Assessing Staff's and Stroke Patients' Experiences in 8 Hospitals in Greece: Results from a Prospective Multi-Center Study ("SUN4Patients").

To assess stroke patient-reported experiences and hospital staff experiences, during hospital stay. METHODS: Stroke patient-reported experiences (n=387) were recorded using the translated and culturally adapted NHS-Stroke Questionnaire into Greek and staff experiences (n=236) were investigated using the Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout subscales of the ProQOL questionnaire. RESULTS: Staff's mean compassion satisfaction score was 39.2 (SD=6.3) and mean burnout score was 24.3 (SD=5.6). Only 38.5% of the staff stated that there is smooth cooperation with healthcare professionals of other specialties/disciplines. Personnel working in an NHS Hospital was more satisfied and less burned-out when compared to personnel working at a University Hospital (p=0.02 and p<0.001, respectively). Mean total patient-reported experiences score was 81.9 (SD=9.5). Bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences for total patient-reported experiences among the eight study hospitals (p>0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health policy planners and decision-makers must take into consideration the results of such self-reported measures to establish innovative techniques to accomplish goals such as staff-specialization, continuous training and applying formal frameworks for efficient cooperation amongst different disciplines.

Nurses' knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward Deaf patients.

BACKGROUND: Deaf sign language users experience severe health disparities which could be decreased with the modification of some factors associated with health professionals' attitudes, knowledge and behaviors. Relevant research referring to nurses is almost inexistent. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine Greek nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices toward Deaf people and determine the factors that influence these parameters. METHODS: The sample consisted of 200 randomly selected nurses working in 2 public hospitals and 2 public health centers in Attica, Greece. Data was collected from November 2010 to May 2011, using a questionnaire inquiring for demographics, previous contact with Deaf people or other people with disabilities, relevant education, practices, feelings and self-efficacy for caring for Deaf patients, knowledge and attitudes toward them and interest in being educated in such issues. RESULTS: A lack of relevant knowledge and education was observed. Relevant education was found to be positively correlated with knowledge (rho = 0.225, p = 0.003). Self-efficacy was found to be positively correlated with the contact with Deaf people score (rho = 0.358, p < 0.001). The participants who have avoided caring for Deaf patients had a statistically significantly lower mean score of self-efficacy (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between the contact and knowledge scores and between relevant education or contact and attitudes. The majority (64.8%) were interested in attending a relevant educational program. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that appropriate educational programs, including contact with Deaf people, could contribute to the improvement of nurses' knowledge and behavior toward Deaf people and would be welcomed by the majority.

Public health services knowledge and utilization among immigrants in Greece: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the 90s, Greece has been transformed to a host country for immigrants mostly from the Balkans and Eastern European Countries, who currently constitute approximately 9% of the total population. Despite the increasing number of the immigrants, little is known about their health status and their accessibility to healthcare services. This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to access and utilization of healthcare services by immigrants in Greece. METHODS: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2012 in Athens, Greece. The study population consisted of 191 immigrants who were living in Greece for less than 10 years. We developed a questionnaire that included information about sociodemographic characteristics, health status, public health services knowledge and utilization and difficulties in health services access. Statistical analysis included Pearson's ×2 test, ×2 test for trend, Student's t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Only 20.4% of the participants reported that they had a good/very good degree of knowledge about public health services in Greece. A considerable percentage (62.3%) of the participants needed at least once to use health services but they could not afford it, during the last year, while 49.7% used public health services in the last 12 months in Greece. Among the most important problems were long waiting times in hospitals, difficulties in communication with health professionals and high cost of health care. Increased ability to speak Greek was associated with increased health services knowledge (p<0.001). Increased family monthly income was also associated with less difficulties in accessing health services (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The empowerment and facilitation of health care access for immigrants in Greece is necessary. Depending on the needs of the migrant population, simple measures such as comprehensive information regarding the available health services and the terms for accessibility is an important step towards enabling better access to needed services.

Caring and coping: the dementia caregivers.

OBJECTIVES: Caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease is associated with increased burden and depression. Effective coping with the hardships and demands of caring may help to sustain the caregiver and lessen the effect of the stressors. The objective of this study was to examine caregivers' coping styles and the relationship with reported levels of burden and depression. METHOD: A cross-sectional correlation study was employed. One hundred and seventy-two caregivers of patients suffering from Alzheimer's type dementia participated in the study. All patients were recruited from neurology clinics. The Greek versions of four measuring instruments used were: the Memory and Behaviour Problem Checklist, the Burden Interview, the Centre for Epidemiological studies-Depression scale and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. RESULTS: Positive coping is negatively correlated with burden (r = -0.20) and wishful thinking strategies were related positively (r = 0.16). The relation between depression and positive coping strategies is highly significant (p < 0.01), whereas for burden the relation is significant (p < 0.05). Regression analyses showed that positive coping strategies are the most powerful, both in terms of predicting depression levels, and also in terms of moderating the effect of burden on depression. CONCLUSION: Positive coping approaches need to be developed by caregivers so as to continue their caring role.

Risk Assessment of Physical Hazards in Greek Hospitals Combining Staff's Perception, Experts' Evaluation and Objective Measurements.

OBJECTIVES: The promotion of health and safety (H&S) awareness among hospital staff can be applied through various methods. The aim of this study was to assess the risk level of physical hazards in the hospital sector by combining workers' perception, experts' evaluation and objective measurements. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed using multiple triangulation. Hospital staff (n = 447) filled in an H&S questionnaire in a general hospital in Athens and an oncology one in Thessaloniki. Experts observed and filled in a checklist on H&S in the various departments of the two hospitals. Lighting, noise and microclimate measurements were performed. RESULTS: The staff's perception of risk was higher than that of the experts in many cases. The measured risk levels were low to medium. In cases of high-risk noise and lighting, staff and experts agreed. Staff's perception of risk was influenced by hospital's department, hospital's service, years of working experience and level of education. Therefore, these factors should be taken into account in future studies aimed at increasing the participation of hospital workers. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the usefulness of staff participation in the risk assessment process, despite the tendency for staff to overestimate the risk level of physical hazards. The combination of combining staff perception, experts' evaluation and objective measures in the risk assessment process increases the efficiency of risk management in the hospital environment and the enforcement of relevant legislation.