Perceived barriers to effective use of telehealth in managing the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases: a qualitative study exploring healthcare professionals' views in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The use of telehealth in the management of care and care delivery has been increasing significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth is an emerging technology used to manage care for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Jordan. However, implementing this approach in Jordan faces many challenges that need to be explored to identify practical solutions. PURPOSE: To explore the perceived challenges and barriers to using telehealth in managing acute and chronic CVDs among healthcare professionals. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted by interviewing 24 health professionals at two hospitals in different clinical areas in Jordan. RESULTS: Several barriers were reported by participants that affected the utilization of telehealth services. The barriers were categorized into the following four themes: Drawbacks related to patients, Health providers' concerns, Procedural faults, and telehealth To complement the service only. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that telehealth can be instrumental in supporting care management for patients with CVD. It means that understanding the advantages and barriers to implementing telehealth by the healthcare providers in Jordan can improve many aspects of the healthcare services for patients with CVD within the healthcare settings in Jordan.

Utilizing telehealth intervention to support patients with cardiovascular diseases in Jordan: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine is one of the new technological solutions used to facilitate treatment and intervention in patients with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). Nevertheless, the utilization of telehealth in Jordan is under-researched. PURPOSE: To explore the perspectives and experiences of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and healthcare providers on how telehealth can help manage critical and long-term CVD health problems. METHOD: A qualitative, descriptive approach was employed, whereby individual interviews were conducted with 12 healthcare providers and 12 cardiac patients from Abdali and Prince Hamzah Hospitals in Jordan. The derived data were analyzed using thematic analysis, according to the method expounded by Braun and Clarke (2014). RESULTS: The analysis of collected data revealed that telehealth deployment exhibited several advantages from the participants' perspectives, these can be divided into the following six themes: mitigating associated risks, qualified and friendly staff, streamlined work processes, effective and structured services, accessibility and privacy of patient information, affordable and convenient services. CONCLUSION: The current study suggests that telehealth can be helpful and convenient in many aspects of the health care services for patients with CVD, mainly during the crucial times of the COVID pandemic. With this study, stakeholders and Jordanian managers can better understand the telehealth advantages. This will enable them to improve the quality of care in their health organizations in the future.

Psychological distress among the nursing workforce in the United Arab Emirates: Comparing levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nurses make up the majority of the healthcare workforce. They contribute to the development of healthcare systems and the provision of high-quality, effective, and patient-centered healthcare services. However, nurses need good mental and emotional well-being to provide adequate care and the necessary physical and mental health support for their clients. This study aimed to determine the level of generalized psychological distress among nurses in the United Arab Emirates. As this study was initiated before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we were able to compare data gathered before and during the pandemic. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional correlational design. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was used to measure generalized psychological distress. Nurses' distress levels were measured and compared before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In total, 988 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority (n = 629, 63.7%) were employed in hospitals and the remainder worked in primary healthcare settings (n = 359, 36.3%). The mean distress score was 27.1 ± 13.7; 42.1% (n = 416) of participants had a severe level of distress, and only 36.4% (n = 360) reported no distress. More participants had severe stress levels before COVID-19 (59.5%, n = 386) compared with during COVID-19 (10.9%, n = 30). CONCLUSIONS: Participants' K10 scores suggest that nurses experience significant distress, which may compromise their ability to care for their clients. This study emphasizes the importance of supporting nurses as a preliminary step to improving patient care. Despite the pressure of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants' general distress scores were lower during than before the pandemic. Organizational, governmental, and global support and appreciation may have contributed to relieving the distress nurses experienced. This may be a useful ongoing approach for enhancing healthcare systems.

The impact of online teaching on stress and burnout of academics during the transition to remote teaching from home.

BACKGROUND: The higher education institutions worldwide have been transformed unexpectedly to online teaching. This sudden movement from blended learning or traditional face-to-face teaching has severely disrupted university activities and posed many challenges for teaching staff, who were asked to develop online versions of their courses overnight. This study explores the effect of the current changes in education style and working from home on the stress and burnout levels of teaching staff. METHODS: This study utilized a cross-sectional design, whereby 278 participants (faculty and course instructors) from 17 campuses of one of the largest colleges in United Arab Emirates completed a web-based survey. Numerous instruments were utilized to obtain the following data: participants demographics; their perceived stress during online teaching; their perception of the impact of teaching from home on their family's daily life, physical health, mental health and ability to cope with stress; burnout level; and their satisfaction with online teaching. RESULTS: Around 60% of participants reported moderate stress level during online teaching (moderate stress = 5 to 8) under COVID-19 (M 6.21 ± 2.26). An independent sample t-test and ANOVA tests revealed that participants with 7-10 years of online teaching experience reported more stress than participants who have 4-6 years online teaching experience (M 7.29, ±1.11 Vs. 5.30, ±2.69; P = 0.04). Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that higher stress levels and lower satisfaction with the online teaching experience were associated with more significant personal and working burnout. Married participants with school-age children were at greater risk of personal burnout. CONCLUSION: The transition to remote education imposed mental burdens and stress on faculty members. Supportive professional development strategies to enrich faculty with online teaching skills are urgently required.