Only 27.2% participants in the study had special allowances. 40.9% health workers had allowances on duty. The surgeons had average operation from 11.43 ± 11.26 to 12.68 ± 12.02 case/month and the money gained from duty from 71,480 to 156,900 VND/month. The health workers had poisonous allowances was 50%, responsible allowance was 29.1%, allowance against epidemic was 5.7%, roving allowance was 7.1%. Setting up the minimum salary for health workers must be based on real price (44.2%), the salary level was applied at present level (71.9%) and the period for increasing the salary should be 2 years (66.9%).
Health personnel

Objective. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice on the Basic Life Support (BLS) among the Philippine General Hospital medical interns, compare the scores between trained and untrained interns, and determine the proportion of respondents with updated BLS training. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study using a thirty-five item questionnaire on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical interns at the Philippine General Hospital on the BLS. Results. A total of 262 interns were included in the study. Although the mean knowledge scores of untrained and trained medical interns did not differ significantly (7.00 vs. 7.30, p=0.1637), more than 20% committed mistakes on questions on the following: jaw-thrust, rescue breaths, defibrillation, and CPR check. Generally, interns followed the BLS guidelines in their practice and had a positive attitude towards BLS. However, only 37% of trained participants had training within the past two years. Conclusion. Most medical interns have a fair knowledge on BLS regardless of training status and adhere to them in practice. Since the training duration did not affect their knowledge scores, initial training in medical school and continuous exposure in the wards may have provided adequate BLS reinforcement. Recertification may not be needed during their formative years in medical school.
Health Personnel

Background: The need for better Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) protection for healthcare workers is increasingly being recognized as a major priority in the Philippines. The OSH Law ensures a safe and healthy workplace for all workers while the OSH Standards in the Public sector guarantees protection to all government employees from work-related injury and accident. Objective: This study determined the knowledge, skills, and practices on OSH among healthcare workers after the passage of the OSH Standards for the Public Sector of four local government units: Caloocan City, Malabon City, Navotas City, and Valenzuela City Methods: The descriptive evaluative and descriptive comparative research designs were utilized using a self-made questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were: current employment as healthcare workers from the Health Department, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Bureau of Fire Protection of the four LGUs. Data gathered were statistically analyzed using frequency and percentage, simple mean, weighted mean and standard deviation. Results: More than half of the 306 respondents do not have a safety and health role in their respective LGUs. In terms of the level of knowledge on OSH, findings showed that majority were unaware of the OSH Law and the OSH Standards in the Public sector and to some of the duties of employers and rights of workers. The respondents were generally moderately skillful on OSH activities and the extent of OSH Practice showed unfamiliarity with the Mandatory 8-hour OSH Training, Safety officers, Health and Safety committees, and risk assessment for hazards. Conclusion A positive safety and health culture for government workers is fundamental especially for those working in the healthcare sector. This can be achieved more effectively if there is awareness, commitment, and correct implementation of the OSH Law, OSH Standards in the Public Sector and mandatory health programs and policies in the government institutions.
Health Personnel

Introduction: Leprosy is a chronic, progressive, and complex disease. One of the factors contributing to the quality of case detection and treatment compliance is the attitudes of health care providers towards leprosy patients. Assessment of the attitudes of HCP towards leprosy patients is crucial because this is where leprosy patients base their care-seeking behaviors; hence, the creation of this scale. Objectives: To create and validate a functionally equivalent Filipino translation of the HCP AT-PLWL scale. Methods: A validity study was conducted into two phases. In Phase I, the AT-PLWL scale was translated (forward-back method) into Filipino, which underwent a cognitive debriefing (face validity) and pre-testing to 30 health care providers. In Phase 2, the reconciled forward translation underwent face and content validity and was pilot-tested to 100 health care providers. Reliability, both internal consistency and test-retest, were assessed via calculating Cronbach’s α and intra-class correlation coefficient, respectively. Results: Content and face validity showed that all items in the scale were relevant. Cronbach’s α showed an adequate internal consistency of greater than 0.7 while the intra-class correlation coefficient of responses was greater than 0.80, indicating good correlation. Conclusion Overall, the final translated Filipino version of AT-PLWL scale is valid and reliable; hence, could serve as a tool to evaluate HCP’s attitudes.
Health Personnel

No abstract available.
Health Personnel* ; Humans ; Korea

Background: Unsafe injection practice can transmit various blood borne infections. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety among injection providers, to obtain information about disposal of injectable devices, and to compare the knowledge and practices of urban and rural injection providers. Methods: The study was conducted with injection providers working at primary health care facilities within Kaski district, Nepal. Ninety-six health care workers from 69 primary health care facilities were studied and 132 injection events observed. A semi-structured checklist was used for observing injection practice and a questionnaire for the survey. Respondents were interviewed to complete the questionnaire and obtain possible explanations for certain observed behaviors. Results: All injection providers knew of at least one pathogen transmitted through use/re-use of unsterile syringes. Proportion of injection providers naming hepatitis/jaundice as one of the diseases transmitted by unsafe injection practice was significantly higher in urban (75.6%) than in rural (39.2%) area. However, compared to urban respondents (13.3%), a significantly higher proportion of rural respondents (37.3%) named Hepatitis B specifically as one of the diseases transmitted. Median (inter-quartile range) number of therapeutic injection and injectable vaccine administered per day by the injection providers were 2 (1) and 1 (1), respectively. Two handed recapping by injection providers was significantly higher in urban area (33.3%) than in rural areas (21.6%). Most providers were not aware of the post exposure prophylaxis guideline. Conclusion: The knowledge of the injection providers about safe injection practice was acceptable. The use of safe injection practice by providers in urban and rural health care facilities was almost similar. The deficiencies noted in the practice must be addressed.
Health Personnel ; Injections

There is a growing interest in research on satisfaction with healthcare provider (HCP) and HCP- patient communication as a measure of healthcare quality of HCP’s communication competency. However, many communication assessments were not comprehensive measures and are not entirely accurate in measuring what is supposed to be measured. This study aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of a newly developed HCP-PC instrument in a Malaysian primary care setting. The HCP-PC instrument was developed using items adapted from existing instruments as well as self-developed items. A pilot study involving 277 clients of an outpatient clinic was conducted in HKL using the proposed instrument which was distributed immediately after face to face consultation. The content validity and Cronbach alpha reliability were assessed. Factor analysis constructed 3 components, exchanging information (EI), socioemotional behaviour (SB) and communication style (CS). All items loaded on the corresponding component with factor loading ≥0.6, suggesting that all items in the respective component are measuring the same direction. PCA of the final 30 items explain 61.98% of the total variance with 6.66%, 47.18% and 8.13% explained by EI, SB and CS respectively. Component-based reliability show strong internal consistency with Cronbach alpha, αEI= 0.92, αSB= 0.96 and αCS= 0.70. The pilot study supported the instrument validity and reliability after initial tests. However, further study needs to be done to confirm its construct validity to help establish a valid and reliable HCP-PC instrument for measuring patient satisfaction with HCP-PC that can be used in primary care setting.
Reproducibility of Results ; Health Personnel

Background: Studies show that healthcare workers from previous pandemics have experienced high levels of stress, anxiety with negative psychological impacts. This paper aims to identify factors affecting mental health outcomes of healthcare workers during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to determine factors affecting mental health outcome of healthcare workers with direct contact to patients with COVID-19. Depression, anxiety and distress were measured by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, and 22-item Impact of Event Scale–Revised, respectively. Binomial multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with mental health outcome. Results: 172 healthcare workers were included. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and distress symptoms among all healthcare workers were 57%, 47.7%, 65.1%, respectively. Age and living with a family with comorbidities are significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Healthcare workers aged 31 years and above are 70% less likely to have depression symptoms (OR 0.278, CI 95%, 0.11-0.72 p=0.008 and OR 0.273, CI 95%, 0.12-0.61, p=0.002). Those living with relatives with comorbidities are 2.7 times more likely to experience depression symptoms (OR 2.731, CI 95%, 1.36-5.5, p=0.005). Healthcare workers age 31-40 years has 80% less likely to experience anxiety symptoms (OR 0.212, CI 95%, 0.09-0.5, p<0.001), and those age 41 and above have 73% less likely to have anxiety symptoms (OR 0.37, CI 95%, 0.14-0.98, p<0.045). Those living with relatives with comorbidities are 2.9 times more likely to have anxiety symptoms (OR 2.889, CI 95%, 1.46-5.73, p=0.002). Level of knowledge on COVID-19 among health care workers significantly differs across severity but has no significant association with prevalence of depression. No factors were associated with distress symptom. Conclusion Cognizant of high rates of depression, anxiety and distress among our younger healthcare workers living with relatives with comorbidities will be a challenge to establish and/or improve existing programs to promote and address mental health needs. Psychological stress can accumulate over time and have an impact later in the outbreak which should be investigated in future studies.
Health Personnel ; COVID-19

This article aims to investigate the transformative potential of a global pandemic treaty, focusing on the critical role of Filipino nurses in addressing global health challenges and promoting equitable healthcare systems. Inspired by Florence Nightingale's legacy, the article outlines ten steps for transformative international collaboration. It highlights the critical need for improved global cooperation in response to the projected shortage of health workers by 2030. It advocates for a treaty prioritizing healthcare worker protection, equitable resource distribution, and nursing migration solutions. Nurses' valuable insights and perspectives must be considered by actively involving them in treaty development and implementation. The study employs an informed presentation methodology, connecting Nightingale's inspirational words to today's global health challenges, such as the COVID- 19 pandemic. Key findings highlight the treaty's transformative potential in governance, early warning systems, preparedness and response, research and development, capacity building, ethical considerations, financing, the One Health approach, and climate change. The treaty can strengthen healthcare systems, protect public health, and create a resilient and equitable future in global health by empowering nurses and fostering international collaboration.
Nursing ; Health Personnel

Objective: This study aims to validate a Filipino version of the questionnaire by Delclos et al on occupational risk factors and asthma among the health care workers of the Philippine General Hospital. Methodology: Forward and backward translation method for bilinguals was used in this study. The Filipino translation was administered to 110 health care workers selected by stratified random sampling. After 24 hours, the retranslated English version was given to the same respondents. Testing for internal consistency reliability was done by computing for Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was subsequently determined using the Cramer's V Coefficient. Results: The Filipino questionnaire showed good internal consistency reliability, as shown by the overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.9016, which is comparable to that of the original version by Delclos. Likewise, our Filipino questionnaire showed good construct validity, supported by the Cramer’s V coefficients ranging from 0.2204 (strong relationship) to 0.7843 (very strong relationship). Conclusion Overall, the Filipino version of the questionnaire for work-related asthma tested among the health care workers of Philippine General Hospital showed good reliability and validity. This may now be used as screening tool for occupational asthma among health care workers who are at risk of developing the disease. In addition, this research tool may be utilized to establish the prevalence of occupational asthma in hospitals and later on, aid in the development of a better working environment for the whole health care team.
Health Personnel ; Surveys and Questionnaires