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Saragosa M, Goraya F, Serrano F, Nowrouzi-Kia B, Guilcher S, Abdul Aziz Y, Gohar B. From Crisis to Opportunity: A Qualitative Study on Rehabilitation Therapists' Experiences and Post-Pandemic Perspectives. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1050. [PMID: 38786460 PMCID: PMC11120773 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12101050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Rehabilitation therapists (RTs) have developed substantial mental health problems since the pandemic. Our study aimed to understand the experience of COVID-19 on occupational therapists and physiotherapists practicing in Canada, how the pandemic may have affected care delivery, and to identify new learnings articulated by RTs. A qualitative descriptive study design guided data collection through one-on-one interviews, dyadic interviews, and focus groups. We recruited active RTs across Canada, advertising on professional practice networks and social media platforms and using snowball sampling. Forty-nine RTs representing seven Canadian provinces participated. The four overarching themes developed using thematic analysis were (1) navigating uncertainty along with ever-changing practices, policies, and attitudes, (2) morphing roles within a constrained system, (3) witnessing patients suffering and experiencing moral distress, and (4) recognizing the personal toll of the pandemic on self and others, as well as lessons learned. Our study demonstrated that many RTs suffered moral distress, poor mental health, and some from challenging financial situations, especially those in the private sector. They also expressed a resilient attitude in response to these stressors. Implications in the future include identifying promising communication strategies that could act as protective factors, addressing workforce constraints and diminishing resources through innovative models of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Saragosa
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (F.G.); (F.S.); (B.G.)
| | - Farwa Goraya
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (F.G.); (F.S.); (B.G.)
| | - Frances Serrano
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (F.G.); (F.S.); (B.G.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada;
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Sara Guilcher
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada;
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada;
| | - Yasmin Abdul Aziz
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3M2, Canada;
| | - Basem Gohar
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (F.G.); (F.S.); (B.G.)
- Centre for Research in Occupational Safety & Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
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Brown-Johnson C, DeShields C, McCaa M, Connell N, Giannitrapani SN, Thanassi W, Yano EM, Singer SJ, Lorenz KA, Giannitrapani K. Qualitative interview study of strategies to support healthcare personnel mental health through an occupational health lens. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e075920. [PMID: 38216178 PMCID: PMC10806949 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Employee Occupational Health ('occupational health') clinicians have expansive perspectives of the experience of healthcare personnel. Integrating mental health into the purview of occupational health is a newer approach that could combat historical limitations of healthcare personnel mental health programmes, which have been isolated and underused. OBJECTIVE We aimed to document innovation and opportunities for supporting healthcare personnel mental health through occupational health clinicians. This work was part of a national qualitative needs assessment of employee occupational health clinicians during COVID-19 who were very much at the centre of organisational responses. DESIGN This qualitative needs assessment included key informant interviews obtained using snowball sampling methods. PARTICIPANTS We interviewed 43 US Veterans Health Administration occupational health clinicians from 29 facilities. APPROACH This analysis focused on personnel mental health needs and opportunities, using consensus coding of interview transcripts and modified member checking. KEY RESULTS Three major opportunities to support mental health through occupational health involved: (1) expanded mental health needs of healthcare personnel, including opportunities to support work-related concerns (eg, traumatic deployments), home-based concerns and bereavement (eg, working with chaplains); (2) leveraging expanded roles and protocols to address healthcare personnel mental health concerns, including opportunities in expanding occupational health roles, cross-disciplinary partnerships (eg, with employee assistance programmes (EAP)) and process/protocol (eg, acute suicidal ideation pathways) and (3) need for supporting occupational health clinicians' own mental health, including opportunities to address overwork/burn-out with adequate staffing/resources. CONCLUSIONS Occupational health can enact strategies to support personnel mental health: to structurally sustain attention, use social cognition tools (eg, suicidality protocols or expanded job descriptions); to leverage distributed attention, enhance interdisciplinary collaboration (eg, chaplains for bereavement support or EAP) and to equip systems with resources and allow for flexibility during crises, including increased staffing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cati Brown-Johnson
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Matthew McCaa
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA
| | | | - Susan N Giannitrapani
- Employee Occupational Health, Wilmington VA Medical Center, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - Wendy Thanassi
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Occupational Health Service, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Yano
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sara J Singer
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Karl A Lorenz
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Karleen Giannitrapani
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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Hatch BA, Kenzie E, Ramalingam N, Sullivan E, Barnes C, Elder N, Davis MM. Impact of the COVID-19 vaccination mandate on the primary care workforce and differences between rural and urban settings to inform future policy decision-making. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287553. [PMID: 37368922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Little is known about the impact of mandated vaccination policies on the primary care clinic workforce in the United States or differences between rural and urban settings, especially for COVID-19. With the continued pandemic and an anticipated increase in novel disease outbreaks and emerging vaccines, healthcare systems need additional information on how vaccine mandates impact the healthcare workforce to aid in future decision-making. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Oregon primary care clinic staff between October 28, 2021- November 18, 2021, following implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare personnel. The survey consisted of 19 questions that assessed the clinic-level impacts of the vaccination mandate. Outcomes included job loss among staff, receipt of an approved vaccination waiver, new vaccination among staff, and the perceived significance of the policy on clinic staffing. We used univariable descriptive statistics to compare outcomes between rural and urban clinics. The survey also included three open-ended questions that were analyzed using a template analysis approach. RESULTS Staff from 80 clinics across 28 counties completed surveys, representing 38 rural and 42 urban clinics. Clinics reported job loss (46%), use of vaccination waivers (51%), and newly vaccinated staff (60%). Significantly more rural clinics (compared to urban) utilized medical and/or religious vaccination waivers (71% vs 33%, p = 0.04) and reported significant impact on clinic staffing (45% vs 21%, p = 0.048). There was also a non-significant trend toward more job loss for rural compared to urban clinics (53% vs. 41%, p = 0.547). Qualitative analysis highlighted a decline in clinic morale, small but meaningful detriments to patient care, and mixed opinions of the vaccination mandate. CONCLUSIONS Oregon's COVID-19 vaccination mandate increased healthcare personnel vaccination rates, yet amplified staffing challenges with disproportionate impacts in rural areas. Staffing impacts in primary care clinics were greater than reported previously in hospital settings and with other vaccination mandates. Mitigating primary care staffing impacts, particularly in rural areas, will be critical in response to the continued pandemic and novel viruses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigit A Hatch
- Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Erin Kenzie
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - NithyaPriya Ramalingam
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Eliana Sullivan
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Chrystal Barnes
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Nancy Elder
- Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Melinda M Davis
- Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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