BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Dec 3;25(1):1568. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-13703-8.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Self-medication among healthcare workers poses serious risks to both personal health and patient safety. Operating room (OR) personnel, exposed to high-acuity care, irregular shifts, and systemic pressures, may be particularly vulnerable, yet comprehensive studies in this population remain limited.
METHODS: This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study investigated self-medication among OR personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the quantitative phase, 400 participants completed a validated 15-item questionnaire on self-medication behaviors, individual factors, and organizational/environmental determinants. In the qualitative phase, 20 semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed. Integration was achieved through narrative weaving and a joint display.
RESULTS: Self-medication prevalence was 65%. Quantitative analysis identified psychological stress (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) and workplace pressures (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) as the strongest predictors, with poor healthcare access and prior experience also contributing. Surgical technologists reported higher rates than nursing aides (p < 0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: psychological strain, self-medication as coping, workplace pressures, and emotional consequences. Integration showed a reinforcing cycle in which stress and systemic barriers promoted self-medication, which in turn generated further emotional burden.
CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication among OR personnel during crises is prevalent and shaped by intertwined psychological and systemic factors. Interventions should address immediate stressors at the hospital level while implementing health-system policies that reduce structural barriers, to safeguard both healthcare providers and patient safety.
CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
PMID:41339864 | DOI:10.1186/s12913-025-13703-8
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