Presence and participation in a virtual court

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582110173
Author(s):  
Meredith Rossner ◽  
David Tait

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of video-mediated justice practices. However, such developments have already been transforming justice over the course of the previous 20 years. Scholars and legal professinals have expressed concerns over how remote appearance in court impacts perceptions of the accused. In this article, we consider some of these concerns and explore the concept of the ‘distributed court’ as a potential remedy. Unlike traditional video appearance in court, where a defendant participates remotely while all other players are co-located in the same courtroom, in a distributed court all participants meet in a shared virtual space. Such a configuration is similar to the virtual courts developed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. We draw on a reimagining of co-presence from scholars in the sociology of technology to elaborate the concept of the distributed court. We then present the results of a mock jury study that examines how jurors respond to variations in court technology configurations. We find that appearing by video does not impact the likelihood of a guilty verdict. Rather, a defendant appearing alone in a dock seems to be the most prejudicial location. We find that a distributed court can communicate equality and produce a shared experience of remote participation. We conclude with a discussion of how this research can inform best practice in a future where a significant number of criminal hearings are likely to continue in a virtual format.

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-96
Author(s):  
Jackie Plenty ◽  
Heidi Dix ◽  
Louise Barley

The Practice Education Network for Social Work (PENSW) is an online resource for networking and sharing knowledge and information that is accessed by all the professionals and partner agencies involved in providing social work placements and supervising social work students at the University of Suffolk (UOS) in the United Kingdom (UK). This research explored the ease with which such networks can be set up, and offers an evaluation from network members. Given limited national resources and the need to provide more localised resources; this evaluation demonstrates the importance of providing an easily accessible virtual space for organisations and professionals to access resources, network, and share best practice. The findings suggest that all social work training programmes should consider providing a localised network to support the social work placement process by ensuring that supervisors of social work students have access to necessary  documentation, research, and information so that they can effectively fulfil their roles, and stay connected to the programme provider and other professionals involved in social work student practice placements.Keywords: social work placements; supervision; networking; resources; information sharing; practice education.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda T. Abbott-Jones

People can best help dyslexic students once they understand dyslexia's association with anxiety and effective coping strategies, both cognitively and emotionally. By highlighting the perspectives of dyslexic students, this book evidences the prevalence of anxiety in dyslexic communities. The shared experience from a range of dyslexic learners pinpoints best practice models and helps combat the isolation felt by many with learning difficulties. The author targets academic areas where students struggle, offering techniques to overcome these barriers. Such obstacles are not always due to cognitive factors but may be associated with negative experiences, leading to fear and uncertainty. Recounting these sticking points through student voices, rather than from a staff viewpoint, enables readers to find meaningful solutions to dyslexia-related problems. Through this dynamic methodology, the book shows researchers and practitioners how to understand dyslexic needs on an emotional level, while presenting dyslexic readers with practical coping methods.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 877-894
Author(s):  
Nur Azyani Amri ◽  
Tian Kar Quar ◽  
Foong Yen Chong

Purpose This study examined the current pediatric amplification practice with an emphasis on hearing aid verification using probe microphone measurement (PMM), among audiologists in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Frequency of practice, access to PMM system, practiced protocols, barriers, and perception toward the benefits of PMM were identified through a survey. Method A questionnaire was distributed to and filled in by the audiologists who provided pediatric amplification service in Klang Valley, Malaysia. One hundred eight ( N = 108) audiologists, composed of 90.3% women and 9.7% men (age range: 23–48 years), participated in the survey. Results PMM was not a clinical routine practiced by a majority of the audiologists, despite its recognition as the best clinical practice that should be incorporated into protocols for fitting hearing aids in children. Variations in practice existed warranting further steps to improve the current practice for children with hearing impairment. The lack of access to PMM equipment was 1 major barrier for the audiologists to practice real-ear verification. Practitioners' characteristics such as time constraints, low confidence, and knowledge levels were also identified as barriers that impede the uptake of the evidence-based practice. Conclusions The implementation of PMM in clinical practice remains a challenge to the audiology profession. A knowledge-transfer approach that takes into consideration the barriers and involves effective collaboration or engagement between the knowledge providers and potential stakeholders is required to promote the clinical application of evidence-based best practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 936-946
Author(s):  
Dawn Konrad-Martin ◽  
Neela Swanson ◽  
Angela Garinis

Purpose Improved medical care leading to increased survivorship among patients with cancer and infectious diseases has created a need for ototoxicity monitoring programs nationwide. The goal of this report is to promote effective and standardized coding and 3rd-party payer billing practices for the audiological management of symptomatic ototoxicity. Method The approach was to compile the relevant International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10-CM) codes and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT; American Medical Association) codes and explain their use for obtaining reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. Results Each claim submitted to a payer for reimbursement of ototoxicity monitoring must include both ICD-10-CM codes to report the patient's diagnosis and CPT codes to report the services provided by the audiologist. Results address the general 3rd-party payer guidelines for ototoxicity monitoring and ICD-10-CM and CPT coding principles and provide illustrative examples. There is no “stand-alone” CPT code for high-frequency audiometry, an important test for ototoxicity monitoring. The current method of adding a –22 modifier to a standard audiometry code and then submitting a letter rationalizing why the test was done has inconsistent outcomes and is time intensive for the clinician. Similarly, some clinicians report difficulty getting reimbursed for detailed otoacoustic emissions testing in the context of ototoxicity monitoring. Conclusions Ethical practice, not reimbursement, must guide clinical practice. However, appropriate billing and coding resulting in 3rd-party reimbursement for audiology services rendered is critical for maintaining an effective ototoxicity monitoring program. Many 3rd-party payers reimburse for these services. For any CPT code, payment patterns vary widely within and across 3rd-party payers. Standardizing coding and billing practices as well as advocacy including letters from audiology national organizations may be necessary to help resolve these issues of coding and coverage in order to support best practice recommendations for ototoxicity monitoring.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Rosemary Griffin

National legislation is in place to facilitate reform of the United States health care industry. The Health Care Information Technology and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) offers financial incentives to hospitals, physicians, and individual providers to establish an electronic health record that ultimately will link with the health information technology of other health care systems and providers. The information collected will facilitate patient safety, promote best practice, and track health trends such as smoking and childhood obesity.


Author(s):  
Ashley Pozzolo Coote ◽  
Jane Pimentel

Purpose: Development of valid and reliable outcome tools to document social approaches to aphasia therapy and to determine best practice is imperative. The aim of this study is to determine whether the Conversational Interaction Coding Form (CICF; Pimentel & Algeo, 2009) can be applied reliably to the natural conversation of individuals with aphasia in a group setting. Method: Eleven graduate students participated in this study. During a 90-minute training session, participants reviewed and practiced coding with the CICF. Then participants independently completed the CICF using video recordings of individuals with non-fluent and fluent aphasia participating in an aphasia group. Interobserver reliability was computed using matrices representative of the point-to-point agreement or disagreement between each participant's coding and the authors' coding for each measure. Interobserver reliability was defined as 80% or better agreement for each measure. Results: On the whole, the CICF was not applied reliably to the natural conversation of individuals with aphasia in a group setting. Conclusion: In an extensive review of the turns that had high disagreement across participants, the poor reliability was attributed to inadequate rules and definitions and inexperienced coders. Further research is needed to improve the reliability of this potentially useful clinical tool.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-99
Author(s):  
Michael F. Vaezi

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a commonly diagnosed condition often associated with the typical symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation, although it may present with atypical symptoms such as chest pain, hoarseness, chronic cough, and asthma. In most cases, the patient's reduced quality of life drives clinical care and diagnostic testing. Because of its widespread impact on voice and swallowing function as well as its social implications, it is important that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) understand the nature of GERD and its consequences. The purpose of this article is to summarize the nature of GERD and GERD-related complications such as GERD-related peptic stricture, Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma, and laryngeal manifestations of GERD from a gastroenterologist's perspective. It is critical that SLPs who work with a multidisciplinary team understand terminology, diagnostic tools, and treatment to ensure best practice.


Pflege ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 273-274
Author(s):  
Irena Anna Frei
Keyword(s):  

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