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Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences & Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 28040

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Prof. Dr. Izabella Lecka

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Guest Editor

Center for Health Care Management, Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: medical geography; medical innovation; telemedicine; health inequalities; socio-economic background of health and health care; quality management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Sally Brailsford

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Co-Guest Editor

Southampton Business School, University of Southampton, Highfield SO17 1BJ, UK
Interests: health care modelling; HIV/AIDS; diabetes; cancer; sexually transmitted diseases; emergency care; healthcare information systems; operational research

Prof. Dr. Remigiusz Kozlowski

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Co-Guest Editor

Centre for Security Technologies in Logistics, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz, 90-136 Lodz, Poland
Interests: management of healthcare system logistics; telematics in medicine; management of security in logistics; risk management; economics

Prof. Dr. Józef Haczyński

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Co-Guest Editor

Center for Health Care Management Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: practicing physician; internist; sexologist; health care management; pharmacology specialist

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In view of the great interest in the subject of health and medical care from the perspective of many disciplines and subdisciplines, we are pleased to announce the launch of the second part of our Special Issue. In addition to our regular threads, such as Management–Education–Prevention, this time, we encourage authors to also submit texts emphasizing risk and logistics in healthcare organization. The importance of risk management in healthcare continues to grow, being particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. This area has with increasing frequency started to also include adverse events and chronic diseases. A new challenge is the growing population with post-COVID-19 (PC19) syndrome. The role of the area of risk management is becoming more and more important due to the limited and decreasing potential of provision of medical procedures in most countries around the world.

Due to technological progress, an increasing number of innovative applications can be found in the logistics of healthcare processes. An improvement of logistics management enables, among other things, higher operational efficiency of the organization, which is very important in the context of the pandemic.

In addition, we encourage authors to submit texts on health and medical care problems of different countries/regions, so that we can have a spectrum of points of view both due to the diversity of disciplines and also due to the geographic, cultural, and economic aspects of the external environment of patients and medical care. Let us be international in our interdisciplinarity.

Prof. Dr. Izabella Lecka
Prof. Dr. Sally Brailsford
Prof. Dr. Remigiusz Kozlowski
Prof. Dr. Józef Haczyński
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

health
healthcare
logistic
risk management
prevention
education
interdisciplinarity
comparative studies
geography of health
COVID-19

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Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care: Management–Education–Prevention in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (32 articles)

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12 pages, 346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Hospital Environment as a Potential Source for Clostridioides difficile Transmission Based on Spore Detection Surveys Conducted at Paediatric Oncology and Gastroenterology Units

by Ewelina Lemiech-Mirowska, Michał Michałkiewicz, Aleksandra Sierocka, Ewelina Gaszyńska and Michał Marczak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021590 - 15 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2098

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium widely present in the hospital environment due to its ability to generate spores. The transfer of spores to patients through the hands of medical personnel is one of the most frequent paths of C. difficile transmission. In paediatric patients burdened with a serious primary illness requiring long-term hospitalisation and antibiotic therapy, C. difficile may be a significant risk factor for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The goal of the study was to assess the state of hospital environments as a potential source of C. difficile spores and to establish the share of hyperepidemic strains at the two paediatric units. The survey for C. difficile was conducted with a C. diff Banana Broth^TM medium, used to detect spores and to recover vegetative forms of the bacteria. Environmental samples (n = 86) and swabs from the clothing of medical personnel (n = 14) were collected at two units of a paediatric hospital, where the cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea with a C. difficile aetiology constitute a significant clinical problem. In 17 samples, a change in the broth’s colour was observed, indicating the presence of spores. Out of seven samples, C. difficile strains were cultured. The pathogenic isolates of C. difficile were obtained from swabs collected from elements of beds, a toilet, a door handle and a doctor’s uniform. In our study, we indicated points of increased risk of pathogen transmission, which could constitute a source of infection. The clothing of medical personnel may be a dangerous carrier of pathogenic spores. Periodical surveys of hospital environments with the use of specialist microbiological mediums successfully indicate the direction of corrective actions to be undertaken by the medical facility in order to increase patient safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

15 pages, 1702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can We Identify Patients in Danger of Delayed Treatment? Management of COVID-19 Pandemic Backlog in Urology Care in Poland

by Jakub Marek Ratajczak, Anna Gawrońska, Margaret Fischer, Taras Hladun and Michał Marczak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16547; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416547 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2264

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on healthcare systems around the world. This study aims to research the course of surgical treatment in urology during the pandemic in 2020, evaluate the volume of deferred treatment in urology in Poland, and indicate groups of patients that are especially vulnerable to a delay in the delivery of healthcare services. The National Health Found statistics (NHF) database was searched for information on procedures completed in urology departments from 2015 to 2020. Changes in hospital discharges of adults from 2019 to 2021 were investigated using monthly reports of NHF on patient billing groups. Statistics of PSA, testosterone, and creatinine testing were extracted from NHF reports. Annual changes in the number of surgeries were calculated. Then, the estimation of the expected quantity of procedures without the occurrence of the pandemic was performed using linear regression based on data from 2015 to 2020. The estimation was assumed reliable at R² > 0.8. The difference between collected and estimated data was analysed. In 2020, the volume of radical prostatectomies, cystectomies, and kidney surgeries noted downturns following lockdowns in March and November. All analysed procedures, except radical cystectomy, noted a reduction in the entire year. The declines reached −34% in shockwave lithotripsy, −13% in ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy, −22% in cystolithotripsy, −28% in percutaneous lithotripsy, −12% in transurethral resection of a bladder tumour (TURBT), −31% in transurethral resection of the prostate, −15% in nephrectomy and kidney tumorectomy, and −10% in radical prostatectomy. Among the analysed procedures, only radical cystectomy rates increased 5%. Prostate-specific antigen and creatinine tests fell −17%, and testosterone testing was down −18%. In conclusion, the patients most vulnerable to delayed treatment due to the post-pandemic backlog are those requiring TURBT, kidney cancer operations, and radical prostatectomies. Solving backlogs in urology should prioritise cancer patients and thus requires improved access to cystoscopy, TURBT, diagnoses and surgery of prostate and kidney tumours. Addressing the needs of patients suffering from benign diseases demands appropriate measures to increase the surgical productivity of urology departments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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10 pages, 1625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detection and Analysis of Clostridioides difficile Spores in a Hospital Environment

by Zofia Maria Kiersnowska, Ewelina Lemiech-Mirowska, Michał Michałkiewicz, Aleksandra Sierocka and Michał Marczak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15670; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315670 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2204

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile, due to its long survival time in a hospital environment, is considered to be one of the most frequent factors in healthcare-associated infections. Patient care requires not only rapid and accurate diagnosis, but also knowledge of individual risk factors for infections, e.g., with C. difficile, in various clinical conditions. The goal of this study was to analyse the degree of contamination of a hospital environment with C. difficile spores. Culturing was performed using C diff Banana Broth^TM medium, which enables germination of the spores of these bacteria. Samples were collected from inanimate objects within a hospital environment in a specialist hospital in Poland. The results of the study demonstrated the presence of 18 positive samples of Clostridioides spp. (15.4%). Of these, C. difficile spores were detected in six samples, Clostridioides perfringens in eight samples, Clostridioides sporogenes in two samples and Clostridioides innocuum and Clostridioides baratii in one sample each. Among the six samples of C. difficile, a total of four strains which produce the B toxin were cultured. The binary toxin related to ribotype 027 was not detected in our study. Nosocomial infection risk management is a significant problem, mainly concerning the issues of hygiene maintenance, cleaning policy and quality control, and awareness of infection risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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25 pages, 1823 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Home Health Care Problem with Synchronization Visits and Considering Samples Transferring Time: A Case Study in Tehran, Iran

by Mahyar Mirabnejad, Hadi Mohammadi, Mehrdad Mirzabaghi, Amir Aghsami, Fariborz Jolai and Maziar Yazdani

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215036 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2498

Abstract

Health care facilities have not increased in response to the growing population. Therefore, government and health agencies are constantly seeking cost-effective alternatives so they can provide effective health care to their constituents. Around the world, health care organizations provide home health care (HHC) services to patients, especially the elderly, as an efficient alternative to hospital care. In addition, recent pandemics have demonstrated the importance of home health care as a means of preventing infection. This study is the first to simultaneously take into account nurses’ working preferences and skill levels. Since transferring samples from the patient’s home to the laboratory may affect the test results, this study takes into account the time it takes to transfer samples. In order to solve large instances, two metaheuristic algorithms are proposed: Genetic Algorithms and Particle Swarm Optimization. Nurses are assigned tasks according to their time windows and the tasks’ time windows in a three-stage scheduling procedure. Using a case study set in Tehran, Iran, the proposed model is demonstrated. Even in emergencies, models can generate effective strategies. There are significant implications for health service management and health policymakers in countries where home health care services are receiving more attention. Furthermore, they contribute to the growing body of knowledge regarding health system strategies by providing new theoretical and practical insights. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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19 pages, 414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Urban Policies in a COVID-19 World

by Przemysław Śleszyński, Paulina Legutko-Kobus, Mark Rosenberg, Viktoriya Pantyley and Maciej J. Nowak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095322 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2958

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify how the literature analyzes (identifies, evaluates, forecasts, etc.) the relationship between health issues and urban policy in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four main levels were identified in these cases: (1) direct demands for changes in health care, (2) social issues, (3) spatial organization and (4) redefining the tasks of public authority in the face of identified challenges. The basic working method used in the study assumed a critical analysis of the literature on the subject. The time scope of the search covered articles from January 2020 to the end of August 2021 (thus covering the period of three pandemic waves). Combinations of keywords in the titles were used to search for articles. The health perspective pointed to the need for urban policies to develop a balance between health and economic costs and for coordination between different professionals/areas. A prerequisite for such a balance in cities is the carrying out of social and spatial analyses. These should illustrate the diversity of the social situations in individual cities (and more broadly in urban areas, including, sometimes, large suburbs) and the diversity’s relationship (both in terms of causes and consequences) to the severity of pandemics and other health threats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

15 pages, 1097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Nurse Education Level on Hospital Readmissions—A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

by Beata Wieczorek-Wójcik, Aleksandra Gaworska-Krzemińska, Aleksander Owczarek, Michał Wójcik, Monika Orzechowska and Dorota Kilańska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4177; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074177 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3947

Abstract

Background: Readmissions are adverse, costly, and potentially preventable. The study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of reducing readmissions resulting from missed care, depending on the level of education of nurses, from the perspective of the service provider. Methods: We calculated missed care resulting in additional readmissions based on the longitudinal study conducted between 2012 and 2014, as well as readmissions that could have been potentially prevented by adding a 10% increase in hours of nursing care provided by BSN/MSc nurses for 2014. The cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was performed to calculate the cost-effectiveness of preventing one hospitalization in non-surgical and surgical wards by increasing the number of nursing hours provided by BSN/MSc nurses. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) was performed, and the CBR (cost–benefit ratio) and BCR (benefit–cost ratio) were calculated. Results: Increasing the number of hours of nursing care (RN) by 10% decreased the chance for an unplanned readmission by 11%; (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.78−1.01; p = 0.08) in non-surgical wards and 43% (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.49−0.67; p < 0.001) in surgical wards. In non-surgical wards, the number of readmissions that were preventable with extra hours provided by BSN/MSc nurses was 52, and the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) was USD 226.1. The number of preventable readmissions in surgical wards was 172, and the CER was USD 54.96. In non-surgical wards, the CBR was USD 0.07, while the BCR was USD 1.4. In surgical wards, the CBR was USD 0.02, and the BCR was USD 4.4. Conclusions: The results of these studies broaden the understanding of the relationship among nursing education, patient readmission, and the economic outcomes of hospital care. According to the authors, the proposed intervention has an economic justification. Hence, the authors recommend it for approval by the service provider. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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13 pages, 1983 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Dental Preferences of Patients in the Private Sector

by Klaudia Migas, Michał Marczak, Remigiusz Kozłowski, Andrzej Kot, Anna Wysocka and Aleksandra Sierocka

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042183 - 15 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2521

Abstract

Proper oral health care has an impact on the health of the entire body. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of the healthcare sector, including dental services. The aim of this study was to analyse the behaviour of patients with regard to their use of dental services during the pandemic. The data were obtained from paper registration forms taken from five dental offices in the city of Cracow between March 2019 and February 2021. During the analysed periods, interest among first-time patients in dental services decreased to 37% (during the month when interest in dental services was at its lowest) compared to the year preceding the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of cancelled visits increased by between 15% and 50% compared to the pre-pandemic period. During the pandemic, appointments made by existing patients increased by up to 84% compared to 2019. The decision by patients to postpone dental treatment not only has adverse effects on their oral and body health, but in turn results in higher health care costs. Given the potential for another pandemic, further long-term research is required to develop and implement special protocols to make the public aware of the safety of health care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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19 pages, 2464 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Developing a Risk Reduction Support System for Health System in Iran: A Case Study in Blood Supply Chain Management

by Ali Sibevei, Adel Azar, Mostafa Zandieh, Seyed Mohammad Khalili and Maziar Yazdani

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2139; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042139 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4170

Abstract

Health systems are recognised as playing a potentially important role in many risk management strategies; however, there is strong evidence that health systems themselves have been the victims of unanticipated risks and have lost their functionality in providing reliable services. Existing risk identification and assessment tools in the health sector, particularly in the blood supply chain, address and evaluate risks without taking into account their interdependence and a holistic perspective. As a result, the aim of this paper is to develop a new systemic framework based on a semi-quantitative risk assessment approach to measure supply chain risks, which will be implemented through a case study on the Iranian BSC. This paper identifies and assesses supply chain risks (SCRs) by employing a novel systemic process known as SSM-SNA-ISM (SSI). First, the supply chain and its risks are identified using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Then, given the large number of risks, the second stage uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to identify the relationships between the risks and select the most important ones. In the third stage, risk levelling is performed with a more in-depth analysis of the selected risks and the application of Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), and further analysis is performed using the Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC). The study found that by using the new proposed approach, taking into account risk relationships, and taking a holistic view, various supply chain risks could be assessed more effectively, especially when the number of risks is large. The findings also revealed that resolving the root risks of the blood supply chain frequently necessitates management skills. This paper contributes to the literature on supply chain risk management in two ways: First, a novel systemic approach to identifying and evaluating risks is proposed. This process offers a fresh perspective on supply chain risk modelling by utilising systems thinking tools. Second, by identifying Iranian BSC risks and identifying special risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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16 pages, 1609 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Telemedicine Technologies Selection for the Posthospital Patient Care Process after Total Hip Arthroplasty

by Karolina Kamecka, Calogero Foti, Łukasz Gawiński, Marek Matejun, Anna Rybarczyk-Szwajkowska, Marek Kiljański, Marek Krochmalski, Remigiusz Kozłowski and Michał Marczak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11521; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811521 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2952

Abstract

For many years, the importance of using telematic technologies in medicine has been growing, especially in the period of the coronavirus pandemic, when direct contact and supervision of medical personnel over the patient is difficult. The existing possibilities of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) are not fully used. The aim of the study is to identify the telemedicine technologies that can be used in future implementation projects of the posthospital patient care process after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The literature search is reported according to PRISMA 2020. The search strategy included databases and gray literature. In total, 28 articles (EMBASE, PubMed, PEDro) and 24 records from gray literature (Google Search and Technology presentations) were included in the research. This multi-source study analyzes the possibilities of using different technologies useful in the patient care process. The conducted research resulted in defining visual and wearable types of telemedicine technologies for the original posthospital patient care process after THA. As the needs of stakeholders in the posthospital patient care process after THA differ, the awareness of appropriate technologies selection, information flow, and its management importance are prerequisites for effective posthospital patient care with the use of telemedicine technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinarity in Health and Health Care (Part II): Review, Management-Logistic-Risk and Prevention)

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