Health workforce protection and preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a tool for the rapid assessment of EU health systems

Kuhlmann, Ellen; Brinzac, Monica; Burau, Viola; Correia, Tiago; Ungureanu, Marius

doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckab152

Cited by 21 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Theoretically, our analysis is informed by multi-level health workforce governance (51,52). More specifically, our approach places the perceptions of HCWs in the context of institutional conditions, taking system, sector and organisational levels into account (12). Empirically, we draw on material from the COVID-19 Contact (CoCo) Study, a multi-method study carried out at Hannover Medical School.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Köppen et al concluded from their review, that health workforce planning was limited in the pandemic response plan and 'actions during the peak of the pandemic varied considerably across states' (54). HCW protection policy focused on physical protection, vaccination prioritisation of HCWs and bonus payment for frontline HCWs (12).…”

Section: The German Health System: Pandemic Protection Of Hospital Hc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Policy efforts focussed on structural resources and technical equipment, including ensuring appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and surveillance measures especially for the hospital sector (12,39). The governance attempts towards strengthening HCW protection were nested in a system of high-quality hospital hygiene, infection control and regulatory frameworks of occupational health in the hospital sector (56).…”

Section: The German Health System: Pandemic Protection Of Hospital Hc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of healthcare workers (HCWs) and their contribution to health system resilience. Investment in the health workforce and prioritisation of HCW needs in health policy and pandemic recovery plans is therefore called for by WHO (1,2), the European Commission (EC) (3,4), public health organisations (5) and researchers (6,7), including greater attention to the mental health requirements of the health workforce (8,9,10,11,12,13). Data gathered during the pandemic in different regions of the world revealed a high risk of COVID-19 infection and death among HCWs, as well as an increase in stress and burn-out syndromes in many health professional groups (14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…'The 'human face' (44), the individual person behind every HCW and their wellbeing and needs, is rarely considered. A comparative assessment of HCW protection and preparedness in selected European Union (EU) countries revealed, that 'action has been taken to improve physical protection, digitalisation and prioritisation of healthcare worker vaccination, whereas social and mental health support programmes were weak or missing' (12). The findings raise the question, whether health workforce policy and the COVID-19 pandemic protection measures effectively support the needs and requirements of HCWs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Healthcare workers’ perceptions and medically approved COVID-19 infection risk: understanding the mental health dimension of the pandemic. A German hospital case study

Kuhlmann

Behrens

Cossmann

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Introduction. This study analyses how healthcare workers (HCWs) perceived risks, protection and preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to medically approved risks and organisational measures. The aim is to explore blind spots of pandemic protection and make mental health needs of HCWs visible. Methods. We have chosen an optimal-case scenario of a high-income country with a well-resourced hospital sector and low HCW infection rate at the organisational level to explore governance gaps in HCW protection. A German multi-method hospital study at Hannover Medical School served as empirical case; document analysis, expert information and survey data (n=1163) were collected as part of a clinical study into SARS-CoV-2 serology testing during the second wave of the pandemic (November 2020-February 2021). Selected survey items included perceptions of risks, protection and preventive measures. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression were undertaken for gender, profession and COVID-19 patient care. Results. The results reveal a low risk of 1% medically approved infections among participants, but a much higher mean personal risk estimate of 15%. The majority (68.4%) expressed some to very strong fear of acquiring infection at the workplace. Individual protective behaviour and compliance with protective workplace measures were estimated as very high. Yet only about half of the respondents felt strongly protected by the employer; 12% even perceived no or little protection. Gender and contact with COVID-19 patients had no significant effect on the estimations of infection risks and protective workplace behaviour, but nursing was correlated with higher levels of personal risk estimations and fear of infection. Conclusions. A strong mismatch between low medically approved risk and personal risk perceptions of HCWs brings stressors and threats into view, that may be preventable through better information and risk communication and through investment in mental health and inclusion in pandemic preparedness plans.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The German Health System: Pandemic Protection Of Hospital Hc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The German Health System: Pandemic Protection Of Hospital Hc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Healthcare workers’ perceptions and medically approved COVID-19 infection risk: understanding the mental health dimension of the pandemic. A German hospital case study

Kuhlmann

Behrens

Cossmann

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Pandemic preparedness with 20/20 vision: Applying an intersectional equity lens to health workforce planning

Kapilashrami

Aziz

2023

Health Planning & Management

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Human resource for health (HRH) is considered critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage, and the crisis surrounding HRH is now established as a global emergency. Their vital role has been central in the pandemic response. Yet, the discussions and deliberations on the recent pandemic treaty circumscribe HRH discussions to their capacities and protection, and address discrimination mainly in relation to gender. While this paper endorses the case for prioritisation of HRH in global pandemic preparedness planning, it re‐frames the HRH crisis in relation to the institutional and structural factors driving HRH shortage, maldistribution and skills‐needs misalignment. We critique the supply‐and‐demand framing of HRH crisis as one that obliviates the systematic inequalities within health systems that underpin health workforce motivations, distribution, satisfaction and performance. We propose an intersectional equity lens to redefine the HRH challenges, understand their underlying drivers and accordingly integrate in the global pandemic preparedness plans.

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Comparative health policy goes qualitative: Broadening the focus of research after COVID‐19

Burau

Kuhlmann

Lotta

2023

Health Planning & Management

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The COVID‐19 pandemic has pushed health policy frontstage and exposed the stark differences in government capacities to respond to the crisis. This has created new demands for comparative heath policy to support knowledge creation on a large scale. However, comparative health policy has not necessarily been well prepared; studies have focused on health systems and used typologies together with descriptive, quantitative methods. This makes it difficult to capture the multi‐level nature of health policy, the diverse actors involved and the many societal facets of governance performance. We argue for broadening the perspective to include health policy as a bottom‐up process with diverse interests. This calls for expanding the methodology of comparative health policy by also using approaches that make greater use of explorative, qualitative research. We introduce possible developmental pathways to illustrate what this may look like. The Pan‐European Commission shows how to broaden the definition of comparative health policy, notably as transnational and planetary. The gender analysis matrix illustrates how comparative health policy can strengthen its assessment of performance by focussing on gender equity. The street‐level bureaucrat framework highlights how analysing frontline work can help conduct small‐scale bottom‐up comparisons of health policy. Together, these developmental pathways demonstrate the potential to broaden comparative health policy towards greater responsiveness to the societal performance of governments, such as social inequalities created by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This also opens opportunities for strengthening the global outlook of comparative health policy.

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Health workforce protection and preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a tool for the rapid assessment of EU health systems

Cited by 21 publications

References 19 publications

Healthcare workers’ perceptions and medically approved COVID-19 infection risk: understanding the mental health dimension of the pandemic. A German hospital case study

Healthcare workers’ perceptions and medically approved COVID-19 infection risk: understanding the mental health dimension of the pandemic. A German hospital case study

Pandemic preparedness with 20/20 vision: Applying an intersectional equity lens to health workforce planning

Comparative health policy goes qualitative: Broadening the focus of research after COVID‐19

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