The Prevalence of Violence Against Healthcare Workers in Trinidad and Tobago.

BACKGROUND: Abuse of healthcare workers (HCWs) and lack of public trust threaten the foundation of the physician-patient relationship. This growing global problem creates an even more difficult professional environment and hinders the delivery of high-quality clinical care. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to determine the prevalence of violence against Trinbagonian HCWs in the public sector. Secondary objectives included determining risk factors for violence and mistrust between the public and providers. METHOD: A cross-sectional analysis of 434 HCWs in the public sector of Trinidad and Tobago was conducted using a modified World Health Organization (WHO) data collection tool, distributed via social media and administrative emails, and snowballed for two months. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted regarding trust in the healthcare system with patients selected from communities. RESULTS: Of the 434 respondents, 45.2% experienced violence and 75.8% witnessed violence against HCWs in the past two years. Verbal abuse (41.5%) was most common. Perpetrators were patients (42.2%) and patients' relatives (35.5%). Chi-square analysis highlighted that HCWs with the highest probability of being abused were aged 25-39 (63.8%), had two to five years of work experience (24.9%), specialized in emergency and internal medicine (48.6%), and cared for psychiatric and physically disabled patients (p-value < 0.001). HCWs believed the threat of violence negatively impacted performance (64.5%), and further action was necessary for mitigation (86.4%). Patients interviewed doubted physicians' altruism and competence (80%) and honesty (53.3%), expressed mistrust in their physician (46.7%), and cited poor infrastructure/management (66.7%) and dissatisfaction with care (60.0%) as factors that contributed to violence. CONCLUSION: Analysis revealed that violence against Trinbagonian HCWs in the public sector deteriorated patient experience and adversely affected psychological well-being, efficiency, and job satisfaction. Results suggested mistrust of HCWs by the population. Interventions should be instituted to support at-risk HCWs and educate the public to avoid recurrence.

Quality management of the periodic medical examination at a university hospital, from the workers' perspective.

Introduction: Implementation of quality assessment methodologies at healthcare services enables the results achieved to be monitored in terms of established objectives and standards of care delivery. Objectives: To assess the quality of the processes involved in provision of periodic medical examinations at a University Hospital, from the workers' perspective. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using questionnaires to conduct quality assessment of the periodic medical examination processes, including Net Promoter Score satisfaction questions. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using SPSS version 18. Data on categorical variables are expressed as absolute frequencies and data on continuous variables as means and standard deviations. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance were used to identify associations. A significance level of 0.05 was adopted to determine the statistical relevance of findings. Results: A total of 381 respondents with a mean age of 45.25 years were included, 66% of whom were female. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) association between duration of consultations and the number of items assessed in the periodic medical examination. In general, the findings from application of the Net Promoter Score for self-scheduling (45%) and service at reception (42%) indicate a need for process improvement, whereas clinical care (50%) rated as a quality process. Conclusions: This study identified a set of information that can be used to describe, analyze, and improve the care delivered by the institution's occupational health service and to identify opportunities for improvement of periodic medical examination processes.

Top 10 evidence-based recommendations from the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases for the Choosing Wisely Project

The Choosing Wisely Initiative aims to collect statements from medical societies all over the world on medical interventions that result in no benefit to patients, with the potential to cause harm. In this article we present the views of the Diagnostic Laboratory Group at the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (SBI). Ten experts from SBI were asked to list 10 diagnostic tests that were perceived as unnecessary in the field of infectious diseases. After voting for the more relevant topics, a questionnaire was sent to all SBI members, in order to select for the most important items. A total of 482 votes were obtained, and the top 10 results are shown in this manuscript. The Choosing Wisely statements of SBI should facilitate clinical practice by optimizing the use of diagnostic resources in the field of infectious diseases

Top 10 evidence-based recommendations from the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases for the Choosing Wisely Project.

The Choosing Wisely Initiative aims to collect statements from medical societies all over the world on medical interventions that result in no benefit to patients, with the potential to cause harm. In this article we present the views of the Diagnostic Laboratory Group at the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (SBI). Ten experts from SBI were asked to list 10 diagnostic tests that were perceived as unnecessary in the field of infectious diseases. After voting for the more relevant topics, a questionnaire was sent to all SBI members, in order to select for the most important items. A total of 482 votes were obtained, and the top 10 results are shown in this manuscript. The Choosing Wisely statements of SBI should facilitate clinical practice by optimizing the use of diagnostic resources in the field of infectious diseases.

Políticas de fomento à ciência, tecnologia e inovação em saúde no Brasil e o lugar da pesquisa clínica / Policies for fostering health science, technology and innovation in Brazil and the role of clinical research

Resumo Este artigo tem o objetivo de agregar relevo a algumas questões de base que podem ser úteis em um amplo processo de revisão do tema para a gestão das políticas de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação em Saúde (CT&I/S), bem como suas estratégias e prioridades. Trata-se de um ensaio analítico amparado por extensa revisão narrativa de literatura técnica, jornalística, legislação e portarias do governo federal. Como resultados conclui-se que o Complexo Produtivo da Saúde necessita, de modo indeclinável e crescente, da ciência para a sua manutenção. É possível inferir que vem sendo construído, no Brasil, um arcabouço de marcos institucionais que fortalece, orienta e incentiva as atividades de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (P&D) no país e que a investigação clínica gera conhecimento científico para a resolução dos agravos da saúde pública, a partir da geração de novos insumos ou incremento de técnicas, processos e tecnologias já existentes, que, por sua vez, serão produzidos, comercializados e empregados nos seus diferentes segmentos, alimentando, assim, todo o processo do Complexo Produtivo da Saúde.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to highlight a number of underlying issues that may be useful for a comprehensive review of the management of Health-Related Science, Technology and Innovation policies (ST&I/H), and its strategies and priorities. It is an analytical study supported by an extensive review of the technical and journalistic literature, clippings, legislation and federal government directives. The results show that the Healthcare Production Complex undeniably and increasingly needs science to maintain itself. One may infer that a framework of institutional milestones is being built in Brazil, to strengthen, guide and encourage Research and Development, and that clinical research creates scientific knowledge to address public healthcare issues by generating new inputs or enhancing existing techniques, processes and technologies that will be produced, marketed and used in the different segments, thus feeding the Healthcare Productive Complex.

Colegiado gestor: uma análise das possibilidades de autogestão em um hospital público / Administration committee: analysis of the possibilities of self-management in a public hospital

O presente artigo analisa as possibilidades de autogestão no colegiado gestor de um hospital público no estado de São Paulo. O objetivo deste estudo é o de analisar essa experiência, identificando os arranjos coletivos forjados na perspectiva de espaços de autogestão. Como foco de análise, nos centramos na dinâmica de produção de subjetividades que perpassavam o colegiado gestor do hospital alvo da pesquisa. Optou-se pelo diário institucional e pela observação simples como métodos de investigação. O mapeamento dos processos no colegiado indicou a constituição de coletivos formados a partir de modelos centrados em experiências partilhadas de gestão, onde o desencadeamento de processos de co-responsabilização é capaz de promover um modo de gerenciar com espaço para a dinâmica de singularização. O artigo tece, ainda, considerações sobre alguns dos elementos que, constitutivos de movimentos de autogestão, estão presentes no conflito gerado nos processos de heterogestão.

This paper analyzes the possibilities for self-management through an Administration Committee in a public hospital in São Paulo State, examining this experience and identifying the collective arrangements established from the standpoint of self-managed areas. This analysis focuses on the production dynamics of subjective aspects that pass by the Administration Committee of the hospital under examination, using the daily records of the institution and simple observation as the research methods. Charting the Committee processes indicated the establishment of collective activities guided by models based on shared management experiences, where the introduction of processes assigning joint responsibility can promote a management style with room for the dynamics of singularization. This paper also comments on some elements constituting self-management movements that are apparent in the conflict triggered by hetero-management processes.