Occupational exposure to plant protection products and health effects in Switzerland: what do we know and what do we need to do? (original) (raw)
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Swiss medical weekly, 2021
BACKGROUND In accordance with the International Labour Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183) and European Union Directive 92/857CEE (1992), Switzerland’s Labour Law and its Maternity Protection Ordinance (OProMa) aim to protect the health of pregnant employees and their future children while enabling them to pursue their working activities. Gynaecologists-obstetricians have a key role in this legislation, particularly through the prescription of preventive leave for patients who would otherwise face dangerous or arduous tasks in the absence of an adequate risk analysis or suitable protective measures. However, international and national literature suggests that gynaecologists-obstetricians may encounter difficulties in fulfilling their role. AIMS This study aimed to: (1) describe the practices and difficulties encountered by gynaecologists-obstetricians in the practical implementation of the OProMa; and (2) compare the evolution of these practices and difficulties...
Swiss medical weekly
We aimed to explore the extent to which general practitioners (GPs) in Western Switzerland adhere to Swiss recommendations when assessing fitness-to-drive in the elderly. A random sample of 500 GPs practicing in Vaud, Neuchatel and Jura, and all GPs certified to conduct fitness-to-drive assessments in Geneva ("experts", n = 69) were invited to participate. They were asked how often they performed twenty procedures (recommended in Swiss guidelines developed by experts in traffic medicine) when assessing older drivers during the previous year, scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from "never" to "always performed". The GPs were considered to be adhering to the recommended procedure if they performed it often or always. We computed the proportion of GPs adhering to each procedure, and compared GPs with or without specialised expertise. A total of 268 GPs completed the questionnaire (participation rate 47%). The most frequently reported procedures we...
Swiss medical weekly, 2018
Our aim was to assess whether a novel approach of digitally facilitated, citizen-science research, as followed by the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry (Swiss MS Registry), leads to accelerated participant recruitment and more diverse study populations compared with traditional research studies where participants are mostly recruited in study centres without the use of digital technology. The Swiss MS Registry is a prospective, longitudinal, observational study covering all Switzerland. Participants actively contribute to the Swiss MS Registry, from defining research questions to providing data (online or on a paper form) and co-authoring papers. We compared the recruitment dynamics over the first 18 months with the a priori defined recruitment goals and assessed whether a priori defined groups were enrolled who are likely to be missed by traditional research studies. The goal to recruit 400 participants in the first year was reached after only 20 days, and by the end of 18 months 1...
Swiss medical weekly, 2018
Switzerland introduced the SwissDRG in 2012. The goal of this reimbursement system was to promote cost containment and efficiency in hospital care. To ensure that patients with care needs are not released prematurely because of constraints under the new hospital financing system, the Swiss law on Acute and Transitional Care (ATC) was introduced one year earlier. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of ATC and its effects on discharge of patients with persisting care needs after hospitalisation. Social service workers, nurses and palliative care team members at a Swiss municipal hospital were asked to complete a four-page closed-ended questionnaire about patients who require care after their hospital discharge. This included questions on discharge management, their perceptions of the appropriateness of discharge timing and details about conflicts regarding discharge. Information on length of stay, discharge location, age and sex was extracted from hospital...
Candida auris – recommendations on infection prevention and control measures in Switzerland
Swiss Medical Weekly, 2020
Candida auris, a globally emerging pathogen, has been repeatedly introduced into European healthcare settings, leading to large and long-lasting nosocomial outbreaks. The pathogen has already been isolated in Switzerland, requiring clinicians and microbiologists to become alert. This is the first comprehensive guidance document on prevention and control of C. auris in Swiss acute care hospitals. It brings to light the most recent evidence from published original articles and reviews. We emphasise the importance of quickly identifying this yeast by means of screening in order to prevent an outbreak that could be difficult to contain. Key containment strategies include reinforcing early detection, hand hygiene, application of strict contact precautions for colonised and infected patients, and thorough specific environmental cleaning and disinfection.