Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

Previous research has assessed job satisfaction and related workplace factors among healthcare workers. However, studies on dental care professionals are limited. This study aimed to evaluate job satisfaction among US dental hygienists (DHs) and assistants (DAs) and identify workplace factors contributing to their job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted using survey data collected from DHs (n = 4078) and DAs (n = 2945) actively working in 2022. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess associations between workplace factors and job satisfaction, adjusting for demographics, practice patterns, and geography. Over 80% of DHs and DAs reported being satisfied with their jobs. Positive workplace culture, practice philosophy, opportunities for growth and advancement, good communication in practice, work-life balance, fair pay, a reasonable workload, and flexible work schedules are associated with job satisfaction. Overwork was associated with job dissatisfaction among DAs. Most DHs and DAs were satisfied with their current jobs, with positive workplace culture, growth opportunities, and effective communication being key factors contributing to their satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of developing strategies to improve workplace environments and promote the well-being and retention of oral health providers.

To better understand the current status of nephrology nursing in the United States, nephrology nurse leaders from the American Nephrology Nurses Association and the leading nephrology care provider organizations were asked their perceptions of pressing issues facing nephrology nurses. Each described their experiences and how they are handling the challenges and opportunities in their respective organizations.

As of 2016, Medicaid accounted for nearly 20% of state general fund budgets. Optional Medicaid services such as podiatry are often subject to cost-cutting measures in periods of economic downturn, as was the case in the wake of the 2007 financial crisis. Although the cuts were intended as a cost-saving measure, research indicates that they had the opposite effect. The restriction and limitation of these services during the Great Recession resulted in both poorer health outcomes for beneficiaries, and poorer financial outcomes for state Medicaid programs. With states citing record levels of unemployment as of April of 2020 and projecting significant declines in annual revenue in 2021, the economic conditions resulting from the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic are likely to rival those of the Great Recession. Given the historical precedent for restricting or eliminating optional Medicaid services as a cost-saving measure, it is likely that podiatric services will once again come under scrutiny. Previous efforts by state-level podiatric societies have proven successful in lobbying for the reinstatement of coverage under Medicaid by conveying evidence of the negative outcomes associated with elimination to stakeholders. The specialty must once again engage policymakers by drawing on evidence gleaned and lessons learned from past cuts of optional Medicaid services to avert counterproductive coverage restrictions intended to mitigate the financial impact of the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic.

People with disabilities (PWD) are a health disparities population who experience well-documented physical, structural, attitudinal, and financial barriers to health care. The disability rights community is deeply engaged in advocacy to promote health care justice for all PWD. As the community continues to work toward systems change, there is a critical need for community-directed interventions that ensure individuals with disabilities are able to access the health care services they need and are entitled to. Peer health navigator (PHN) programs have been shown to help people from diverse underserved communities break down barriers to health care. The PHN model has not been systematically adapted to meet the needs of PWD. In this article, we describe the collaborative process of developing Our Peers—Empowerment and Navigational Supports (OP-ENS), an evidence-informed PHN intervention for Medicaid beneficiaries with physical disabilities in Chicago, IL, USA. Our Peers—Empowerment and Navigational Supports is a 12-month community-based PHN intervention that pairs Medicaid beneficiaries with physical disabilities (peers) with disability PHNs who use a structured recursive process of barrier identification and asset mapping, goal setting, and action planning to help peers meet their health care needs. Our Peers—Empowerment and Navigational Supports was developed by a collaborative team that included disability rights leaders, representatives from a Medicaid managed care organization, and academic disability health care justice researchers. We highlight both the conceptual and empirical evidence that informed OP-ENS as well as the lessons learned that can assist future developers.