Enhancing the Administration of an Early Intervention Educational Programme Through Technology; Exploring Usage, Acceptance and Attitudes

The study aimed to investigate information technology use, attitudes and acceptance before and after the introduction of technology-based work practices in a community-based educational initiative. A convenience sample of Home Visitors was recruited, and a composite survey was used to collect data on participant use, attitudes and acceptance of technology prior to and following the implementation of the new system. Correlations and paired sample T-tests were used to analyse data. A total of 21 Home Visitors completed the survey at baseline and again at one academic year follow-up. Several factors were identified as potentially important in relation to Home Visitor use of technology which included aspects of both attitude (anxiety dependence) and acceptance (needs satisfaction, support availability and use intention). Paired-sample T-tests revealed little change in participant use of technology, which was high from the outset. Anxiety dependence, a component of attitude, was significantly greater at follow-up in comparison with baseline levels. No significant differences were observed in pre-post self-reported acceptance of technology. These findings serve as a guide for community-based organisations considering a move toward technology-mediated work practices.

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A Community-Based Evaluation of Brief Guided Mindfulness in the Management of Stress and Difficult Emotions

Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health ◽

10.7870/cjcmh-2019-010 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Shaya MacDonald ◽

Susan Korol ◽

Todd Vassallo ◽

Cathy MacDougall

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Mindfulness Practice ◽

Practical Training ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Community Based ◽

Perceived Quality Of Life ◽

Before And After

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel three-hour Guided Mindfulness Program on participants’ management of depression, anxiety and stress. The intervention included an educational component emphasizing the psychological value of mindfulness practice combined with a practical training component in mindfulness techniques. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was administered at three points in time before and after participation in the program. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore perceived quality of life, happiness, and stress 4 to 8 weeks following the program. All participants reported improvements in overall well-being and reported significant decreases in negative affect when comparing pre-program scores (baseline) to follow-up scores. Notably, qualitative interview results indicated that participants attributed most positive post-program results to informal mindfulness practice.

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Opinions of Social Work Students on Technology Use and Ethics in Social Work Practices

10.4018/978-1-7998-9187-1.ch002 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 21-43

Author(s):

Irfan Dogan ◽

Elif Gokcearslan Cifci

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Technology Use ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Social Work Students ◽

Work Practices ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Student Groups ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Global Pandemic

The use of technology in social work practices has increased due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. This situation has also revealed new ethical issues and opinions in the field of social work practices. This research aims to explore ethical issues and the increase of technology in social work practices from the perspectives of social work students. Social work students at the undergraduate level in Turkey constitute the sample of the research. The research data were collected through an online questionnaire consisting of students' socio-demographic information and their opinions on technology use and ethics in social work practices. It was tried to reach social work students through the student groups in social media by the typical case sampling technique. Statistical tests including descriptive and comparative statistics were applied in analyzing the data. There was a significant relationship among opinions of the participants on the use of technology in social work practices and ethics by gender, number of practice terms, and taking courses about ethics in social work.

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The Initial Use of the Home Medication Experience Questionnaire (HOME-Q) in Community-Based Pharmacy

Journal of Patient Experience ◽

10.1177/2374373520916015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 1658-1664 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Matthew J Witry ◽

Kassi Pham ◽

Brahmendra Viyyuri ◽

William Doucette ◽

Korey Kennelty

Keyword(s):

Community Pharmacies ◽

Single Group ◽

Community Based ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Group Design ◽

Home Medication ◽

Medication Experience ◽

The Impact ◽

Experience Questionnaire

The Home Medication Experience Questionnaire (HOME-Q) was developed to systematically gather information on the medication experience of patients. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the frequencies of medication experience issues for a sample of patients and (2) report pharmacist recommendations to address issues and patient implementation of recommendations. This study used a single-group design with 3-month follow-up. A convenience sample of patients aged 55 years and older and taking 4 or more chronic medications self-administered the HOME-Q and discussed responses with a pharmacist from 2 community pharmacies. A researcher called or visited participants at 3 months to readminister the HOME-Q and inquire about recommendations. Thirty-three patients completed questionnaires, and 30 participated in the follow-up. At 3 months, the HOME-Q median did not decrease (4 at both administrations). There were 51 pharmacist interventions/recommendations, and 47% were reported adopted. The HOME-Q prompted pharmacists to respond to medication experience issues that may not have been identified otherwise. More work is needed to test the impact of the HOME-Q and better understand medication experience discussions between patients and pharmacists.

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LO77: Compliance of older emergency department patients to community-based specialized geriatric services

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2017.139 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (S1) ◽

pp. S54-S55

Author(s):

Z. MacDonald ◽

D. Eagles ◽

I.G. Stiell

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Medication Management ◽

Compliance Rate ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Community Based ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Included Patient ◽

Emergency Department Patients ◽

Future Work

Introduction: The Geriatric Emergency Management (GEM) model has been developed to facilitate identification of older patients that are at higher risk of functional decline, repeat Emergency Department (ED) visits and future hospitalization. Those identified at risk, are referred for more in-depth evaluation and management in community-based specialized geriatric services. Our objective was to: 1) determine the compliance rate to outpatient evaluation following ED recommendation; and 2) identify barriers and facilitators to attendance. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study at two sites of an academic, tertiary level hospital ED between July and December 2016. We enrolled a convenience sample of ED patients, 65 years and older who were seen by a GEM nurse, referred to outpatient specialized geriatric services and consented to study participation. The GEM nurses conducted targeted geriatric assessments, identifying those who would benefit from further community management. We conducted a chart review and a structured telephone follow-up at 6 weeks. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: A total of 101 patients were prospectively enrolled, with 30.4% of eligible participants declining outpatient referral. Enrolled subjects had a mean age of 83.3 years, 58.4% female and 62.0% cognitively impaired. Reasons for referral to specialized geriatric services included: mobility (86.1%), cognition (57.4%), pain (38.6%), mood (34.7%), medication management (33.6%) and nutrition (30.7%). Outpatient referrals were to: geriatric day hospital (51.5%), geriatric outreach (22.7%), falls clinic (11.8%) and geriatric psychiatry (9.9%). Compliance with follow-up within 6 weeks was 64.4%. Barriers to attendance included: patient did not feel specialized geriatric services was needed (52.6%); admitted to hospital (10.5%); reported not called for appointment (15.8%); forgot appointment (5.3%) and transportation (5.3%). Family support with scheduling and transportation to appointments, reported by 68.6%, was the most common enabler to compliance. Conclusion: Over one third of older ED patients referred by GEM for further specialized geriatric services are non-compliant with their community-based evaluation, while one in four older ED patients decline referral to these evaluations while in the ED. Future work should focus on interventions that promote increased referral acceptance and address barriers to attendance.

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Community-based cooking programme ‘Eat Better Feel Better’ can improve child and family eating behaviours in low socioeconomic groups

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2018-211773 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. 190-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ada Lizbeth Garcia ◽

Nurie Athifa ◽

Elizabeth Hammond ◽

Alison Parrett ◽

Anne Gebbie-Diben

Keyword(s):

Food Choices ◽

Portion Size ◽

Food Label ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Community Based ◽

Low Socioeconomic ◽

Food Literacy ◽

Sugary Drinks ◽

Before And After

BackgroundThe immediate and sustained impacts of the Eat Better Feel Better cooking programme (EBFBCP) on food choices and eating behaviours in families and children were evaluated.MethodsThe EBFBCP (6 weeks, 2 hours/week) was delivered by community-based organisations in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Before, after and at follow-up, parents/caregivers completed short pictorial questionnaires to report family/child eating behaviours and food literacy.ResultsIn total, 83 EBFBCPs were delivered and 516 participants enrolled, of which 432 were parents and caregivers. Questionnaire completion rates were 57% (n=250) for before and after and 13% (n=58) for follow-up. Most participants (80%) were female, 25–44 years old (51%) and considered socioeconomically deprived (80%). The immediate effects of the EBFBCP on eating behaviours and food literacy were families ate less takeaway/fast foods (10% reduction, p=0.019) and ready meals (15% reduction, p=0.003) and cooked more from scratch (20% increase, p<0.001). Children’s consumption of discretionary food/drinks was significantly reduced after the EBFBCP for sugary drinks (10% reduction, p=0.012), savoury snacks (18%, p=0.012), biscuits (17%, p=0.007), sweets/chocolates (23%, p=0.002), fried/roasted potatoes (17%, p<0.001) and savoury pastries (11%, p<0.001). The number of fruit (15%, p=0.008) and vegetable portions (10%, p<0.001) increased, while the number of biscuit portions decreased (13%, p=0.005). Parental food label reading increased (calories, 22%; fat, 23%; sugar, 22%; ingredients, 19%; and portion size, 19%). Most changes were sustained at a median of 10 months’ follow-up.ConclusionThe EBFBCP improved children’s and families’ food choices and behaviours. The EBFBCP can be recommended to support families to make better food choices.

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Effectiveness and Safety of Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Microwave Ablation for Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-558362/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xu Deng ◽

Jing-jing Wang ◽

Zhi-xin Wang ◽

Hai-ning Fan ◽

Hai-jiu Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microwave Ablation ◽

Alveolar Echinococcosis ◽

Imaging Features ◽

Paired Sample ◽

Patient Demographics ◽

Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis ◽

Signed Rank ◽

Before And After ◽

Percutaneous Microwave Ablation

Abstract BackgroundMicrowave ablation (MWA) is a popular therapy for liver malignant tumor in recent years. Few studies have been conducted on its use in the treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE). The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MWA in the treatment of HAE.MethodsThis study analyzed the data of 45 patients (mean age,38 ±2 years; 24 males) diagnosed with HAE and underwent MWA treatment between June 2014 to December 2019. The patients after MWA were examined by CT or MRI to determine whether the lesions were relapsed and to evaluate the therapeutic effect of MWA. The safety of MWA was evaluated by monitoring postoperative complications. Clinical data, such as patient demographics, imaging features of the lesions, relevant findings of laboratory tests before and after ablation, and information related to ablation, were collected and analyzed. Paired-sample t tests and paired-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare relevant laboratory indicators before and after MWA. ResultsMWA was applied to 57 HAE lesions in 45 patients. The median size of lesions was 3.42 cm (IQR2.85-4.41). The rate of complete ablation was 100% (57/57). The median follow-up time was 32 months (IQR 23–48.5). The recurrence rate was 13% (6/45), and the median time of recurrence was 22 months. The rate of minor complications was 11.1% (5/45), and there were no major complications and deaths. Compared to preoperative, ALB, RBC, HBG, and PLT were decreased (p<0.001); ALT, TB, DB, and WBC were increased (p<0.001); and no statistically difference in PT, APTT, and INR (p＞0.05).ConclusionsMWA is a safe and effective way to cure HAE. Meanwhile, it provides a new option and a new way of thinking about the treatment modality for patients with lesions ≤ 5 cm in diameter.

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Impacts of California Proposition 47 on Crime in Santa Monica, CA

10.31235/osf.io/mc9wq ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Crodelle ◽

Celeste Vallejo ◽

Markus Schmidtchen ◽

Chad Topaz ◽

Maria R. D'Orsogna

Keyword(s):

Light Rail ◽

Community Based ◽

Significant Drop ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Santa Monica ◽

Before And After ◽

Long Term Trends ◽

The City

We examine crime patterns in Santa Monica, California before and after passage of Proposition 47, a 2014 initiative that reclassified some non-violent felonies to misdemeanors. We also study how the 2016 opening of four new light rail stations, and how more community-based policing starting in late 2018, impacted crime. A series of statistical analyses are performed on reclassified (larceny, fraud, possession of narcotics, forgery, receiving/possessing stolen property) and non-reclassified crimes by probing publicly available databases from 2006 to 2019. We compare data before and after passage of Proposition 47, city-wide and within eight neighborhoods. Similar analyses are conducted within a 450 meter radius of the new transit stations. Reports of monthly reclassified crimes increased city-wide by approximately 15% after enactment of Proposition 47, with a significant drop observed in late 2018. Downtown exhibited the largest overall surge. The reported incidence of larceny intensified throughout the city. Two new train stations, including Downtown, reported significant crime increases in their vicinity after service began. While the number of reported reclassified crimes increased after passage of Proposition 47, those not affected by the new law decreased or stayed constant, suggesting that Proposition 47 strongly impacted crime in Santa Monica. Reported crimes decreased in late 2018 concurrent with the adoption of new policing measures that enhanced outreach and patrolling. These findings may be relevant to law enforcement and policy-makers. Follow-up studies needed to confirm long-term trends may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that drastically changed societal conditions.

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Maximizing Outcomes in Group Treatment of Aphasia: Lessons Learned From a Community-Based Center

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld24.3.100 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 100-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Darlene Williamson

Keyword(s):

Group Treatment ◽

Treatment Protocol ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Group Program ◽

Community Based ◽

Multiple Treatment ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Communication Impairments ◽

Treatment Settings

Given the potential of long term intervention to positively influence speech/language and psychosocial domains, a treatment protocol was developed at the Stroke Comeback Center which addresses communication impairments arising from chronic aphasia. This article presents the details of this program including the group purposes and principles, the use of technology in groups, and the applicability of a group program across multiple treatment settings.

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