Disposable single-use receptacles in a tertiary hospital: A large survey of staff after a hospital-wide implementation.

In March 2014, our 1,100-bed tertiary hospital fully converted from a traditional system of reusable receptacles to a single-use disposable pulp receptacle system. Almost 12 months later, in February 2015, we undertook a large survey questionnaire to investigate user acceptance, perceptions, and any areas for improvement. The disposable pulp receptacle system was seen to be more convenient, more hygienic, and less of a risk in spreading infectious diseases.

The positive mental health instrument: development and validation of a culturally relevant scale in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Background: Instruments to measure mental health and well-being are largely developed and often used within Western populations and this compromises their validity in other cultures. A previous qualitative study in Singapore demonstrated the relevance of spiritual and religious practices to mental health, a dimension currently not included in exiting multi-dimensional measures. The objective of this study was to develop a self-administered measure that covers all key and culturally appropriate domains of mental health, which can be applied to compare levels of mental health across different age, gender and ethnic groups.