A radiotherapy staff experience of gratitude during COVID-19 pandemic

Integration of art and technology in personalized radiation oncology care: Experiences, evidence, and perspectives

“…Patients' gratitude-oriented messages can help workers find a sense of gratification. In May 2020, when phase two started in Italy, the participants were surveyed on their satisfaction with the project ( 80 ). The results showed that 87.9 % of the staff members were satisfied with the experience (≥7 out of 10) and 89.6 % expressed that they would like to continue the experience; the activity is still active with one message per week.…”

Art and digital technologies to support resilience during the oncological journey: The Art4ART project

“…Technological progress has meant that the place of treatment has to focus on the disease through diagnostic or therapeutic care services. Progressively, care models centered on the single therapeutic act have been oriented towards a patient-centered organization [2] , [3] . As recognized by the World Health Organization, digital health is now emerging in the medical environment for decision-making and helping patients' compliance, contributing to patient empowerment in person-centered care [4] , [5] , [6] .…”

Radiotherapy during the COVID-19: a review about management and treatment strategies

“…Attention should be paid to the occurrence, duration, and persistence of certain psychophysical symptoms, such as [14]: • persistent difficulty in relaxing or poor quality of sleep; • decrease or increase in body weight; • excessive fatigue, difficulty in recovery, reduced energy, occurrence of physical pain without an organic cause (somatization); • excessive tension, hypervigilance, nervousness, irritability, aggression, negative thoughts and moods, feeling of inadequacy, apathy, estrangement, confusion. Radiotherapy has resisted throughout the crisis period [16] and staff has been faced with an ambivalent aspect between the need to reassure patients and personal fear [15]. Studies suggest interventions aimed at gratification, which is useful for the well-being of healthcare workers, who in this way can rediscover the purpose and meaning of their work [15], recognizing contributions made by each individual of the staff [14].…”

“…Measures required have changed normal behaviors, making it difficult to find both physical and mental recreational relief [ 14 ]. There are many professional experiences characterized by disorientation [ 15 ], high stress and burnout risk [ 13 ]: exposure to risk, initial difficulty in finding PPE, excessive workload, lack of rest, management of more complex patients; but also the concern for one’s own health and for spreading the infection to one’s family members, the lack of contact with family and friends, and the difficulty in sharing work-related emotions with them. Add to this the high level of responsibility, the burden of expectations, the fear of not doing enough and the anger towards the institution organization.…”

“…Radiotherapy has resisted throughout the crisis period [ 16 ] and staff has been faced with an ambivalent aspect between the need to reassure patients and personal fear [ 15 ]. Studies suggest interventions aimed at gratification, which is useful for the well-being of healthcare workers, who in this way can rediscover the purpose and meaning of their work [ 15 ], recognizing contributions made by each individual of the staff [ 14 ]. Protecting healthcare workers is an important component and promoting their health is a key element [ 14 ].…”