistep efficiency analysis.

In the wake of hospital reforms introduced in 2011 in Turkey, public hospitals were grouped into associations with joint management and some shared operational and administrative functions, similar in some ways to hospital trusts in the English National Health Service. Reorganization of public hospitals effect hospital and market area characteristics and existence of hospitals. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of closure on competitive hospital performances. Using administrative data from Turkish Public Hospital Statistical Yearbooks for the years 2005 to 2007 and 2014 to 2017, we conducted a three-step efficiency analysis by incorporating data envelopment analysis (DEA) and propensity score matching techniques, followed by a difference-in-differences (DiD) regression. First, we used bootstrapped DEA to calculate the efficiency scores of hospitals that were located near hospitals that had been closed. Second, we used nearest neighbour propensity score matching to form control groups and ensure that any differences between these and the intervention groups could be attributed to being near a hospital that had closed rather than differences in hospital and market area characteristics. Lastly, we employed DiD regression analysis to explore whether being near a closed hospital had an impact on the efficiency of the surviving hospitals while considering the effect of the 2011 hospital reform policies. To shed light on a potential time lag between hospital closure and changes in efficiency, we used various periods for comparison. Our results suggest that the efficiency of public hospitals in Turkey increased in hospitals that were located near hospitals that closed in Turkey from 2011. Hospital closure improves the efficiency of competitive hospitals under hospital market reforms. Future studies may wish to examine the efficiency effects of government and private sector collaboration on competition in the hospital market.

Observational assessment of hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers in public hospitals of Northeastern Ethiopia.

This study examined the magnitude and predictors of hand hygiene compliance among 325 healthcare workers in three public hospitals of Northeastern Ethiopia using standardized observational tool. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was computed to identify factors associated with non-compliance. The overall proportion of observed hand hygiene non-compliance was 41.8% (95%CI: 36.6-48.1). Having <5 years of work experience (AOR = 1.5; 95%CI: 1.2-2.5), absence of hand washing soap (AOR = 3.1; 95%CI: 2.3-5.4), work overload (AOR = 2.5; 95%CI: 1.9-4.1), pipe water supply interruption (AOR = 2.8; 95%CI: 2.1-4.9), lack of hand hygiene training (AOR = 3.1; 95%CI: 2.2-4.4), and absence of infection prevention committee (AOR = 2.1; 95%CI: 1.5-4.9) were determinant factors for hand hygiene non-compliance. Therefore, regional health bureau and hospitals' managers should work towards the provision of regular hand hygiene trainings, uninterrupted piped water supply, hand washing soap, and establishment of functional infection prevention committee. Moreover, healthcare workers should be also committed to comply with hand hygiene.

Prevalence and determinants of burnout among South African doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Burnout, resulting from chronic workplace stress that has been unsuccessfully managed, has previously been documented in doctors. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased occupational challenges faced by doctors, potentiating their risk for burnout. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of burnout among medical doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: Three public sector hospitals in Gqeberha, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 260 voluntary participants was conducted. Participants completed self-administered electronic questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the determinants of burnout. Results: The prevalence of burnout in this study was 78%. Burnout was significantly associated with being a medical intern or community-service medical officer (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 6.72, 1.71­26.40), being in the lowest income band (AOR = 10.78, 2.55­45.49), and using alcohol to manage work-related stress (AOR = 3.01, 1.12­8.04). Job-related factors associated with burnout were experiencing high conflict at work (AOR = 5.04, 1.92­13.20) and high role ambiguity and role conflict (AOR = 4.49, 1.98­10.18). Low support at work (AOR = 9.99, 3.66­27.23), medium job satisfaction (AOR = 5.38, 2.65­10.93) and medium support at work (AOR = 3.39, 1.71­6.73) were positively associated with burnout. Participants with medium (AOR = 0.28, 0.10­0.80) and high levels of resilience (AOR = 0.08, 0.03­0.25) were protected against burnout. Coronavirus disease 2019-related factors were not significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: The burnout prevalence among South African medical doctors at public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic was high and strongly associated with job stress factors. Contribution: Given the increased prevalence of burnout among doctors and the strong associations with job stress factors, mitigation of burnout requires targeted organisational interventions.

Factors Affecting Burnout and Job Satisfaction of Physicians at Public and Private Hospitals: A Comparative Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the impact of physicians' burnout levels on their job satisfaction, the factors related with burnout and job satisfaction, and to see whether there is a difference between public and private hospital physicians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and conducted on 160 physicians in Aydin/Turkey. Personal Information Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale were used. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and correlation analysis were conducted. Results: A negative relationship between burnout and job satisfaction among physicians was determined. Female private hospital physicians have significantly higher levels of burnout compared to male physicians. Married public hospital physicians' job satisfaction is significantly higher than single physicians. Public hospital physicians have significantly higher levels of burnout compared to private hospital physicians, as well as a significant lower level of job satisfaction. Conclusion: The physicians have high burnout and low satisfaction levels. For this reason, burnout levels of the physicians should be determined and measures should be taken to reduce it. A possible reason of female physicians having higher levels of burnout in private hospital could be the result of the unique, demanding organizational factors, culture, climate and expectations, including work-life balance issues on working women. An important finding of the study showed that public hospital physicians have higher burnout levels and lower job satisfaction levels than private hospital physicians, largely attributed to the demanding workload and the burdensome bureaucratic processes they must navigate.

Is there any difference in organizational commitment between general hospitals and specialized hospitals? Empirical evidence from public hospitals in Beijing, China.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study on the one hand is to see different hospital organization commitment have difference, including the overall score and various dimensions, on the other hand, due to the different hospital type, its function orientation is different, the factors of the doctor organization commitment may also exist differences, so the study of another purpose is to determine for different types of hospital doctor organization commitment the focus and key groups, provide reference for the doctor incentive strategy. METHODS: A total of 292 doctors in four large public hospitals in Beijing were investigated. Physicians' perceived organizational commitment was investigated using self-made electronic questionnaires. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: In the large public hospital doctor perception of the hospital commitment status, Specialized hospitals had higher overall commitment behavior scores, it is 3.47 ± 0.86; General hospital commitment behavior scored low at 3.39 ± 0.91. In the regression results, department category, working years, administrative position, and entry mode are the influencing factors of the organizational commitment of doctors in general hospitals, while in specialized hospitals, in addition to whether to hold an administrative position, entry mode, and working hours, the influencing factors also include gender, professional title and overseas learning background. CONCLUSION: There are differences in the perceived organizational commitment by doctors in different types of public hospitals, and different factors influencing their organizational commitment.Hospital type directly influences physicians' organizational commitment and plays a moderating role in influencing other factors. A possible solution is general hospital specialization, encouraging general hospitals to develop the dominant discipline. These findings can help healthcare service hospital executives or government policymakers understand the impact of hospital specialization strategies and develop more efficient medical staff incentive systems.

Percepciones sobre la aplicación de principios bioéticos en mujeres puérperas en un Hospital público del Ecuador

Fundamento: El puerperio es el periodo de tiempo que comienza en la finalización del parto hasta las seis semanas posparto; durante el cual, es necesario brindar atención conforme a los principios bioéticos inscritos en la normativa de salud vigente en el Ecuador. Objetivo: Analizar las percepciones que tienen las mujeres puérperas sobre la aplicación de los 4 principios bioéticos durante la atención en salud. Metodología: El estudio es de tipo descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo. Los datos corresponden a 10 mujeres puérperas mayores de edad, atendidas en el Hospital Gineco Obstétrico Pediátrico de Nueva Aurora "Luz Elena Arizmendi" de la ciudad de Quito, que respondieron a una entrevista sobre los principios bioéticos aplicados en la atención recibida. Se realizaron análisis de contenido a través del software ATLAS TI versión 23. Resultados: Se obtuvo una percepción positiva de las mujeres puérperas acerca de la aplicación del principio de justicia. Por otra parte, se evidencian dificultades en el de autonomía, sobre todo en la comprensión de la información brindada a la paciente acerca de los procedimientos durante el parto y puerperio, además de coacciones por parte del personal sanitario. Se percibe el consentimiento informado como un mero trámite administrativo. El principio de beneficencia se lo asume como parte de la vocación del personal y la no maleficencia genera malestar si no va acompañado de información clara y oportuna. Conclusiones: Los principios bioéticos son transversales en la normativa de salud vigente, pero sobresale el de justicia en la atención a mujeres puérperas.

Background: The puerperium is the period of time beginning at the end of labor until six postpartum weeks; during which it is necessary to provide attention in accordance with the bioethical principles included in the current health guidelines in Ecuador. Objective: To analyze the perceptions that postpartum women have about the 4 bioethical principles application during health care. Methodology: The study type is descriptive with a qualitative approach. The data correspond to 10 adult postpartum women assisted at the Nueva Aurora "Luz Elena Arizmendi" Pediatric Obstetric and Gynecological Pediatric Hospital in the Quito city, who responded to an interview about the bioethical principles applied in the received care. Content analysis was conducted through ATLAS TI version 23 software. Results: A positive perception was obtained from postpartum women concerning the application of the Justice principle. Furthermore, difficulties are evident in the Autonomy section, mainly in the comprehension of the information provided to the patient about the procedures during the labor and puerperium, as well as coercion by health personnel. Informed consent is perceived as a mere administrative formality. The Beneficence principle is assumed as part of the vocation of the personnel and Non-maleficence generates discomfort if it is not accompanied by clear and opportune information. Conclusions: Bioethical principles are transversal in current health guidelines, but that of Justice stands out in the care of postpartum women.

La empatía de los enfermeros con los pacientes en los hospitales públicos / Working nurses' empathy with patients in public hospitals / A empatia dos enfermeiros com os pacientes em hospitais públicos

Objetivo: determinar los niveles de empatía en profesionales de enfermería de un hospital de alta complejidad, relacionar la edad con la empatía (y cada una de sus dimensiones), y establecer si existen diferencias entre estos niveles según el tipo de jornada laboral. Método: diseño comparativo, correlacional y transversal. La muestra utilizada (n=271) constituyó el 40,9% del total de profesionales de enfermería. Se estudiaron las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Empatía de Jefferson para Profesionales de la Salud. Se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos: media y desviación estándar. La asociación entre empatía y edad se estimó mediante ecuaciones de regresión y significancia estadística de los coeficientes de regresión, luego de evaluar el tipo de curva mediante análisis de varianza. Resultados: se identificó el modelo subyacente de las tres dimensiones de la empatía. Los valores de los estadísticos descriptivos observados fueron relativamente bajos en empatía y sus dimensiones. Los niveles de empatía no se asociaron con el rango de edad. No se encontraron diferencias en la empatía entre los tipos de horarios de trabajo. Se encontró variabilidad en las dimensiones: "cuidado compasivo" y "ponerse en los zapatos del paciente". Conclusión: estos resultados muestran que los niveles de empatía observados pueden implicar un desempeño deficiente en el cuidado empático de los pacientes.

Objective: to determine the levels of empathy in professional nurses of a high-complexity hospital, to relate age to empathy (and each one of its dimensions), and to establish if there are differences between these levels according to the type of working schedules. Method: comparative, correlational and cross-sectional design. The sample used (n=271) constituted 40.9% of the total number of nursing professionals. Psychometric properties of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professionals were studied. Descriptive statistics were calculated: mean and standard deviation. The association between empathy and age was estimated using regression equations and statistical significance of the regression coefficients, after evaluating the type of curve using variance analysis. Results: the underlying model of three dimensions of empathy was identified. The values of the descriptive statistics observed were relatively low in empathy and its dimensions. Empathy levels were not associated with the age range. No differences in empathy were found between the types of work schedules. Variability was found in the dimensions: "compassionate care" and "Walking on the patient's shoes". Conclusion: these results show that the levels of empathy observed may imply a deficient performance in empathetic care for patients.

Objetivo: determinar os níveis de empatia em enfermeiros profissionais de um hospital de alta complexidade, relacionar a idade com a empatia (e cada uma das suas dimensões) e verificar se existem diferenças entre esses níveis, de acordo com o tipo de horário de trabalho. Método: delineamento comparativo, correlacional e transversal. A amostra utilizada (n=271) constituiu 40,9% do total de profissionais de enfermagem. Foram estudadas as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Empatia de Jefferson para Profissionais da Saúde. Foram calculadas estatísticas descritivas: média e desvio padrão. A associação entre empatia e idade foi estimada por meio de equações de regressão e significância estatística dos coeficientes de regressão, após avaliação do tipo de curva por meio de análise de variância. Resultados: o modelo subjacente de três dimensões de empatia foi identificado. Os valores das estatísticas descritivas observados foram relativamente baixos em empatia e suas dimensões. Níveis de empatia não foram associados com a faixa etária. Não foram encontradas diferenças de empatia entre os tipos de horários de trabalho. Foi encontrada variabilidade nas dimensões: "cuidado compassivo" e "colocar-se no lugar do paciente". Conclusão: esses resultados mostram que os níveis de empatia observados podem implicar em um desempenho deficiente no atendimento empático aos pacientes.

[The use of the DOS and Delirium Prevalence: a quantitative longitudinal study at a Swiss-German central hospital]. / Anwendung der DOS und Delirprävalenz.

The use of the DOS and Delirium Prevalence: a quantitative longitudinal study at a Swiss-German central hospital Abstract: Background: With a prevalence of 12-64%, delirium is a common complication in acute care, associated with negative outcomes such as increased mortality and prolonged length of stay. Many hospitals have guidelines to improve the delirium management. The Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) Score is collected in the study hospital from all patients ≥ 70 years at each shift for at least 3 days. Delirium is diagnosed by a physician and coded according to ICD-10. Purpose: Evaluation of the delirium screening with the DOS according to internal guideline in terms of number of DOS assessments performed, prevalence of delirium (DOS score ≥ 3 points, CD-10 code delirium). Method: This retrospective quantitative single-centre longitudinal study used 2017 and 2018 data of 10046 cases. Statistical analysis methods were used to analyse prevalence of delirium and subgroup comparisons. Results: At least one DOS score was documented in 92% of cases aged ≥ 70-years (n = 5038). DOS implementation varied between 60% in the early, 49% in the late and 38% in the night shift. The prevalence of delirium was 12% according to DOS score ≥ 3 and 4% according to physician diagnosis of a delirium. Cases with a DOS score ≥ 3 were significantly older, more often female, had more comorbidities and were depressed. Conclusions: DOS is performed in most patients when indicated. The DOS implementation frequency varied depending on the shift.

Dietary practice and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients attending chronic follow-up in public hospitals, central Ethiopia, 2022.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is affecting numerous Ethiopian populations regardless of environmental and social status. Diabetic people all over the world are commonly urged to acquire a healthy eating habit, which necessitates lifelong changes in food habits, beliefs, and meal patterns. Dietary management is considered one of the cornerstones of diabetes care, as it is an important component of the overall treatment plan. Choosing and following a healthy diet is important for everyone, especially people with diabetes. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess dietary practices and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients in the west Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, in 2022. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in West Shewa Zone public hospitals among 421 randomly selected type 2 diabetic patients from February 1 to March 30, 2022. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were done using SPSS. RESULTS: In this study, about 35.6% (95% CI: 30.9-39.9) of type 2 diabetes patients had good dietary practices. Diabetes knowledge (AOR 9 2; 95% CI 4.4-19.4), food-secured households (AOR 3.3; 95% CI 1.6-6.9), high self-efficacy (AOR 6.6; 95% CI 3.2-13.9), diabetes diet information from healthcare professionals (AOR 2.9; 95% CI 1.3-6.4), complete dietary change (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.1-4.8), and female gender (AOR 3.6; 95% CI 1.6-8.1) were independent predictors of good dietary practice. CONCLUSION: The proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes, who attended follow-up at West Shawa Public Hospitals and practiced good dietary habits, was low. Patients' household food insecurity, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, source of information on the diabetic diet, complete dietary change after diabetes diagnosis, and gender were all significantly associated with type 2 diabetic patients' dietary practices. Thus, promoting the provision of continuous, modified, and comprehensive education and advice on the importance of diabetes self-management, particularly adherence to dietary recommendations, is fundamental to decreasing the burden of diabetes complications and massive health expenses among diabetic patients.

New evidence on supplier-induced demand in China's public tertiary hospitals: is the cost of hospitalization higher in the off-season?

Supplier-induced demand (SID) is a long-standing concern in health economics and health system studies; however, empirical evidence on SID-critical to the development of health policy-is difficult to obtain, especially from China. This study, therefore, aims to add new evidence on SID in China's public tertiary hospitals and facilitates the development of evidence-based health policies in China and other countries with similar healthcare systems. For this study, we used patient-level electronic medical records (EMRs) collected from the information systems of tertiary hospitals in a western province in China. From 11 tertiary hospitals, we collected 274,811 hospitalization records dated between 15 February and 30 November 2019. Total expenditure on hospitalization and length of admission of each patient were the primary metrics for measuring SID. We constructed a character indicator to measure the high-season or off-season status of hospitals, and log-linear estimations were applied to estimate the "off-season effect" on hospitalized expenditures and length of admission. We find that the cost of hospitalization is indeed higher in the off-season in China's public tertiary hospitals; specifically, expenditures for patients admitted in the off-season increased by an average of 5.3-7.9% compared to patients admitted in the peak season, while the length of admission in the hospital increased by an average of 6.8% to 10.2%. We also checked the robustness of our findings by performing subgroup analyses of EMRs in the city-level hospitals and surgical group. We name this phenomenon the "hospital off-season effect" and suggest that the main reason for it is inappropriate financial incentives combined with a Fee-For-Services payment method. We suggest that China should work to reform inappropriate financial incentives in public hospitals to eliminate SID by changing its payment and financing compensation system.