Work intensification and health outcomes of health sector workers

Acknowledgements

Ethics approval and consent to participate: this research is reviewed and approved by McMaster Research Ethics Board protocol No. MREB-2014-132. Consent for participation in the study: no individual person’s data are shown in this paper. Only aggregate information is provided. For online survey, survey participants agreed to participate by consenting at the beginning of the survey and “clicking” submit button at the end of the survey. For print-mail-out survey, sending it to researchers was considered as consent and clearly indicated to the participants in the “study information and consent page.” For more see www.pswshaveasay.ca. Competing interests: the authors declare that the authors have no competing interests. This study is funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour Research Opportunities Program (Proposal No. 13-R-030). The funder had no role in the design, execution and writing of this study. The authors would like to thank the PSWs who shared their experience with the authors by responding to the survey, co-investigators of the grant Susan VanderBent and Patricia Boucher, the Research Advisory Committee members (Patricia Boucher, Advanced Gerontological Education, St Peter’s Hospital; Brigid Buckingham, SEIU Healthcare; Henrietta Van hulle, Public Services Health and Safety Association; Janitha Joseph, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local Union 3358-01; Margaret McAlister, Home Care Ontario; Wendy Robertson, St Clair West Services for Seniors; Deborah Simon, Ontario Community Support Association; Susan VanderBent, Home Care Ontario; Ronda Dickie, PSW Representative, PSNO; and Stefanie Nucci, PSW Representative, OPSWA) for their advisory role in the design and execution of the project this paper is based on. The Research Advisory Committee assisted in the survey distribution through e-mail blasts, newsletter inserts and a customized health and safety training presentation. Special thanks to Steve De Lisser for graphic design, communications assistance and suggesting the survey title that is also part of the title of this paper as well as the project logo. Special thanks to Bruno Marsala for the design, development and maintenance of the study micro website and contents including the production of the project website promotional video.