Training Needs and Quality of Public Health Inspectors in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background Public Health Inspectors (PHI) task is to promote health, respond to emerging threats in Public Health and prevent and control of the communicable and environmental diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PHI and other Healthcare Workers faced greater biological risks of infections and therefore personal protection was of great importance for their health and safety. Staff education and training is an important factor of disaster management capability and may help prevent and control pandemics. This study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to investigate the training needs and training quality of Greek Public Health Inspectors. Methods A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2021 in Greece. An online survey was distributed to respondents by email through the National Public Health Inspectorate Administration. The survey included seven Likert scale items for assessing the training needs (health and safety of work, stress management, health services administration, crisis management in the health sector, natural disasters, personal protective equipment and protection against biological agents and protection from chemical agents) and two Likert scale items for assessing the training quality. Results The response rate was 30.5 % (185/606 PHI). The 62.2% were females with a mean age of 49 years old (sd = 8.2) and a mean work experience of 15.9 years (sd = 8.5). Most participants (64.51%) reported high training needs on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment. Most participants (43.78%) also reported low training quality. Training needs were higher for women and in urban and semi-urban workplace environments. Conclusions High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for PHI in all workplace environments. PHI need training in health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment. Key messages • High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for Public Health Inspectors in all workplace environments in Greece. • Future training for Greek Public Health Inspectors should focus on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment.


Background:
Public Health Inspectors (PHI) task is to promote health, respond to emerging threats in Public Health and prevent and control of the communicable and environmental diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PHI and other Healthcare Workers faced greater biological risks of infections and therefore personal protection was of great importance for their health and safety. Staff education and training is an important factor of disaster management capability and may help prevent and control pandemics. This study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to investigate the training needs and training quality of Greek Public Health Inspectors.

Methods:
A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between March and June 2021 in Greece. An online survey was distributed to respondents by email through the National Public Health Inspectorate Administration. The survey included seven Likert scale items for assessing the training needs (health and safety of work, stress management, health services administration, crisis management in the health sector, natural disasters, personal protective equipment and protection against biological agents and protection from chemical agents) and two Likert scale items for assessing the training quality.

Results:
The response rate was 30.5 % (185/606 PHI). The 62.2% were females with a mean age of 49 years old (sd = 8.2) and a mean work experience of 15.9 years (sd = 8.5). Most participants (64.51%) reported high training needs on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment. Most participants (43.78%) also reported low training quality. Training needs were higher for women and in urban and semiurban workplace environments.

Conclusions:
High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for PHI in all workplace environments. PHI need training in health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment. Key messages: High training needs and low rate in training quality are important issues for Public Health Inspectors in all workplace environments in Greece. Future training for Greek Public Health Inspectors should focus on health and safety at work, stress management and personal protective equipment.

Background:
Migration of health professionals is one of the key challenges for many healthcare systems. In Poland this phenomenon is still under-researched. The aim of our study was to explore the estimated trends and directions of emigration among Polish health professionals.

Methods:
The research was based on the data analysis of specifying the number of people who applied for the certification of their professional qualifications (the right to practice a profession) at five national registers maintained by chambers of health professionals: 1) doctors and dentists, 2) nurses and midwives, 3) physiotherapists; 4) pharmacists and 5) laboratory diagnosticians. The gathered data reported information which allows for an approximate determination of how many professionals are considering a decision to migrate from Poland. Additionally exploration of data from the European Commission Regulated Profession Database in the EU Single Market was performed.

Results:
About 7-9% of Polish doctors and nurses have applied for certificates, which confirm their right to practice their profession in other European countries. The number of such certificates applied for by physiotherapists is also worrying. Emigration among pharmacists and laboratory diagnosticians is rather marginal. The biggest number of certificates, was issued to health professionals in the years 2004-2007, right after Poland joined the EU. In the period 2008-2015 the trend was not constant and it was related to the healthcare reform and changes in health professionals' remuneration. Since 2016 the number of health workers applying for the certificates is by to a certain extent falling. The main destination of Polish emigrants were and are: United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Ireland, and EFTA countries (Norway, Switzerland).

Conclusions:
Implementation of a mechanism for monitoring emigration is necessary, but systemic improvement of working conditions in Polish healthcare system is also needed. Key messages: The emigration, especially of young generations of medical staff, causes significant problems for the Polish healthcare system. More in-depth research on migration of health professionals is necessary.

Background:
In Finland, home care is seen as a primary form of care for older people. However, rising numbers of clients with increasingly complex conditions have led to deteriorated working conditions and poor job satisfaction among home care staff. In this study, we examined if greater amount of direct care time, higher team autonomy, number of unique clients, and client's need for care are associated with job satisfaction.
iii562 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 32 Supplement 3, 2022