0000000000321216
AUTHOR
Matthias Claus
showing 15 related works from this author
Factors influencing place of death in Germany.
2011
Abstract Context Knowledge about factors influencing the place of death may be very useful for the planning of public health strategies to improve the situation of terminally ill patients. Objectives The aim of our study was to determine where people died in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2008. We further wanted to detect which factors had an influence on the place of death. Methods Our cross-sectional survey was based on a random sample of 5000 inhabitants of Rhineland-Palatinate who had died between May 25, 2008 and August 24, 2008. Relatives of these randomly drawn deceased persons were interviewed by means of a written survey. Results After removing duplicates, 4967…
Sterben in Rheinland-Pfalz: Gewünschter und tatsächlicher Sterbeort
2013
In Deutschland existieren bisher keine offiziellen Statistiken, die Angaben zu den Sterbeorten enthalten. Das Ziel der Studie bestand darin, den tatsachlichen und den gewunschten Sterbeort von Menschen, die im Jahr 2008 in Rheinland-Pfalz gestorben waren, deskriptiv zu bestimmen. Daruber hinaus sollten Einflussfaktoren fur einen Tod zu Hause vs. Tod in einer Institution identifiziert werden. Die Querschnittstudie basierte auf einer Zufallsstichprobe von 5 000 Einwohnern in Rheinland-Pfalz, die zwischen Mai und August 2008 verstarben. Die Hinterbliebenen dieser Verstorbenen erhielten einen Fragebogen, der sowohl soziodemografische wie gesundheitsspezifische Aspekte behandelte. Nach Entfernun…
Preference for place of death in Germany.
2011
Dying in the preferred place is considered a key requirement for a "good death." The aims of our study were to explore preferred places of death of deceased people and their bereaved relatives in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany). We further wanted to assess the congruence between preferred and actual place of death.The cross-sectional study was based on a random sample of 5000 inhabitants of Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) who died between May 25 and August 24, 2008. Relatives of these deceased persons were interviewed by a written survey.After removing duplicates, 4967 questionnaires were sent out, 3832 delivered, and 1378 completed, yielding a response rate of 36.0%. Regarding the deceased, …
Sickness presenteeism of German teachers: prevalence and influencing factors
2016
AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate teachers’ sickness presenteeism (SP). We examined the prevalence of SP in a sample of teachers as well as work-related and health-related influencing factors of teachers’ SP. We used a cross-sectional study design. Teachers working at different types of schools in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) participated in an online survey. We used Pearson’s Chi-squared test (in case of categorical variables) or Mann–Whitney-U-test (in case of continuous variables) to test for differences between SP and sociodemographic/work-related/health-related factors. Factors influencing SP were identified using multivariable logistic regression analyses. Nine…
Dying in Germany--unfulfilled needs of relatives in different care settings.
2012
Abstract Context The integration of family members in the dying process and the recognition of their special needs are important factors for the development of high-quality palliative care. Objectives This study aimed to explore important needs and personal experiences of relatives at the end of life, and to detect differences in these needs and experiences for various care settings. Methods Our cross-sectional survey was based on a random sampling of 5000 inhabitants of Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany) who died between May 25 and August 24, 2008. Relatives of these randomly drawn deceased persons were interviewed by a written survey. Results A total of 1378 questionnaires were completed (res…
Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A and B and vaccination status in staff at German schools for the handicapped
2016
This study aims to assess serostatus and vaccination status of hepatitis A and B among staff at schools for the handicapped. We also wanted to investigate factors associated with serostatus, number of infections with hepatitis A/hepatitis B at work, and factors influencing being vaccinated or not. The cross-sectional study was carried out between August 2010 and August 2012 at 13 German schools for severely handicapped. Data were analyzed using blood samples, vaccination documents, and questionnaires. A total of 395 persons participated in our study (response: 59.7%), information on 367 could be used for analysis. Two respondents have been infected with HAV at work, 53.4% were anti-HAV sero…
Identification of possible risk factors for alcohol use disorders among general practitioners in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
2012
QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY Research on alcohol use disorders among physicians has been scarce in Germany. The aim of our study was to identify possible risk factors for alcohol use disorders among general practitioners (GPs) working in the outpatient sector in the federal German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (RP). METHODS An anonymous survey was carried out between June and July 2009. 2,092 practice-based GPs in the federal German state of RP were asked to take part in the cross-sectional study via postal mail. The CAGE screening tool was used in its German version (CAGE-G) to screen for alcohol use disorders (AUD). Moreover, possible risk factors such as work stress (effort-reward imbalance), s…
The Mental Health of Primary Care Physicians in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
2012
Physicians are subject to intense occupational stress (e1– e3), and long-term stress harms their well-being. Health impairments such as high blood pressure (e4), burnout syndrome (e5, e6), depression (1– 3), and substance dependencies (e2, e7) have been linked to occupational stress. One established approach to the assessment of occupational stress is the so-called occupational gratification crisis model (4, 5), according to which stress arises when persistent hard work (effort) does not yield a corresponding gratification (reward). Another important component of this model is a personality-based tendency to devote excessive effort to work, to the individual’s own detriment (“overcommitment…
Was trägt zur Verbesserung der gesundheitlichen Situation von Lehrkräften (LK) am Arbeitsplatz Schwerpunktgrundschule (SPGS) bei? Ein Mixed-Methods-A…
2017
Zusammenfassung Ziel Für SPGS wurde inhaltsanalytisch und unter Berücksichtigung personen- bzw. tätigkeitsbezogener Belastungs- und Beanspruchungsmerkmale erfasst, welche Maßnahmen aus Sicht von LK zur Verbesserung der gesundheitlichen Situation am Arbeitsplatz beitragen können. Methodik Die Daten stammen aus einer vom Institut für Lehrergesundheit (IFL) von August 2013 bis April 2015 an 14 SPGS in Rheinland-Pfalz durchgeführten schriftlichen Querschnittserhebung. Die Teilnahmequote liegt bei 46,3% (143/309 LK). Antworten auf die offene Frage „Welche konkreten berufsbezogenen Maßnahmen würden zu einer Verbesserung Ihres Wohlbefindens oder Ihrer gesundheitlichen Situation am Arbeitsplatz bei…
Symptom prevalence in the last days of life in Germany: the role of place of death.
2011
Investigations have shown that symptom prevalence varies according to the place of death. We sought to assess the symptom prevalence of chronically ill people in Germany and how this prevalence differs depending on the place of death. We sent questionnaires to 5000 bereaved people in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany), whose relatives died between May 25 and August 24, 2008. In all, 3832 questionnaires were delivered and 1378 completed (response 36.0%). Most decedents had moderate-to-severe weakness (94.5%), fatigue (93.5%), need for help in daily activities (87.9%), and appetite loss (87.4%). Pain and dyspnea were most severe in hospitals; fatigue, confusion/disorientation, and problems with w…
P165 Workplace and commuting accidents of german teachers: an analysis of accident reports
2016
Introduction Since 2011 the Institute for Teachers’ Health (IfL) is responsible for the occupational health of more than 40.000 German teachers. Analysing teachers’ accidents is an important part of everyday work. The aim of the study was to describe accident black spots and type of injuries. We further wanted to identify factors influencing accident severity. Methods We included accident reports of teachers between August 2011 and July 2014 (three school-years) which occurred at schools in Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany). In case of an accident, teachers fill out an accident report which is forwarded either to the statutory accident insurance or to the IfL. For the present analysis, anonymi…
Dying With Dementia
2013
Advanced dementia is increasingly being regarded as a terminal disease (1, 2). Studies in English-speaking countries have led to the conclusion that the palliative care of patients with dementia at the end of their lives is now inadequately adapted to their special needs, not only for those dying at home, but also for those dying in hospitals and nursing homes (3, 4). Insufficient symptom control, failure to recognize that the patient is dying, and unnecessary and stressful interventions such as artificial nutrition or physical restraints are common (5, 6). Most of the pertinent studies in Germany have looked only at the symptom burden of persons dying of cancer in palliative care facilitie…
Occupational injuries of teachers and educational staff at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped children in Rhineland‐Palatinate (G…
2015
Occupational injuries of teachers and educational staff at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped children in Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany): results of a cross‐sectional study: Matthias Claus, et al. Institute for Teachers’ Health at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to describe the prevalence, type, and influencing factors of occupational injuries of staff working at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped pupils in Southwestern Germany. METHODS: This cross‐sectional study was carried out between August 2010 and August 2012 at 13 special schools with focus on motoric and/or…
Hypothenar hammer syndrome: A multicenter case-control study
2013
Background The rarely diagnosed hypothenar hammer syndrome (HHS) is due to vascular damage to the distal part of the ulnar artery probably caused by acute or repetitive blunt trauma to the hypothenar region. To date, mainly case reports have been published, while epidemiological data are almost absent. Aim To identify potential risk factors for HHS. Method An interview-based multicenter case–control study of 71 patients with HHS and 105 matched controls was conducted with standardized questions regarding disease specific variables, occupation, exposure of the hands to different types of trauma in occupational and leisure context. Medical data were verified from individual medical records. R…
Improving End-of-Life Care in Hospitals
2013
Objectives: To explore and document the experiences and expectancies of bereaved family members concerning the end-of-life (EOL) care of their deceased relative in a general hospital setting. Methods: Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that included open-ended questions. Free-text answers were evaluated with qualitative content analysis. A total of 270 family members provided information about improvements in inpatient care. Results: Families described structural deficiencies. Furthermore, they requested a more holistic patient health care beyond medical treatment and expressed the wish for more professional support for families. Discussion: The view of bereaved families confirmed …