New Solutions-A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy最新文献

This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of physiotherapists related to their working situations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Between April and June 2020, we conducted 16 semi-structured personal interviews with physiotherapists from the public, private, and insurance sectors. Using thematic analysis, we identified three themes: legislative and regulatory policies, working conditions, and employment conditions. Physiotherapists raised concerns about COVID-19 policies, confusion, and inconsistency between regional and national guidelines. Private-sector physiotherapists faced uncertainty, and public-sector physiotherapists adapted their roles to meet increased demand. Employment conditions, especially in the private sector, were precarious due to financial strain and uncertainty. Participants cited inadequate training for pandemic management. The challenges faced by physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the need for improved legislative clarity, enhanced support mechanisms, and infectious outbreak training. Future preparedness requires policies responding to professionals' needs to ensure resilience and efficacy in physiotherapy practice amid potential crises.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) developed the Worker Protection Program (WPP) in partnership with the Raise the Floor Alliance of Worker Centers (RTF). We present a multi-method qualitative process evaluation of the program with reports from participating worker centers over an 8-month period. Our findings showcase the creation of a program to 1) identify and elevate workplace COVID-19-related complaints to CCDPH, with the potential for long-term co-production of enforcement of health and safety laws; and 2) further COVID-19-related prevention and mitigation activities by providing trainings to 4,700 + participants, conducting outreach to 800 + employers, distributing PPE at 2,500 + worksites, and providing individual referrals for unemployment, food and housing insecurity, legal, and healthcare services. This evaluation highlights the collaborative strategy of the WPP to reach worksites and workers at highest risk of COVID-19, while also identifying persistent barriers to COVID-19 prevention and mitigation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces served as an important nexus of disease transmission, increasing the need for evidence-based guidance in occupational safety and health. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for developing such evidence, and funds extramural centers for education, training and research. Using the results of a survey and key informant interviews, we document the impact of research and outreach collaborations by the centers during the pandemic. From 26 surveys and 9 interviews, several themes emerged. Through established partnerships, experts from the NIOSH-funded Centers translated and operationalized information from agencies for local businesses and workers; provided timely technical assistance and outreach; and engaged in research to study health impacts of COVID-19 on diverse worker populations. Overall, the NIOSH-funded centers and programs played an important role in providing critically needed occupational health and safety services to regional stakeholders during the pandemic. Continuing to develop intramural-extramural partnerships to be responsive during a public health emergency will allow these Centers to serve as local or regional subject matter experts, gather real-time data during an emergency event, and aid in the overall response for subsequent public health emergencies.

This paper examines the pervasive issues of stress and burnout among healthcare specialists in Jordan, which are intensified by the current system allowing patients unrestricted access to specialized clinics. Our comprehensive analysis includes an examination of systemic, technological, and cultural barriers that currently hinder effective healthcare delivery. This was done with a mixed-methods approach: gathering quantitative data reported by the World Health Organization and World Bank, and qualitative insights from stakeholder interviews. Based on our findings, we propose a restructured care pathway where general practitioners (GPs) serve as the primary contact point for patients. This model aims to distribute healthcare demands more evenly, thereby alleviating the pressure on specialists. We also explore the integration of health information systems to improve processes. The implementation of this GP-centric model demonstrates potential benefits in our pilot studies, including reduced wait times, improved patient satisfaction, and decreased burnout rates among specialists. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for nationwide policy adjustments to foster a more sustainable and equitable healthcare system in Jordan.

Work-related injuries and illnesses among all Massachusetts healthcare workers in 2020 were analyzed using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and using employer-recorded data extracted from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) required injury logs at 29 hospitals where the Massachusetts Nurses Association represented registered nurses. BLS SOII data showed large increases in injury or illness among healthcare practitioners in 2020 compared to the three preceding years, along with substantial increases in lost workdays. Hospital OSHA logs demonstrated an increase in incidents specifically due to exposure to harmful substances (including pathogens), with variation in impact across professional categories, over time, and by geography and hospital size. COVID-19 had a notable impact on recorded incidents affecting healthcare workers in Massachusetts in 2020. Further research is needed to examine whether the lack of protective supplies and personal protective equipment contributed to these increases.

Editor's Note: One cannot publish this speech without acknowledging that the speaker, who condemned the British Crown for reducing Britain's white colonists to metaphorical slavery, held human beings of color in literal slavery. They had even more reason to make such a speech against him than he did against the Crown. That said, the speech itself summons its audience not to flinch or hesitate in the face of tyranny but to resist with courage. It is a much-needed warning for our own time.-Darius Sivin.

Workers who respond to disasters are disproportionately at risk of injury, illness, and death, resulting in devastating effects on communities. This policy statement aims to address the health and safety concerns workers face in disaster response and clean-up scenarios and underscores the need for equity, resilience, and capacity building through education and training. Opportunities to strengthen local, state, and federal responses to disasters are needed to ensure the equitable protection of workers across all occupations and backgrounds. Public health professionals must advocate for (1) the establishment of protocols for the proper enforcement of policies and programs related to the health and safety of disaster workers; (2) the provision of high-quality and effective health and safety training to disaster workers, including mental health curricula; and (3) the adoption of a systematic approach to training that includes resources to prepare workers for risks in all stages of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The inclusion of all people affected in the impacted communities will ultimately benefit the broader public health.

From Upton Sinclair's The Jungle published in 1906 to the 2019 Report by Human Rights Watch, When We're Dead and Buried Our Bones Will Keep Hurting, the continuous hazardous working conditions facing workers in meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants have been well documented. Sinclair singled out the breakneck line speeds as the key source of worker misery over 100 years ago. Meatpacking workers still face dangerous working conditions that now result in injury rates 3 times the national average, exceptionally high numbers of amputations and lacerations, and extraordinarily high rates of repetitive trauma disorders. Declared essential workers who worked throughout the pandemic, meatpacking workers, and their communities suffered disproportionally high rates of COVID-19 infections, illnesses, and deaths. Congressional reports documented the meat industry's failure to protect workers during the pandemic, underscoring how the meat and poultry industry not only failed to implement effective mitigation measures but actually fought to avoid protecting workers. As a result, meatpacking plants witnessed some of the worst outbreaks in the country, endangering not only workers but their families and their local communities - resulting in preventable widespread illness and death. Government studies found that the overwhelming majority of meatpacking workers infected with the coronavirus were racial and ethnic minorities.