The use of tele-audiology in ototoxicity monitoring: A scoping review

2022 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2110682
Author(s):  
Nazeera Peerbhay ◽  
Danielle R Munsamy ◽  
Hombisa P Dlamini ◽  
Fisokuhle Langa ◽  
Jessica Paken
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Holistic Management ◽  
African Context ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Cost

Introduction Due to the growing burden of disease in South Africa, encompassing conditions such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, and cancer, the holistic management of affected patients incorporating ototoxicity monitoring is a necessity. However, ototoxicity monitoring in developing countries may be limited due to a lack of resources and inadequate healthcare facilities. Subsequently, the use of tele-audiology may be a revolutionary technique with the potential to provide audiology services to under-served populations with limited access. Methods The study aimed to describe the use of tele-audiology services in ototoxicity monitoring through a scoping review of English peer-reviewed articles from June 2009 to June 2020. Seventeen articles were purposively selected from the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis Online, WorldCat, and Google Scholar. Data was extracted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses diagram and results were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Results and discussion While a minority of the studies indicated that the cost of implementation and network connectivity within a South African context pose as barriers, most researchers reported that tele-audiology provides a reliable, time-efficient, cost-effective, and easily accessible alternative for ototoxicity monitoring. Hardware including the WAHTS, KUDUwave, and OtoID, along with software such as the TabSINT, Otocalc, uHear, and the hearTest, have proven to be useful for ototoxicity monitoring. A need for further investigations regarding the feasibility of tele-audiology implementation in South Africa is evident. Despite this, it provides audiologists with an opportunity to offer contact-less services during COVID-19, thus, confirming its versatility as an augmentative method for ototoxicity monitoring.

A Systematic Review of Digital Marketing in South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 143-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Nsahlai ◽  
Refiloe Khoase ◽  
Patrick Ndayizigamiye ◽  
Shopee M. Dube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
Digital Marketing ◽  
Mobile Marketing ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
African Context ◽  
Meta Analyses

This chapter investigates the extent of digital marketing usage in South Africa, its perceived impact, and factors that influence its adoption in the South African context. The methodology adopted is the systematic review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework. The results show that digital platforms currently used include mobile marketing (SMS) and social media platforms. The findings suggest that SMS-based marketing may be appealing to other market segments but not to young adults. The findings further suggest that social media marketing has had a significant influence on the purchase intentions among South African millennials (Generation Y). Moreover, the findings suggest that marketers, in their quest to influence customer purchasing decisions, should consider the knowledge that social media followers have regarding a subject matter (such as a product), and make an effort to educate those followers on the subject (or product) before suggesting a purchase.

THE COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) IN SOUTH AFRICA

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 51-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCOIS RETIEF ◽  
BENNETT CHABALALA
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Project Cost ◽  
North West ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Cost

The wide adoption of EIA internationally is implicitly or explicitly based on the assumption that the benefits of EIA outweigh the costs. However, there has been surprisingly little empirical research conducted on the "cost" of EIA. The latter has been mostly because of the difficult methodological challenges it presents, which include the difficulties associated with clarifying terminology and disentangling what is meant by "cost". South Africa has been a leading developing country in terms of the introduction of EIA. However, almost a decade of mandatory EIA practice has raised serious questions about unjustified and unnecessary time delays and monetary costs and a desperate need for improved efficiency and effectiveness. In light of the latter the urgent need to gain a better understanding of the "cost" of EIA is evident. This paper presents preliminary results of an empirical study on the "direct EIA cost" in relation to "overall project cost" in South Africa. The data was obtained from a detailed survey of 148 EIAs conducted in the Free State, North West and the Northern Cape Provinces. The research suggests that the average direct cost of EIA within this region of South Africa is particularly low compared to international EIA systems. However, as a percentage of total project cost, EIA in South Africa compares with the higher spectrum of international practice. The latter suggests that within the South African context a large number of EIAs are being conducted for relatively small scale projects and that the main cost burden is placed on small and medium economic enterprise. In conclusion the overall profile of EIA cost in the South African context is described in relation to four broad project categories. To take the debate forward and to allow for regional comparative analysis, it is proposed that the research be expanded to include other provinces.

scholarly journals Cost of childhood diarrhoea in rural South Africa: exploring cost-effectiveness of universal zinc supplementation

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 2138-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meera K Chhagan ◽  
Jan Van den Broeck ◽  
Kany-Kany Angelique Luabeya ◽  
Nontobeko Mpontshane ◽  
Michael L Bennish
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
South African ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Secondary Data Sources ◽  
The Cost

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the cost of diarrhoeal illness in children aged 6–24 months in a rural South African community and to determine the threshold prevalence of stunting at which universal Zn plus vitamin A supplementation (VAZ) would be more cost-effective than vitamin A alone (VA) in preventing diarrhoea.DesignWe conducted a cost analysis using primary and secondary data sources. Using simulations we examined incremental costs of VAZ relative to VA while varying stunting prevalence.SettingData on efficacy and societal costs were largely from a South African trial. Secondary data were from local and international published sources.SubjectsThe trial included children aged 6–24 months. The secondary data sources were a South African health economics survey and the WHO-CHOICE (CHOosing Interventions that are Cost Effective) database.ResultsIn the trial, stunted children supplemented with VAZ had 2·04 episodes (95 % CI 1·37, 3·05) of diarrhoea per child-year compared with 3·92 episodes (95 % CI 3·02, 5·09) in the VA arm. Average cost of illness was $Int 7·80 per episode (10th, 90th centile: $Int 0·28, $Int 15·63), assuming a minimum standard of care (oral rehydration and 14 d of therapeutic Zn). In simulation scenarios universal VAZ had low incremental costs or became cost-saving relative to VA when the prevalence of stunting was close to 20 %. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were sensitive to the cost of intervention and coverage levels.ConclusionsThis simulation suggests that universal VAZ would be cost-effective at current levels of stunting in parts of South Africa. This requires further validation under actual programmatic conditions.

Transformation in Higher Education in South Africa Toward the Decolonization of South African Universities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruksana Osman ◽  
Felix Maringe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Government Control ◽  
Residential Institutions ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

Higher education in South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, is under pressure to reinvent and transform itself. Traditionally it has enjoyed the financial support of the government and has also enjoyed an autonomous existence. In South Africa, since the demise of apartheid, the education policy terrain has shifted remarkably fast and policies have required that universities respond to a national plan for higher education that commits universities to become cost- effective, massified institutions opening access to all who were historically excluded due to apartheid’s policies of educational exclusion. Universities in the higher education sector as a whole are required to generate strategies that broaden access routes for disadvantaged groups and at the same time consider curriculum strategies that ensure success and inclusivity to such groups after access. In addition to these daunting challenges, the higher education sector has experienced a decrease in government funding and an increase in government control. Student-led protest around the cost of higher education has also introduced a new kind of pressure point on universities. These shifts are in sharp contrast to the more elite traditional model of higher education in South Africa, which has been mostly residential institutions focusing on full-time study, with lectures, seminars, and laboratory demonstrations as the dominant forms of pedagogy. This model is also based on sets of internal rules designed to support staff to spearhead the knowledge-production processes. They function best under stable environments and tend to meander and falter when the foundations for stability are threatened.

‘Limping, Yet Made to Climb a Mountain!’ Re-Reading the Vashti Character in the Hiv And Aids South African Context

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madipoane Masenya (Ngwan’A Mphahlele)
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
External Factor ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
African Women ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Land Grabbing ◽  
The Bible ◽  
History Of ◽  
African Context

The history of the Christian Bible’s reception in South Africa was part of a package that included among others, the importation of European patriarchy, land grabbing and its impoverishment of Africans and challenged masculinities of African men. The preceding factors, together with the history of the marginalization of African women in bible and theology, and how the Bible was and continues to be used in our HIV and AIDS contexts, have only made the proverbial limping animal to climb a mountain. Wa re o e bona a e hlotša, wa e nametša thaba (while limping, you still let it climb a mountain) simply means that a certain situation is being aggravated (by an external factor). In this chapter the preceding Northern Sotho proverb is used as a hermeneutical lens to present an HIV and AIDS gender sensitive re-reading of the Vashti character in the Hebrew Bible within the South African context.

Reimagining Intersectionality and Social Exclusion in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosi Kubeka ◽  
Sharmla Rama
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Social Division ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
African Context

Combining the theories of intersectionality and social exclusion holds the potential for structural and nuanced interpretations of the workings of power, taking systemic issues seriously but interpreting them though social relations that appear in local contexts. An intersectional analysis of social exclusion demonstrates to what extent multiple axes of social division—be they race, age, gender, class, disability or citizenship—intersect to result in unequal and disparate experiences for groups of youth spatially located in particular communities and neighborhoods. A common reference point is therefore power and how it manifests at the intersection of the local and global. A South African case study is used to explore the subjective measures and qualitative experiences of intersectionality and social exclusion further. The unique ways that language intersects with space, neighborhood, and race in the South African context, enables opportunities in education and the labor market, with profound implications for forms of social exclusion.

scholarly journals Exploring the factors that influence the career decision of STEM students at a university in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethel Ndidiamaka Abe ◽  
Vitallis Chikoko
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
African Context

Abstract Background Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educators and stakeholders in South Africa are interested in the ways STEM students make their career decisions because of the shortages in these critical skills. Although various factors including family, teachers, peers, and career interest have been reported as determinants of career decision-making, there is a scarcity of studies that have qualitatively explored the levels of influences of any of these factors in the South African context. The main aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence career decision-making among STEM student majors in a South African university. By better understanding students’ viewpoint on these factors, educators and policymakers can assist students in making career decisions that fit their experiences, personality, and expectations. Students in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of study respectively, were invited to respond to a semi-structured questionnaire about the factors that were influential in their decision to pursue a career in STEM. A total of 203 texts (response rate: 63%) were qualitatively analyzed utilising a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to traditional content analysis, whereby themes develop inductively from the data. Results We used a hermeneutic phenomenological method to traditional content analysis to examine the factors influencing participants’ career decision-making. Peer interrogation, modified member verification, compact description, code-recode tactics, and assessment trails were engaged to confirm quality and rigour. Three key results emerged, namely interpersonal, intrapersonal, and career outcomes expectancy. The perceptions of STEM students of their career decision-making in the South African context are more multifaceted than reported previously. The insights could inform policies to counter skills shortages in the STEM area. Conclusions In this exploratory study, we gave attention to describing the various ranges of students’ perceptions and experiences regarding their career decision-making. Several students reported, among other factors, that their families, personality, and expectations played influential roles in their career decision-making. Here, we discuss the meaning of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and outcome expectations with respect to career decision-making from the perspective of STEM students in a South African university.

Building back smarter—part one: the case for more modular facilities in the NHS

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Isobel Clough
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Building Maintenance ◽  
Cost Implications ◽  
The Cost

The NHS is facing an unprecedented backlog in both patient care and building maintenance, with severe implications for service delivery, finance and population wellbeing. This article is the first in a series discussing modular healthcare facilities as a potential solution to these issues, providing flexible and cost-effective spaces to allow services to increase capacity without sacrificing care quality. The first of three instalments, this paper will outline the problems facing the NHS estate, many of which have been exacerbated to critical levels by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what this means for service delivery. It will then make the case for modular infrastructure, outlining the potential benefits for healthcare services, staff and patients alike. Using modern methods of construction, this approach to creating physical space in healthcare can provide greater flexibility and a reduced impact on the environment. The next two articles in this series will go on to provide detailed case studies of successful modular implementation in NHS trusts, an analysis of the cost implications and guidance on the commissioning process and building a business case.

scholarly journals Measuring network competence in buyer-supplier relationships

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-447
Author(s):  
Gert Human
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
African Context ◽  
Network Competence ◽  
Business To Business

Managing multiple buyer-seller relationships in business-to-business networks demands an understanding of a firm’s competence to manage in an interconnected environment.  This paper reports on an attempt to measure network competence by using the NetCompTest scale in business-to-business markets in South Africa. Based on a pilot study refinement, the paper proposes an adjusted measurement scale and details the results of a second round of measurement conducted amongst 495 business-to-business managers in South Africa. The results established partial support for the use of the NetCompTest scale in a South African context, and analysis of variance indicated that some differences in the measurement based on firm and individual characteristics can be observed in the data. The paper assists in theory-building and provides managerial insights for managing buyer-supplier relationships in networks.

scholarly journals Allan Boesak, Black Theology and Apartheid: A theological-historical approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Fortein
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Black Theology ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
African Context ◽  
American Black

In this article I will give specific attention to the reciprocal relationship between Black Theology and Allan Boesak based on his lived experience of apartheid from a theological-historical perspective. It is my presupposition that Boesak’s experience of apartheid made him prone to the influence of Black Theology and that he in turn adapted American Black Theology so that it could be made applicable to the South African context. Black Theology unlocked an entire new theological paradigm for Boesak which enabled him to speak prophetically to the challenges and injustices that occurred under apartheid in South Africa. Attention will be given to the emergence of Black Theology in South Africa, how Boesak was challenged by it and how Black Theology, through Boesak, impacted the theological landscape.

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