scholarly journals Moving and Enhancing System Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
Suzanne Stewart ◽  
Angela Mashford-Pringle

All Indigenous peoples across the globe have experienced multiple historical colonial aggression and assaults. In Canada and the USA for example, education was used as a tool of oppression for Indigenous peoples through residential school. Child welfare, health and health care, and forced land relocation are also sites of intensive and invasive harms. Health services continue to be a site of systemic and personal oppression for Indigenous peoples across Canada and the world (Reading 2013). For many years, Indigenous peoples have faced discrimination and racism when accessing biomedical health care. Implementation of colonization in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, have been well documented to adversely influence aspects of health in many Indigenous communities worldwide and linked to high rates of mental health, education, and employment challenges (see Loppie & Wein, 2009; Mowbray, 2007; Paradies, Harris, & Anderson, 2008); these traumas are rooted attempts in cultural extermination and deep-set pains in regard to identity and well-being (Stout & Downey, 2006; Thurston & Mashford-Pringle, 2015).

The reform of the medical industry, the problems of medical care that arose in Ukraine in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic and led to a deterioration in the physical, psychological and social well-being of the population, sharply raised the question of the work of the medical industry and the directions for its improvement. In many countries of the world one of the ways to improve the quality of medical services is the implementation of social work in the medical industry.The article is devoted to the analysis of foreign experience of social work in the health care system, the roots of which are deeply connected with the development of modern public health in many countries of the world. Today, many social workers around the world practice health care, drawing on the historical experience of combining clinical, intermediate and population-based approaches to have a greater impact on health. However, the historical significance of this long-standing interdisciplinary collaboration and its implications remain poorly understood. The article is based on primary and modern sources of research on the history of the development of social work in the field of health care, demonstrates examples of successful cooperation between social and medical workers. The main historical stages of the development of social work in the field of health care in the USA, France, Canada, Great Britain, Bulgaria, etc. are considered. The article concludes that despite the temporal, geographical, economic, political, cultural and other differences, social work in the field of health care as an independent professional activity in different countries has common features: a focus on overcoming barriers in the environment for achieving health by individuals, their families, groups and communities; assistance in attracting resources to achieve full health of clients; perception of personality and its health as a whole; the creation of family-oriented, community-centered and consumer-driven services; the development of social work in the field of health was often facilitated by the initiative and perseverance of individuals, etc.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-125
Author(s):  
Suzanne Stewart ◽  
Angela Mashford-Pringle

All Indigenous peoples across the globe have experienced multiple historical colonial aggression and assaults. In Canada and the USA for example, education was used as a tool of oppression for Indigenous peoples through residential school. Child welfare, health and health care, and forced land relocation are also sites of intensive and invasive harms.


Author(s):  
Stefan Bittmann

COVID-19 is a serious coronavirus disease that is spreading all over the world. As of the date of this publication, 2.834.134 people have been infected with COVID-19 and 197.924 deaths have been recorded in 185 countries (John Hopkins Corona Resource Center, 25th April 2020) [1]. This overwhelming mortality rate requires intensive research activities around the world. To date, the number of deaths per day in the United States is still killing, indicating an uncontrollable state of infection spread. SARS-CoV-2 binds to the angiotensin II receptor in various tissues of the human body, particularly in the oral cavity and tongue. SARS-CoV-2 requires the cheerful TMPRSS2 to activate this inertia. SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor as a gateway to the lungs. The SARS-CoV-2 virus binds with the spike protein to the ACE2 receptor. COVID-19 is more common among African Americans in the USA (Science 10th April 2020). The comfort and the emotional loading capacity of the employees in the health service are key components for the maintenance of the essential health services during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus) [2,3]. Hence, it will be important to anticipate the charges linked with this work and to release support for employees in the health service. The supervision and assessment of the psychic health and the well-being of the employees in the health service will be important, just as the efforts to guarantee a successful reunion with colleagues if they are infected.


Author(s):  
Elena F. GLADUN ◽  
Gennady F. DETTER ◽  
Olga V. ZAKHAROVA ◽  
Sergei M. ZUEV ◽  
Lyubov G. VOZELOVA

Developing democracy institutions and citizen participation in state affairs, the world community focuses on postcolonial studies, which allow us to identify new perspectives, set new priorities in various areas, in law and public administration among others. In Arctic countries, postcolonial discourse has an impact on the methodology of research related to indigenous issues, and this makes possible to understand specific picture of the world and ideas about what is happening in the world. Moreover, the traditions of Russian state and governance are specific and interaction between indigenous peoples and public authorities should be studied with a special research methodology which would reflect the peculiarities of domestic public law and aimed at solving legal issue and enrich public policy. The objective of the paper is to present a new integrated methodology that includes a system of philosophical, anthropological, socio-psychological methods, as well as methods of comparative analysis and scenario development methods to involve peripheral communities into decision-making process of planning the socio-economic development in one of Russia’s Arctic regions — the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District and to justify and further legislatively consolidate the optimal forms of interaction between public authorities and indigenous communities of the North. In 2020, the Arctic Research Center conducted a sociological survey in the Shuryshkararea of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, which seems to limit existing approaches to identifying public opinion about prospects for developing villages and organizing life of their residents. Our proposed methodology for taking into account the views of indigenous peoples can help to overcome the identified limitations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 108-115
Author(s):  
А.B. Zimenkovsky ◽  
◽  
T.G. Gutor ◽  

Aim - the search, analysis and systematization of historical facts concerning the formation and evo-lution of the world medical standartization; severance of its certain long-standing models for the optimization of settling and introduction of the existing, and future analogs, particularly, in the clinical audit format. Material and Methods. In order to study the medical standard as a historical component the fol-lowing methods were used: bibliographic, historical, analytical and methods of systematization and comparison. Results and Discussion. As a result of the conducted research the main historical events in the world development of the medical standartization starting from 1500 up till nowadays were col-lected. In order to study the evolution of the medical standartization, the analysis of the normative documents that have regulated the process of standartization, especially the Doctor's statute(s) in Russia, Minimal standard of the medical equipment and works of the American college of surgeons, was carried out. The scientific works that initiated the introduction of the clinical audit in the Health Care system in Ukraine, Turkey, the USA and Great Britain were throroughly analyzed. Conclusions. The improvement of quality as to rendering the medical aid is a job priority in the health care systems in many countries. For that reason, the search for its optimization was and is still retrieved for many centuries. The territorial formation of medical standartization is associated with England, Russia and the USA, but the occurrence of clinical audit is connected with Ukraine, Turkey, the USA and Great Britain. The foundations of the medical standardization was lauched in 1500 year, while the clinical audit - in 1854 year. The medical standartization is a reflection of the history of development of the organization of health care system, that's why the expertness (knowl-edge) of historical stages concerning the setting and the introduction of medical standartization may give a new impulse in its improvement and development under present-day conditions of reforma-tion in the medical sphere in Ukraine. The earlier beginning of implementation of the medical stan-dartization in the health care system in different countries makes it possible to actualize its introduc-tion into the clinical audit format, that, in its turn, allows to improve the quality of rendering the medical aid. Key words: medical standartization, clinical audit, quality of medical aid


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Luiz Severo Bem Junior ◽  
Nilson Batista Lemos ◽  
Júlia de Araújo Vianna ◽  
Juliana Garcia Silva ◽  
Luana Moury Fernandes Sanchez ◽  
...  

Background: Utilizing the Brazilian Medical Demography analysis and a literature review, we evaluated how women choose to become neurosurgeons in Brazil and around the world, specifically citing the Europe, the USA, India, and Japan. Methods: We utilized the Brazilian Medical Demography prepared by the Federal Council of Medicine and the Regional Council of Medicine of the State of São Paulo (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018). We also included an evaluation of 20 articles from PubMed, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, and National Health Library databases (e.g., using descriptors “Women in neurosurgery” and “Career”). Results: In Brazil in 2017, women comprised 45.6% of active doctors, but only 8.6% of all neurosurgeons. Of 20 articles identified in the literature, 50% analyzed the factors that influenced how women choose neurosurgery, 40% dealt with gender differences, while just 10% included an analysis of what it is like to be a female neurosurgeon in different countries/continents. Conclusion: The participation of women in neurosurgery has increased in recent years despite the persistence of gender inequality and prejudice. More women need to be enabled to become neurosurgeons as their capabilities, manual dexterity, and judgment should be valued to improve the quality of neurosurgical health-care delivery.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S258-S258
Author(s):  
Mahfuja Islam ◽  
Philip George ◽  
Sindhu Sankaran ◽  
Janet Leu Su Hui ◽  
Tzun Kit

AimsThe global health system is facing a serious challenge after the recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus infection which was first identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. There is a wide consensus that this pandemic has negative psychosocial consequences as well as unforeseeable provision of mental health care services and just not on physical health alone. The aim of this research study is to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify the sociodemographic variables with the main attributable factors associated with the psychological distress among healthcare workers and suggestions on how to reduce the impact on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study from September-November 2020. We used a self-administered survey tool which was distributed electronically to healthcare workers across the globe. The data were stored on an online database with password protected devices where survey responses were restricted to investigators exclusively.Data collected were: 1) Socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, role in the healthcare, region of practice); 2) Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire which contains 22 standardized items. This is a subjective assessment to score the degree of psychological well-being by focusing on 6 domains: depression; anxiety; positive-well-being; self-control; vitality and general health; 3) Subjective assessment from respondents of the main attributable factors causing psychological distress and suggested methods to help reduce the impact on mental health on health care workers.ResultMajority out of the 217 respondents were from a younger age group; females and married/domestic partnership, mainly from Western Pacific Region, South East Asian and the African Region. More than half the respondents were moderate-severely psychologically distressed and the three main attributable factors causing psychological distress were: fear of family/friends contracting COVID-19 followed by lack of PPE and discomfort caused by wearing PPE for long hours. Respondents suggested that the distress would be reduced if: more resources were provided in hospital; protocols and guidelines were implemented and counselling facilities with recreational activities were available to frontline workers.ConclusionThis study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers and more support or strategies need to come in place to protect frontline workers at the time of crises.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. e002442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Browne ◽  
Mark Lock ◽  
Troy Walker ◽  
Mikaela Egan ◽  
Kathryn Backholer

IntroductionIndigenous Peoples worldwide endure unacceptable health disparities with undernutrition and food insecurity often coexisting with obesity and chronic diseases. Policy-level actions are required to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms. However, there has been no systematic synthesis of the evidence of effectiveness of food and nutrition policies for Indigenous Peoples around the world. This review fills that gap.MethodsEight databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature, published between 2000 and 2019. Relevant websites were searched for grey literature. Articles were included if they were original studies, published in English and included data from Indigenous Peoples from Western colonised countries, evaluated a food or nutrition policy (or intervention), and provided quantitative impact/outcome data. Study screening, data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken independently by two authors, at least one of whom was Indigenous. A narrative synthesis was undertaken with studies grouped according to the NOURISHING food policy framework.ResultsWe identified 78 studies from Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand and the USA. Most studies evaluated targeted interventions, focused on rural or remote Indigenous communities. The most effective interventions combined educational strategies with policies targeting food price, composition and/or availability, particularly in retail and school environments. Interventions to reduce exposure to unhealthy food advertising was the only area of the NOURISHING framework not represented in the literature. Few studies examined the impact of universal food policies on Indigenous Peoples’ diets, health or well-being.ConclusionBoth targeted and universal policy action can be effective for Indigenous Peoples. Actions that modify the structures and systems governing food supply through improved availability, access and affordability of healthy foods should be prioritised. More high-quality evidence on the impact of universal food and nutrition policy actions for Indigenous Peoples is required, particularly in urban areas and in the area of food marketing.


2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mills

In recognition of the societal and cultural values of ecological restoration several community-based programs have been developed throughout the world. In particular those with interests in the field of freshwater and riparian management have developed numerous programs to encourage community involvement in their management. While each of these programs gives de facto recognition to an ethos typically espoused by indigenous peoples, the concerns, values and localised knowledge of indigenous peoples continues to remain excluded from the management process. In documenting key aspects of the proposed restoration of Oruarangi Creek this paper aims to provide an example of how the concerns, values and knowledge of local indigenous communities can form a major component of the restoration process.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole F. Stowell ◽  
Carl Pacini ◽  
Martina K. Schmidt ◽  
Nathan Wadlinger

Purpose This study aims to increase awareness and educate the reader about health-care fraud targeting seniors in the USA to help stakeholders better understand, recognize and prevent this type of fraud. Design/methodology/approach This paper collects statistics on the current state of health care frauds committed against seniors, and examines related cases and laws. Findings The authors find this type of fraud is highly prevalent and expected to increase. Current laws preventing this fraud from occurring are multifold and complex. While prevention strategies through law enforcement have been somewhat successful, a reduction in resources may put seniors at an increased risk in the years to come. Research limitations/implications Without additional prevention strategies, the problem will likely escalate with a growing population of older adults. This study encourages further research into effective prevention strategies and methods to fight health-care fraud against seniors. Practical implications Health-care fraud and its associated costs pose a significant threat to the society and economy of the USA. Reducing this fraud will not only reduce the costs to the US economy but also improve the physical and mental well-being of senior victims, reduce their mortality and hospitalization rates and improve the public trust placed to health-care providers. Originality/value This study highlights how health-care fraud is committed against seniors. With the projected trend of an aging US population, educating stakeholders, increasing awareness and applying tools to protect seniors will be important to reduce the absolute scope of this problem in the future.


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