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At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Work-related determinants of return to work of employees on long-term sickness absence.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to identify work-related determinants of return to work (RTW) of employees who are on long-term sickness absence. METHOD: The study was based on a sample of 926 employees on sickness absence (maximum duration of 12 weeks). The employees filled out a baseline questionnaire and were subsequently followed until the 10th month after listing sick. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify determinants of RTW. RESULTS: Working in one of the vocational sectors public administration, construction, financial and commercial services, transport, or education (P = 0.00) and having low co-worker support (P = 0.01) were related to longer duration to RTW in the multivariate model. Having low supervisor support (P = 0.01) was associated with a higher RTW rate. CONCLUSIONS: Vocational sector is a strong predictor of RTW. Especially employees from the sector education are slow as to RTW. The observed association between low supervisor support and RTW was unexpected. However, the study confirms earlier research on the association between low co-worker support and RTW.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMed1999

Computerized method for work space optimization in conditions of static work.

The aim of this research was to develop a theoretical method for the ergonomic optimization of the work space of the upper limb. This method is based on a model of the upper extremity with 7 degrees of freedom. It consists of 3 rigid elements modeling the arm, forearm, and hand and 34 upper extremity muscles. The trunk is considered immobile. The shoulder joint is modeled as a rotating kinematics pair of third class, the elbow and wrist joints--of fourth class. The minimum sum of muscle force moments in the joints and soft saturation muscle cooperation criterion were used as merit criteria. The developed method makes it possible to effectively solve, in a defined work space, the task of work space optimization.

Arm↗

PubMed2001

Effects of Ergorest arm supports on muscle strain and wrist positions during the use of the mouse and keyboard in work with visual display units: a work site intervention.

The effects of Ergorest arm supports on wrist angles and musculoskeletal strain in the neck-shoulder-arm region and electrical activity in the shoulder and arm muscles were studied during typing or the use of the mouse in work with a visual display unit (VDU). Twenty-one women were randomized into 3 groups (1 arm support, 2 arm supports, and control). Measurements were carried out before and after the 6-week intervention. The wrist extension of the mouse hand, the muscle activity of the trapezius muscle, and the subjective discomfort ratings indicated that 2 arm supports were better than 1 in work with a mouse. The Ergorest arm support alleviates muscle and joint strain in VDU work when used for both arms.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

GPs working in solo practice: obstacles and motivations for working in a group? A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to analyse the obstacles and eventual motivations of solo GPs for working in group practice. METHODS: A qualitative study using 12 focus groups was carried out in primary care in French-speaking Belgium. The subjects comprised four samples of GPs: 20 GP trainers, 18 GP trainees, 25 women GPs and 25 other GPs. The focus groups were taped and transcribed. Two independent researchers carried out the analysis using the QSR NUD.IST software. RESULTS: The participants (88 GPs) did not share a common definition of group practice-in particular multidisciplinary working-the need for a common pool of patients and shared premises. Their main sources of motivation for eventually setting up a group practice were better quality of life, continuity of care and sharing professional knowledge. The main obstacles were a required agreement between colleagues, the loss of a personal patient-GP relationship, budgetary constraints, and divergent views on group practice and GPs' profession (especially true for the association of GPs from different age groups). CONCLUSION: The current study shows that GPs working solo have divergent views of group practice. However, they clearly perceive advantages to this type of association (e.g. better quality of life and continuity of care). This study also confirms the high level of stress and tiredness felt by GPs and especially senior practitioners.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Staff nurse work empowerment and perceived control over nursing practice, Conditions for work effectiveness.

Nurse administrators are seeking ways to create organizational work environments that empower nurses to exercise more control over the content and context of their practice. This study used Rosabeth Kanter's Structural Theory of Organizational Behavior to examine relationships between staff nurses' perceptions of work empowerment, and control over nursing practice, and subsequently, job satisfaction and perceived work effectiveness. Implications for nurse administrators are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Incidence of sciatic pain among men in machine operating, dynamic physical work, and sedentary work. A three-year follow-up.

The incidence of sciatic pain among 25-49 year-old men in three different types of work: machine operating, dynamic physical work (construction carpenters), and office work was assessed prospectively. Postal questionnaires both at the beginning and the end of the 3-year follow-up were answered by 1149 men who at baseline had no history of sciatic pain. The crude risk ratio of the incidence of sciatic pain was 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.2) for the machine operators and 1.7 (1.3-2.4) for the carpenters when the office workers were referents. The adjusted risk ratios were 1.4 (1.0-1.9) and 1.5 (1.1-2.1), respectively. Previous history of severe lumbago or other low-back pain increased the risk fourfold. Frequent physical exercise and smoking were of borderline significance as predictors.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Integrated case management for work-related upper-extremity disorders: impact of patient satisfaction on health and work status.

An integrated case management (ICM) approach (ergonomic and problem-solving intervention) to work-related upper-extremity disorders was examined in relation to patient satisfaction, future symptom severity, function, and return to work (RTW). Federal workers with work-related upper-extremity disorder workers' compensation claims (n = 205) were randomly assigned to usual care or ICM intervention. Patient satisfaction was assessed after the 4-month intervention period. Questionnaires on clinical outcomes and ergonomic exposure were administered at baseline and at 6- and 12-months postintervention. Time from intervention to RTW was obtained from an administrative database. ICM group assignment was significantly associated with greater patient satisfaction. Regression analyses found higher patient satisfaction levels predicted decreased symptom severity and functional limitations at 6 months and a shorter RTW. At 12 months, predictors of positive outcomes included male gender, lower distress, lower levels of reported ergonomic exposure, and receipt of ICM. Findings highlight the utility of targeting workplace ergonomic and problem solving skills.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Effect of accumulated night work during the working lifetime, on subjective health and sleep in monozygotic twins.

The present study sought to investigate the effects of lifetime accumulated night work on subjective health and sleep in monozygotic twins discordant on the exposure to night work. A total of 169 twin pairs (83 males, 86 females) over 65 years of age were analyzed on variables that describe the presence or absence of complaints regarding subjective health, disturbed sleep, repeated awakenings and not being well rested. Significant (P < 0.05) risk ratios (RR) were found for subjective health (RR = 1.67) and disturbed sleep (RR = 2.83) indicating a higher risk of developing complaints to former night workers. There was neither a dose-dependent effect of night work nor an interaction effect with gender observed.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Distinct capacity limits for attention and working memory: Evidence from attentive tracking and visual working memory paradigms.

A hallmark of both visual attention and working memory is their severe capacity limit: People can attentively track only about four objects in a multiple object tracking (MOT) task and can hold only up to four objects in visual working memory (VWM). It has been proposed that attention underlies the capacity limit of VWM. We tested this hypothesis by determining the effect of varying the load of a MOT task performed during the retention interval of a VWM task and comparing the resulting dual-task costs with those observed when a VWM task was performed concurrently with another VWM task or with a verbal working memory task. Instead of supporting the view that the capacity limit of VWM is solely attention based, the results indicate that VWM capacity is set by the interaction of visuospatial attentional, central amodal, and local task-specific sources of processing.

Attention↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A framework for comprehensive health terminology systems in the United States: development guidelines, criteria for selection, and public policy implications. ANSI Healthcare Informatics Standards Board Vocabulary Working Group and the Computer-Based Patient Records Institute Working Group on Codes and Structures.

Health care in the United States has become an information-intensive industry, yet electronic health records represent patient data inconsistently for lack of clinical data standards. Classifications that have achieved common acceptance, such as the ICD-9-CM or ICD, aggregate heterogeneous patients into broad categories, which preclude their practical use in decision support, development of refined guidelines, or detailed comparison of patient outcomes or benchmarks. This document proposes a framework for the integration and maturation of clinical terminologies that would have practical applications in patient care, process management, outcome analysis, and decision support. Arising from the two working groups within the standards community--the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Healthcare Informatics Standards Board Working Group and the Computer-based Patient Records Institute Working Group on Codes and Structures--it outlines policies regarding 1) functional characteristics of practical terminologies, 2) terminology models that can broaden their applications and contribute to their sustainability, 3) maintenance attributes that will enable terminologies to keep pace with rapidly changing health care knowledge and process, and 4) administrative issues that would facilitate their accessibility, adoption, and application to improve the quality and efficiency of American health care.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1998

Relation between locomotion impairment, functional independence in retirement, and occupational strain resulting from work carried out during working life. Study of a sample population of 350 miners in the Loire valley in France.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyse long term effects of working conditions experienced at an advanced age, and after retirement by quantifying occupational strain, impairment, and disability to establish their interrelation. DESIGN: Retrospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Retired miners from The French Coal Board who had worked in the coal fields of the Loire valley. From a potential population of 507 retired miners, 350 were completely evaluated. MEASUREMENT: The study examines the occupational strain experienced by each subject, measured using both auto-evaluation and evaluation by experts and the locomotion impairment and the functional independence. MAIN RESULTS: A significant relation between the evaluation of occupational strain and functional independence and locomotion impairment of the low back was found and also a significant relation between locomotion impairment of the low back and the length of time spent working at the coal face. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms other studies as regards the effects of occupation on health status and on the aging process, but it goes further to show the consequences of this relation on functional independence.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

Need for recovery after work and the subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease in a working population.

BACKGROUND: A high need for recovery after work can be regarded as a short term adverse effect of working day stressors and the person's inability to cope and recover. Consequently, it might be an intermediate factor between job stressors and cardiovascular disease (CVD). AIM: To investigate, in a longitudinal study, the relation between need for recovery and subsequent CVD. METHODS: Data from the Maastricht Cohort Study of 12 140 workers were used, with 42 incident self reported CVD cases during 32 months of follow up. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to calculate age, gender, smoking status, and educational level adjusted relative risks. RESULTS: The adjusted relative CVD risk for the second compared to the first tertile of the need for recovery score was 1.22 (95% CI: 0.49 to 3.04), and for the third compared to the first tertile was 3.16 (95% CI: 1.34 to 7.48). When need for recovery was entered as continuous score, an adjusted relative risk per SD increase of 1.54 (95% CI: 1.15 to 2.03) was found. Additional adjustment for several work related factors as job demands, did not notably change the observed relation between need for recovery and CVD. Moreover, the increased risk for subjects reporting high job demands (1.38 per SD increase; 95% CI: 1.02 to 3.92) decreased substantially after adjustment for need for recovery. CONCLUSION: The results show that need for recovery is a strong predictor of subsequent cardiovascular disease and might be an intermediate factor between job stressors and cardiovascular disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Multidisciplinary team working, clinical networks, and chambers; opportunities to work differently in the NHS.

Recently in the United Kingdom some new organisational structures for clinicians have been discussed. So far little has changed, but the intensity of interest suggests this may be an opportunity to link change in working practices with improvements in quality. Multidisciplinary team working is developing within the National Health Service (NHS) and some groups are expanding their roles across traditional institutional boundaries to form complex clinical networks. It would require little to make these functional networks autonomous from current NHS structures. Other models of working without traditional institutional boundaries have been discussed, including the formation of "chambers" for doctors and other professionals. We describe the first tentative steps of one group as an example and suggest that further experimentation with evaluation is required.

Community Networks↗

PubMed1992

Myocardial oxygenation in the isolated working rabbit heart as a function of work.

Myocardial O2 consumption (MVO2) was stimulated up to two-fold by either increasing afterload or beta-receptor stimulation in working normothermic isolated rabbit hearts while noninvasively monitoring the O2 delivery or phosphate compounds (total n = 48). Intracellular O2 delivery was estimated with the use of myocardial optical absorbance changes centered at 603.5 and 582 nm that correlate with cytochrome aa3 redox and myoglobin oxygenation states. Phosphate-containing metabolites (ATP, phosphocreatine, free ADP) were assessed using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Measurements were made both with intact autoregulation and after maximal vasodilation by 1 microM nitroprusside (NP). When afterload was used to increase MVO2, absorbance decreased at 603.5 nm and increased at 582 nm, consistent with a 10-15% increase in myocardial oxygenation, without an associated change in cardiac phosphate compounds. NP caused a further increase in myocardial oxygenation and venous PO2 consistent with an increase in the O2 supply-to-demand ratio. Increases in MVO2 due to beta-stimulation alone were not associated with changes in 603.5-nm absorbance or phosphate compounds, but in combination with NP were accompanied by increased oxygenation, venous PO2, and cardiac phosphocreatine. KCl arrest caused maximal increases in oxygenation and phosphocreatine. These findings suggest that neither cytochrome aa3 nor myoglobin in the isolated working rabbit heart is fully oxidized or oxygenated, respectively. Furthermore, the oxygenation state of the tissue varied both with afterload-induced changes in cardiac work and with changes in O2 supply/demand.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

On the waxing and waning of working memory: action orientation moderates the impact of demanding relationship primes on working memory capacity.

The present research examined how action- versus state-oriented individuals (Kuhl & Beckmann, 1994) utilize their working memory capacity under varying situational demands. Participants visualized either a demanding or an accepting person, after which their working memory capacity was assessed. Among action-oriented participants, visualizing a demanding person led to greater operation spans (Study 1) and superior memory for intention-related information (Study 2) than visualizing an accepting person. State-oriented participants displayed the opposite pattern, such that visualizing an accepting person led to greater operation spans (Study 1) and superior memory for intentions (Study 2) than visualizing a demanding person. These findings indicate that action versus state orientation moderates the impact of situational demands on working memory capacity.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Juggling work and elder caregiving: work-life balance for aging American workers.

As the American work force ages, the demands of caring for aging relatives increase. Family caregiving often interferes with workplace responsibilities, creating physical, emotional, and financial stress for caregivers. Employers must address the productivity losses created by absenteeism of workers who struggle with work-life issues created by caregiving roles. Occupational health nurses must understand the factors that affect workers in their caregiving roles and make appropriate nursing interventions. They are in key positions to help aging employees and their employers face the increased demands on work-life balance created by elder caregiving.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Impact of the recent reduction in working hours (the 80 hour work week) on surgical resident cancer education.

BACKGROUND: Resident work hours were recently reduced to 80 hours per week by a mandate from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and subsequent Federal law (HR 3236). This mandate became effective July 1st, 2003. We sought to determine any impact this change had on perceived and real resident cancer education and knowledge. METHODS: Of the total 85 residents in our large, university-based surgical training program, we focused on the 40 who had been in the clinical program (rather than research) before and after the work hour reduction. Perceived impact on cancer education was determined by survey, and real impact by before (2002) and after (2004) scores on the overall and cancer-specific portion of the annual American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). RESULTS: All eligible residents responded to the survey. The majority (83% to 85%) indicated that exposure to cancer patients on wards and in clinics remained the same. Thirty percent felt that their exposure to cancer operations and tumor boards had decreased; 60% to 65% felt that exposure to these activities were unchanged. Approximately half of residents reported an increase in their cancer-related reading and Internet learning activities--the other half felt they had not changed. The majority (88%) reported no change in their participation in extraprogrammatic cancer-related continuing medical education activities. Of the survey responders, 23 had completed the ABSITE in both 2002 and 2004; their mean scores between the 2 time periods increased by 7% for the overall test and decreased by 3% for the cancer-specific portion. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the recent reduction in work hours does not appear to have changed residents' experience with cancer patient care, although possible early reductions in attendance at cancer operations and tumor boards merits further study and possibly future schedule changes. The reported perceived increase in cancer-related reading and Internet learning has not yet translated into improved test scores.

Educational Measurement↗

PubMed1997

Report on primate supply for biomedical scientific work in the UK. EUPREN UK Working Party.

A Working Party of the UK group of European Primate Resources Network (EUPREN) considered primate supply for scientific work in the UK. Through a questionnaire, which achieved a very good response, it obtained details of primate use, sources and breeding in the UK and it put forward options to ensure that animal welfare is the best possible whilst ensuring continued supply. The questionnaire showed that contract research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies use about 80% of the 4233 primates used annually at the moment, with the rest accounted for by academic establishments and public sector laboratories. Fifty-four per cent are cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), of which nearly 90% are captive-bred outside the European Union (EU), the remainder being bred in the UK. Nearly 90% of cynomolgus macaques are used by only five institutions. Thirty-seven per cent of primates used are marmosets (Callithrix jacchus jacchus), all of which are bred in the UK. Most of the rest are rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), about half of which are captive-bred outside the EU, the other half being bred in the UK. Overall primate use has increased from about 3000 per year in 1990 and users predict that requirements for all species except baboons (Papio sp.) will be maintained or increase. Marmoset breeding in the UK is already closely matched to use, and it could be increased reasonably easily if necessary. Some of the existing breeding centres of macaques in the UK would be prepared to consider expanding to supply others, although investment and imported breeding stock would be needed and it is likely that a large investment would be needed to breed a significant fraction of the macaque use in the UK. A further problem is that the users of only about 10% of the cynomolgus macaques said that they could replace this species by rhesus macaques, which are easier to breed in the UK. The questionnaire showed that much of the use of macaques would be transferred to other countries equally remote from the natural source countries of the animals, if constraints on primate use became more severe in the UK. Users felt that it is unlikely that much of the work could be transferred to the natural source countries themselves. A review of the literature revealed a paucity of information on the effects of transport on primate welfare. The importance of obtaining this information before making decisions about alternative means of supply is stressed. Current schemes for the accreditation of primate breeders were reviewed. A list of options is presented for discussion. Users vary so much in their requirements that it is unlikely that one means of supply will be applicable to all. Animal welfare will benefit and supply will be more certain if cooperation between those concerned (preferably through the UK group of EUPREN) is maintained.

Animal Welfare↗