preventing the next sars - european healthcare workers attitudes towards monitoring their health for the surveillance of newly emerging infections qualitative study防止下一个u201c非典u201du2014u2014欧洲卫生保健工作者的态度监控他们的健康监测的新兴感染定性研究.pdfVIP

Aghaizu et al. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:541 /1471-2458/11/541 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Preventing the next ‘SARS’ - European healthcare workers’ attitudes towards monitoring their health for the surveillance of newly emerging infections: qualitative study 1* 2 1 3 4 5 Adamma Aghaizu , Gillian Elam , Fortune Ncube , Gail Thomson , Emese Szilágyi , Tim Eckmanns , Garyphallia Poulakou6 and Mike Catchpole1 Abstract Background: Hospitals are often the epicentres of newly circulating infections. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring infectious diseases and may be among the first to contract emerging infections. This study aims to explore European HCWs’ perceptions and attitudes towards monitoring their absence and symptom reports for surveillance of newly circulating infections. Methods: A qualitative study with thematic analysis was conducted using focus group methodology. Forty-nine hospital-based HCWs from 12 hospitals were recruited to six focus groups; two each in England and Hungary and one each in Germany and Greece. Results: HCWs perceived risk factors for occupationally acquired infectious diseases to be 1.) exposure to patients with undiagnosed infections 2.) break-down in infection control procedures 3.) immuno-naïvety and 4.) symptomatic colleagues. They were concerned that a lack of monitoring and guidelines for infectious HCWs posed a risk to staff and patients and felt employers failed to take a positive interest in their health. Staffing demands and loss of income were noted as pressures to attend work when unwell. In the UK, Hungary and Greece participants felt monitoring staff absence and the routine disclosure of symptoms could be appropriate provided the effective