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Article History

Received: 13 April 2026

Accepted: 6 July 2026

First Online: 14 July 2026

Declarations

:

: This study was conducted in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the German Sociological Association (DGS) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). In German sociology, obtaining formal approval from an ethics committee is not mandatory for all types of research. The ethics committee is intended to assist researchers, particularly in cases of uncertainty. Against this background and given the low risk associated with this study, no approval was sought from an external ethics committee (German Research Foundation (DFG). (2023). FAQ: Humanities and Social Sciences. . Accessed 25 April 2026.). The research involved semi-structured interviews with non-vulnerable healthcare professionals, not with patients or other vulnerable groups. All participants received written information about the project and signed a consent form prior to the interview. The consent form stated that no special categories of personal data would be collected, that the interviews would be audio-recorded and transcribed by the researcher, that the audio files would be deleted after transcription, and that all directly identifying information would be removed or pseudonymized prior to analysis and publication. Participation was voluntary and could be withdrawn at any time without negative consequences. Personal contact information was stored separately from the research data, protected from unauthorized access, and will be deleted upon completion of the dissertation, unless participants have expressly consented to longer-term storage for potential follow-up contact. In accordance with the DGS Code of Ethics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS) & Berufsverband für Soziologie in Deutschland (BsiD). (2017). Ethik-Kodex der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS) und des Berufsverbandes für Soziologie in Deutschland (BsiD). . Accessed 25 April 2026.), participants were not exposed to any harm or risks beyond those of everyday life, and confidentiality and anonymity were strictly maintained throughout the entire research process.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.