Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

Emotional Processing and Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The present cross-sectional web-based survey study aimed to examine the impact of gender and frontline/non-frontline condition on psychological health (depression and peritraumatic distress) of a sample of Italian healthcare workers, and to explore the mediating effects of emotional processing in these relationships. Methods: Emotional processing styles and depressive and peritraumatic distress symptoms were assessed between March and December 2021, a period which in Italy corresponds to the third and the start of the fourth wave of COVID-19, along with gender, frontline versus non-frontline role in the pandemic emergency, and other sociodemographic and background variables. Results: Results showed that emotional processing mediated the relationship between gender and frontline/non-frontline role with depressive and peritraumatic distress symptomatology. Being a woman, working on the frontlines, and having a maladaptive emotional processing style increased the negative effects of stress during the pandemic. Conclusions: The obtained results strengthen the importance of providing useful psychological support for health professionals to facilitate the expression and management of emotions as well as the learning of healthy and functional styles of emotional processing.

Healthcare Professionals' Emotions of Distance and Connection When Dealing With Patients' Vaccine Hesitancy: Interaction Styles, Values, and Implications

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a primary role in the delivery of population-based vaccination programs. Their emotional well-being can influence the quality of their relationships with patients and generally the outcome of their consultations. This qualitative study sought to identify the types of emotions that HCPs feel during conversations with vaccine-hesitant patients and their styles of interaction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between June and November 2022 with 41 HCPs (mainly general practitioners and nurses) responsible for vaccinating patients: 23 in England and 18 in France. Framework analysis showed that participants reported numerous emotions, some associated with connection to patients (such as self-confidence and satisfaction) and others with distance (including anger, frustration, unease, and exhaustion). We identified four clusters of emotions reported together when reflecting on interactions with vaccine-hesitant patients: "self-confidence and emotional empathy" (satisfaction, sadness regarding the patient's situation); "anxiety and insecurity" (doubts about skills, concern for the patients); "exhaustion and weariness" (feeling of incompetence, nervousness); and "discredit and frustration" (feeling discredited, anger). Three styles of interaction were identified: most HCPs reassured and encouraged patients to get vaccinated ("patient-centered" style), some sought to convince them ("adamant" style), and some to inform them without discussion ("detached" style). In our study, HCPs describing a patient-centered interaction style emphasized emotions of connection more than of distance in their discourse, in contrast to those describing an adamant or detached style. Our results suggest that training programs offered to HCPs involved in vaccination discussions should consider the importance of emotions associated with vaccine discussions.

Doctor on call: physician smartphone use during medical consultations

BACKGROUND

Being inherently service oriented, healthcare organizations emphasize patient-centered care and service quality. However, unwarranted disruptions during patient-doctor interactions can negatively impact perceptions of service quality. Integrating digital technologies such as smartphones into patient-doctor interactions might affect perceived (as well as actual) service quality. Given the ubiquity of smartphones in daily life, it is vital to assess their impact on medical consultations.

METHOD

To address this lacuna, we examined patients' perceptions of their physicians' smartphone use during medical encounters. We investigated how these perceptions, either interruptive or constructive, affect the perceived service quality and patient satisfaction. Data from an online survey of 356 participants provided insights into patient comfort levels, perceived justifications, service quality perceptions, and overall satisfaction when physicians used smartphones during consultations in the past year.

RESULTS

Patients view physicians' smartphone use during consultations as interruptive, which affects perceived service quality and satisfaction. They were more accepting when smartphone use was related to professional tasks or urgent personal matters rather than routine use. Notably, there was no correlation between patients' smartphone habits and their perceptions of disruptive smartphone use by their physicians.

CONCLUSION

This study expands our understanding of the implications of physician smartphone use in healthcare and highlights ways to boost patient satisfaction and perceived service quality. The findings suggest that healthcare organizations should develop policies and physician training to minimize disruptive smartphone use and encourage clear communication regarding essential work-related use during patient consultations.

Translation and validation of a Chinese version of the pancreatitis quality of life instrument (PANQOLI) in patients with chronic pancreatitis

PURPOSE

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a chronic fibroinflammatory pancreatic disease that severely impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). The Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument (PANQOLI) is an 18-item measure specifically designed to assess QoL amongst patients with CP. This study aimed to develop a Chinese version of PANQOLI and assess its reliability and validity in the Chinese CP cohort.

METHODS

Translation was performed according to forward-backwards translation steps and transcultural adaptation. Five hundred Mandarin Chinese-speaking patients with CP were enrolled, 250 for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 250 for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Item analysis, reliability analysis (internal consistency, split-half reliability, test-retest reliability), and validity analysis (content validity, construct validity, and convergent validity) were performed.

RESULTS

Item analysis of the Chinese version of PANQOLI revealed that the absolute t values of all items were > 3. Reliability analysis showed that Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.868, split-half coefficient was 0.934, and intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.859, demonstrating excellent reliability. For content validity, item level content validity index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.8 to 1.0, and average of I-CVI scores across all items (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.91. In construct validity analysis, EFA produced four dimensions after rotation, and results of CFA showed χ2/df = 2.346, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.929, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.915, and root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.074. The analysis of convergent validity indicated that the Chinese version of PANQOLI was moderately correlated with the physical (r = 0.436, P < 0.001) and mental component summary (r = 0.518, P < 0.001) of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey.

CONCLUSION

The Chinese version of PANQOLI appears to be culturally appropriate, reliable, and valid for assessing the QoL amongst Chinese patients with CP.

Sosyal ağ çeşitliliği ve sosyal desteğin sağlık çalışanlarının gelişimine etkisi

Objectives: The well-being of healthcare workers is a critical indicator in the provision of high-quality care. Although researchers have stressed the importance of social interactions and social support, scarce data exist about their effects on healthcare workers’ well-being. In this study, we aim to advance the research on the relationships between social network diversity (SND), social support and thriving. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, an anonymous online link was shared among healthcare workers in a university hospital. The survey included questions on demographics, medical diseases, as well as items from the SND index, the multidimensional perceived social support scale, and the brief and comprehensive inventories of thriving scales. Results: A total of 103 individuals participated in the study (mean age ± standard deviation = 33±7.2; male/female = 33/70). Men and women did not differ in SND, perceived social support, or thriving scores. Healthcare workers older than 38 years exhibited higher scores in belonging (p=0.032), skills (p=0.006), self-worth (p=0.048), meaning and purpose (p