Diagnostic Performances of an Occupational Burnout Detection Method Designed for Healthcare Professionals.

We aimed to assess the validity (criterion and cross-cultural validity) and reliability of the first occupational burnout (OB) detection tool designed for healthcare professionals in Belgium in the context of Swiss medical practice. First, we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the Tool. We developed this tool based on the consultation reports of 42 patients and compared its detection to the results of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), filled-in by patients before a consultation. Second, we performed an inter-rater reliability (IRR) assessment on the OB symptoms and detection reached by the Tool between a psychiatrist, two psychologists, and an occupational physician. The Tool correctly identified over 80% of patients with OB, regardless of the cutoff value used for OLBI scores, reflecting its high sensitivity. Conversely, its specificity strongly varied depending on the OLBI cutoff. There was a slight to fair overall agreement between the four raters on the detection of OB and the number of OB symptoms. Around 41% of symptoms showed a substantial to an almost perfect agreement, and 36% showed a slight to a moderate agreement. The Tool seems useful for identifying OB of moderate and strong severity in both the Belgian and Swiss contexts

Burnout syndrome in Europe: towards a harmonized approach in occupational health practice and research.

Health practitioners and decision makers in the medical and insurance systems need knowledge on the work-relatedness of burnout. To gather the most reliable information regarding burnout diagnosis and recognition in Europe, we used an 8-item standard questionnaire sent by e-mail to occupational health specialists identified via the Network on the Coordination and Harmonization of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET) within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. Participation rate was 100%, and the questionnaire was completed for 37 countries. In 14 (38%) countries burnout syndrome can be acknowledged as an occupational disease. However, only one country included burnout on the list of occupational diseases. The results showed a high variability in burnout diagnosis, in assessment of its work-relatedness, and in conditions allowing compensation of patients. These results reflect a lack of graded evidence on burnout and its determinants. The ongoing research on burnout conducted in the frame of the OMEGA-NET COST Action should be helpful through facilitating standardization of both existing and new data on burnout, a priority outcome requiring harmonization

Épicondylalgies latérales dans une cohorte de salariés ligériens : évolution et déterminants

Objectifs Il n’existe que peu d’éléments concernant le pronostic à long terme des épicondylites latérales en population salariée en général. L’objectif a été d’écrire l’évolution et les déterminants des douleurs du coude et des épicondylalgies latérales vraisemblables dans une cohorte de salariés représentative de la population française au travail. Méthode Des salariés ligériens présentant entre 2002 et 2004 une épicondylalgie latérale vraisemblable ont été suivis pour connaître l’évolution de leurs symptômes quatre ans après (2007 et 2009). Les déterminants possibles de la pathologie ont été étudiés. Résultats Sur les 1611 salariés suivis, 100 sujets présentaient une épicondylalgie latérale vraisemblable en 2002–4. Plus d’un tiers des salariés inclus (39,0 %) présentaient une douleur au coude ou une épicondylalgie lors du second examen. Les travaux sollicitant le coude sont significativement associés à la persistance des épicondylalgies latérales vraisemblables en uni- et multivariée (odds ratio ajusté 5,59 [1,47 ; 21,30]). Conclusion Les épicondylalgies latérales en milieu professionnel évoluent favorablement dans deux tiers des cas environ. Cette évolution dépend du diagnostic et de la prise en compte des facteurs professionnels dans la prise en charge. La déclaration de maladie professionnelle n’apparaît pas comme un déterminant indépendant significatif de mauvais pronostic même si le praticien doit évaluer les avantages et les inconvénients d’une telle démarche et en informer le patient

Recognition of COVID-19 with occupational origin: a comparison between European countries

Objectives This study aims to present an overview of the formal recognition of COVID-19 as occupational disease (OD) or injury (OI) across Europe. Methods A COVID-19 questionnaire was designed by a task group within COST-funded OMEGA-NET and sent to occupational health experts of 37 countries in WHO European region, with a last update in April 2022. Results The questionnaire was filled out by experts from 35 countries. There are large differences between national systems regarding the recognition of OD and OI: 40% of countries have a list system, 57% a mixed system and one country an open system. In most countries, COVID-19 can be recognised as an OD (57%). In four countries, COVID-19 can be recognised as OI (11%) and in seven countries as either OD or OI (20%). In two countries, there is no recognition possible to date. Thirty-two countries (91%) recognise COVID-19 as OD/OI among healthcare workers. Working in certain jobs is considered proof of occupational exposure in 25 countries, contact with a colleague with confirmed infection in 19 countries, and contact with clients with confirmed infection in 21 countries. In most countries (57%), a positive PCR test is considered proof of disease. The three most common compensation benefits for COVID-19 as OI/OD are disability pension, treatment and rehabilitation. Long COVID is included in 26 countries. Conclusions COVID-19 can be recognised as OD or OI in 94% of the European countries completing this survey, across different social security and embedded occupational health systems.This publication is based on work from COST Action CA16216 (OMEGA-NET), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)

Fit between humanitarian professionals and project requirements: hybrid group decision procedure to reduce uncertainty in decision-making

Choosing the right professional that has to meet indeterminate requirements is a critical aspect in humanitarian development and implementation projects. This paper proposes a hybrid evaluation methodology for some non-governmental organizations enabling them to select the most competent expert who can properly and adequately develop and implement humanitarian projects. This methodology accommodates various stakeholders’ perspectives in satisfying the unique requirements of humanitarian projects that are capable of handling a range of uncertain issues from both stakeholders and project requirements. The criteria weights are calculated using a two-step multi-criteria decision-making method: (1) Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process for the evaluation of the decision maker weights coupled with (2) Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to rank the alternatives which provide the ability to take into account both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Sensitivity analysis have been developed and discussed by means of a real case of expert selection problem for a non-profit organisation. The results show that the approach allows a decrease in the uncertainty associated with decision-making, which proves that the approach provides robust solutions in terms of sensitivity analysis

Original Article

The pancreas taken from the frog (Rana nigromaculata) was fixed in 1% OsO_4 and sliced into ultrathin sections for electron microscopic studies. The following observations were made: 1. A great \u27number of minute granules found in the cytoplasm of a pancreatic cell were called the microsomes, which were divided into two types, the C-microsome and S-microsome. 2. Electron microsopic studies of the ergastoplasm showed that it is composed of the microsome granules and A-substance. The microsomes were seen embedded in the A-substance which was either filamentous or membranous. The membranous structure, which was called the Am-membrane, was seen to form a sac, with a cavity of varying sizes, or to form a lamella. 3. The Am-membrane has close similarity to α-cytomembrane of Sjostrand, except that the latter is rough-surfaced. It was deduced that the Am-membrane, which is smooth-surfaced, might turn into the rough-surfaced α-cytomembrane. 4. There was the Golgi apparatus in the supranuclear region of a pancreatic cell. It consisted of the Golgi membrane, Golgi vacuole and. Golgi vesicle. 5. The mitochondria of a pancreatic cell appeared like long filaments, and some of them were seen to ramify. 6. The membrane of mitochondria, i. e. the limiting membrane, consisted of the Ammembrane. The mitochondria contained a lot of A-substances, as well as the C-microsomes and S-microsomes. When the mitochondria came into being, there appeared inside them chains of granules, which appeared like strips of beads, as the outgrowths of the A-substance and the microsome granules attached to the Am-membrane. They are the so-called cristae mitochondriales. 7. The secretory granules originate in the microsomes. They came into being when the microsomes gradually thickened and grew in size as various substances became adhered to them. Some of the secretory granules were covered with a membrane and appeared like what they have called the intracisternal granule of Palade.It seemed that this was a phenomenon attendant upon the dissolution and liqutefaction of the secretory granule. 8. Comparative studies were made of the ergastoplasm of the pancreatic cells from the frogs in hibernation, the frogs artificially hungered, the frogs which were given food after a certain period of fasting, the frogs to which pilocarpine was given subcutaneously, and the very young, immature frogs. The studies revealed that the ergastoplasm of the pancreatic cells greatly varied in form with the difference in nutritive condition and with different developmental stages of the cell. The change in form and structure occured as a result of transformation of the microsomes and A-substance. The ergastoplasm, even after it has come into being, might easily be inactivated if nutrition is defective. The ergastoplasm is concerned in the secretory mechanism, which is different from the secretory phenomenon of the secretory granules. It would seem that structurally the mitochondria have no direct relation to this mechanism