Supports for Mental Well-Being Valued by Healthcare Workers: Qualitative Analysis of Data From a Canadian Cohort of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A prospective cohort of 4964 HCWs from four Canadian provinces was established early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were invited to comment about workplace mental health supports at three time points. We performed a thematic content analysis of responses from 1738 participants using the Social Support Behaviour Code framework to categorize barriers to support as informational, tangible, emotional, social, or expressing esteem.

Project ECHO Occupational and Environmental Medicine: A Qualitative Study of HealthCare Providers Supporting Workers with Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.

Purpose: This qualitative study investigated the needs, barriers, and facilitators that affect primary care providers' involvement in supporting patients' stay-at-work and return-to-work following injury or illness. It also aims to understand the lived experiences of primary care providers who participated in the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes training program for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ECHO OEM). By examining both the structural and experiential aspects of the program, this study seeks to provide insights into how ECHO OEM influences providers' approaches to occupational health challenges.

ECHO OEM virtual community of learning for primary care.

Background: Health issues caused and/or exacerbated by work are common in patients seeking primary health care. Yet, primary care providers generally receive little or no training in the assessment and management of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Aims: To conduct a pilot project to develop, implement and evaluate a programme to teach occupational and environmental medicine to primary healthcare providers.

Determinants of Post-COVID Ill-Health in a Cohort of Canadian Healthcare Workers.

Objective: We aimed to estimate prevalence of post-COVID conditions (PCCs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) and to identify predisposing factors.

Methods: A cohort of Canadian HCWs completed four questionnaires during the pandemic. At the final questionnaire, HCWs reported conditions attributed to earlier COVID-19.

Availability, use, and impact of workplace mental health supports during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Canadian cohort of healthcare workers.

We investigated the availability and use of workplace mental health (MH) supports during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Canadian cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) and measured anxiety and depression by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) completed at four contacts 2020-2022. Reports were available for 4400 HCW working with patients. Half the HCWs had a clinically significant HADS score at one or more contacts Access to MH supports increased during the pandemic, with 94% reporting access to some workplace support by 2022: 47% had made use of at least one support.

Work Characteristics, Workplace Support, and Mental Ill-Health in a Canadian Cohort of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify determinants of mental health in healthcare workers (HCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A cohort of Canadian HCW completed four questionnaires giving details of work with patients, ratings of workplace supports, a mental health questionnaire, and substance use. Principal components were extracted from 23 rating scales.

Determinants of SARS-CoV-2 IgG response and decay in Canadian healthcare workers: A prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) from an interprovincial Canadian cohort gave serial blood samples to identify factors associated with anti-receptor binding domain (anti-RBD) IgG response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Methods: Members of the HCW cohort donated blood samples four months after their first SARS-CoV-2 immunization and again at 7, 10 and 13 months. Date and type of immunizations and dates of SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected at each of four contacts, together with information on immunologically-compromising conditions and current therapies.

Excess risk of COVID-19 infection and mental distress in healthcare workers during successive pandemic waves: Analysis of matched cohorts of healthcare workers and community referents in Alberta, Canada.

Objectives: To investigate changes in risk of infection and mental distress in healthcare workers (HCWs) relative to the community as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed.

Methods: HCWs in Alberta, Canada, recruited to an interprovincial cohort, were asked consent to link to Alberta's administrative health database (AHDB) and to information on COVID-19 immunization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Those consenting were matched to records of up to five community referents (CRs).

Determinants of Sickness Absence Duration After Mild COVID-19 in a Prospective Cohort of Canadian Healthcare Workers.

Objective: The aim of the study is to identify modifiable factors associated with sickness absence duration after a COVID-19 infection.

Methods: Participants in a prospective cohort of 4964 Canadian healthcare workers were asked how many working days they had missed after a positive COVID-19 test. Only completed episodes with absence ≤31 working day and no hospital admission were included.

Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies: a systematic review.

Objective: To describe and synthesise studies of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence by occupation prior to the widespread vaccine roll-out.

Methods: We identified studies of occupational seroprevalence from a living systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42020183634). Electronic databases, grey literature and news media were searched for studies published during January-December 2020.

Automated Coding of Job Descriptions From a General Population Study: Overview of Existing Tools, Their Application and Comparison.

Objectives: Automatic job coding tools were developed to reduce the laborious task of manually assigning job codes based on free-text job descriptions in census and survey data sources, including large occupational health studies. The objective of this study is to provide a case study of comparative performance of job coding and JEM (Job-Exposure Matrix)-assigned exposures agreement using existing coding tools.

Methods: We compared three automatic job coding tools [AUTONOC, CASCOT (Computer-Assisted Structured Coding Tool), and LabourR], which were selected based on availability, coding of English free-text into coding systems closely related to the 1988 version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88), and capability to perform batch coding.

The evolution of workplace risk for Covid-19 in Canadian healthcare workers and its relation to vaccination: A nested case-referent study.

Background: During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, studies demonstrated that healthcare workers (HCWs) were at increased risk of infection. Few modifiable risks were identified. It is largely unknown how these evolved over time.

Arsenic Speciation and Metallomics Profiling of Human Toenails as a Biomarker to Assess Prostate Cancer Cases: Atlantic PATH Cohort Study.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic and trace metals has been linked to prostate cancer, and altered arsenic methylation capacity may have an important role in arsenic carcinogenesis. Biomarkers may be able to elucidate this role. Our objectives were to characterize profiles of arsenic species and metallome in toenails and urine samples, compare profiles between prostate cancer cases and controls, and determine the discriminant ability of toenail and urine biomarkers.

Primary Care Physicians' Learning Needs in Returning Ill or Injured Workers to Work. A Scoping Review.

Primary care physicians are uniquely positioned to assist ill and injured workers to stay-at-work or to return-to-work. Purpose The purpose of this scoping review is to identify primary care physicians' learning needs in returning ill or injured workers to work and to identify gaps to guide future research. Methods We used established methodologies developed by Arksey and O'Malley, Cochrane and adapted by the Systematic Review Program at the Institute for Work & Health.

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study.

We evaluated the relationship between mental health and shift work in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health (PATH) cohort study. In a matched study with 12,413 participants, including 4155 shift workers and 8258 non-shift workers, we utilized general linear models and logistic regression models to assess the differences in depression, anxiety, and self-rated health. Shift workers reported higher levels of each of the mental health-related domains compared to non-shift workers.

Politics of disease control in Africa and the critical role of global health diplomacy: A systematic review.

Africa is facing the triple burden of communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and nutritional disorders. Multilateral institutions, bilateral arrangements, and philanthropies have historically privileged economic development over health concerns. That focus has resulted in weak health systems and inadequate preparedness when there are outbreaks of diseases.

Performance and impact of disposable and reusable respirators for healthcare workers during pandemic respiratory disease: a rapid evidence review.

Objectives: To synthesise evidence concerning the range of filtering respirators suitable for patient care and guide the selection and use of different respirator types.

Design: Comparative analysis of international standards for respirators and rapid review of their performance and impact in healthcare.

Data Sources: Websites of international standards organisations, Medline and Embase, hand-searching of references and citations.

Twitter Analytics to Inform Provisional Guidance for COVID-19 Challenges in the Meatpacking Industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised considerable challenges to obtain reliable guidance to help occupational health practitioners, workers, and stakeholders building up efficient prevention strategies at the workplace, between the constant increase of publications in the domain, the time required to run high-quality research and systematic reviews, and the urgent need to identify areas for prevention at the workplace. Social Media and Twitter, in particular, have already been used in research and constitute a useful source of information to identify community needs and topics of interest for prevention in the meatpacking industry. In this commentary, we introduce the methods and tools we used to screen relevant posts on Twitter.

Telemedicine Across the Globe-Position Paper From the COVID-19 Pandemic Health System Resilience PROGRAM (REPROGRAM) International Consortium (Part 1).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine globally. The current consortium critically examines the telemedicine frameworks, identifies gaps in its implementation and investigates the changes in telemedicine framework/s during COVID-19 across the globe. Streamlining of global public health preparedness framework that is interoperable and allow for collaboration and sharing of resources, in which telemedicine is an integral part of the public health response during outbreaks such as COVID-19, should be pursued.

Classification of aerosol-generating procedures: a rapid systematic review.

In the context of covid-19, aerosol generating procedures have been highlighted as requiring a higher grade of personal protective equipment. We investigated how official guidance documents and academic publications have classified procedures in terms of whether or not they are aerosol-generating. We performed a rapid systematic review using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses standards.

Extended use or reuse of single-use surgical masks and filtering face-piece respirators during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: A rapid systematic review.

Background: Shortages of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to the extended use or reuse of single-use respirators and surgical masks by frontline healthcare workers. The evidence base underpinning such practices warrants examination.

Objectives: To synthesize current guidance and systematic review evidence on extended use, reuse, or reprocessing of single-use surgical masks or filtering face-piece respirators.

Telemedicine as the New Outpatient Clinic Gone Digital: Position Paper From the Pandemic Health System REsilience PROGRAM (REPROGRAM) International Consortium (Part 2).

Technology has acted as a great enabler of patient continuity through remote consultation, ongoing monitoring, and patient education using telephone and videoconferencing in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. The devastating impact of COVID-19 is bound to prevail beyond its current reign. The vulnerable sections of our community, including the elderly, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, those with multiple comorbidities, and immunocompromised patients, endure a relatively higher burden of a pandemic such as COVID-19.