Erik Franck

Patients with post‐acute sequelae of COVID‐19 (PASC) present with a decrease in physical fitness. The aim of this paper is to reveal the relations between the remaining symptoms, blood volume distribution, exercise tolerance, static and dynamic lung volumes, and overall functioning. Patients with PASC were retrospectively studied. Pulmonary function tests (PFT), 6‐minute walk test (6MWT), and cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed. Chest CT was taken and quantified. Patients were divided into two groups: minor functional limitations (MFL) and severe functional limitations (SFL) based on the completed Post‐COVID‐19 Functional Status scale (PCFS). Twenty one patients (3 M; 18 FM), mean age 44 (IQR 21) were studied. Eighteen completed the PCFS (8 MFL; 10 SFL). VO2max was suboptimal in both groups (not significant). 6MWT was significantly higher in MFL‐group (p = 0.043). Subjects with SFL, had significant lower TLC (p = 0.029). The MFL‐group had more air trapping (p = 0.036). Thro...

Abstract Background As the first phase of a larger multicentric study, a needs assessment was conducted to develop generic crew resource management training for all critical care wards in hospitals. Method The online survey study included 103 Belgian physicians, nurses, and midwives working in obstetric units, emergency rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units. Results Acute care professionals across specialty areas and professions had a positive attitude toward non-technical skills and multidisciplinary simulation-based team training. The majority preferred simulation-based training as an educational format to train non-technical skills. Preferred training content and the gap between attitude and skill were similar across specialty areas and professions. However, perceived barriers during emergency situations did differ somewhat between specialty areas. Conclusions A generic crew resource management training program for all acute care professionals is feasible provided that barriers, needs, and concerns are taken into account.

we examined the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the role of personal and obstetric risk factors, as well as the role of midwifery team care factors in a cohort of Flemish women. prospective cohort study. Data collection was performed at two times post partum: During the first week, socio-demographic and obstetric data as well as information related to midwifery team care factors were assessed using self-report measures. To asses PTSD symptomatology, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Traumatic Event Scale (TES) were used. At six weeks post partum, PTSD symptoms were reassessed either by telephone interviews or e-mail. Results were calculated in frequencies, means and standard deviations. Differences between week one and six were analysed using parametrical and non-parametrical statistics. Multiple and logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for PTSD symptomatology. P-value was set at 0.05. maternity wards in Flanders, Belgium. the first (week 1) and follow-up (week 6) sample of the data collection consisted of 340 and 229 women respectively. the prevalence of PTSD symptoms after childbirth ranged from 22% to 24% in the first week and from 13% to 20% at six weeks follow-up. Multiple regression analysis showed that Islamic belief, a traumatic childbirth experience, family income <€2500, a history of psychological or psychiatric consults and labour/birth with complications significantly predicted PTSD symptomatology at six weeks post-birth. Midwifery team care and the opportunity to ask questions, as well as experiencing a normal physiological birth were significantly associated with less postnatal PTSD symptoms. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTISE: the results of this study suggest that contextual factors such as religion, socio-economic status, and childbirth experience might be important factors to address by the midwifery team. Midwifery team care factors such as 'providing the opportunity to the mother to ask questions' and the 'perception of the midwife being in control' proved to be potential protective factors for postnatal PTSD symptoms. Despite its prevalence, PTSD symptoms after birth are not yet well understood by health care workers. Further research concerning the influence of midwifery team care factors on developing childbirth related PTSD is required.

... Cultuurhistorie en ruimtelijke kwaliteit van de historische binnenstad. Het geheugen van een straat als inspiratiebron. Wim Hupperetz in Bulletin KNOB (2008). 1 reader Save reference to library · Related research. More related papers. Cite this document (BETA). ...

Introduction In previous studies, physicians have been identified as a high-risk group for burnout. Although the work environment has received more attention than specific determinants of personality traits, the latter might contribute to burnout. Study objective. We aimed to investigate the association of Type D personality, job and organizational determinants with burnout, stress and work engagement as outcome factors among emergency physicians and hospital physicians working in intensive care and surgery departments. We specifically focused on our group of emergency physicians. Methods In this cross-sectional study, self-report questionnaires were distributed via social media using a specific survey link to 531 Belgian hospital physicians working at the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, and Surgery Department between October 21, 2018, and April 11, 2019. The survey instrument included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, job characteristics, organizational factor...

BACKGROUND The association between inadequate personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in frontline healthcare workers has been proven. However, frontline healthcare workers with an adequate supply of personal protective equipment still showed an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Research on the use of personal protective equipment could provide insight into handling present and future pandemics. OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the impact of the availability, training and correct selection of personal protective equipment on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection or positive suspect cases in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study involving Belgian healthcare workers: nurses, nursing aides, and midwives working in hospitals, home care services, and residential care services. METHODS Respondents were invited from May to July 2020 (period 1) followed by a second time in October 2020 (period 2) to complete a digital survey on personal protective equipment availability, training, personal protective equipment selection, screening ability, COVID-19 testing and status, and symptoms corresponding with the COVID-19 suspect case definition. The main outcome was a composite of COVID-19 status change (from negative to positive) during the study or a positive suspect case definition in period 2. RESULTS Full data were available for 617 participants. The majority of respondents were nurses (93%) employed in a hospital (83%). In total, 379 respondents provided frontline care for COVID-19 patients (61%) and were questioned on personal protective equipment availability and personal protective equipment selection. Nurses were more likely to select the correct personal protective equipment compared with nursing aides and midwives. Respondents working in residential care settings were least likely to choose personal protective equipment correctly. Of all healthcare workers, 10% tested positive for COVID-19 during the course of the study and a composite outcome was reached in 54% of all respondents. Working experience and sufficient personal protective equipment training showed an inverse relation with the composite outcome. The relationship between personal protective equipment availability and the composite outcome was fully mediated by personal protective equipment training (-0.105 [95% confidence interval -0.211 — -0.020]). CONCLUSIONS Proper training in personal protective equipment usage is critical to reduce the risk of COVID infection in healthcare workers. During a pandemic, rapid dissemination of video guidelines could improve personal protective equipment knowledge in practitioners. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT Proper training in personal protective equipment usage is critical to reduce the risk of COVID infection in healthcare workers.

This research provides, by using new imaging analysis on CT imaging, an insight into the pathophysiology of patients with COVID-19 infection. By visualizing and quantifying the blood in small vessels in the lung, we can link these results to the clinical need for oxygen in patients with COVID-19 infection.

BackgroundThe multitude of negative consequences of nurse burnout calls for interventions to protect the well-being of the individual nurses, patients, and hospital organizations. However, much is still to be discovered about the development of this complex psychological syndrome.PurposeThis study aimed to describe the development of nurse burnout for a population of Flemish hospital nurses while considering vulnerability and situational stressors as indicated by the vulnerability-stress model.MethodsTen registered nurses were enlisted for semistructured interviews through purposive sampling. All selected nurses were currently suffering from burnout, showed a burnout risk, or had gone through a burnout in the past. A descriptive thematic analysis was performed with themes inductively emerging from the data.ResultsFour main themes emerged: “being passionate about doing well or being good,” “teamwork,” “manager,” and “work and personal circumstances.” More specifically, it was the dis...

Electronic tools have the potential to support healthcare staff in providing more person-centred care to persons living with dementia in residential nursing homes. The paper describes work in progress to develop an eCare tool that provides relevant information to caregivers about the needs of persons living with dementia and appropriate actions related to behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. The eCare tool, an eHealth technology to be integrated in electronic care records kept in nursing homes, is particularly relevant in the context of 'nurse team applications'. Increased person-centred care is linked to increase in job satisfaction and personal competence among nursing staff, resulting in lower turnover figures in nursing homes. Keywords-eCare tool; person-centred care; dementia; life stories; behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

ABSTRACT Introduction We examined the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC, including factor structure. Secondly, we examined if resilience factors moderate the association between negative affect and hazardous alcohol use. Method The sample population consisted of 1,368 community-dwelling older adults. We used standardized questionnaires to collect self-reported data on alcohol use behaviour, depression and anxiety and resilience by using respectively the Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Results Of the total sample (N 1.368), 80.1% reported using alcohol. The total sample and the drinking sample reported, respectively, a mean of 65.75 (SD 15.40) and 65.79 (SD 15.90) on the CD-RISC. Concerning the CD-RISC, exploratory factor analysis presents four factors of which three with a good reliability. Moderation analyses reflects that older adults with higher levels of resilient characteristics didn’t report an association between negative affect and hazardous drinking. Alternatively, low resilient older adults did report an positive and significant association between negative affect and hazardous drinking. Conclusion The CD-RISC appeared to be a reliable instrument, containing three factors. In our sample, high resilience moderated the association between negative affect and hazardous drinking and may serve as a buffer against hazardous drinking.

UNSTRUCTURED Background In recent years, the factors of stress, anxiety and work-life balance received more attention. More specifically, the determinants of professional well-being, impact of occupational risks and traumatic events, stress and type D personality, and work stress related problems in physicians in COVID-19 Times were addressed in physicians and more specifically in emergency physicians. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program on stress, anxiety and resilience as well as the professional quality of life of hospital physicians and in particular emergency physicians. Methods This is a pre-post intervention study, pilot study with intervention. Setup / Participants: The participants (hospital physicians/emergency physicians) are recruited through internal and external networks such as the specialist medicine trainees and social media of the own professional group of physicians and physi...

To date, research on the predictive validity of implicit self-esteem for depressive relapse is very sparse. In the present study, we assessed implicit self-esteem using the Name Letter Preference Task and explicit self-esteem using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale in a group of currently depressed patients, formerly depressed individuals, and never depressed controls. In addition, we examined the predictive validity of explicit, implicit, and the interaction of explicit and implicit self-esteem in predicting future symptoms of depression in formerly depressed individuals and never depressed controls. The results showed that currently depressed individuals reported a lower explicit self-esteem as compared to formerly depressed individuals and never depressed controls. In line with previous research, all groups showed a positive implicit self-esteem not different from each other. Furthermore, after controlling for initial depressive symptomatology, implicit but not explicit self-esteem...

In this chapter, selected nurse outcomes are viewed through the lens of the Quality Health Outcomes Model (QHOM). Specifically, the QHOM provides a framework to explain how nurses can be empowered to deal with the continuous challenges and changes in healthcare organizations that confront them daily. Interventions are examined at the organizational and individual levels. At the individual client (nurse) level, the chapter discusses the role of personal leadership models in the quest for desired outcomes. At the system level, Magnet® hospital research lessons are provided as building blocks (interventions) to support better nurse work environments. Also, an example of a nurse outcome program of research findings is included. In the research program, interventions are aimed at system characteristics of the NWE and the individual nurse. These interventions strongly relate to nurse outcomes such as empowerment and engagement and, in turn, with nurses’ job satisfaction and joy in work. F...

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To study the combination of personality and interpersonal behaviour of staff nurses in general hospitals in relation to burnout and its separate dimensions. BACKGROUND More research on the individual factors contributing to the development of burnout is needed to improve the risk profile of nursing staff. Therefore, a combination of Leary's interpersonal circumplex model, which depicts the interpersonal behaviour trait domain, and the five-factor model was considered in the study at hand. DESIGN A cross-sectional research method was applied using self-report questionnaires. METHODS A total of 880 Belgian general hospital nurses were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected from November 2012-July 2013. The questionnaire consisted of three validated self-report instruments: the NEO five-factor inventory, the Dutch Interpersonal Behaviour Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS Of the 880 nurses invited to participate, 587 (67%) returned the questionnaire. Sex, neuroticism, submissive-friendly behaviour, dominant-friendly behaviour and vector length were found to be predictive factors for emotional exhaustion. For depersonalisation, sex, neuroticism, conscientiousness, friendly behaviour, submissive-friendly behaviour, dominant-hostile behaviour and vector length were predictive factors. Finally, personal accomplishment was determined by neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, and hostile behaviour. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed the influence of the Big Five personality factors on the separate dimensions of burnout. Interpersonal behaviour made a significant contribution to the predictive capacity of the regression models of all three dimensions of burnout. Additional longitudinal research is required to confirm the causal relationship between these individual factors and burnout. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The results of this study can help to achieve a better understanding of which vulnerabilities an individual prevention programme for burnout should target. In addition, hospitals could use assessment instruments to identify nurses who are prone to burnout and thus would benefit from additional support or stress reduction programmes.

The psychological syndrome of burnout is of key importance to nurse managers, given that it is a widespread problem, with anywhere from 10–78% of European and American nurses considering themselves to be “burned out.” Reviewing the literature on the consequences of burnout for individual nurses, patients, teams, and healthcare organizations, it is evident that burnout has a prominent concern for the nursing profession.

In spite of being characterized by more highly educated professionals and more cutting-edge training facilities, equipment, and more research than ever, healthcare systems are still confronted with serious safety problems. In more than 70% of cases, serious and avoidable medical errors originate in so-called human factors or deficits in “nontechnical” skills—including communication, leadership, teamwork, situational awareness, and decision-making. A major reason behind slow improvement is the cumbersome, hierarchical organizational structure in many healthcare organizations that stand in the way of a safety culture, encourage a “blame culture,” and foster communication errors. Resolving these issues requires a fundamental cultural shift from an individual to a group focus where safety is the shared responsibility of all individual healthcare workers and the entire management team working in a hospital (or other healthcare organization). Because safe care relies on the collective ind...

PurposePreventing burnout and promoting psychological well-being in nurses are of great importance. In this study the effect of an online, stand-alone individualized preventive program for nurse burnout based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is described and explained.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method study with an explanatory sequential design was applied. Quantitative data were collected from September 2015 to March 2016 during an intervention study with a pretest-posttest wait-list control group design within a population of hospital nurses in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. Consecutively, 13 nurses from the intervention group who fully completed the program were interviewed.FindingsAll interviewed participants experienced some sort of effect due to working with the program. Emotional exhaustion remained stable in the intervention group and increased in the control group. However, this difference was not significant. Personal accomplishment decreased significantl...

Background: Constantly searching for a balance between work demands and their own physical and psychological health has challenged medical and nursing staff during the immediate wake of this COVID-19 viral epidemic leading to acute stress reactions and psychosomatic symptoms. Coping behavior might be a buffer for work-related stress in relation to mental well-being. The present study aims to evaluate the role of positive and negative stress-reducing activities on healthcare workers' mental and physical well-being.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an online survey that was sent out using our network of healthcare workers at the University of Antwerp and through social media. Socio-demographic data, coping behavior with the Palliative Pallet Scale (P3), and distress and somatization using the Four-dimensional symptom checklist were collected. Surveys were completed by 1,376 participants.Results: The results clearly showed that positive stress-reducing activities are ...

Background: One of the best-known tools in screening for hazardous drinking is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its abbreviated form, the AUDIT-C. The aim of the present study is to determine the cut-offs of both instruments in identifying hazardous drinking in older adults. Method: A sample of 1577 older adults completed a questionnaire regarding alcohol behavior. Hazardous drinking was defined as drinking >10 units/week. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves of AUDIT and AUDIT-C were calculated and cut-off scores were derived. Results: Respectively 27.3% and 12.3% of older men and women drank >10 units/week. For the AUDIT the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was using a cut-off of ≥5 for men and ≥4 for women, which yielded in men sensitivity and specificity values respectively of 80.7% and 81.3% and in women 100% and 71.7%, respectively. We found the AUDIT-C to perform well with an optimal cut-off of ≥5 for men and ≥4 for ...