Omicron exposes critical infrastructure dependencies in Australia

Covid 19 / Omicron has caused high levels of absenteeism among the workforce. While the impact on the supply chain is being acknowledged, risks to the stability of critical infrastructure systems are not. The mutual inter-dependencies of complex systems such as power, transport and internet need to be better understood. © 2022 The Author(s).

Telepsychiatry for the Elderly

For many old people with mental health problems, access to psychotherapeutic and psychiatric help is often difficult. This is partly because going to a psychiatrist is still stigmatised, especially among the older generation. On the other hand, therapists with an interest in and competence for older people are often not sufficiently available even in the well-supplied western countries. In this situation, digitalisation offers various opportunities. Basically, the internet is a good way to promote health literacy. Classic psychoeducation can certainly be offered on the internet. And psychotherapy can also be administered with the help of the internet. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibilities of internet-based therapies, for example Zoom or other techniques, were practised. This means that people with limited mobility can also receive therapy over long distances. This technology also makes it possible, for example, for the migrant population to receive therapy in their national language. All these possibilities are under development, but may become routine in the future. With the help of the digital possibilities, it is possible to organise helper conference. The professional exchange between relatives, family doctors, psychiatrists and other people in the help system can be easily organised in this way. The method also saves travel time, which is often not reimbursed in the health systems.

Impact of Demographic Variables and effectiveness of Rewards and recognition on Employee Engagement of Select Private Sector Banks in Telangana during pandemic

This covid-19 pandemic has made the mankind to think & rethink due to a lot of adversities, insecurities, etc & this pandemic has affected all businesses across the world, a quite similar to the one like the recession hit in 2008 and led to helplessness among people. Most of the businesses across have suffered due to this pandemic situation, especially service sector. Partial solution to this critical challenge is to have engaged employees who are the strong pillars because the entire working of the organisation depends on them. Employee engagement is the extent to which employees put their discretionary efforts into their work, mental ability, passion and energy. Engaged employee is always self-motivated and full of enthusiasm. Fully engaged employees can provide higher productivity, greater deliverables, higher self-motivation, reliability, loyalty towards organization, reduced employee turnover and lower absenteeism (Baumruk et al, 2004). The present study focuses on how the demographics variables(age, gender, work experience) and rewards and recognition has an effect on the employee engagement levels of select private sector banks in Telangana state during this pandemic period. Employee engagement helps to build good relationship with the customers. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaire. Selection of samples was done by using random sampling technique and the data was analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. It was observed that Age, work experience, rewards and recognition had influence on employee engagement. While gender had no influence on employee engagement in the select private sector banks for the study. © 2022. Specialusis Ugdymas. All Rights Reserved.

Burnout and work-work imbalance in radiology- wicked problems on a global scale. A baseline pre-COVID-19 survey of US neuroradiologists compared to international radiologists and adjacent staff.

PURPOSE: Worldwide, radiologists are experiencing increasing clinical workloads with associated increased burnout. This paper will review burnout definitions, prevalence, and causes. We will also share data from a survey of US neuroradiologists as an example of the impact of work-work imbalances from clinical overload. This article examines the impact on several key job indicators and upon the quality of the neuroradiology work environment in one nation. Finally, we will review proposals for ameliorating and preventing radiologist burnout. METHOD: A survey was sent to members of the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) practicing in the US. Selected measures included workhours and volume, burnout symptoms, subjectively reported errors, participation in non-clinical activities, perceived interpretation quality, results communication, and consideration of early retirement. RESULTS: Survey respondents (n = 412) included 57.5% with teaching responsibilities. Cutbacks in teaching, mentoring, research and/or practice building were reported by 86.2% of respondents. Subjective errors were reported as occurring sometimes or more frequently in the majority of respondents (56.9%) and were increased with faster than optimal speeds of interpretation (P < 0.001) and signing (P < 0.001). At least one burnout measure was reported by 85.2% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing clinical demands in conjunction with a more challenging work environment impacts the ability of radiologists to perform core non-interpretive duties that are critical for success in both private and academic practice and is associated with burnout symptoms and adverse effects on quality. While this survey does not prove causation, the trends and findings are concerning and warrant both close monitoring and appropriate intervention.

Occupational Stress, Burnout, and Depression in Women in Healthcare During COVID-19 Pandemic: Rapid Scoping Review.

Objectives: The overall objectives of this rapid scoping review are to (a) identify the common triggers of stress, burnout, and depression faced by women in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (b) explore individual-, organizational-, and systems-level interventions that can support the well-being of women HCWs during a pandemic. Design: This scoping review is registered on Open Science Framework (OSF) and was guided by the JBI guide to scoping reviews and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) extension to scoping reviews. A systematic search of literature databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and ERIC) was conducted from inception until June 12, 2020. Two reviewers independently assessed full-text articles according to predefined criteria. Interventions: We included review articles and primary studies that reported on stress, burnout, and depression in HCWs; that primarily focused on women; and that included the percentage or number of women included. All English language studies from any geographical setting where COVID-19 has affected the population were reviewed. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Studies reporting on mental health outcomes (e.g., stress, burnout, and depression in HCWs), interventions to support mental health well-being were included. Results: Of the 2,803 papers found, 28 were included. The triggers of stress, burnout and depression are grouped under individual-, organizational-, and systems-level factors. There is a limited amount of evidence on effective interventions that prevents anxiety, stress, burnout and depression during a pandemic. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings show that women HCWs are at increased risk for stress, burnout, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. These negative outcomes are triggered by individual level factors such as lack of social support; family status; organizational factors such as access to personal protective equipment or high workload; and systems-level factors such as prevalence of COVID-19, rapidly changing public health guidelines, and a lack of recognition at work.