How does the distribution of work tasks among home care personnel relate to workload and health-related quality of life?
Norström, Fredrik ; Zingmark, Magnus LU
; Pettersson-Strömbäck, Anita
; Sahlén, Klas Göran
; Öhrling, Malin
and Bölenius, Karin
(2023)
In International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
96(8).
p.1167-1181
- Abstract
Background: The work for Swedish home care workers is challenging with a variety of support and healthcare tasks for home care recipients. The aim of our study is to investigate how these tasks relate to workload and health-related quality of life among home care workers in Sweden. We also explore staff preferences concerning work distribution. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 municipalities in Northern Sweden. Questionnaires with validated instruments to measure workload (QPSNordic) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), were responded by 1154 (~ 58%) of approximately 2000 invited home care workers. EQ-5D responses were translated to a Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) score. For 15 different work task areas,... (More)
Background: The work for Swedish home care workers is challenging with a variety of support and healthcare tasks for home care recipients. The aim of our study is to investigate how these tasks relate to workload and health-related quality of life among home care workers in Sweden. We also explore staff preferences concerning work distribution. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 municipalities in Northern Sweden. Questionnaires with validated instruments to measure workload (QPSNordic) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), were responded by 1154 (~ 58%) of approximately 2000 invited home care workers. EQ-5D responses were translated to a Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) score. For 15 different work task areas, personnel provided their present and preferred allocation. Absolute risk differences were calculated with propensity score weighting. Results: Statistically significantly more or fewer problems differences were observed for: higher workloads were higher among those whose daily work included responding to personal alarms (8.4%), running errands outside the home (14%), rehabilitation (13%) and help with bathing (11%). Apart from rehabilitation, there were statistically significantly more (8–10%) problems with anxiety/depression for these tasks. QALY scores were lower among those whose daily work included food distribution (0.034) and higher for daily meal preparation (0.031), both explained by pain/discomfort dimension. Personnel preferred to, amongst other, spend less time responding to personal alarms, and more time providing social support. Conclusion: The redistribution of work tasks is likely to reduce workload and improve the health of personnel. Our study provides an understanding of how such redistribution could be undertaken.
(Less)
- author
- Norström, Fredrik
; Zingmark, Magnus
LU
; Pettersson-Strömbäck, Anita
; Sahlén, Klas Göran
; Öhrling, Malin
and Bölenius, Karin
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- EQ-5D, Health care, Occupational health, QPSNordic, Sweden, Work environment
- in
- International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
- volume
- 96
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37436490
- scopus:85164466556
- ISSN
- 0340-0131
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00420-023-01997-2
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 2ee5e8d2-e1b7-4d40-b467-a71c0c10f858
- date added to LUP
- 2023-10-16 13:06:05
- date last changed
- 2024-04-19 02:22:24
@article{2ee5e8d2-e1b7-4d40-b467-a71c0c10f858,
abstract = {{<p>Background: The work for Swedish home care workers is challenging with a variety of support and healthcare tasks for home care recipients. The aim of our study is to investigate how these tasks relate to workload and health-related quality of life among home care workers in Sweden. We also explore staff preferences concerning work distribution. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 municipalities in Northern Sweden. Questionnaires with validated instruments to measure workload (QPSNordic) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), were responded by 1154 (~ 58%) of approximately 2000 invited home care workers. EQ-5D responses were translated to a Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) score. For 15 different work task areas, personnel provided their present and preferred allocation. Absolute risk differences were calculated with propensity score weighting. Results: Statistically significantly more or fewer problems differences were observed for: higher workloads were higher among those whose daily work included responding to personal alarms (8.4%), running errands outside the home (14%), rehabilitation (13%) and help with bathing (11%). Apart from rehabilitation, there were statistically significantly more (8–10%) problems with anxiety/depression for these tasks. QALY scores were lower among those whose daily work included food distribution (0.034) and higher for daily meal preparation (0.031), both explained by pain/discomfort dimension. Personnel preferred to, amongst other, spend less time responding to personal alarms, and more time providing social support. Conclusion: The redistribution of work tasks is likely to reduce workload and improve the health of personnel. Our study provides an understanding of how such redistribution could be undertaken.</p>}},
author = {{Norström, Fredrik and Zingmark, Magnus and Pettersson-Strömbäck, Anita and Sahlén, Klas Göran and Öhrling, Malin and Bölenius, Karin}},
issn = {{0340-0131}},
keywords = {{EQ-5D; Health care; Occupational health; QPSNordic; Sweden; Work environment}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{1167--1181}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health}},
title = {{How does the distribution of work tasks among home care personnel relate to workload and health-related quality of life?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-01997-2}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00420-023-01997-2}},
volume = {{96}},
year = {{2023}},
}