The relationship between health IT characteristics and organizational variables among German healthcare workers

Indicators of technostress, their association with burnout and the moderating role of support offers among nurses in German hospitals: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the level of indicators of technostress among nurses with and without a leadership position, the relationship between indicators of technostress and burnout and the moderating role of support offered by employers. The availability of support offers and further needs of nurses were also explored.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey.

SETTING

Acute care hospitals in Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

303 nurses (73.3% female) who have worked at the hospital for at least 1 year and a minimum of 10 hours per week.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Indicators of technostress (complexity, overload, usefulness, lack of technical support and unreliability) served as predictors in multiple linear regression analyses to examine their association with the primary outcome burnout. Support of employers was included as a moderator variable. Validated subscales from the Digital Stressors Scale and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory as well as open-ended questions were applied.

RESULTS

There were no differences in the level of indicators of technostress found between nurses with and without a leadership position. Techno-overload (β=0.259, p=0.004) and techno-complexity (β=0.161, p=0.043) were significantly associated with burnout. Support by the employer moderated the relationship between lack of technical support and burnout significantly (R² change=0.026, F(1,292)=7.41, p=0.007). Support offers such as training, IT service and contact persons on the ward helped nurses to be more confident in the use of information and communication technologies. However, they expressed further needs with regard to these and new offers.

CONCLUSIONS

There was an association between two indicators of technostress and burnout. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to supporting nurses in terms of techno-overload and techno-complexity. Furthermore, there is still a need for customised support and further offers from employers in the use of digital technologies.

Overcoming the "Dark Side" of Technology-A Scoping Review on Preventing and Coping with Work-Related Technostress

In the course of the digitalisation of work, the phenomenon of technostress is increasingly being examined. While there is a plethora of research on its causes and consequences, a growing body of research on mitigating work-related technostress is emerging. In order to identify opportunities to overcome this "dark side" of technology, this scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on how to prevent and cope with work-related technostress. The databases PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, PSYNDEX, and Web of Science were searched in the time period between 2008 and 2021. The studies were screened independently by two authors and selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixty-two studies were included and their methodological quality was assessed using standardised checklists. Resources were identified at the technical, organisational, social and personal level, including, e.g., leadership, organisational and technical support as well as self-efficacy and IT mindfulness. Problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies were, e.g., seeking support or distancing from IT. None of the included studies investigated prevention measures, emphasising a dearth of research that needs to be addressed in the future. Nevertheless, the identified resources and coping strategies provide starting points to address adverse work- and health-related consequences and reduce work-related technostress.