Design of the DISCovery project: tailored work-oriented interventions to improve employee health, well-being, and performance-related outcomes in hospital care

Abstract

BackgroundIt is well-known that health care workers in today’s general hospitals have to deal with high levels of job demands, which could have negative effects on their health, well-being, and job performance. A way to reduce job-related stress reactions and to optimize positive work-related outcomes is to raise the level of specific job resources and opportunities to recover from work. However, the question remains how to translate the optimization of the balance between job demands, job resources, and recovery opportunities into effective workplace interventions. The aim of the DISCovery project is to develop and implement tailored work-oriented interventions to improve health, well-being, and performance of health care personnel.Methods/DesignA quasi-experimental field study with a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design will be conducted in a top general hospital. Four existing organizational departments will provide both an intervention and a comparison group. Two types of research methods are used: (1) a longitudinal web-based survey study, and (2) a longitudinal daily diary study. After base-line measures of both methods, existing and yet to be developed interventions will be implemented within the experimental groups. Follow-up measurements will be taken one and two years after the base-line measures to analyze short-term and long-term effects of the interventions. Additionally, a process evaluation and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be carried out.DiscussionThe DISCovery project fulfills a strong need for theory-driven and scientifically well-performed research on job stress and performance interventions. It will provide insight into (1) how a balance between job demands, job resources, and recovery from work can be optimized, (2) the short-term and long-term effects of tailored work-oriented effects, and (3) indicators for successful or unsuccessful implementation of interventions.

Risk communication about work-related stress disorders in healthcare workers: a scoping review

“…Niks et al ( 2013 , 2018 ) communicated the results of a survey about psychosocial diagnoses, Schneider et al ( 2019 ) communicated work system factors and mental well-being and the Weiner et al’s ( 2020 ) study communicated about the psychological mechanism of stress. In the interventions of Niks et al ( 2013 ) and Schneider et al ( 2019 ), preventive measures were not explicitly communicated, but HCWs discussed potential solutions and defined a plan with concrete measures, while the communication of Weiner et al ( 2020 ) about prevention referred to useful behaviour during stressful situations.…”

“…The primary goal of all 17 interventions was to reduce or prevent SRDs and thus to change behaviour. Informing HCWs about SRDs was part of the intervention goal; some studies gave information during training (Arrigoni et al 2015 ), digitally (Blake et al 2020 ; Ketelaar et al 2013a , b ; Shanafelt et al 2014 ; Weiner et al 2020 ), during discussion sessions (d'Ettorre and Greco 2015 ; Di Tecco et al 2020 ; Niks et al 2013 , 2018 ; Uchiyama et al 2013 ) or by the occupational physician (Gartner et al 2011 , 2013 ; Ketelaar et al 2013a , b , 2014a , b ; Ruitenburg et al 2015 , 2016 ). Through the giving of information, in all interventions HCWs were encouraged to take action to protect their health, but they could decide this for themselves, or they could decide not to do anything about it.…”

Strategies for preventing occupational stress in healthcare workers: past evidence, current problems

“…Most of the articles were from after 2010, possibly showing a growing interest in this topica trend easily confirmed by performing a similar search today. Three trials (Spoor 2010;Gómez-Gascón 2013;Niks 2013) were ongoing at the time; of these, only Niks et al's results have been made available (Niks…”

Residential indoor air quality interventions through a social‐ecological systems lens: A systematic review

“…Added inspiration may be found in studies that have shown the efficacy of healthy lifestyle interventions implemented through community centers 40 and in the workplace. 41,42 Russell et al 40 find that healthy behavioral changes are most often adopted when personal, interpersonal, and programmatic connections are integrated with community-level actions into an overall service delivery framework.…”