Search Results (355)

Background: Among individuals who perceive their families of origin as dysfunctional, both indirect self-destructive behaviors and loneliness seem to be important correlates of life satisfaction. However, a review of the existing literature reveals a notable absence of studies that examine these variables within a single analytical framework. Objectives: Given the limited number of studies examining the relationship between indirect self-destructive behavior, loneliness, and life satisfaction among women from dysfunctional family backgrounds, this study aimed to: (1) examine the association between indirect self-destructive behavior and life satisfaction among women experiencing different types of family dysfunction, and (2) determine whether loneliness mediates this relationship. Methods: The research was conducted among 207 women aged 18 to 63 (M = 30.78 years; SD = 9.945) who were raised in dysfunctional families. The Indirect Self-Destructiveness Scale [ISDS-25], the Satisfaction with Life Scale [SWLS], and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale [DJGLS] were used. Results: Statistically significant correlations were obtained between all pairs of variables: (1) loneliness and life satisfaction (r = −0.50 ***); (2) life satisfaction and indirect self-destructive behavior (r = −0.31 ***); (3) loneliness and indirect self-destructive behavior (r = 0.20 **). Moreover, mediation analyses showed two outcomes. First, loneliness acted as a mediator in the relationship between indirect self-destructive behavior and life satisfaction. Second, indirect self-destructive behavior had a mediation effect on the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction. Conclusions: The conducted study and the obtained results fill a significant gap in the knowledge about indirect self-destructive behaviors, loneliness, and their relationship with the dysfunction of the family of origin. Thus, they constitute a new resource of expertise for interdisciplinary teams working with adults. Full article

The accurate assessment of follower readiness remains a challenge within Situational Leadership Theory (SLT), which traditionally emphasizes competence and commitment while overlooking motivational and relational cues. To address this gap, the study examined a structured four-facet model of subjective readiness—Drive, Dare, Decode, and Dialogue—and its association with employee and manager satisfaction and team adaptability. Data from a cross-sectional survey of employees and managers were analyzed using a 12-item 4D readiness scale alongside traditional readiness indicators and established measures of satisfaction and adaptability. The 4D scale showed strong overall reliability and factorial validity, though the Drive facet displayed weaker psychometric properties in the employee sample and should be interpreted cautiously. Overall readiness profiles were positively associated with both satisfaction and adaptability, with Dialogue emerging as a consistent contributor across outcomes. These associations should be interpreted as indicative rather than conclusive, given the study’s correlational design and reliance on self-reported data. Including the 4D facets alongside traditional indicators offered modest yet meaningful incremental explanatory value. Taken together, our findings indicate that a structured subjective readiness framework can enrich SLT’s traditional view of readiness by emphasizing motivational and relational dynamics—although further validation and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these initial results. Full article

Background: Multidisciplinary team (MDT) care is now recognized as the most effective approach to managing lung cancer treatment. While MDTs aim to improve coordination, decision-making, and patient outcomes, their impact on patient-reported outcomes, particularly quality of life (QoL), remains unclear. Objective: This systematic review aimed to examine how the involvement of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in the care of patients with lung cancer affects patient-reported outcomes and to investigate the enablers and barriers for implementing and running MDT care in lung cancer management. Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus (up to March 2024) to identify studies comparing QoL outcomes in patients with lung cancer managed with and without MDT care. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the CASP tool, and findings were synthesized narratively. QoL outcomes were grouped into physical, functional, emotional, and social domains, and quantitative and qualitative data were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity across studies. Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 10,341 patients, with 3760 in MDT groups and 6581 in non-MDT groups. The methodological quality of the studies varied, with 10 papers rated as moderate to high quality. The findings suggest that MDT care may contribute positively to emotional support, and physical well-being. Better patient satisfaction and communication in MDT settings. Limitation: Heterogeneity and the lack of standardized PRO tools in outcome measures and study design limited comparability. Conclusions: MDT care may have a beneficial impact on certain aspects of quality of life in patients with lung cancer, particularly emotional and physical well-being. However, more robust and standardized research is needed to determine the full extent of its benefits on patient-reported outcomes. Full article

This study explored the phenomenon of group goals in teacher team meetings using questionnaires (n = 795) and in-depth interviews with teachers (n = 20). Drawing on achievement goals theory, we mapped the various types of group goals teacher teams may collectively pursue, uncovered their unique characteristics, estimated their prevalence, and investigated teachers’ stances towards them. We found that teacher group goals included establishing a sense of belonging (social goals), learning from colleagues (mastery goals), completing tasks (work goals), and demonstrating compliance with external agendas (performance approach). Social and mastery goals were the most prevalent goals and correlated with teacher satisfaction from their meetings. Work and performance goals were less prominent and correlated with teacher dissatisfaction. Full article

Background: Hospital-at-home (HAH) programs deliver hospital-level care in patients’ homes, improving satisfaction and optimizing resource use. While widely adopted in adults, pediatric HAH remains limited. At Sant Joan de Déu Hospital (Barcelona, Spain), the pediatric HAH program for acutely ill children has expanded to include more clinically complex cases. Family involvement is essential, as caregivers are trained to administer treatments, monitor clinical status, and support telematic follow-ups, supporting the healthcare team’s workload. Objective: To identify patient characteristics influencing healthcare workload and develop a predictive model to enhance resource allocation. Methods: This single-center, prospective cohort study included all patients admitted to the pediatric HAH program for one year. Primary variables were caregiver training time, home visiting time, patient age, type of care provided, and clinical complexity. Secondary variables included referral specialty and team composition. Data were collected using digital time-tracking, manual records, and clinical databases. Analyses included Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s multiple comparison tests. Results: All variables showed significant differences in training and visiting times. Training time ranged from 19 to 157 min; visiting time from 6.2 to 157 min. A predictive model using five key variables estimated visiting time, and another model based on care type estimated training time were created. Conclusions: Patient characteristics and caregiver involvement significantly affect direct care workload. These findings can inform strategies to optimize staffing and scale pediatric HAH programs effectively. Full article

Exploring Quality of Work Life (QWL) is essential, and in the context of nursing, it becomes even more relevant given the significant contributions of nurses to patient health. This study aimed to define and clarify the concept of QWL among nurses through a conceptual analysis based on the model proposed by Walker and Avant. This is an Integrative Review (IR) conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. Given the focus of this research, the adopted method was aligned with the steps proposed by Walker and Avant. The review included a sample of 14 articles, from which the use of the concept was identified as being centered around three major areas and seven key attributes: job satisfaction, recognition, adequate remuneration, job stability, favorable physical work environment, positive relationships with the team and patients, and autonomy in decision-making. In conclusion, QWL among nurses is defined as achieving a level of well-being in the workplace that allows nurses to feel safe, at peace, comfortable, and healthy—and to carry this state of well-being beyond the work environment. Full article

Background: Compassion fatigue (CF) is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion in the caregiving relationship, which can negatively impact patient safety and quality of care. Maternity care professionals are particularly vulnerable to CF due to their continuous empathetic engagement with patients in an unpredictable, high-stress work environment. Despite its significance, research on CF in maternity care is limited. The aim of this study is to explore experiences of CF among maternity care professionals. Methods: A thematic analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted. The sample consisted of seven midwives and three gynecologists from different hospitals and outpatient care in Flanders (Belgium). Results: Experiences, risk factors and protective factors were identified as three organizing themes and further refined into 12 subthemes. Participants showed limited familiarity with the term CF but recognized its symptoms, including emotional exhaustion, reduced empathy, and a diminished ability to provide care, ‘as one normally would’. Key risk factors included high workload, emotional strain from ‘energy-consuming’ patients, fear of errors, and administrative burden. A supportive team environment, compassion satisfaction (CS), job autonomy and personal coping skills were identified as protective factors. Participants emphasized the need to recognize and address signals of CF. Conclusions: CF among maternity care professionals is underrecognized but appears to impact both caregiver well-being and patient care quality. Interventions should target awareness, team communication, psychological safety, and organizational context. A multilevel approach—combining individual, team, and systemic strategies—is needed to sustainably mitigate CF in maternity care. Full article

Healthcare providers in oncology experience exceptionally high stress rates. Research emphasizes that stress management programs must be quick to implement, flexible to accommodate demanding schedules, cost-effective, accessible to all staff, and tailored to the needs of oncology personnel. Programs that fail to meet these criteria often struggle with uptake and sustainability. This mixed-methods exploratory study aimed (1) to design an online stress management program, Breathe with the Waves (BWW), based on breathing techniques; (2) to evaluate its acceptability, satisfaction, and relevance; (3) to identify perceived benefits and challenges; and (4) to generate potential outcome measures for future studies. A team of Canadian researchers and end-users co-designed the intervention. Twenty oncology professionals completed BWW, which featured pre-recorded breathing videos, and provided feedback via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We used t-tests and Wilcoxon rank tests to analyze quantitative data, and template analysis for qualitative data. Participants found BWW highly acceptable, satisfactory, and relevant. Participants reported three categories of benefits: stress reduction, improved work performance, and increased mindfulness. Challenges included anticipated challenges and experienced challenges. Potential outcome measures fell into six categories: physical health, mental health, relational, work, mindfulness and personal practice. BWW, available in English and French, represents a promising and accessible approach to supporting the well-being of oncology personnel. Full article

This paper presents an after-sales service optimization problem (ASOP) that integrates technician scheduling with spare parts inventory management, multi-day planning horizons, team coordination requirements, and customer satisfaction modeling. We developed a comprehensive mixed-integer programming model that simultaneously optimizes technician assignments, inventory allocation, team collaborations, and emergency response capabilities while maintaining service-level agreement (SLA) compliance. The model includes novel constraints for equipment availability, certification requirements, spare parts consumption, and dynamic customer priority adjustments. Computational experiments on test instances demonstrated 50.0% SLA compliance with 25.8% average technician utilization across 12 service requests, 6 technicians, and a 3-day planning horizon. The integrated approach achieved an 18% cost reduction compared to sequential optimization while improving the customer satisfaction scores by 13.9%. A sensitivity analysis revealed critical trade-offs between inventory holding costs, team coordination benefits, and service quality metrics. The proposed framework provides comprehensive decision support for modern after-sales service operations requiring integrated resource management. Full article

Background: Maintaining daily optimal dental hygiene, especially in medically vulnerable patients with periodontitis, remains challenging in dental practice. Mobile apps and other digital tools might offer useful support alongside traditional advice. Objectives: This study aimed to develop a mobile health app, PerioSupportPro, that helps patients improve their daily plaque control habits. It also reports on the pilot testing of the app’s usability and users’ perception in a small patient group. Methods: The app was created by a mixed team including periodontists, psychologists, developers, and data protection specialists. The first version included reminders, gamified elements, video tutorials, and motivational messages. After internal testing, a group of 18 patients tested the app and completed a feedback questionnaire that assessed usability (Q3–Q5), educational impact (Q6–Q8), motivation (Q9–Q11), and overall satisfaction (Q12–Q14). Cronbach’s alpha was used to check internal consistency, and non-parametric tests were applied for basic statistical comparisons. Results: The motivation section of the questionnaire showed acceptable consistency (α = 0.784), while usability and educational impact had lower values (α = 0.418 and 0.438). No clear differences were found between age groups. Satisfaction was positively associated with reminders and motivational items. Most appreciated features included reminders, the simple interface, and short videos. Based on the input provided by the questionnaire, a few improvements were made, and a second version of the app was prepared. Conclusions: Early user responses show that PerioSupportPro may help motivate and guide patients in their oral hygiene routine. While still in an early phase, the app seems well-received and ready for future clinical validation with more users. Full article

Background/Objectives: Job satisfaction is an essential element for organizational functions. Working entities would not effectively operate without employee contentment. This study aimed to determine the level of job satisfaction among pharmacists and investigate its correlation with demographic variables and professional personal experience. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey targeting registered pharmacists in Saudi Arabia was conducted from September to November 2024 using an IRB-approved structured questionnaire adapted from validated instruments. Reliability and validity were confirmed (Cronbach’s α = 0.8), and a target sample of 380 was calculated to ensure representativeness. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses utilizing SPSS v28, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 330 pharmacists responded to the survey, representing 86.8% of the calculated sample size. Of those, 57% were male and 68.5% were staffing pharmacists. More than half of participants had professional experience of ≤5 years (57.3%), while 31.8% had 5 to 15 years of experience. Approximately 60% of participants worked in shift systems and reported dissatisfaction with their pay (70%) and lack of benefits (66.7%). Of all participants, only 26.4% confirmed satisfaction with their job and no intention to quit, while 23% clearly reported job dissatisfaction and an intention to quit; the rest of the participants were undecided (50.6%). Significant correlations were found between job satisfaction and variables such as education, current position, organization type, monthly income, and professional experience. Additionally, most of the items assessing professional personal experience such as working in a shift system, working as a team member, gaining financial benefits, and having accomplishments or growth opportunities at work were significantly correlated with job satisfaction. Opportunities for professional development, promotion, and a positive work environment were also frequently selected as factors contributing to job satisfaction (60.6%, 75.2% and 75.5%, respectively). Interestingly, motivation showed minimal impact on participants’ opinions regarding job satisfaction and decisions over whether to quit their jobs. Finally, occupation and age were found to significantly influence work environments, promotions, and opportunities, which consequently impact participants’ satisfaction towards their jobs. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that Saudi pharmacists experience low-to-moderate job dissatisfaction, with a significant percentage considering quitting form their jobs. Improving monetary rewards, recognition, and career advancement opportunities could improve job satisfaction and retention in this crucial workforce. Full article

Background: Interprofessional collaboration is vital for comprehensive, patient-centered care. Despite growing recognition of oral–systemic health links, the integration of dentists into healthcare teams remains limited. This scoping review mapped existing evidence on dental professionals’ roles within interprofessional healthcare, identifying key benefits, barriers, and facilitators. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science identified English-language studies (2014 to 2024) focused on collaboration between dental and non-dental providers. Studies addressing oral–systemic health without team-based integration were excluded. Screening and data charting followed the PRISMA-ScR framework using JBI data extraction and critical appraisal tools. Data were synthesized thematically by collaboration model, outcomes, and influencing factors. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Integrating dental professionals into healthcare teams improved patient outcomes, quality of life, and satisfaction. Effective models included nurse practitioner–dentist partnerships and medical–dental collaboration in pediatrics and chronic disease care. Barriers included poor communication, lack of interoperable electronic health records, role ambiguity, and limited interprofessional training. Key facilitators were supportive policies, integrated care structures, professional education, and strong team communication. Conclusions: Integrating dentists into interprofessional teams enhances healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. However, significant barriers remain. Addressing communication gaps, implementing shared health records, and expanding interprofessional education are essential steps toward more cohesive care. Future research should evaluate scalable integration frameworks and incorporate patient perspectives to inform team-based care. Full article

Background: The new challenges facing the healthcare sector require nursing leaders who are prepared to respond to patients’ healthcare needs and keep professionals motivated and satisfied while meeting the organisation’s objectives. To overcome these challenges, interest has grown in positive leadership styles, which in turn has sparked interest in authentic leadership. This line of thought on leadership has been predictive of various positive outcomes in the hospital context. Objective: Examine the characteristics of authentic leadership among nurses in the hospital context based on scientific evidence. Methods: Scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute, consisting of three stages of research. First, a search was conducted in MEDLINE Ultimate, CINHAL Ultimate and MedicLatina through the EBSCOHost platform, LILACS and RCAAP for grey literature. Then, using the same keywords, we conducted a search in Scopus and ScienceDirect. Both searches covered the period between 2019 and 2024. Studies were included if they focused on authentic leadership in nurses working in hospital contexts; non-empirical studies, reviews, and those outside the nursing field were excluded. Results: Sixteen articles were included, 13 of which were cross-sectional, descriptive and/or correlational, 2 were quasi-experimental and 1 employed an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis approach. The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was used in a total of 11 articles. The studies showed that authentic leadership by nurses in a hospital context is significantly associated with relevant organisational and individual variables, such as team performance, organisational commitment, job satisfaction, reduced burnout, and the promotion of healthy work environments. The data also revealed discrepancies between the perceptions of leaders and their subordinates. Conclusion: Authentic leaders have a positive impact on the quality of nursing care, patient health outcomes, professional satisfaction and motivation to lead and the achievement of healthcare institution goals. Consequently, authentic leadership is a fundamental pillar for strengthening nursing teams, promoting trust, well-being and improvements in the quality of care. Nevertheless, the strength of the evidence is limited, given the predominance of cross-sectional studies and potential contextual biases, which should be considered when interpreting the findings. Full article

This article proposes a multi-agent path planning and decision-making solution for high-tempo field robotic operations, such as search-and-rescue, in large-scale unstructured environments. As a representative example, the subterranean environments can span many kilometers and are loaded with challenges such as limited to no communication, hazardous terrain, blocked passages due to collapses, and vertical structures. The time-sensitive nature of these operations inherently requires solutions that are reliably deployable in practice. Moreover, a human-supervised multi-robot team is required to ensure that mobility and cognitive capabilities of various agents are leveraged for efficiency of the mission. Therefore, this article attempts to propose a solution that is suited for both air and ground vehicles and is adapted well for information sharing between different agents. This article first details a sampling-based autonomous exploration solution that brings significant improvements with respect to the current state of the art. These improvements include relying on an occupancy grid-based sample-and-project solution to terrain assessment and formulating the solution-search problem as a constraint-satisfaction problem to further enhance the computational efficiency of the planner. In addition, the demonstration of the exploration planner by team MARBLE at the DARPA Subterranean Challenge finals is presented. The inevitable interaction of heterogeneous autonomous robots with human operators demands the use of common semantics for reasoning across the robot and human teams making use of different geometric map capabilities suited for their mobility and computational resources. To this end, the path planner is further extended to include semantic mapping and decision-making into the framework. Firstly, the proposed solution generates a semantic map of the exploration environment by labeling position history of a robot in the form of probability distributions of observations. The semantic reasoning solution uses higher-level cues from a semantic map in order to bias exploration behaviors toward a semantic of interest. This objective is achieved by using a particle filter to localize a robot on a given semantic map followed by a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP)-based controller to guide the exploration direction of the sampling-based exploration planner. Hence, this article aims to bridge an understanding gap between human and a heterogeneous robotic team not just through a common-sense semantic map transfer among the agents but by also enabling a robot to make use of such information to guide its lower-level reasoning in case such abstract information is transferred to it. Full article

Traditional teaching methods are often far from aligning with professional practice demands. Team-Based Learning (TBL), a variant of Problem-Based Learning, may foster motivation, autonomy, and deeper knowledge acquisition, especially in those educative contexts linked to practical knowledge. The objective of the present research was to explore the impact of a TBL program with digital support on Sport Sciences students’ psychological and learning outcomes. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests was applied to 68 fourth-year students (mean age = 21.45 ± 1.57 years). The intervention spanned 12 weeks, where the students had to solve specific case studies linked to the theoretical content of the subject and its applicability. Variables measured included motivational climate, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, transversal competences, and academic performance. Significant improvements were observed in task- and ego-oriented climate, autonomy, competence, relatedness, knowledge scores, and competence in scientific searches and academic dissemination (p < 0.05). No significant changes were found in intrinsic motivation or audiovisual material competence. Sex influenced several outcomes, while project marks and prior transversal skills did not. TBL combined with digital tools enhanced learning outcomes and key psychological needs, though intrinsic motivation remained unchanged. Findings highlight the value of active methodologies in higher education, while underscoring the need for long-term, broader studies. Full article