[This winter, nearly 70% of medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities There was no spread of infectious diseases! On the other hand, many respondents felt that infection control measures in the workplace However, the majority of respondents felt that they were facing challenges in taking countermeasures against infectious diseases in the workplace!

Human Relight Care, Inc. (Location: Nerima-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Go Tajika) conducted an emergency survey on the spread of infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities, and measures against infectious diseases in the workplace, targeting people in their 20s to 60s who work in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities nationwide. The survey was conducted on the spread of infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities.

People in the medical, nursing care, and welfare industries are often involved with elderly people, so health management and infection control measures are essential not only in the workplace but also in their daily lives. However, from the end of last year to the beginning of the new year, we were in a situation where various infectious diseases such as influenza and new coronavirus were prevalent. Now that we have overcome the coronary disaster, isn't it necessary to clarify the actual situation regarding infectious disease countermeasures taken in medical, nursing, and welfare facilities, and to once again thoroughly implement effective infectious disease countermeasures?

Human Relight Care, Inc. (https://www.humanrelightcare.com/) conducted an emergency survey on the spread of infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities, and workplace infection control measures, targeting people in their 20s to 60s who work in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities nationwide. The survey was conducted on the spread of infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities, and on measures to prevent infectious diseases in the workplace.

Outline of the Survey

Survey on the spread of infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities, and measures against infectious diseases in the workplace

Survey period: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Survey method: Internet survey by GMO Ask (https://gmo-research.ai/)

Number of people surveyed: 1,124

Survey targets] Respondents were employees of medical institutions, welfare facilities, and long-term care facilities who were in their 20s to 60s at the time of survey response.

　　　　　　Survey targets] Monitors who answered that they were employees of medical institutions, welfare facilities, or nursing care facilities in their 20s to 60s at the time of survey response.

Surveyed by] Human Relight Care, Inc.

　　　　　　( https://www.humanrelightcare.com/ )

Source】 GMO Research & AI, Inc.

Survey on Infectious Diseases in the Workplace

Tables 1 and 2

First, we asked, "In the last few months, please tell us about outbreaks of infectious diseases such as novel coronavirus and influenza at your place of work." Nearly 70% of the respondents answered, "No one was infected in the last few months (36.2%)" or "Only a few people were infected (31.9%).

The number of respondents who answered, "There were many infected until the end of last year, but almost no one since the beginning of this year" was also 19.0%, indicating that there were not that many infected people at many workplaces at present.

The next question was, "What do you feel are the most important issues in infection control at your workplace? The following multiple-answer question was asked: "What are the biggest challenges in infection control at your workplace?

The following were the results of multiple responses to the question, "I have to go to work even if I am not feeling well (37.3%) due to a shortage of personnel or other reasons.

Many employees have dementia, making it difficult to prevent infections (34.3%)

The structure of the facility has problems such as difficulty in isolating infected patients (30.2%)

Staff awareness of infection control measures is low, and infection control measures are not thorough enough (21.3%)

Many workplaces are facing a wide range of problems in infection control and prevention. In particular, nearly 40% of the workplaces found that staff members are unable to take time off even if they are feeling ill due to personnel shortages or other factors.

We asked the respondents how they feel about their workplaces, and whether they feel comfortable discussing their problems with their coworkers.

Tables 3 and 4

When asked, "Do you think your workplace is an environment where you can feel free to ask for help when you are not feeling well and take proper time off?" The most common answer was "Generally agree (40.1%)," followed by "Can't say either (19.7%)" and "Agree very much (feel comfortable discussing and taking time off)" (17.1%).

It is clear that nearly 60% of the respondents feel that the work environment at their place of work is easy to consult with. However, more than 20% of the respondents answered "not so much" or "not at all (the workplace is understaffed or it is difficult to consult with superiors)," revealing the reality that there is a wide gap in the workplace environment.

The survey also asked, "What measures do you think are desirable to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases at your workplace? (The following are the results of the question "What measures do you think are desirable to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases at your workplace?

Thorough implementation of standard precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands (84.0%)

Regular ventilation (57.6%)

Regular disinfection of handrails, doorknobs, etc. (51.1%)

Early isolation and treatment of patients and residents who are not feeling well (39.2%)

Vaccination against infectious diseases (37.2%)

Regular cleaning and disposal of vomit and excrement (33.9%)

Sharing information on daily health conditions such as staff temperature (33.2%)" followed.

More than 80% of the respondents thought that standard precautions such as wearing masks were necessary, and that other comprehensive measures such as regular ventilation and disinfection were desirable.

We therefore asked how thoroughly infection control measures are actually taken at their workplaces.

Table 5.

When asked, "To what extent are the following infection control measures implemented at the facility where you work?" Many workplaces answered "To some extent" or "Thoroughly" for each item, but there was a difference in the negative responses of "Not very much" or "Not at all". (* The graph is sorted in order of the number of negative responses.)

The least common response to this question was "Wearing masks (6.6%)," indicating that many workplaces are still implementing mask use on an ongoing basis. On the other hand, "Sharing information on staff's health condition such as body temperature (18.8%)" and "Providing training on infection control to staff (18.3%)" were relatively high, indicating that these items are not fully implemented in some workplaces.

■Survey on Health Management Apps for Sharing Body Temperature and Health

Next, we asked about the effectiveness of health management apps and issues related to "sharing information on staff temperature and other health conditions," which was not sufficiently implemented in a relatively large number of workplaces.

Tables 6 and 7

About 40% of respondents answered, "It is effective in preventing infectious diseases (36.9%)," and many also answered, "I can be more aware of changes in my own health condition (36.6%)," and "It is easier for leaders to monitor the health condition of all staff (33.1%).

In addition, "It will reduce the burden of reporting health conditions by eliminating the need to do so by e-mail, etc. (24.4%)," "It is easier to take time off when I am sick because I can share my health condition at my workplace (each floor, etc.) (23.6%)," "It is easy to have a list of potential symptoms when I am sick (21.3%)," and so on. Many respondents also focused on the ability to reduce the burden of reporting when they are not feeling well (21.3%).

Conversely, when asked "What do you think are the challenges in introducing a health management application? (multiple answers allowed)", the most common response was "Cost (42.7%)", followed by "More work for staff outside of work (33.4%)", "Concern about leakage of personal information (29.1%)", and "Seems difficult to operate, hard to learn (22.7%)". It is important for staff to be satisfied with the introduction of new applications and for the operation of such applications to be less time-consuming and burdensome.

Support from the national and local governments for infectious disease countermeasures

Finally, we asked about opinions and requests regarding support from the national and local governments for infectious disease control measures.

Table 8.

What kind of support from the national and local governments would you like to see in order to continue to proactively take measures against infectious diseases at your place of work? When asked, "What kind of support would you like to receive from the government or local government in order to continue to actively take measures against infectious diseases (top three answers)?" more than half of the respondents answered, "Provision of additional amount to salary for treating and caring for patients with infectious diseases (52.4%). Next were "subsidies for the cost of new coronavirus vaccination, flu shots, etc. (44.5%)" and "provision of protective equipment such as gowns and aprons, and subsidies for the purchase of such equipment (39.7%). Other responses included "Dispatch of temporary staff when a staff member contracts an infectious disease (34.5%)," "Survey and guidance on the status of infectious disease control measures at the workplace (22.1%)," and "Training on infectious disease control measures by instructors (15.6%).

Since performing duties while implementing infection control measures is both physically and mentally taxing, it will continue to be important to have an additional amount for each day worked. In addition, it would be effective for both employers and employees if they could continue to provide various cost subsidies for vaccinations, protective equipment, etc.

Summary: Although nearly 70% of medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities did not experience the spread of infectious diseases this winter, it is clear that they are aware of the challenges of infection control measures in the workplace.

The results of this survey revealed that the spread of infectious diseases did not occur to that extent this winter at medical institutions, welfare facilities, and long-term care facilities. On the other hand, more than 10% of workplaces had outbreaks of infectious diseases, and the number of patients with infectious diseases is increasing, again highlighting the need for continued infection control measures in the industry.

It also became clear that there are significant differences in the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace. While many medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities have implemented basic measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and disinfecting fingers, regular ventilation and cleaning, and early isolation and treatment of ill patients, nearly 20% of workplaces have not implemented one of the basic measures, "sharing health information such as staff response". The survey revealed that nearly 20% of workplaces do not share health information such as the response of staff.

Of particular note is the existence of an environment in which it is difficult to complain of poor health due to a shortage of human resources, and 37.4% of medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities found that their staff are forced to work even when they are ill. In addition, more than 20% of respondents said that it is difficult to take time off because they cannot easily consult with staff when they are ill, and this kind of work environment significantly increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases from staff members.

In addition to continuing thorough infection control measures in the workplace, in order to maximize the effectiveness of infection control measures, it is essential to thoroughly manage the health of employees and improve the workplace environment so that employees can take appropriate rest when they are sick.

Specifically, it would be important to establish the following systems

1. daily health checks and records

(2) Establishment and operation of an internal system that allows immediate consultation and reporting when employees feel unwell.

3. creation of an environment that facilitates rest and relaxation during times of illness through stable recruitment of human resources

4. mental health care for employees

To address these issues, it is effective to utilize "OND'Care," a group health management application developed by the Company. This application provides the following functions free of charge for up to 1,000 employees

Daily health check and record

Real-time health status sharing

Quick reporting system in case of illness

With the introduction of "OND'Care," the health status of employees can be identified at an early stage by the leadership team and appropriate measures can be taken quickly. This will enable early detection and early response to infectious diseases and significantly reduce the risk of infection in the workplace as a whole.

Establishing a system that prioritizes the health of employees and allows them to take time off without hesitation when they feel ill is the cornerstone of infectious disease control. Such efforts will not only prevent the spread of infectious diseases, but also create a work environment in which employees can work with peace of mind, healthy in mind and body.

Health management application "OND'Care" for workplace and group health management

Application Logo

Human Relight Care, Inc., which conducted the survey on the spread of infectious diseases and countermeasures against infectious diseases in medical institutions, welfare facilities, and nursing care facilities, offers "OND'Care," a group health management application that can be used free of charge by up to 1,000 people ( https://www.ond- care.com/ ), which can be used by up to 1,000 people free of charge.

Features of "OND'Care

Easy recording of daily temperature, physical condition, and behavior during a fever

Easy to input body temperature and physical condition with intuitive operation.

Message function allows you to send a message to a group of people.

Fill out a medical questionnaire when fever exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius. Fill out a medical questionnaire when a fever exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius, and also record a history of activities.

Easy to grasp your health history with the graph display.

Display can be switched between daily, weekly, and monthly units.

Visualize the progress of fever and fever resolution, as well as the long-term health status of the patient.

The day when there is a medical questionnaire/symptom record is displayed as an icon, so that it can be grasped immediately.

Health of 100 persons x 10 groups can be managed without any hassle.

Health registration status of the group to which the user belongs can be checked at a glance.

Detailed health data is not visible to anyone other than the administrator, making the system privacy-conscious.

Special icons notify users who have fever or registered symptoms.

Family members without smartphones can also use the system.

Health management for small children and the elderly can be managed with sub-IDs.

Sub-IDs can be entered on behalf of the user by simply switching accounts.

Easily register and manage immunization records.

Easy storage of important information such as vaccination dates and numbers.

Prevents paper loss

Registration of vaccination certificates is possible with the photo registration function.

Thorough security measures

Data is stored in an encrypted database.

Personal information is properly managed and operated in accordance with our privacy policy and this application's terms of use and privacy policy.

Supported OS: iOS, Android

The application can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

App Store

https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/ondcare-%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97%E5%81%A5%E5%BA%B7%E7%AE%A1%E7%90%86%E3%82%A2%E3%83%97%E 3%83%AA/id6475839763?itsct=apps_box_badge&itscg=30200

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hurlic.ondcare&pcampaignid=pcampaignidMKT-Other-global-all-co-prtnr-py-PartBadge -Mar2515-1

For more information about "OND'Care", please visit

https://www.ond-care.com/

Company Profile

Company name: Human Relight Care, Inc.

Representative: Go Tajika, Representative Director

Location: Shakujii, Nerima-ku, Tokyo 177-0041

　　　　　 Casa Verde Shakujii-Koen 1F, 4-3-15 Shakujii-cho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo

Establishment : December 2011

Business description: Home-visit care business, in-home care support business, welfare service business for persons with disabilities,

　　　　　 Nerima Ward Community Livelihood Support Project (Nerima Ward, Tokyo)

　　　　　 Nerima Ward community life support business (mobility support), Nerima Ward childcare support helper business

　　　　　 Nerima Ward childcare support helper business, childcare start support ticket issuance business, and housework service business,

　　　　　 Nerima Ward home help service business for single-parent families, and training support business,

　　　　　 Software development and operation

Capital: 10 million yen

URL : https://www.humanrelightcare.com