Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Switzerland: a local, exploratory, cross-sectional study.

Female sex workers are often considered highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, data on STI epidemiology in female sex workers are lacking in Switzerland. Our main goal was to evaluate the prevalence of six STIs (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and syphilis) among local female sex workers in Lausanne. A local, exploratory, cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of adult (≥18 years) Female sex workers in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2016. female sex workers who worked in street sex venues, massage parlours and brothels were approached for recruitment by a local non-governmental organisation. They were then invited to present at the Lausanne University Hospital, where they were offered a free STI screening and hepatitis A and B vaccination. We enrolled 96 female sex workers. They were predominantly undocumented immigrants (60%) from Africa and Eastern Europe with no health insurance; only one participant (1%) was Swiss born. During the study, 15 (16%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 9–23%) participants were newly confirmed to have an STI: six (6%; 95% CI 1–11%) had C. trachomatis, five (5%; 95% CI 0.6-9%) latent syphilis and four (4%; 95% CI 0.1–8%) hepatitis B (three with chronic active infection and one with past exposure). No human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections were newly diagnosed among the participants. Nineteen (20%) of the female sex workers were already vaccinated against hepatitis B, and 73 (76%) initiated vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B during the study. Forty-four (46%) of the female sex workers required translation and assistance from social services.

[Left behind populations, COVID-19 and risks of health inequities†: a guide of the local social-health network (Vaud, Switzerland)]. / Populations précarisées, COVID-19 et risques d'iniquités en santé†: guide du réseau socio-sanitaire vaudois.

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Confederation has referred to «â€…vulnerable populations ¼ over the age of 65 and/or with co-morbidities as potentially at risk. This group should not overshadow other highly vulnerable populations such as forced migrants, people deprived of their liberty, and the homeless. In the context of the current pandemic, there is a risk of increasing inequities in care among these populations. In this practical article, we list the marginalized and disadvantaged left behind populations in the canton of Vaud and the issues of inequities in care in the context of the pandemic; we also present the implementation of procedures sometimes original, always inter-professional and interdisciplinary, specifying who the partners are and what the resources are for front-line caregivers.

Depuis l'apparition de la pandémie du COVID-19, la Confédération évoque comme potentiellement à risque les «â€…populations vulnérables ¼ de plus de 65 ans et/ou présentant des comorbidités. Ce groupe ne doit pas «â€…éclipser ¼ d'autres populations en situation de grande vulnérabilité telles que les personnes issues de la migration forcée, celles privées de liberté, ainsi que les sans domicile fixe. Dans cet article qui se veut pratique, nous énumérons différentes populations marginalisées du canton de Vaud et les enjeux d'iniquités dans les soins dans le cadre de la pandémie ; nous présentons également l'implémentation de procédures, parfois originales, toujours interprofessionnelles et interdisciplinaires, en précisant qui sont les partenaires et quelles sont les ressources pour les soignants de première ligne.

Healthcare Students on Placements: a Cyclical Quality Method for Satisfaction Assessments.

The Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV, Switzerland) is a university hospital with more than 11,000 employees who perform clinical, research and teaching roles. It was ranked in March 2019 among the ten best hospitals in the world according to the magazine Newsweek. The education scheme of the CHUV includes the practical training of more than 1700 young people, in particular from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (HES-SO). This research and development, carried out in collaboration with the University of Teacher Education of State of Vaud (UTE Vaud), has enabled the creation and implementation of a cyclical method for evaluating the satisfaction of HES-SO healthcare students at CHUV. The method created and tested-the Cycle of Construction and Quality Control for Satisfaction Evaluations (CCQCSE)-comprises nine stages: Issues, Analysis, Design, Items, Information, Collection, Processing, Feedback and Adjustment. It was designed with the help of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals (CHUV) and experts in education sciences (UTE Vaud) as part of a master's thesis (Kaeser 2018) directed by our research team. A 4-month pilot phase allowed more than 250 placement students' satisfaction levels to be collected with respect to ten aspects of the practical training scheme, and provided diagnostic feedback. Identifying strengths and areas for improvement has significantly helped with the development of a quality policy for student training at the institution. CCQCSE is now considered as a robust method in line with the quality measures already in place at CHUV. In particular, it encouraged those responsible for the practical training to reflect on their mentoring practices. Beyond the context of CHUV and the mentoring of healthcare students on placements, the CCQCSE model could be transferred to other sectors in which training placements are offered, opening up new avenues of collaborative research.