The era of technology in healthcare: an evaluation of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes-a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization announced the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, rapid implementation of telehealth approaches into the healthcare system have been evident. The pandemic has drastically impacted the lives of many around the globe and has detrimentally affected our healthcare systems, specifically with the delivery of healthcare. This has had many implications on rehabilitation services such as, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy. The delivery of mental health services remotely may be referred to as teletherapy, telemental health, telepsychiatry, and telepsychology. Telerehabilitation has become a necessity over the course of the pandemic due to safety concerns with COVID-19 transmission. The primary aim of this systematic review protocol is to evaluate the literature on the effect of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes and propose directives for future research based on the evidence reviewed. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to examine the literature on the effect of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes following the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PRISMA, 2015). The systematic review will use the following databases to examine the literature on telerehabilitation and patient outcomes: APA PsychINFO, Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, and Scopus. DISCUSSION: The utilization of telerehabilitation and similar telehealth treatments has increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, much is still unclear regarding the effectiveness of these methods in the delivery and service of healthcare, and their effect on health outcomes. This review will identify and address the knowledge gaps in the literature, which will provide further directions for future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This systematic review has been registered with PROSPERO under registration number CRD42022297849.

Engaging Employers in Apprentice Training: Focus Group Insights from Small-to-Medium-Sized Employers in Ontario, Canada.

Several factors have been identified to influence the registration and retention of apprentices in the construction trades. Employer engagement is a key factor to promote growth in apprenticeships in the construction trades as participation rates continue to be low among small-to-medium-sized employers. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the Ontario Electrical League's (OEL) employer mentorship program through the perspectives of small-to-medium-sized employers using a qualitative approach. Two focus groups were conducted virtually with 11 employers. Focus group audio transcripts were recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis. Themes were generated using a data-driven approach to examine the relationships between mentorship program outcomes and perspectives on industry-related recruitment and retention barriers. Three themes were identified: (a) long-term apprentice recruitment and retention challenges; (b) equity and mental health in the workplace; and (c) industry challenges and mentorship program outcomes. Generally, this sample of employers appreciated the value of the OEL mentorship program through praise of the continued educational support, employer management expertise, hiring resources, and apprentice onboarding tools despite industry barriers in trade stigma, equity and mental health in the workplace, and recruitment and retention challenges. Industry partners should work with these small-to-medium-sized employers to develop workplace initiatives and engage external partners to provide ongoing apprenticeship mentorship support to address the recruitment and retention barriers identified in this study.

Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction in Medical Laboratory Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study in Ontario, Canada.

Job satisfaction has been widely studied across several healthcare disciplines and is correlated with important outcomes such as job performance and employee mental health. However, there is limited research on job satisfaction among medical laboratory professionals (MLPs), a key healthcare group that aids in diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. The objective of this study is to examine the demographic and psychosocial factors associated with job satisfaction for MLPs in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was administered to medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) and medical laboratory technicians/assistants (MLT/As) in Ontario, Canada. The survey included demographic questions and items from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, third edition. Binary logistic regressions were used to examine the association between job satisfaction and demographic variables and psychosocial work factors. There were 688 MLPs included in the analytic sample (72.12% response rate). Having a higher sense of community at work was correlated with higher job satisfaction in both MLT (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.07-4.77) and MLT/A (OR = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.12-14.06). In addition, having higher stress was correlated with lower job satisfaction in both MLT (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) and MLT/A (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.10-0.66). This study provides preliminary evidence on factors associated with job satisfaction in MLT and MLT/A. The findings can be used to support organizational practices and policies to improve psychosocial work factors.