A model for improving and sustaining professional communication and behavior of public health inspector at organizational level

Abstract

Introduction: The activities of health inspectors are communication-oriented towards the prevention of public health and disease prophylaxis. When talking about professional communication and behaviour, the dominant influence of the professional environment in which a person operates, interacts, and influences the factors determining employee behavior must be considered. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for improving and sustaining the professional communication and behaviour of the public health inspector (PHI) at the organizational level. Materials and Methods: A qualitative method (in-depth interview) was used among 16 experts working in the system of Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI), Regional Directorate of Food Safety (RDFS), or another institution related to public health (PH). A quantitative method (survey) was also applied among 116 inspectors working in RHIs in seven regional cities using a self-developed questionnaire with 22 questions. Results: It was found that the activity of PHIs is associated with high workload and significant frequency of conflicts when carrying out official control. A theoretical model for assessing the behavioural characteristics of PHIs is proposed. Conclusion: The assessment of behavioural characteristics allows identifying key issues in the professional environment of the Inspector and taking actions to provide support at both individual and group levels