scholarly journals Mapping Population Vulnerability and Community Support during COVID-19

Author(s):  
Nina H Di Cara ◽  
Jiao Song ◽  
Valerio Maggio ◽  
Christopher Moreno-Stokoe ◽  
Alastair R Tanner ◽  
...  

Background  Disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic pose an overwhelming demand on resources that cannot always be met by official organisations. Limited resources and human response to crises can lead members of local communities to turn to one another to fulfil immediate needs. This spontaneous citizen-led response can be crucial to a community’s ability to cope in a crisis. It is thus essential to understand the scope of such initiatives so that support can be provided where it is most needed. Nevertheless, quickly developing situations and varying definitions can make the community response challenging to measure. Aim     To create an accessible interactive map of the citizen-led community response to need during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, UK that combines information gathered from multiple data providers to reflect different interpretations of need and support. Approach      We gathered data from a combination of official data providers and community-generated sources to create 14 variables representative of need and support. These variables are derived by a reproducible data pipeline that enables flexible integration of new data. The interactive tool is available online (www.covidresponsemap.wales) and can map available data at two geographic resolutions. Users choose their variables of interest, and interpretation of the map is aided by a linked bee-swarm plot. Discussion    The novel approach we developed enables people at all levels of community response to explore and analyse the distribution of need and support across Wales. While there can be limitations to the accuracy of community-generated data, we demonstrate that they can be effectively used alongside traditional data sources to maximise the understanding of community action. This adds to our overall aim to measure community response and resilience, as well as to make complex population health data accessible to a range of audiences. Future developments include the integration of other factors such as well-being.

Author(s):  
Jessica Hammersley ◽  
Carey Mather ◽  
Karen Francis

The identification and announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global issue. Disaster preparedness for internal and external threats is inherent within health care environments and requires agile thinking and swift remediation. Nosocomial infection is a risk for recipients of care, especially in hospital settings, which has implications for workforce planning. The aim of this case study was to examine the community response to the internal disaster of the first nosocomial COVID-19 outbreak within an Australian rural health care environment. A critical discourse analysis method was adopted to generate and analyse data collected from three different media platforms during a six-week period. Four main themes were distilled: actions and intent, loss, well-being and recognising choice, and community action. Phase two of the study interrogated these themes to expose the power positioning of speakers and their relationships to the audiences. Strengthening communication with local communities within health care environments must be a priority in any future rural workforce disaster preparedness planning. Maintenance of trust with health service provision and delivery in rural communities is imperative. The inclusion of a robust communication plan within any risk management strategy that meets the needs of the local users of health services is mandatory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 3349-3354
Author(s):  
Elanchezhian Chinnavan ◽  
Swarna kumari P

The purpose of the study is to check the perception of mothers of cerebral palsy children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu. Data, from India, on perceptions about Cerebral palsy disability are scant. This study explored mother’s knowledge, social well-being and awareness of treatment rendered. During the development of the questionnaire, review of the literature has been primarily made; during developing the questionnaire personal and social values were considered. The questionnaire was emerged with 9 themes, Knowledge of disability condition, Parental stress, Community support, Child ability, Mothers Confidence, Improvement, Health status, Benefits & Belief. Data were collected from mothers of both male and female children with cerebral palsy aged between 1 to 18 years. 220 mothers, averaged 33.44 + 6.14years, of children with CP were randomly selected for this study. Data was collected from mothers attending rehabilitation centers from different institution and special schools in Tamil Nadu. Mothers can hold both a fatalistic view of disability and a belief in the course of disability.The raw data was tabulated and analyzed by using SPSS 17 version software. Cronbach’s Alpha was calculated, the results showed that its Cronbach’s Alpha was extremely good (r=0.96). Our results suggest that there is significance difference with in the mother’s perception towards types of disability in Parental stress, child’s ability, mother’s confidence, improvement, health status, benefits and belief.Mothers should be motivated to maximize rehabilitation services in order to improve their children’s functional capacity. The appreciation of this phenomenon could move towards a model for the delivery of rehabilitation that integrates and harmonizes such beliefs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 216507992098754
Author(s):  
Hyeonmi Cho ◽  
Knar Sagherian ◽  
Linsey M. Steege

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted the health and psychological well-being of hospital nursing staff. While additional support is needed to better cope with increased job stressors, little is known about what types of hospital resources have been provided and how nursing staff perceive them. This study addressed this gap by describing nursing staff perceptions of resources provided by hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Methods: Registered nurses and nursing assistants who were working in hospitals during the pandemic were recruited to an online survey via social media posts and emails between May and June 2020. A total of 360 free-text responses to an open-ended survey question were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Over half of participants reported being provided with hospital resources. “Basic needs” resources that included food on-site, groceries, and childcare support were the most frequently reported compared with four other types of resources (personal health and safe practice, financial support, managerial support, communication). Four themes emerged related to staff perceptions of support: community support, unequal benefits, decreasing resources, and insufficient personal protective equipment. Conclusion: Our findings can assist organizational leaders in the planning and allocation of different types of resources that are meaningful to nursing staff and thus ensure sustainability, optimal performance, and worker well-being during crises.


Author(s):  
Jonas Bergmann

AbstractAlong Peru’s rainforest rivers, rising flood extremes are increasingly exceeding coping capacities of vulnerable households. Peru has detailed legislation that embraces planned relocation as a strategic solution to such situations and various relocation projects are underway across the country. This research brief analyzes well-being consequences for two communities requesting relocation, using qualitative data collected from experts and 30 affected people. Initial results emphasize that weak governance, poverty, third-party involvement, and community action have influenced relocation outcomes. Delays and fragmented implementation have threatened people’s well-being. One community, waiting for land to relocate since 2015, has suffered from continued hazard exposure, deteriorated material conditions, and reduced subjective well-being. The second community achieved relocation only after a decade in detrimental limbo. Although livelihood challenges persist, its inhabitants now benefit from better market access and decreased exposure, leading to higher subjective well-being. With rising needs for relocation worldwide, the cases highlight that detailed legislation is not sufficient to safeguard people’s well-being. Advancing from well-meant legislation to good practice requires adequate institutional capacity, effective mechanisms for oversight and accountability, better engagement of third parties, and dedicated efforts to strengthen community agency.


Omega ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 102479
Author(s):  
Zhongbao Zhou ◽  
Meng Gao ◽  
Helu Xiao ◽  
Rui Wang ◽  
Wenbin Liu

Author(s):  
Miikka Palvalin ◽  
Maiju Vuolle ◽  
Aki Jääskeläinen ◽  
Harri Laihonen ◽  
Antti Lönnqvist

Purpose – New Ways of Working (NewWoW) refers to a novel approach for improving the performance of knowledge work. The purpose of this paper is to seek innovative solutions concerning facilities, information technology tools and work practices in order to be able to “work smarter, not harder.” In order to develop work practices toward the NewWoW mode there is a need for an analytical management tool that would help assess the status of the organization’s current work practices and demonstrate the impacts of development initiatives. This paper introduces such a tool. Design/methodology/approach – Constructive research approach was chosen to guide the development of the Smart ways of working (SmartWoW) tool. The tool was designed on the basis of previous knowledge work performance literature as well as on interviews in two knowledge-intensive organizations. The usefulness of the tool was verified by applying it in four organizations. Findings – SmartWoW is a compact questionnaire tool for analyzing and measuring knowledge work at the individual level. The questionnaire consists of four areas: work environment, personal work practices, well-being at work and productivity. As SmartWoW is a standardized tool its results are comparable between organizations. Research limitations/implications – SmartWoW was designed a pragmatic managerial tool. It is considered possible that it can be valuable as a research instrument as well but the current limited amount of collected data does not yet facilitate determining its usefulness from that perspective. Originality/value – This paper makes a contribution to the existing literature on knowledge work measurement and management by introducing an analytical tool which takes into account the NewWoW perspective.


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Papazoglou ◽  
Eva Semertzaki

Greek libraries have experienced a tremendous evolution towards modernization during the last few years. The lack of tradition in libraries and the existence of an educational system based on the single textbook did not favor until recently the development of libraries in Greece. However, the European Community action aimed at enabling European libraries to play an important role in the information market, and the Community Support Framework, through which libraries could be funded at the national level, allowed for a dynamic set of actions for Greek libraries. All types of libraries, academic, public and school are moving ahead – 500 school libraries were established in secondary schools alone. In the academic libraries, the horizontal action can be proud of the creation of a consortium called HEAL LINK that shares journal subscriptions and will also operate a Union Catalog of bibliographic records. Library‐related organizations such as the National Documentation Center and the National Book Center, offer additional support in this movement of progress. This paper describes these initiatives and others.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sian Lockwood

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the potential of micro‐enterprises to assist local health and well‐being boards in delivering their strategies, especially in relation to tackling health inequalities, prevention and community support.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on experience gained by Community Catalysts from its work supporting social care and health micro‐enterprise across the UK. There has been little formal research into social care and health micro‐enterprise and so the paper relies heavily on data gathered by Community Catalysts in the course of its work and uses local case studies to illustrate points.FindingsThe paper explains the importance of social care and health micro‐enterprise to the work of health and well being boards, emphasising its potential to help tackle health inequalities and contribute to effective health and well‐being strategies.Originality/valueThere are no examples as yet of imaginative health and well‐being boards engaging effectively with micro‐providers, but boards can draw on learning from local authorities actively stimulating and supporting local micro‐enterprise.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Chelsea Kershaw

<p>Aotearoa New Zealand is a society with inequality deeply embedded in its culture, and this translates to the health of vulnerable members of the community. In its current state, healthcare infrastructure and rehabilitative landscapes are isolated from one another, creating physical and mental barriers for achieving well-being. Therapeutic landscape research suggests outdoor spaces can facilitate rehabilitative healing, community support, and self-empowerment. This form of preventive and rehabilitative health may bridge the gap between treatment at the institutional level, and day-to-day living, to better support the well-being, of people in transition.  The under-utilized interface between the residential landscape and Kenepuru Community Hospital in Porirua is used as a design case study, for testing how hospital infrastructure, residential housing, and therapeutic landscapes may coexist for mutually beneficial health and well-being outcomes. Results suggest that careful design of the interstitial spaces bridging housing with healthcare can form an important service for the well-being of vulnerable people.</p>


Author(s):  
Jonathan S. Hirshberg ◽  
Nandini Raghuraman

This article provides a concise summary of a landmark paper from the field of Maternal-Fetal Medicine on antenatal fetal testing. The authors describe a novel approach to identify fetuses that are at risk of perinatal mortality. Combining ultrasonographic features and fetal heart rate monitoring, a biophysical profile (BPP) score was assigned to each fetus and the rates of perinatal mortality for each range of BPP score were determined. The article reviews the research question, funding sources, study design and outcomes. It places these findings in contemporary context and reviews relevant literature. The authors provide a clinical case to highlight the study’s applicable findings.


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