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Beadle ES, Walecka A, Sangam AV, Moorhouse J, Winter M, Munro Wild H, Trivedi D, Casarin A. Triggers and factors associated with moral distress and moral injury in health and social care workers: A systematic review of qualitative studies. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303013. [PMID: 38935754 PMCID: PMC11210881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE At some point in their career, many healthcare workers will experience psychological distress associated with being unable to take morally or ethically correct action, as it aligns with their own values; a phenomenon known as moral distress. Similarly, there are increasing reports of healthcare workers experiencing long-term mental and psychological pain, alongside internal dissonance, known as moral injury. This review examined the triggers and factors associated with moral distress and injury in Health and Social Care Workers (HSCW) employed across a range of clinical settings with the aim of understanding how to mitigate the effects of moral distress and identify potential preventative interventions. METHODS A systematic review was conducted and reported according to recommendations from Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Searches were conducted and updated regularly until January 2024 on 2 main databases (CENTRAL, PubMed) and three specialist databases (Scopus, CINAHL, PsycArticles), alongside hand searches of study registration databases and other systematic reviews reference lists. Eligible studies included a HSCW sample, explored moral distress/injury as a main aim, and were written in English or Italian. Verbatim quotes were extracted, and article quality was assessed via the CASP toolkit. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns and arrange codes into themes. Specific factors like culture and diversity were explored, and the effects of exceptional circumstances like the pandemic. RESULTS Fifty-one reports of 49 studies were included in the review. Causes and triggers were categorised under three domains: individual, social, and organisational. At the individual level, patients' care options, professionals' beliefs, locus of control, task planning, and the ability to make decisions based on experience, were indicated as elements that can cause or trigger moral distress. In addition, and relevant to the CoVID-19 pandemic, was use/access to personal protection resources. The social or relational factors were linked to the responsibility for advocating for and communication with patients and families, and professionals own support network. At organisational levels, hierarchy, regulations, support, workload, culture, and resources (staff and equipment) were identified as elements that can affect professionals' moral comfort. Patients' care, morals/beliefs/standards, advocacy role and culture of context were the most referenced elements. Data on cultural differences and diversity were not sufficient to make assumptions. Lack of resources and rapid policy changes have emerged as key triggers related to the pandemic. This suggests that those responsible for policy decisions should be mindful of the potential impact on staff of sudden and top-down change. CONCLUSION This review indicates that causes and triggers of moral injury are multifactorial and largely influenced by the context and constraints within which professionals work. Moral distress is linked to the duty and responsibility of care, and professionals' disposition to prioritise the wellbeing of patients. If the organisational values and regulations are in contrast with individuals' beliefs, repercussions on professionals' wellbeing and retention are to be expected. Organisational strategies to mitigate against moral distress, or the longer-term sequalae of moral injury, should address the individual, social, and organisational elements identified in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S. Beadle
- Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Amy V. Sangam
- Intensive Care Unit, Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Matthew Winter
- Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Munro Wild
- Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Daksha Trivedi
- Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care, School of Health and Social Work, The University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Casarin
- Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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Ghogomu ET, Welch V, Yaqubi M, Dewidar O, Barbeau VI, Biswas S, Card K, Hsiung S, Muhl C, Nelson M, Salzwedel DM, Saragosa M, Yu C, Mulligan K, Hébert P. PROTOCOL: Effects of social prescribing for older adults: An evidence and gap map. CAMPBELL SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS 2024; 20:e1382. [PMID: 38434537 PMCID: PMC10903187 DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Objectives This is the protocol for an evidence and gap map. The objectives are as follows: The aim of this evidence and gap map is to map the available evidence on the effectiveness of social prescribing interventions addressing a non-medical, health-related social need for older adults in any setting. Specific objectives are as follows: 1.To identify existing evidence from primary studies and systematic reviews on the effects of community-based interventions that address non-medical, health-related social needs of older adults to improve their health and wellbeing.2.To identify research evidence gaps for new high-quality primary studies and systematic reviews.3.To highlight evidence of health equity considerations from included primary studies and systematic reviews.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Srija Biswas
- Canadian Institute of Social PrescribingCanadian Red CrossTorontoCanada
| | - Kiffer Card
- Faculty of Health SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityVancouverCanada
| | - Sonia Hsiung
- Canadian Institute of Social PrescribingCanadian Red CrossTorontoCanada
| | - Caitlin Muhl
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health SciencesQueens UniversityKingstonCanada
| | - Michelle Nelson
- Dalla Lana School of Public HealthUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Douglas M. Salzwedel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and TherapeuticsUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | | | | | - Kate Mulligan
- Dalla Lana School of Public HealthUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Paul Hébert
- Bruyère Research InstituteUniversity of OttawaOttawaCanada
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
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3
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Turk JK, Claymore E, Dawoodbhoy N, Steinauer JE. "I Went Into This Field to Empower Other People, and I Feel Like I Failed": Residents Experience Moral Distress Post- Dobbs. J Grad Med Educ 2024; 16:271-279. [PMID: 38882403 PMCID: PMC11173027 DOI: 10.4300/jgme-d-23-00582.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization nullified the constitutional right to abortion, which led to effective bans in at least 14 US states and placed obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents in dilemmas where they may have to withhold care, potentially causing moral distress-a health care workforce phenomenon less understood among resident physicians. Objective To identify and explore moral distress experienced by OB/GYN residents due to care restrictions post-Dobbs. Methods In 2023, we invited OB/GYN residents, identified by their program directors, training in states with restricted abortion access, to participate in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews via Zoom about their experiences caring for patients post-Dobbs. We used thematic analysis to analyze interview data. Results Twenty-one residents described their experiences of moral distress due to restrictions. We report on 3 themes in their accounts related to moral distress (and 4 subthemes): (1) challenges to their physician identity (inability to do the job, internalized distress, and reconsidering career choices); (2) participating in care that exacerbates inequities (and erodes patient trust); and (3) determination to advocate for and provide abortion care in the future. Conclusions OB/GYN residents grappled with moral distress and identified challenges from abortion restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jema K Turk
- is Director of Evaluation, Ryan Residency Training Program, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Emily Claymore
- is Assistant Director of Programs, Ryan Residency Training Program, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy
- is Program Manager, Ryan Residency Training Program, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; and
| | - Jody E Steinauer
- is Director, Ryan Residency Training Program, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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4
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Joshi I, Zemel R. "COVID-19 and the New Hidden Curriculum of Moral Injury and Compassion Fatigue". Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024:10499091241253283. [PMID: 38768440 DOI: 10.1177/10499091241253283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Medical students are educated through two dichotomous curriculums, the formal, planned curriculum and the hidden curriculum unintentionally taught through socialization within the culture of medicine. As a consequence of shared trauma amongst the physician workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, moral injury (MoI) and compassion fatigue (CoF) have become prevalent within the health care system, including palliative care medicine, with echoing ramifications on the observing trainee population. Thus, it is imperative to determine risk factors, protective factors and targeted interventions to offset MoI and CoF within the health care workforce and trainee population. Methods of strengthening personal and institutional resilience are vital to developing long-term structural change replacing the hidden curriculum of MoI and CoF with one of resilience and support. As palliative care providers are especially vulnerable to MoI and CoF, this article will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MoI, CoF, and resilience within the hidden curriculum through the lens of palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Joshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel Zemel
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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Ganguly AP, Oren H, Jack HE, Abe R. Equity M&M - Adaptation of the Morbidity and Mortality Conference to Analyze and Confront Structural Inequity in Internal Medicine. J Gen Intern Med 2024; 39:867-872. [PMID: 37904072 PMCID: PMC11043282 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND At morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences, medical teams review cases for medical education and system improvement. Adverse outcomes are often driven by social inequity, but processes to analyze such outcomes are lacking. AIM Adapt quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) tools in the M&M format to systematically analyze adverse patient outcomes rooted in social and structural determinants of health (SSDH). SETTING One-hour conferences conducted in health systems in Seattle, WA, and Dallas, TX. PARTICIPANTS Equity M&M conferences were held 11 times, each with approximately 45 participants comprised of internal medicine trainees, faculty, and non-medical staff. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Conferences included a case narrative and counternarrative highlighting SSDH, an equity-framed root cause analysis, and potential interventions. PROGRAM EVALUATION Conferences were received well across both institutions. Following conferences, most respondents reported increased identification of opportunities for action towards equity (88.5%) and confidence in discussing equity issues with colleagues (92.3%). DISCUSSION Equity M&M conferences are a structured tool for deconstructing and confronting structural inequity that leads to adverse patient outcomes. Evaluations demonstrate educational impact on participants. Anecdotal examples suggest institutional impact. Other health systems could adopt this model for similar advocacy and system improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha P Ganguly
- Center of Innovation and Value at Parkland, Parkland Health, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Hannah Oren
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Helen E Jack
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan Abe
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Sukhera J, Atkinson TM, Bullock JL. It is Challenging to Shift the Norm: Exploring how to Anticipate and Address Microaggressions in Clinical Learning Environments. PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 12:575-583. [PMID: 38144673 PMCID: PMC10742249 DOI: 10.5334/pme.1251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Increased attention to improving a culture of belonging in clinical learning environments has led to various approaches to addressing microaggressions. However, most approaches in the literature focus on responding or reacting to microaggressions with insufficient attention to building trust before microaggressions might occur. Research on microaggressions in clinical learning environments suggests anticipatory or pre-emptive conversations about microaggressions may foster greater trust. In this study, the authors explored how diverse participants perceived the experience of anticipatory conversations about potential microaggressions. Overall, the authors sought to gain a deeper understanding of how pre-emptive and anticipatory conversations may influence an organization's approach to addressing microaggressions in clinical learning environments. Methods The authors utilized constructivist grounded theory methodology and conducted individual qualitative interviews with 21 participants in an academic department within a larger health sciences center in the United States. Results Findings suggest that anticipatory conversations about microaggressions were challenging due to existing norms in dynamic clinical learning and working environments. Participants shared that the idea of anticipating microaggressions elicited dissonance. Conversations about microaggressions could potentially be facilitated through leaders who role model vulnerability, organizational supports, and an individualized approach for each team member and their role within a complex hierarchical organization. Discussion Anticipating and addressing microaggressions in clinical learning environments holds tremendous potential, however, any conversations about personal identity remain challenging in medical and healthcare environments. This study suggests that any attempts to address microaggressions requires attention to cultural norms within healthcare environments and the ways that hierarchical organizations can constrain individual agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javeed Sukhera
- Hartford Hospital and the Institute of Living, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Justin L. Bullock
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Seattle, WA, USA
- School of Health Professions Education, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Shroff FM, Mehta DH. Wellbeing Convene during COVID-19: A pilot intervention for improving wellbeing and social connectedness for staff, students, residents, and faculty. J Clin Transl Sci 2023; 7:e269. [PMID: 38380389 PMCID: PMC10877516 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Canada is facing its worst crisis among healthcare workers in recent healthcare history. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and severe burnout are higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. University Faculties of Medicine (FoMs) are vital to healthcare systems. Not only are they responsible for training personnel, but clinicians and staff from FoMs often work directly within healthcare systems. FoMs include students, staff, residents, faculty members, residents, researchers, and others, many experiencing higher stress levels due to pandemic tensions. Most FoMs emphasize cognitive and psychomotor learning needs. On the other hand, affective learning needs are not as well addressed within most FoMs. Finding innovative means to ameliorate mental and emotional health status, particularly at this critical juncture, will improve health and wellness, productivity, and retention. This article discusses a pilot program, Wellbeing Convene during COVID-19, in a Canadian FoM, which aimed to (1) provide staff, faculty, residents, and students with a toolkit for greater wellbeing and (2) build a sense of community during isolating times. Results Participants found the program beneficial in both regards. We recommend that these kinds of programs be permanently available to all members in FoMs, at no cost. Wellness programs alone, however, will not solve the root causes of mental and emotional stress, often based on concerns related to finances, hierarchical workplace structures, and nature of the work itself, among other factors. Conclusion Addressing the mental and emotional health of people in FoMs is vital to improving productivity and reducing stress of FoMs, healthcare professionals, and, ultimately, patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah M. Shroff
- Maternal and Infant Health Canada, Vancouver,
BC, Canada
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia
Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia Faculty
of Medicine, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Harvard HealthLab Accelerators Venture Board
Member, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darshan H. Mehta
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,
USA
- Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts
General Hospital, Boston, MA,
USA
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Buchbinder M, Browne A, Berlinger N, Jenkins T, Buchbinder L. Moral Stress and Moral Distress: Confronting Challenges in Healthcare Systems under Pressure. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2023:1-15. [PMID: 37347222 PMCID: PMC10758677 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2023.2224270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Stresses on healthcare systems and moral distress among clinicians are urgent, intertwined bioethical problems in contemporary healthcare. Yet conceptualizations of moral distress in bioethical inquiry often overlook a range of routine threats to professional integrity in healthcare work. Using examples from our research on frontline physicians working during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article clarifies conceptual distinctions between moral distress, moral injury, and moral stress and illustrates how these concepts operate together in healthcare work. Drawing from the philosophy of healthcare, we explain how moral stress results from the normal operations of overstressed systems; unlike moral distress and moral injury, it may not involve a sense of powerlessness concerning patient care. The analysis of moral stress directs attention beyond the individual, to stress-generating systemic factors. We conclude by reflecting on how and why this conceptual clarity matters for improving clinicians' professional wellbeing, and offer preliminary pathways for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Liza Buchbinder
- Center for Social Medicine and Humanities and Semel Institute, UCLA
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Wheater K, Montgomery C, Clark R, Nimmo G. Self care and wellbeing in the face of COVID-19: Multidisciplinary perspectives and interprofessional experiences. J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2023; 53:137-143. [PMID: 37114378 PMCID: PMC10140767 DOI: 10.1177/14782715231168208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The human toll which has resulted from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is clearly recognised. No single event in recent times has had such profound effects on health services and their staff wellbeing around the world. Policy making has been led by the requirement for confinement and surveillance to limit spread of the disease, and in clinical settings the impact of the necessity for the use of personal protective measures has caused huge strains on practice clinically and professionally. In this paper we share experiences from the pandemic, explore the social and organisational factors at stake and make some suggestions for both personal wellbeing practice and a systems response to the ongoing staff wellbeing challenges of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Wheater
- Chaplaincy Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Catherine Montgomery
- Chancellor’s Fellow in Sociology of Biomedicine, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Rowena Clark
- Welfare Lead & Consultant in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Graham Nimmo
- Formerly MSc Critical Care, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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10
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Kalani Z, Barkhordari-Sharifabad M, Chehelmard N. Correlation between moral distress and clinical competence in COVID-19 ICU nurses. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:107. [PMID: 37029367 PMCID: PMC10080174 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01277-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nurses' clinical competence is one of the fundamental necessities for providing safe and effective care. Moral distress, as one type of occupational stressors, can affect various aspects of clinical competence, especially under conditions of complicated medical settings such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between moral distress and clinical competence in nurses working in COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS The study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 194 nurses working in COVID-19 ICU affiliated to Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, central Iran, participated in the study. Data were collected using Demographic Information Questionnaire, Moral Distress Scale, and Clinical Competence Checklist. Data were analyzed with SPSS20 using descriptive and analytical statistics. RESULTS The mean score of moral distress, clinical competence, and skills application were 1.79 ± 0/68, 65.16 ± 15.38, and 145.10 ± 38.20, respectively. Based on Pearson correlation coefficient, there was an inverse and significant relationship between the moral distress score and its dimensions with clinical competence and skills application (P < 0.001). Moral distress was a significant negative predictor that accounted for 17.9% of the variance in clinical competence (R2 = 0.179, P < 0.001) and 16% of the variance in utilization of clinical competence (R2 = 0.160, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Considering the relationship between moral distress, clinical competence and skills application, to maintain the quality of nursing services, nursing managers can strengthen clinical competence and skills application by using strategies to deal with and reduce moral distress in nurses, especially in critical situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Kalani
- Department of Nursing, Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | | | - Niloufar Chehelmard
- Shahid Rahnemoun Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
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Guraya SS, Menezes P, Lawrence IN, Guraya SY, Rashid-Doubell F. Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the physicians' psychological health: A systematic scoping review. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1071537. [PMID: 37056734 PMCID: PMC10086257 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1071537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundCOVID-19 has endangered healthcare systems at multiple levels worldwide. Published data suggests that moral dilemmas faced during these unprecedented times have placed physicians at the intersections of ethical and unethical considerations. This phenomenon has questioned the physicians' morality and how that has affected their conduct. The purpose of our review is to tap into the spectrum of the transforming optics of patient care during the pandemic and its impact on psychological wellbeing of physicians.MethodsWe adopted the Arksey and O'Malley's framework, defining research questions, identifying relevant studies, selecting the studies using agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, charting the data, and summarizing and reporting results. Databases of PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were searched using a predefined search string. The retrieved titles and abstracts were reviewed. Later, a detailed full-text analysis of the studies which matched our inclusion criteria was performed.ResultsOur first search identified 875 titles and abstracts. After excluding duplicates, irrelevant, and incomplete titles, we selected 28 studies for further analysis. The sample size in 28 studies was 15,509 with an average size of 637 per study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used, with cross-sectional surveys being utilized in all 16 quantitative studies. Using the data from semi-structured interviews, several discrete codes were generated, which led to the identification of five main themes; mental health, individual challenges, decision-making, change in patient care, and support services.ConclusionThis scoping review reports an alarming rise in psychological distress, moral injury, cynicism, uncertainty, burnout, and grief among physicians during the pandemic. Decision-making and patient care were mostly regulated by rationing, triaging, age, gender, and life expectancy. Poor professional controls and institutional services potentially led to physicians' crumbling wellbeing. This research calls for the remediation of the deteriorating mental health and a restoration of medical profession's advocacy and equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaista S. Guraya
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland – Medical University Bahrain, Muharraq, Bahrain
| | - Prianna Menezes
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland – Medical University Bahrain, Muharraq, Bahrain
| | | | - Salman Yousuf Guraya
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Salman Yousuf Guraya
| | - Fiza Rashid-Doubell
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland – Medical University Bahrain, Muharraq, Bahrain
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Sukhera J, Knaak S. A realist review of interventions to dismantle mental health and substance use related structural stigma in healthcare settings. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Mengesha B, Zite N, Steinauer J. Implications of the Dobbs Decision for Medical Education: Inadequate Training and Moral Distress. JAMA 2022; 328:1697-1698. [PMID: 36318119 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.19544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This Viewpoint discusses how states’ restrictions on abortion will affect medical students’ training in providing reproductive health care and also create moral distress by being forced to provide care that may harm patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biftu Mengesha
- Innovating Education in Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Nikki Zite
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville
| | - Jody Steinauer
- Kenneth J. Ryan Residency Training Program in Abortion and Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
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Haier J, Beller J, Adorjan K, Bleich S, de Greck M, Griesinger F, Heppt M, Hurlemann R, Mees ST, Philipsen A, Rohde G, Schilling G, Trautmann K, Combs SE, Geyer S, Schaefers J. Decision Conflicts in Clinical Care during COVID-19: A Multi-Perspective Inquiry. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10101914. [PMID: 36292361 PMCID: PMC9602416 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10101914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The early COVID-19-pandemic was characterized by changes in decision making, decision-relevant value systems and the related perception of decisional uncertainties and conflicts resulting in decisional burden and stress. The vulnerability of clinical care professionals to these decisional dilemmas has not been characterized yet. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study (540 patients, 322 physicians and 369 nurses in 11 institutions throughout Germany) was carried out. The inclusion criterion was active involvement in clinical treatment or decision making in oncology or psychiatry during the first year of COVID-19. The questionnaires covered five decision dimensions (conflicts and uncertainty, resources, risk perception, perception of consequences for clinical processes, and the perception of consequences for patients). Data analysis was performed using ANOVA, Pearson rank correlations, and the Chi²-test, and for inferential analysis, nominal logistic regression and tree classification were conducted. Results: Professionals reported changes in clinical management (27.5%) and a higher workload (29.2%), resulting in decisional uncertainty (19.2%) and decisional conflicts (22.7%), with significant differences between professional groups (p < 0.005), including anxiety, depression, loneliness and stress in professional subgroups (p < 0.001). Nominal regression analysis targeting “Decisional Uncertainty” provided a highly significant prediction model (LQ p < 0.001) containing eight variables, and the analysis for “Decisional Conflicts” included six items. The classification rates were 64.4% and 92.7%, respectively. Tree analysis confirmed three levels of determinants. Conclusions: Decisional uncertainty and conflicts during the COVID-19 pandemic were independent of the actual pandemic load. Vulnerable professional groups for the perception of a high number of decisional dilemmas were characterized by individual perception and the psychological framework. Coping and management strategies should target vulnerability, enable the handling of the individual perception of decisional dilemmas and ensure information availability and specific support for younger professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Haier
- Hannover Medical School, Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Johannes Beller
- Hannover Medical School, Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Kristina Adorjan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Bleich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Moritz de Greck
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank Griesinger
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Pius-Hospital Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Markus Heppt
- Department of Dermatology, Erlangen University Hospital, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Soeren Torge Mees
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Friedrichstadt General Hospital, 01067 Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Gernot Rohde
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Georgia Schilling
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Care and Rheumatology, Asklepios Tumorzentrum, 22763 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karolin Trautmann
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephanie E. Combs
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Klinikum rechts der Isar, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Siegfried Geyer
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Juergen Schaefers
- Hannover Medical School, Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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15
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Cristancho S, Field E, Taylor T. Adapting despite "walls coming down": Healthcare providers' experiences of COVID-19 as an implosive adaptation. PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL EDUCATION 2022; 11:213-219. [PMID: 35635718 PMCID: PMC9150045 DOI: 10.1007/s40037-022-00716-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has been a daunting exercise in adaptation for healthcare providers. While we are beginning to learn about the challenges faced by teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, what remains underexplored are the strategies team members used to adapt to these challenges. The goal of this study is therefore to explore how healthcare providers navigated and adapted to on-the-ground challenges imposed by COVID-19. METHODS We interviewed 20 healthcare workers at various hospitals in Ontario, who provided care as part of clinical teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected and analyzed following Constructivist Grounded Theory principles including iteration, constant comparison and theoretical sampling. RESULTS Participants' accounts of their experiences revealed the process of 'implosive adaptation'. The 'reality check', the 'scramble' and the 'pivot' comprised this process. The reality check described the triggers, the scramble detailed the challenges they went through and the pivot prescribed the shifting of mindset as they responded to challenges. These stages were iterative, rather than linear, with blurred boundaries. DISCUSSION According to our participants, not all adaptations have to be successful during a crisis. The language of reality check, scramble and pivot provides a framework for teams to talk about and make sense of their approaches to crisis, even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayra Cristancho
- Department of Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
- Centre for Education Research & Innovation (CERI), The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
| | - Emily Field
- Centre for Education Research & Innovation (CERI), The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Taryn Taylor
- Centre for Education Research & Innovation (CERI), The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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16
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Svantesson M, Durnell L, Hammarström E, Jarl G, Sandman L. Moral and exhausting distress working in the frontline of COVID-19: a Swedish survey during the first wave in four healthcare settings. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e055726. [PMID: 35851022 PMCID: PMC9296999 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe the prevalence and sources of experienced moral stress and anxiety by Swedish frontline healthcare staff in the early phase of COVID-19. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey, quantitative and qualitative. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING 1074 healthcare professionals (75% nurses) in intensive, ward-based, primary and municipal care in one Swedish county. MEASURES A study-specific closed-ended and an open-ended questionnaire about moral stress and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale measuring anxiety, followed by an open question about anxiety. FINDINGS Moral stress was experienced by 52% of respondents and anxiety by 40%. Moral stress in concern for others attributed to institutional constraints comprised experiences of being deprived of possibilities to respond to humane and professional responsibility. Staff experienced being restricted in fulfilling patients' and families' need for closeness and security as well as being compelled to provide substandard and inhumane care. Uncertainty about right and good, without blame, was also described. However, a burdensome guilt also emerged as a moral distress, blaming oneself. This comprised feeling complicit in the spread of COVID-19, inadequacy in care and carrying patients' suffering. Staff also experienced an exhausting distress as a self-concern in an uncontrollable work situation. This comprised a taxing insecurity by being in limbo, being alone and fear of failing, despair of being deprived control by not being heard; unable to influence; distrusting management; as well as an excessive workload. CONCLUSIONS We have not only contributed with knowledge about experiences of being in the frontline of COVID-19, but also with an understanding of a demarcation between moral stress/distress as a concern for patients and family, and exhausting distress in work situation as self-concern. A lesson for management is that ethics support should first include acknowledgement of self-concern and mitigation of guilt before any structured ethical reflection. Preventive measures for major events should focus on connectedness between all parties concerned, preventing inhumane care and burn-out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Svantesson
- University Health Care Reserach Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Linda Durnell
- University Health Care Reserach Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Erik Hammarström
- University Health Care Reserach Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Gustav Jarl
- University Health Care Reserach Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Lars Sandman
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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17
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Burm S, Luong V, LaDonna K, Bogie B, Cowley L, Klasen JM, MacLeod A. From struggle to opportunity: Reimagining medical education in a pandemic era. PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL EDUCATION 2022; 11:115-120. [PMID: 35286689 PMCID: PMC8919355 DOI: 10.1007/s40037-022-00702-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the international medical education community in unprecedented ways. The restrictions imposed to control the spread of the virus have upended our routines and forced us to reimagine our work structures, educational programming and delivery of patient care in ways that will likely continue to change how we live and work for the foreseeable future. Yet, despite these interruptions, the pandemic has additionally sparked a transformative impulse in some to actively engage in critical introspection around the future of their work, compelling us to consider what changes could (and perhaps should) occur after the pandemic is over. Drawing on key concepts associated with scholar Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, this paper serves as a call to action, illuminating the critical imaginings that have come out of this collective moment of struggle and instability, suggesting that we can perhaps create a more just, compassionate world even in the wake of extraordinary hardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Burm
- Continuing Professional Development and Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - Victoria Luong
- Continuing Professional Development and Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Kori LaDonna
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education and Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bryce Bogie
- MD/PhD Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsay Cowley
- Ottawa Blood Disease Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Klasen
- Clarunis, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna MacLeod
- Continuing Professional Development and Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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18
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Xue Y, Lopes J, Ritchie K, D'Alessandro AM, Banfield L, McCabe RE, Heber A, Lanius RA, McKinnon MC. Potential Circumstances Associated With Moral Injury and Moral Distress in Healthcare Workers and Public Safety Personnel Across the Globe During COVID-19: A Scoping Review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:863232. [PMID: 35770054 PMCID: PMC9234401 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.863232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) and public safety personnel (PSP) across the globe have continued to face ethically and morally challenging situations during the COVID-19 pandemic that increase their risk for the development of moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI). To date, however, the global circumstances that confer risk for MD and MI in these cohorts have not been systematically explored, nor have the unique circumstances that may exist across countries been explored. Here, we sought to identify and compare, across the globe, potentially morally injurious or distressful events (PMIDEs) in HCWs and PSP during the COVID-19 pandemic. A scoping review was conducted to identify and synthesize global knowledge on PMIDEs in HCWs and select PSP. Six databases were searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and Global Health. A total of 1,412 articles were retrieved, of which 57 articles were included in this review. These articles collectively described the experiences of samples from 19 different countries, which were comprised almost exclusively of HCWs. Given the lack of PSP data, the following results should not be generalized to PSP populations without further research. Using qualitative content analysis, six themes describing circumstances associated with PMIDEs were identified: (1) Risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19; (2) Inability to work on the frontlines; (3) Provision of suboptimal care; (4) Care prioritization and resource allocation; (5) Perceived lack of support and unfair treatment by their organization; and (6) Stigma, discrimination, and abuse. HCWs described a range of emotions related to these PMIDEs, including anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, burnout, anger, and helplessness. Most PMIDE themes appeared to be shared globally, particularly the 'Risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19' and the 'Perceived lack of support and unfair treatment by their organization.' Articles included within the theme of 'Stigma, discrimination, and abuse' represented the smallest global distribution of all PMIDE themes. Overall, the present review provides insight into PMIDEs encountered by HCWs across the globe during COVID-19. Further research is required to differentiate the experience of PSP from HCWs, and to explore the impact of social and cultural factors on the experience of MD and MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxin Xue
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Faculty of Health Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jillian Lopes
- Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Kimberly Ritchie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Laura Banfield
- Health Sciences Library, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Randi E McCabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Heber
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Veterans Affairs Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A Lanius
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Western University of Canada, London, ON, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada.,St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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