Retaining Healing Hands: A Transnational Study on Job Retention Interventions for the Healthcare Workforce.

Healthcare organizations worldwide face challenges in retaining their healthcare workforce, with individual and organizational factors influencing their intentions to leave. This study conducted eight online co-creation workshops and four Delphi sessions to gain qualitative and in-depth insights into job retention interventions, involving healthcare workers, hospital managers, and policymakers. A thematic analysis was conducted, resulting in multiple interventions that were clustered in four pre-defined themes: professional and personal support, education, financial incentives, and regulatory measures. Professional and personal support interventions included regular interprofessional team meetings, leadership training programs, self-scheduling and sabbaticals, support for administrative and non-clinical work, and the provision of psychological counselling. Educational interventions encompassed facilitating development opportunities, periodic evaluations, onboarding, mentorship programs, and peer support groups. Financial incentives included the provision of competitive salaries, adequate infrastructure, extra benefits, transport possibilities, and permanent employment contracts. Regulatory measures addressed the need for complementary legislation across various levels, fixed healthcare worker-to-patient ratio, and instruments to monitor workload. To optimize retention strategies, healthcare organizations should tailor these interventions to address the unique factors influencing their workforce's intentions to leave within their specific context. The study concludes that combining personal and professional support, educational opportunities, financial incentives, and regulatory measures is necessary because there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Relation between occupational activity, health and quality of life among young inhabitants of Silesien voivodeship

BACKGROUND: Socio-economic factors, including occupational activity and unemployment, are the most significant determinants of the quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out among young inhabitants aged 25-44 years living in the Silesian voivodeship. The aim of the presented study was to assess and identify factors that determine the quality of life, self-assessed health status and chronic diseases, mainly including the determinants relating to occupational activity and unemployment. A short version of the WHOQOLBREF questionnaire was used to ascertain the quality of life of individuals. RESULTS: The study examined 602 inhabitants of the Silesian voivodeship: 502 occupationally active persons and 100 registered as unemployed in the District Employment Bureau located in Katowice. The 'unemployed' had a better quality of life in somatic and psychological domain. Moreover, respondents who were unsatisfied with their job had the quality of life in all domains poorer than the 'unemployed'. Furthermore, the poor quality of life among the occupationally active persons was correlated with the lack of physical activity, low degree of job satisfaction, low average income and low education level. Then, the poor quality of life among the 'unemployed' was correlated mainly with bad financial standing and low satisfaction of personal relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results confirmed that the level of quality of life and health status of the young inhabitants of the Silesian voivodeship significantly depends on work conditions. The observation indicating better health status and quality of life among unemployed should be extended by detailed identification study to determine its underlying factors

[Health and quality of life vs. occupational activity]. / Zdrowie i jakosc zycia a aktywnosc zawodowa.

The level of quality of life and health status of the population largely depends on the determinants related to occupational activity. The results of reviewed bibliography indicate a significant and growing importance of employment conditions on the quality of life and population health status in most countries of the world, especially in those with market economy. Of the evaluated determinants the following factors should be listed in particular: sources and the amount of income, stability of the income and employment, the nature of work and the degree of job satisfaction, as well as autonomy and career prospects. Moreover, they proved that the situation of persisting and long-term unemployment and precarious employment leads to a significant deterioration in the quality of life and health, especially among young people. In conclusion, the study of quality of life and population health status should take into consideration factors related to occupational activity. Med Pr 2016;67(5):663-671.

Changes in alcohol consumption among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic - results from POLLEK study.

OBJECTIVES: Social distancing and remote learning as one of the ways to fight against COVID-19 pandemic have affected universities and changed the lifestyle of many students. Psychoactive substances use was one of the way to deal with the anxiety caused by these new settings. Studies published so far have not provided a clear answer on whether COVID-19 leads to changes in the structure of alcohol consumption among medical students. The presented study attempted to answer this question based on the data available from the POLLEK study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group included 3 separate groups of medical students (recruited in the following academic years: 2019/2020, 2020/2021, and 2021/2022) with a total number of 899 students. To assess the characteristics of alcohol consumption the authors used a Polish version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). RESULTS: Students surveyed during the lockdown lived in the family home much more often, reported good health, and declared consumption of a smaller number of alcoholic beverages. Their AUDIT scores were statistically significantly (p = 0.04) lower compared to the group surveyed before the pandemic (5 vs. 6, respectively). There were no significant differences in the AUDIT results between other study periods. CONCLUSIONS: Lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic might be associated with a decrease in alcohol intake among medical students. This may be due to a different place of residence of students, a family home rather than a dormitory. However, the debate on this topic seems to be still open. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(3):406-16.

General health and its relation to the quality of life and alcohol consumption in a Polish cohort of medical students - preliminary results of POLLEK survey.

Introduction: First-year students of medicine are at higher risk of stress related to the new environment and study overload. Such factors can play a role and have an impact on their quality of life and general health status which can cause possible problems with alcohol use. The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between mentioned factors in the Polish cohort of first-year medical students. Materials and methods: The quality of life has been assessed within the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, the general health status was assessed via GHQ28, and alcohol consumption was assessed the by AUDIT questionnaire. Due to the lack of signature informed consent and lack of data, 381 (72%) students out of 525 were included in the final analysis. Result: The majority of the 1-year students were females 68%; (n = 259) vs. 32% (n = 122) males. Half of the students had lowered risk of distress. However, females had a higher risk of having higher scores in GHQ-28 than males. In relation to the assessment of the quality of life, the students with a lower level of distress (<32 points in GHQ-28) had better results in each WHOQOL domain. There was no association between general health status and alcohol use. For the students who had possible problems with alcohol use the OR was 1.15 95% CI (0.73-1.80) and for students who were probably addicted OR was 1.07 95% CI (0.33-3.41). Conclusion: The total quality of life in first-year Polish medical students is relatively high; however, half of them suffer because of distress and around 30% have some alcohol problems. Females are more likely to have higher GHQ-28 scores than males.

Hospital medical care and the COVID-19 mortality in METEOR partner countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, And Poland).

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare systems in European countries, including METEOR partner countries, are faced with the aging population, an increase in costs for innovative technologies and medication, a shortage of health professionals, and inequality in access to healthcare. Presented paper aimed to recognize and compare the functioning of healthcare systems between METEOR partner countries and simultaneously check if the current epidemiological situation of COVID-19 has some relationship with the number of medical staff, yearly gross domestic product, or documented percentage of fully vaccinated people. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the model of descriptive epidemiological study, available demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare organizational data in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Poland were compared to the epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 pandemic (percentage of fully vaccinated people, incidence, and mortality) in all mentioned countries. RESULTS: Obtained data confirmed that the lowest number of physicians, as well as the life expectancy and gross domestic product per capita, is in Poland. Simultaneously, the lower number of medical staff and lower gross domestic product (GDP) correspond to higher mortality due to COVID-19. The percentage of fully vaccinated with the last dose of the primary series was also the lowest in Poland. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained results confirmed that higher mortality due to COVID-19 in METEOR participants' countries is related to a lower number of medical staff and weaker GDP. The worse situation was noted in Poland, a country with problems in the functioning healthcare system, including hospital care and a serious shortage of practicing medical staff. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(3):417-27.

The Race to Retain Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review on Factors that Impact Retention of Nurses and Physicians in Hospitals.

The shortage of healthcare workers is a growing problem across the globe. Nurses and physicians, in particular, are vulnerable as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding why they might leave is imperative for improving retention. This systematic review explores both the prevalence of nurses and physicians who are intent on leaving their position at hospitals in European countries and the main determinants influencing job retention among nurses and physicians of their respective position in a hospital setting in both European and non-European countries. A comprehensive search was fulfilled within 3 electronic databases on June 3rd 2021. In total 345 articles met the inclusion criteria. The determinants were categorized into 6 themes: personal characteristics, job demands, employment services, working conditions, work relationships, and organizational culture. The main determinants for job retention were job satisfaction, career development and work-life balance. European and non-European countries showed similarities and differences in determinants influencing retention. Identifying these factors supports the development of multifactorial interventions, which can aid the formulation of medical strategies and help to maximize retention.

Retaining Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Sustaining Power in the Workplace.

The shortage of healthcare workers is a growing concern. The COVID-19 pandemic and retirement wave have accelerated turnover rates. This systematic review aimed to identify and analyse the existing interventions for job retention of healthcare workers, in terms of nurses and physicians, in a hospital setting. A comprehensive search was conducted within three electronic databases, guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines, this resulted in 55 records that met the inclusion criteria. The intervention outcomes are categorized into substantial themes: onboarding, transition program to a different unit, stress coping, social support, extra staffing, coping with the demands of patient care, work relationships, development opportunities and department resources, job environment, work organization, recruitment approach, and technological innovations. Considering the literature, onboarding programs and mentoring for nurses and physicians are recommended. Additionally, other interventions described in this review could positively affect the retention of nurses and physicians. When selecting an intervention for implementation, managers and human resources should consider the intervention that matches the determinant of intention to leave of their healthcare workers and the hospital's mission, vision, and values. Sharing the success stories of implemented interventions may benefit healthcare organizations.

The Association between COVID-19 Pandemic and the Quality of Life of Medical Students in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland.

(1) Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly in 2020, medical universities have been affected by a particular crisis. Due to the increased risk of SARS CoV-2 transmission, the authorities of medical faculties all over the world, including Poland, started to minimize direct contact between students. The objective of the paper is to identify and assess determinants of the quality of life among medical students in Poland before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: We analyzed data obtained in a cross-sectional study performed among three groups of students tested in three consecutive research periods: period before the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period and the COVID-19 pandemic period following lockdown. (3) Results: The total number of participants was 1098. We identified that the research period before the COVID-19 pandemic was the risk factor for lower quality of life in terms of the somatic and environmental domains. It was also confirmed that determinants such as poor financial situation, low frequency of physical activity and bad self-declared health status harmed the QoL scores in all domains. (4) Conclusions: The obtained results confirmed that better financial situation, higher physical activity and better self-declared health status were statistically significant factors improving the quality of life of first-year medical students in Poland. The findings of our study also showed that the declared somatic and environmental domains of QoL among medical students were better during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Our observations confirmed that the immediate implementation of e-learning could protect against the deterioration of mental health and quality of life in first-year medical students during possible future epidemic crises.

Determinants of Alcohol Consumption among Medical Students: Results from POLLEK Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of alcohol is a serious public health concern all over the world, especially among young people, including students. Medical students are often exposed to higher levels of distress, which may lead to a higher prevalence of psychoactive substance use and psychiatric co-morbidities. Alcohol abuse can be one of the detrimental methods of coping with distress. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use among medical students in Poland. METHODS: We analyzed data from the POLLEK cohort study on alcohol consumption and possible influencing factors. RESULTS: Among the 540 students included, 167 (30.9%) were hazardous drinkers (HAZ) according to the AUDIT test. The main identified risk factors of hazardous/harmful drinking were male gender and smoking cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Given the fairly widespread alcohol abuse among medical students, it is necessary to implement screening (and intervention in the next stage) programs in these groups.

[The review of prospective studies on mental health and the quality of life of physicians and medical students]. / Przeglad badan prospektywnych na temat stanu zdrowia psychicznego oraz jakosci zycia lekarzy i studentów medycyny.

Psychosocial determinants play a significant role in shaping mental health and the quality of life of workers, including physicians. The results of the presented review indicate that mental health problems of physicians are particularly manifested by chronic fatigue syndrome and burnout syndrome, and are related to chronic stress exposure at the workplace. Moreover, published data suggest that the most important mental health problems of medical students and young doctors include alcohol addiction and risky alcohol consumption, depression, and potential suicidal ideation. The studies on mental health and the quality of life of physicians, including their determinants, as presented in this paper, were mostly conducted on the basis of prospective observations that enable the tracking of changes over time. Med Pr. 2020;71(4):483-91.

The Reliability and Compatibility of the Paper and Electronic Versions of the POLLEK Cohort Study Questionnaire.

Background: Chronic fatigue, depression, burnout syndrome, and alcohol addiction have been identified as significant mental health problems in young medical doctors. Given the lack of prospective studies in this area in Poland, the POLski LEKarz (POLLEK) cohort study was created. The goal of the POLLEK study is to assess the quality of life and health status (including mental health) of medical students and young physicians. The aim of the presented paper was to assess the reliability and compatibility of paper and electronic versions of the POLLEK questionnaire. Methods: Between 1 October 2019 and 28 February 2020, all medical students (N = 638) of the first year in the Medical University of Silesia were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Three hundred and fifty-three students (55.3%) who accomplished both versions were included in the current analysis. Results: Values of Cronbach's alpha >0.7 proved both modes of delivery to have good internal consistency, except for the individual Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) domains and the Environmental domain of the WHOQOL-BREF (paper version). Similarly, interclass correlation coefficients equal to or greater than 0.9 denoted an excellent reproducibility. Conclusions: We documented very good accordance and reproducibility of POLLEK questionnaire (both paper and electronic versions). These findings legitimize the use of the questionnaire interchangeably.

Selected psychological aspects and medication adherence in oncological patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between selected psychological features and adherence to therapy in oncological patients. METHODS: The study included 102 patients of oncological clinics, 66.67% of whom were female. The average (SD) age of the study subjects was 49.15 ± 18.16 years old. The following tools were used: Morisky Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ-4), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, Personal Values Inventory (LWO), and a study-specific survey questionnaire. RESULTS: High MAQ-4 scores were declared by 39.2% of the subjects, medium scores by 32.3% and low scores by 28.5%. The values were higher in female patients (P = .23), younger subjects (P < .001), and in individuals with higher education (P = .03). The greatest adherence was observed in subjects who placed their locus of control in chance (P = .022). Significant relationships were identified between the level of medication adherence and the use of avoidance strategies of coping with stress (P = .037), including the willingness to engage in social relationships (P = .04). It was demonstrated that the risk of noncompliance in the analyzed group was associated with a lower assessment of appearance (OR = 0.75) and health (OR = 0.78) on the scale of values. CONCLUSION: Medication adherence in oncological patients is related to the health locus of control, strategies of coping with stress, and the value assigned to appearance and health.

Quality of Life and Health among People Living in an Industrial Area of Poland.

Background: The quality of life and health status of the population significantly depends on socio-economic factors, including working and employment conditions. Methods: This epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out among young inhabitants aged 25⁻44 years living in the Silesian voivodeship in Poland. The quality of life was evaluated using the short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Results: A total of 905 respondents were examined. It was shown that the poor quality of life in all assessed domains was associated with a low job satisfaction level, low physical activity, and higher self-assessed health status. Furthermore, the worse self-assessed health status in the study group was mainly related to such factors as earlier diagnosed chronic disease, lower job satisfaction, and low physical activity. Additionally, diagnosed chronic disease among occupationally active respondents was correlated with health deterioration due to excessive stress, living in the vicinity of heavy road traffic, and was declared by women more frequently. Conclusions: The results of the presented study confirmed that the quality of life and health status in young inhabitants of the Silesian voivodeship significantly depends on the work characteristics, employment conditions and lifestyle factors.