Dataset Information

Pandemic-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among medical assistants during the SARS-CoV-2 ("Coronavirus") pandemic in Germany: A cross-sectional Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread rapidly around the globe since December 2019 creating much uncertainty among medical staff. Due to close patient contact, medical assistants are at increased risk of an infection. Several studies have investigated psychological consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on medical staff, yet studies in the outpatient setting are scarce and studies addressing medical assistants are lacking. This study aimed to investigate pandemic-related stressors, attitudes, and work outcomes among medical assistants and to identify possible determinants.

Methods

The population under study were medical assistants across entire Germany. A self-devised online questionnaire was published between April 7th, 2020, and April 14th. including questions on pandemic-related stressors, attitudes and work outcomes. Additionally, symptoms of depression and anxiety disorder were measured by PHQ-2 and GAD-2, respectively. Logistic regression was performed to identify possible determinants.

Results

2150 medical assistants provided complete data (98.0% female, mean age 37.6 years). Major stressors were uncertainty about the temporal scope of the pandemic (95.1% agreement), about how to act correctly (77.5%), feelings of not being allowed to let patients down (75.9%), uncertainty about one's financial situation (67.4%) and about contact persons for further information (67.1%). One third (29.9%) of the study population screened positively for depression and 42.6% for anxiety disorder. Feeling burdened by one's financial situation was significantly associated with working in specialist practices (1.32 [1.08-1.62]), caring for children (1.51 [1.22-1.87]), depression (1.28 [1.01-1.62]), and anxiety disorder (1.93 [1.55-2.39]). Feeling burdened by thoughts about virus contraction at work was also significantly associated with working in specialist practices (1.33 [1.07-1.64]), caring for children (1.33 [1.07-1.66]), depression (1.54 [1.18-2.00]), and anxiety (4.71 [3.71-5.98]).

Conclusions

This study provides novel evidence regarding major SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related stressors among medical assistants and suggests need for special support for medical assistants caring for children and working in specialist practices.

SUBMITTER: Dreher A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7808691 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Pandemic-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among medical assistants during the SARS-CoV-2 ("Coronavirus") pandemic in Germany: A cross-sectional Study.

Dreher Annegret A Pietrowsky Reinhard R Loerbroks Adrian A

PloS one 20210114 1

<h4>Background</h4>The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread rapidly around the globe since December 2019 creating much uncertainty among medical staff. Due to close patient contact, medical assistants are at increased risk of an infection. Several studies have investigated psychological consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on medical staff, yet studies in the outpatient setting are scarce and studies addressing medical assistants are lacking. This study aimed to investigate pandemic-related stressors, ...[more]

PMID: 33444419

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Project description:ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed great challenges to medical professionals worldwide. Dental assistants (DAs) are at exceptionally high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 due to frequent and close patient contact and involvement in various high-risk dental procedures. This study aimed to investigate attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among DAs from all over Germany at the peak of cases in spring 2020.DesignCross-sectional study. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression.SettingDental, maxillofacial surgery and orthodontic practices across Germany, April 2020.ParticipantsParticipants aged 18 years and above and currently working as DAs in Germany.Primary and secondary outcome measuresA self-devised online questionnaire was employed comprising questions on SARS-CoV-2-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes. Validated scales assessed symptoms of depression and anxiety.ResultsAmong 1481 participating DAs (median age 35 years, 98.4% female, 91.8% working in dental practices), major stressors were uncertainty about the pandemic's temporal scope (97.9% agreement, n=1450), uncertainty about one's financial situation (87.8%, n=1301), uncertainty about how to act correctly (87.6%, n=1298) and thoughts about a possible infection during work (83.8%, n=1241). Forty-two per cent of DAs (n=622) felt sufficiently prepared for dealing with patients with SARS-CoV-2. Only 17.5% (n=259) agreed that material for personal protection was sufficiently available. Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggested that working in a dental practice, compared with orthodontic and maxillofacial surgery practices, was significantly associated with uncertainty about one's financial situation (OR 2.13 (95% CI 1.33 to 3.44)) and with the reported availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) (0.55 (0.36 to 0.84)).ConclusionsTraining about correct behaviour of DAs during future infectious disease outbreaks is needed, especially for DAs working in dental practices. In the future, it will also be necessary to strengthen supply chains to ensure that PPE is sufficiently available in a timely manner.

Project description:BackgroundWorkplace violence is widespread, but studies on workplace violence against health professions in outpatient settings are sparse. We aimed to examine, for the first time, the prevalence of workplace violence against medical assistants as well as potential sociodemographic, occupational and health-related correlates of the exposure to workplace violence.MethodsWe used data from a survey (03-05/2021) among medical assistants in Germany (n = 424). We assessed the 12-month prevalence (yes/no) of verbal violence, physical violence, and sexual harassment as well as the types of perpetrators of workplace violence. Further, information was gathered on sociodemographic (e.g., age, educational level), occupational (e.g., years in job), and mental health-related factors (i.e., anxiety, depression). The 12-month prevalences of the different types of workplace violence were merged into a single variable ("any workplace violence" vs. none) for association analysis. We ran multivariable Poisson regression models to examine potential associations between sociodemographic and occupational correlates (i.e., independent variables) with any workplace violence as dependent variable and in addition between any workplace violence (independent variable) and dichotomized mental health as dependent variable.ResultsOverall, 59.4% of the medical assistants reported verbal violence, 5.9% reported physical violence, 3.8% reported sexual harassment, and 60.1% reported any workplace violence in the previous 12 months. Patients were reported to be the main perpetrators, followed by patients' relatives. Younger age, being single, and working in a medical care center were sociodemographic and occupational correlates of workplace violence (PRs ≥ 1.27). Workplace violence was significantly associated with mental health variables (PRs ≥ 1.72).ConclusionMedical assistants experience workplace violence, in particular verbal violence. To devise preventive measures, prospective studies are needed to confirm the potential risk groups for workplace violence and the potential mental health sequels of workplace violence observed in our study.

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Dataset Information

Pandemic-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among medical assistants during the SARS-CoV-2 ("Coronavirus") pandemic in Germany: A cross-sectional Study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Pandemic-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among medical assistants during the SARS-CoV-2 ("Coronavirus") pandemic in Germany: A cross-sectional Study.

Similar Datasets

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