Overview
The healthcare system is continuously evolving to adapt to the population's needs, both in terms of healthcare practices, and in financial and organizational aspects. The current COVID-19 pandemic has added additional pressure to the healthcare system and shown its limits in terms of preparedness. It has also shown once again that both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and informal caregivers (ICs) play a central role for the functioning of the healthcare system.
An increasing number of studies are alerting on HCPs' situation, regarding their physical and mental health (e.g. emotional exhaustion, professional well-being) on the one hand, and the functioning of the healthcare system (e.g. absenteeism, turnover, career change) on the other hand.
Besides healthcare professionals, ICs, defined as individuals providing non-professional care on a regular basis to people in need of care, play an important role in fulfilling the daily needs of the most vulnerable individuals. While doing the latter, caring for others has shown to have negative impact on the ICs' life, in terms of health-related implications, psychological burden, quality of life, etc. Despite being increasingly recognized as having a key role in the provision of care, they have only been limitedly considered in studies on healthcare professionals.
In that context, the investigators develop SCOHPICA project, the Swiss cohort of healthcare professionals and informal caregivers, which is an open prospective national cohort using a concurrent embedded mixed method design. This project targets all types of HCPs and ICs, and will investigate determinants of intent to stay and well-being according to participants' trajectories.
As the ICs' study launch is planned in 2024, in depth details of this part of the project will be added to the registration once this part of the study will be definitely planned.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria (HCPs):
- Working as HCP, in any profession
- Taking care of patients currently and actively
- Working in any health work setting
- Working as an independent or a salaried
- Working in Switzerland
Exclusion Criteria (HCPs):
- Being retired at baseline
- Unable to read or speak in one of the national languages: German, French, Italian
Inclusion and exclusion criteria for ICs will be defined later on.