Categorization and Characterization of Activities Designed to Help Health-care Professionals Involved in Hepatitis Care Increase Their Awareness of the Disease: The Classification of Hepatitis Medical Care Coordinators.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the current state of the activities performed by hepatitis medical care coordinators, categorize coordinators according to the activities they perform, and determine the backgrounds of these coordinators. Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was completed by 414 coordinators. The surveyed items included gender, occupation, activity items performed, and barriers that inhibited the performance of these activities. A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied, and cases were classified based on the contents of the activities in question. Results The coordinators were classified into four groups (A-D). Group A, consisting primarily of public health nurses, was classified as "the type that conducted activities aimed at providing information and recommendations." Group B, which included registered dieticians and clerks, was classified as "the type that uses multidisciplinary collaboration to perform their tasks." Group C, which included clinical nurses, was classified as "the type that was more likely to perform activities as leaders in an organization." Group D, consisting primarily of pharmacists, was classified as "the type that promoted activities centered on providing instructions regarding medication dosage and administration." Conclusion Our study showed that coordinators' professional skills and abilities are reflected in the contents of the activities they conduct, and that, to adequately perform their roles, they must acquire skills in addition to those required in their original occupations. To implement high-quality hepatitis countermeasures, there is a need to foster an environment that facilitates cooperation between coordinators, as well as relationship-building.

Burnout and characteristics of mental health of caregivers of elderly dementia patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify burnout and the characteristics of mental health of caregivers of elderly dementia patients, which have been little studied. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 107 caregivers who were engaged in the care of dementia patients at 12 facilities in northern Kyushu. We examined age, sex, status of nursing-care related qualifications, years of working experience, physical health (Present state of health and Presence of perceived ill health), status at work (Problems at work and Job stress) and satisfaction with life using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and WHO Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SUBI). The period of survey was five months, between June 1 and October 31, 2006. RESULTS: The most severe level of burnout was found in 27.1% of the subject. When subjects were classified into the burnout and nonburnout groups, the burnout group represented 53.3% of the subjects. In a comparison of the scores of the SUBI subscales between the burnout and nonburnout group, significant differences were observed in almost all subscales without "Deficiency in Social Contacts" and "Social Support". CONCLUSION: This study clarified that self-care of physical and mental health, and family support were very important in maintaining mental health and preventing burnout in caregivers of dementia patients.