Protocol of a scoping review assessing injury rates and their determinants among healthcare workers in western countries

Introduction Healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to various risk factors and risky behaviours that may seriously affect their health and ability to work. The aim of this protocol is to detail the steps to follow in order to carry out a scoping review to assess the prevalence/incidence of injuries among HCWs. Methods and analysis The study will be carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Protocols guidelines. Studies will be selected according to the following criteria: P (HCWs), E (exposure to injuries), C (different types of exposure and different categories of HCWs) and O (prevalence/incidence and determinants of injuries). A time filter has been set (literature between 2000 and 2018) to enable updated, direct comparison between the findings and the epidemiological data available at national and local \u20acIstituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro' (National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work) centres in Italy. No language restriction will be applied. Ethics and dissemination Formal ethical approval is not required; primary data will not be collected, as they have already been published. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication(s), conference presentation(s) and the press

Big data in occupational medicine: The convergence of omics sciences, participatory research and e-health

Background: New occupational hazards and risks are emerging in our progressively globalized society, in which ageing, migration, wild urbanization and rapid economic growth have led to unprecedented biological, chemical and physical exposures, linked to novel technologies, products and duty cycles. A focus shift from worker health to worker/ citizen and community health is crucial. One of the major revolutions of the last decades is the computerization and digitization of the work process, the so-called \u201cwork 4.0\u201d, and of the workplace. Objectives: To explore the roles and implications of Big Data in the new occupational medicine settings. Methods: Comprehensive literature search. Results: Big Data are characterized by volume, variety, veracity, velocity, and value. They come both from wet-lab techniques (\u201cmolecular Big Data\u201d) and computational infrastructures, including databases, sensors and smart devices (\u201ccomputational Big Data\u201d and \u201cdigital Big Data\u201d). Conclusions: In the light of novel hazards and thanks to new analytical approaches, molecular and digital underpinnings become extremely important in occupational medicine. Computational and digital tools can enable us to uncover new relationships between exposures and work-related diseases; to monitor the public reaction to novel risk factors associated to occupational diseases; to identify exposure-related changes in disease natural history; and to evaluate preventive workplace practices and legislative measures adopted for workplace health and safety

Determinants of adherence to seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers from an Italian region: results from a cross-sectional study

Notwithstanding decades of efforts to increase the uptake of seasonal influenza (flu) vaccination among European healthcare workers (HCWs), the immunisation rates are still unsatisfactory. In order to understand the reasons for the low adherence to flu vaccination, a study was carried out among HCWs of two healthcare organisations in Liguria, a region in northwest Italy

Evidence-based approach for continuous improvement of occupational health

Introduzione. Il contributo rilevante dell’approccio evidence-based medicine (EBM) applicato alla sanità pubblica è risultato da subito evidente, anche nell’area della tutela della salute in ambito lavorativo (evidence based occupational health - EBOH), il cui scopo è garantire sicurezza, salute e benessere nei luoghi di lavoro. Nei Paesi occidentali è necessaria una ricerca di elevata qualità ai fini di supportare scientificamente la scelta di misure e politiche di prevenzione efficaci, efficienti e sostenibili in ambito occupazionale. Il medico competente deve integrare nelle proprie attività le evidenze scientifiche e le raccomandazioni esistenti, nel rispetto di specifiche norme e riferimenti legislativi. Obiettivo. Questo articolo descrive lo stato dell'arte delle evidenze scientifiche disponibili in materia (es: efficacia degli interventi, utilità dell’informazione e formazione dei lavoratori, necessità di strategie multidisciplinari integrate nei programmi nazionali di salute pubblica) nonché le principali criticità della loro applicazione. Conclusioni. La promozione della salute costituisce uno dei principali obiettivi della strategia di crescita del progetto «Europa 2020» della Comunità europea: mantenere la popolazione attiva e in salute quanto più a lungo possibile ha indubbiamente un impatto positivo su produttività e competitività. Pertanto, risulta evidente come la qualità della salute e la sicurezza nei luoghi di lavoro siano fondamentali nel promuovere lo sviluppo razionale, sostenibile e solidale dei Paesi occidentali

Occupational medicine and hygiene: Applied research in Italy

The goal of Occupational Medicine and Hygiene is that of ensuring safety, health and well-being at workplaces, mainly assessing and preventing existing occupational risks. Scientific research in this field can provide useful arguments and further evidence upon which effective, efficient and sustainable policies and preventive measures have to be chosen and applied by the occupational physician in work-life. This paper summarizes four original studies, conducted in different professional settings across Italy, focusing on critical items, such as stress and violence, biological risks and sleep hygiene. The knowledge obtained can be useful to orientate proper preventive programs aimed at improving workplace health