ABSTRACT
2.Abstract and keywordsO_ST_ABSObjectiveC_ST_ABSDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommuting has become a new way of working that has not only changed individuals work, but also their health and lifestyle. We examined the relationship between telecommuting frequency and unhealthy dietary habits among Japanese workers. MethodsA total of 33,302 workers completed an Internet survey about telecommuting and dietary habits. Data from 13,468 office workers who telecommuted were analyzed. Telecommuting frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic was extracted from a questionnaire. The odds ratios (ORs) of four types of dietary habits, namely, skipping breakfast, solitary eating, lower meal frequency, and meal substitution associated with telecommuting frequency were estimated using multilevel logistic regression nested in the prefecture of residence to control for differences in residential area. ResultsThe multivariate OR of skipping breakfast was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.03-1.29, p=0.013) for participants who telecommuted in excess of four days per week compared to those who rarely telecommuted. Similarly, the OR of solitary eating, lower meal frequency and meal substitution were 1.44 (95%CI: 1.28-1.63, p<0.001), 2.39 (95%CI: 1.66-3.44, p<0.001), and 1.26 (95%CI: 1.04-1.51, p=0.015) for those who telecommuted in excess of four days per week compared to those who rarely telecommuted. There was a statistically significant increase in the dose-response trend in ORs of solitary eating (p for trend <0.001), lower meal frequency (p for trend <0.001), and meal substitution (p for trend =0.001) with increasing telecommuting frequency. ConclusionTelecommuters may develop unhealthy dietary habits, indicating the need for strategies to help telecommuters manage their nutrition and diet.
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Purposes: We prospectively examined the effects of “instruction for near death” by doctors to improve communication and difficulty in end-of-life care in acute general wards. Methods: A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the communication between pre-treatment group and the group with and without the “instruction for near death” in the end-of-life period by Japanese version of Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS-J). We also compared the difficulty of end-of-life care before and after the trial. Results: The “communication between professionals” in STAS-J was 0.46±0.53 in pre-treatment group (n=71), 0.18±0.39 in the instruction group (n=34) and 0.66±0.48 in the non-instruction group (n=44) (p<0.001). The “family anxiety”, the “family insight”, “communication between patient and family” and “communication professional to patient and family” in STAS-J were not significantly different between the groups. The questionnaire of difficulty of end-of-life care showed no change in both doctors and nurses. Conclusions: The “communication between professionals” was improved in the group with the “instruction for near death”. The difficulty of end-of-life care was not reduced, and it did not contribute to family anxiety and communications.
ABSTRACT
This paper reports on the practical course in health care administration that our fifth-year medical students are required to take in order to facilitate team health care. The course is intended to give students an opportunity to review health care from various viewpoints, including those of patients and ancillary medical personnel. In the present study, we used students' reports and a survey carried out immediately after the course, to measure student reactions and to examine the usefulness and possible improvements for the course.<BR>Approximately 90% of the students acknowledged value in this method of teaching, and believed their experience would help them in the future when they are doctors. Furthermore, the results of an anonymous questionnaire given to doctors with up to five years of postgraduate experience revealed that more than 60% of them supported the continuation of this type of practical course in team health care as a part of medical education.
