Issues in the financing and provision of Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran: Protocol for a Qualitative Research Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Shahabi ◽  
Ahmad Ahmadi ◽  
Hosein Shabaninejad

BACKGROUND The demand for rehabilitation services, including Orthotics and prosthetics services, is increasing. Traffic injuries, Eight-years imposed war, natural disasters, aging, and chronic diseases are the main causes of disability in Iran that lead to the great need for receiving these services. This study will attempt to identify the challenges in the financing and provision of Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran and declare the policy solutions to improve the financing and delivery of these services in line with the universal health coverage. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the challenges in the financing and provision of the Orthotics and Prosthetics services in Iran and propose policy solutions to strengthen this sector. METHODS This study will use the qualitative content analysis method for understanding the challenges. The study population of this study will be all clinicians, academics, and policy-makers who involved in the financing and provision of the Orthotics and Prosthetics services. The purposeful sampling, as well as the snowball sampling, will be used to select the informants. The individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews will be conducted in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Furthermore, telephone and Skype interviews will be applied to participants who lived in other regions. This project will be performed from 2019 to 2020. RESULTS We believe the results will lead to identifying challenges and also policy solutions to strengthen the Orthotics and Prosthetics services in the healthcare system and improve the utilization in Iran. CONCLUSIONS The findings will inform the policy-makers to better planning in Iran and internationally.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Safarpour ◽  
Saeideh Fooladlou ◽  
Meysam Safi Keykaleh ◽  
Somayyeh Mousavipour ◽  
Davoud Pirani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Examining various problems after disasters is important for affected people. One of the most important problems after disasters is the management of humanitarian aid and donations among the affected people. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore Challenges and barriers of humanitarian aid management in 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake. Methods This study was conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis method. This study was carried out from November 2017 to January 2018. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and purposeful sampling and continued until the saturation of the data. Data collection and analysis phases of research proceed simultaneously and with constant comparison. 21 people, including 6 humanitarian aid manager, 6 volunteers, 4 aid workers, and 5 affected people participated in the study. Results The findings of this study identified two categories and 12 sub-categories concerning challenges and barriers of humanitarian aid and donors’ management during the 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake. During the analysis process two main categories included management and policy barriers, and structural and operational barriers were extracted. Conclusions Effective management and proper policies in relation to humanitarian aid and the modifying of structural and operational barriers can resulted in improve performance and effective humanitarian aid management.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Safarpour ◽  
Saeideh Fooladlou ◽  
Meysam Safi-Keykaleh ◽  
Somayyeh Mousavipour ◽  
Davoud Pirani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Examining various problems after disasters is important for the affected people. Managing humanitarian aid and donations among the affected people is considered as one of the most important problems after disasters. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the challenges and barriers of humanitarian aid management in 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake. Methods In the present study conducted from November 2017 to January 2018, conventional qualitative content analysis method was used. The population included 21 people including 6 humanitarian aid manager, 6 volunteers, 4 aid workers, and 5 affected people. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and purposeful sampling, which continued until saturating the data. The strategies recommended by Guba were used for evaluating the trustworthiness of the data. The data was analyzed according to method suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. Results Based on the results, two themes, nine categories, and 19 sub-categories were identified considering the challenges and barriers of humanitarian aid and donors’ management during the 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake. The categories included education, command and coordination, communication and information, rules, security, traffic and overcrowding, assessment, providing system, and cultural setting. Also, two themes including managerial and structural barriers were extracted. Conclusion Adopting an effective management and appropriate policies with respect to humanitarian aid and modifying structural and managerial barriers can improve the performance and management of humanitarian aid.


Author(s):  
S Valiee ◽  
P Taymoori ◽  
T Pashaei ◽  
A Bahmani

Introduction: One of the essential parts of postgraduate education is writing a thesis that has educational and research aspects which is an exclusive experience to students and teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the teachers 'experiences of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences on the process of writing a dissertation among postgraduate students. Methods: The present study was carried out with a qualitative approach and a qualitative content analysis method in 2019. By using the purposeful sampling method, 12 professors who worked at the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences and having experience as a supervisor dissertation of postgraduate students have been selected and the semi-structured interviews conducted with them. The interviews recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by the content analysis method. Results: From data analysis of experiences of the participants as a supervisor at the dissertation of postgraduate students writing process, four categories of results have been extracted: 1. Student unpreparedness, 2. Not a priority of education, 3. Poor teamwork, and 4. Executive problems. Conclusion: According to the findings, to prepare and more involving students with the process of writing a dissertation, to plan for coordination between different sections, to strengthen the spirit of teamwork, to improve policies and to upgrade the process of writing a dissertation recommended.


BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi ◽  
Nahid Dehghan Nayeri ◽  
Shokoh Varaei ◽  
Arezoo Rasti

Abstract Background Presenteeism describes the state in which staff who lack the conditions for being present at work and need rest and leave for various reasons (such as illness, low spirits, fatigue, etc.) are present at the workplace. Due to the lack of knowledge about the antecedents of presenteeism in nurses and the context-based nature of this concept, the present study was conducted to explain the reasons for presenteeism in nurses. Methods This qualitative study was performed using the qualitative content analysis method. The study population consisted of 17 nurses working in different wards of hospitals. In this regard, data were collected from February to June 2020 using individual, face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results The nurse without a nurse was a category introduced as an antecedent of presenteeism. In this respect, nurses experienced limited power, injustice, compulsory presence, inadequate structural facilities, damaged professional identity, manager-nurse disconnect, insufficient knowledge, physical and mental health complications, job stress, job burnout, multitasking, and impaired communication. Conclusion The nurse, who has been responsible for caring, supporting, advising, advocating, and educating the patient, has now been left without a nurse. In other words, not nursing the nurse has given rise to the emergence of presenteeism. It is recommended that the results of this study be used in making health policies. The results of this study can make nurses’ voices heard by health leaders and managers. A voice that has never been heard as it deserves.


Author(s):  
Firoozeh Mirzaee ◽  
Malihe Pouredalati ◽  
Atefeh Ahmadi ◽  
Masumeh Ghazaznfarpour

Abstract Objective The aim of the present study is to explain the barriers to puberty talk between mothers and daughters. Methods In the present study, the conventional content analysis method was used. The present study was conducted from September 2018 to August 2019 in Iran. The study population consisted of mothers and adolescent girls. The data was collected using purposeful sampling method. The sample consisted of 4 mothers and 6 girls that were interviewed using semistructured interviews. Data collection continued until data saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted as described by Graneheim et al. using NVivo 11 software. Results In the present study, after exploring the views of the participants about barriers to puberty talk between mothers and daughters, one dominant theme emerged. Puberty talk is seen as an “inappropriate talk with a girl.” There were several subthemes, including “lack of mother's awareness regarding the school role, the busy schedule of the mother, and the adoption of alternatives to mother's talk with girls”. Conclusions Different sociocultural factors affect puberty talk between mothers and adolescent girls. It is important that mothers and policy makers take these barriers into account.


Author(s):  
Maryam Heydarian ◽  
Maryam Gholamzadehjefreh ◽  
Shahbazi Masoud

Aim: Dyspareunia and vaginismus are important issues in the lives of women with these disorders and have adverse, damaging consequences for the individual, the family, and the couple's intimacy. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus. Methods: The method of this study was descriptive-phenomenological psychological in which nine female participants suffering from dyspareunia and vaginismus were selected through purposeful sampling and data collection was continued through semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. After collecting the data and transcribing them, the researcher used Giorgi’s five-step phenomenological data analysis method. Results: Analyzing data led to 12 contributing components of the lived experience of women with dyspareunia and vaginismus which included: lack of awareness, experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety, fear, predicting pain, feeling of inadequacy and inferiority, feeling of shame, hatred of sex and of spouse, a feeling of suffering, feeling of anger, feeling of guilt, decreased emotional and sexual intimacy, and regret about marriage. Conclusion: The results of this study also enrich the previous research literature on the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus. Also, the structure of the lived experience of dyspareunia and vaginismus derived from this study is widely used to develop and apply preventive and therapeutic programs for this condition and its consequences.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Alden-Joyce ◽  
Elina Scheers-Andersson ◽  
Jane Rogathi ◽  
Paulo Kidayi ◽  
Jenny Cadstedt ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Due to globalization and a shift in population demographics, needs within healthcare are changing and nurses require new skills and knowledge. Nursing education needs to facilitate these new demands and student exchange programmes provide an opportunity to develop necessary skills.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore Tanzanian nursing students' experiences of student exchange in Sweden. Method: A qualitative design was used for this empirical study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Tanzanian nursing students who had participated in student exchange in Sweden. The participants were recruited by purposeful sampling. Inductive reasoning and qualitative content analysis were applied.Results: The findings revealed that the students experienced new approaches in Sweden, allowing them to develop skills and competences. Furthermore, they increased their global perspectives on nursing and interest in working with global health issues. However, they also experienced challenges in the new environment.Conclusion: The present study showed that the Tanzanian nursing students benefitted from their student exchange, both personally, as well as for their future careers as nurses. More research is needed examining nursing students from low-income countries participating in student exchange in high-income countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fikri Zul Fahmi ◽  
Medina Savira

Purpose This paper aims to identify how digitalization affects entrepreneurial attitudes in rural areas in Indonesia, a country in the Global South. The development of digital technology can help entrepreneurs, in that faster and easier information acquisition helps rural communities to identify new opportunities and innovate. Yet, digital development generates higher disparity, and thus, not all people can benefit from digitalization. Although digital technology can facilitate the development of entrepreneurship, its benefits depend on individual preferences. In this regard, the capability approach is used so as to reflect how different valuations of digital technology in rural entrepreneurs influence their attitude with regard to recognizing business opportunities and taking risks. Design/methodology/approach A double case study approach is used in which this study examines two cases of rural entrepreneurs in Indonesia that represent different uses of digital technologies and socio-economic rural contexts: coffee entrepreneurs in Kintamani and craft producers in Kamasan village. In so doing, semi-structured interviews were conducted with local entrepreneurs and communities according to purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The qualitative data were then analysed using a constant comparative technique which allows us to develop a conceptual argument by observing patterns within and between the cases. Findings The findings show that digitalization shapes the attitude of rural entrepreneurs differently, although the same opportunity from using digital technology is present in the village. Social and environmental factors facilitate the rural entrepreneurs to consider using digital technology to develop their businesses. However, as each individual entrepreneur has a different valuation of digital technology, the benefits it offers – such as broader market opportunities and new business ideas – vary. Entrepreneurs who consider digital technology to be a valuable resource for developing their businesses are more curious to explore its benefits. Originality/value The capability approach provides a new perspective in understanding rural entrepreneurship. First, the authors demonstrate that the success of rural entrepreneurship is influenced not only by concrete things (e.g. resources) but also the individual perspective on these resources which may vary across entrepreneurs. Second, the authors show not only the potential differences in socio-cultural contexts in which the capability approach is applied but also how socio-cultural values and collectivism influence the individual valuation of resources that could benefit entrepreneurs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 147797142097972
Author(s):  
Pandelis Kiprianos ◽  
Ioannis Mpourgos

In this article, we explore the reasons why individuals who have dropped out of compulsory education in Greece return as adults to the educational system, particularly to Second Chance Schools. Second Chance Schools were planned and funded by the European Union two decades ago so that member states could offset the consequences of student dropout rates and counter social exclusion. In order to answer the question, during the school year 2018–1019, we carried out 23 semi-structured interviews with individuals who were attending Second Chance Schools in the prefecture of Eleia (Western Greece) or had graduated in previous years. The interviews were analysed using the Qualitative Content Analysis method. Four categories of reasons emerged from the analysis (instrumental reasons, inner needs, combined reasons and the influence of ‘significant others’) which reflect the varied ways of perceiving and utilizing Second Chance Schools. Although the majority of the participants belong to financially and socially impoverished strata, they do not face unemployment or marginalization. The use of the institution of Second Chance Schools in this particular area seems to be moving from reasons associated with social exclusion towards the fulfilment of other needs that were created by dropping out of compulsory education.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley McAllister ◽  
Stephen R. Leeder

Objective The aim of the present study was to describe how policy makers (bureaucrats and politicians) in Australia and Ontario (Canada) perceive evidence provided by doctors to substantiate applications for disability income support (DIS) by their patients with mental illnesses. Because many mental illnesses (e.g. depression) lack diagnostic tests, their existence and effects are more difficult to demonstrate than most somatic illnesses. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 informants, all influential in the design of the assessment of DIS programs. The informants were subcategorised into advocates, legal representatives, doctors (general practitioners (GPs) and specialists (e.g. psychiatrists)), policy insiders and researchers. Informants were found through snowball sampling. Following the principles of grounded theory, data collection and analysis occurred in tandem. Results Informants expressed some scepticism about doctors’ evidence. Informants perceived that doctors could, due to lack of diagnostic certainty, ‘write these things [evidence] however [they] want to’. Psychiatrists, perceived as having more time and skills, were considered as providing more trustworthy evidence than GPs. Conclusion Doctors, providing evidence to support applications, play an important role in determining disability. However, policy makers perceive doctors’ evidence about mental illnesses as less trustworthy than evidence about somatic illnesses. This affects decisions by government adjudicators. What is known about the topic? Doctors (GPs and psychiatrists) are often asked to provide evidence to substantiate a DIS application for those with mental illnesses. We know little about the perception of this evidence by the policy makers who consider these applications. What does this paper add? Policy makers distrust doctors’ evidence in relation to mental illnesses. This is partly because many mental illnesses lack diagnostic proof, in contrast with evidence for somatic conditions, where the disability is often visible and proven through diagnostic tests. Furthermore, GPs’ evidence is considered less trustworthy than that of psychiatrists. What are the implications for practitioners? Although doctors’ evidence is often required, the utility of their evidence is limited by policy makers’ perceptions.


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