ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the accuracy of monitoring personal protective equipment (PPE) donning and doffing process between an artificial intelligent (AI) machine collaborated with remote human buddy support system and an onsite buddy, and to determine the degree of AI autonomy at the current development stage. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a pilot simulation study with 30 procedural scenarios (15 donning and 15 doffing, performed by one individual) incorporating random errors in 55 steps. In total, 195 steps were assessed. METHODS: The human-AI machine system and the onsite buddy assessed the procedures independently. The human-AI machine system performed the assessment via a tablet device, which was positioned to allow full-body visualization of the donning and doffing person. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of PPE monitoring using the human-AI machine system was 100% and the overall accuracy of the onsite buddy was 99%. There was a very good agreement between the 2 methods (κ coefficient, 0.97). The current version of the AI technology was able to perform autonomously, without the remote human buddy's rectification in 173 (89%) of 195 steps. It identified 67.3% of all the errors independently. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that a human-AI machine system may be able to serve as a substitute or enhancement to an onsite buddy performing the PPE monitoring task. It provides practical assistance using a combination of a computer mirror, visual prompts, and verbal commands. However, further studies are required to examine its clinical efficacy with a diverse range of individuals performing the donning and doffing procedures.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound psychological impact on our frontline healthcare workers. Throughout the entire second COVID-19 wave at one major tertiary hospital in Melbourne Australia, longitudinal qualitative data between perioperative staff members, and analyses of intrapersonal changes were reported. Inductive analysis of three open-ended questions generated four major themes: Organisational Response to the Pandemic, Psychological Impact, Changes in Feelings of Support Over Time and Suggestions for Changes. Understanding the challenges, perception and suggestions from this longitudinal study allows us to provide a range of support services and interventions to minimise the long-term negative psychological impact and be better prepared should another similar situation arises again.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has presented immeasurable challenges to health care workers who remain at the frontline of the pandemic. A rapidly evolving body of literature has quantitatively demonstrated significant psychological impacts of the pandemic on health care workers. However, little is known about the lived experience of the pandemic for frontline medical staff. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the qualitative experience of perioperative staff from a large trauma hospital in Melbourne, Australia. METHODS: Inductive thematic analysis using a critical realist approach was used to analyze data from 9 semistructured interviews. RESULTS: Four key themes were identified. Hospital preparedness related to the perceived readiness of the hospital to respond to the pandemic and encompassed key subthemes around communication of policy changes, team leadership, and resource availability. Perceptions of readiness contributed to the perceived psychological impacts of the pandemic, which were highly varied and ranged from anger to anxiety. A number of coping strategies were identified in response to psychological impacts which incorporated both internal and external coping mechanisms. Finally, adaptation with time reflected change and growth over time, and encompassed all other themes. CONCLUSIONS: While frontline staff and hospitals have rapidly marshalled a response to managing the virus, relatively less consideration was seen regarding staff mental health in our study. Findings highlight the vulnerability of health care workers in response to the pandemic and reinforce the need for a coordinated approach to managing mental health.