scholarly journals Understanding complaints about paramedics: a qualitative exploration in a UK context

Author(s):  
Grace Lucas ◽  
Ann Gallagher ◽  
Magda Zasada ◽  
Zubin Austin ◽  
Robert Jago ◽  
...  

IntroductionThis research set out to understand the context and explore the reasons for the disproportionate number of complaints raised against paramedics to the United Kingdom professional regulator – the Health and Care Professions Council – relative to other health professions. MethodsThis paper reports on qualitative findings from one aspect of a mixed-methods study which included a case analysis, Delphi study and literature review. One-to-one semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 stakeholders drawn from practitioners, educators, representatives and regulators, and three focus groups held with 16 practitioners and service users were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the possible reasons for complaints about paramedic practice. ResultsFive themes were generated from a thematic analysis of the data: the impact of public perceptions and expectations; the challenges of day-to-day practice; the effect of increasingly pressurised services; the organisational and cultural climate which impacts paramedics’ work; and the evolving nature of the profession. ConclusionThis study highlights the complex and changing nature of paramedic practice. It provides an insight into the ways in which the character, practice and environment of the profession contribute to a disproportionate number of complaints.

Author(s):  
Catherine M. Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2019 ◽  
pp. 290-307
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110414
Author(s):  
Laura M. Vowels ◽  
Rachel R. R. Francois-Walcott ◽  
Rhia E. Perks ◽  
Katherine B. Carnelley

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples are staying at home together for an extended period. This is likely to impact couples as they navigate their responsibilities while maintaining a healthy relationship during uncertain times. We conducted qualitative research to investigate participants’ perception on how relationships changed considering COVID-19 and social distancing measures. Data were collected through open-ended surveys ( n = 200) which were completed weekly for 5 weeks and by semi-structured interviews ( n = 48). Overall, 28.6% of relationships had gotten better, 28.6% worse, 29.9% stayed the same, and 8.0% were mixed. Both methods highlighted similar themes (communication, space, togetherness, sharing responsibilities, quality time, and support networks) including 15 sub-themes in the interviews. The study provides a unique insight into the impact of COVID-19 on relationships and provides techniques that have been identified by couples to increase relationship satisfaction for their own and others’ relationships.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-372
Author(s):  
Jip van Besouw ◽  
Steffen Ducheyne

Abstract In order to gain a better understanding of the impact and circulation of the first edition of the Principia, we offer an analysis of public perceptions in Britain of Isaac Newton’s approach to physical inquiry in the Principia between the appearance of its first and second editions, in 1687 and 1713, respectively. We treat Newton’s readers as actors with distinctive scholarly backgrounds and interests rather than as followers or popularisers of a “Newtonian philosophy,” a label we find to be largely absent in the historical record before 1713, when it was purposefully used by Roger Cotes in his preface to the second edition of the Principia. Through our survey, we gain considerable insight into how Newton’s readers characterised the Principia and its author. We establish that British readers of the first edition of the Principia ascribed a relatively stable and interrelated number of characteristics to Newton’s natural philosophical approach, although different readers emphasised different things. We also show that the most detailed accounts of Newton’s natural philosophical approach were, not surprisingly, given in polemical contexts. We find that it is only at the very end of this period, and in polemical contexts, that the notion of a “Newtonian philosophy” with a specific and pathbreaking approach to physical inquiry arose.


2020 ◽  
pp. 026975802096197
Author(s):  
Vicky Heap

Despite victimological interest in the impacts of different types of criminal victimisation, there is little empirical work that examines the effects of sub-criminal behaviour on victims. This article begins to redress the balance by reporting the findings from a qualitative research project in England that investigated the effects of long-term anti-social behaviour victimisation. Semi-structured interviews explored victims’ accounts of the long-term anti-social behaviour they experienced and the resultant effects it had on their lives. The research uncovered that victims experience a range of mental and physical health effects as well as behavioural changes and has provided the first in-depth insight into the impact of this type of victimisation. The findings suggest the cumulative harms associated with anti-social behaviour need to be better acknowledged, understood and addressed, with greater support made available to victims.


2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Bekessy ◽  
K. Samson ◽  
R.E. Clarkson

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the impact and value of non‐binding agreements or declarations in achieving sustainability in universities.Design/methodology/approachA case study of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University is presented, analysing the reasons for lack of progress towards sustainability and evaluating best ways forward. Using a timeline and analysis of historical records for the 12 years since RMIT first engaged in the sustainability agenda, major trends in the process of implementing policies are identified. Secondly, 15 semi‐structured interviews with university leaders and key sustainability stakeholders from across the university are analysed to provide insight into how and why the university has failed to achieve sustainability.FindingsNew implications for successfully achieving sustainability arise from these findings. Accountability is a key issue, as RMIT appears to reap benefits from being signatory to declarations without achieving genuine progress. To ensure that declarations are more than simply greenwash, universities must open themselves up to scrutiny of progress to determine whether commitments have been honoured.Practical implicationsRelying on small‐scale “club” activities establishing demonstrations and raising awareness is unlikely to lead to permanent change. The evidence of RMIT's engagement with sustainability shows that, for example, even when successful pilot studies are conducted, these initiatives may do little to affect the mainstream practices of a university unless certain conditions exist. Furthermore, given the on‐paper commitments institutions have made, and the role of the university in society, small‐scale and gradual changes in university practice are a far from adequate response to the urgent sustainability imperative.Originality/valueThe initial engagement of RMIT University with the sustainability agenda 12 years ago marked it as a world leader in sustainability best‐practice. Analysing how and why such a disappointing lack of action has resulted from such promising beginnings provides insight into future directions for implementing sustainability in universities. The paper argues that considering the key responsibility of universities in leading the sustainability agenda, a more systemic and serious response is required.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley E. Nordsletten ◽  
Lorena Fernández de la Cruz ◽  
Elena Aluco ◽  
Pino Alonso ◽  
Clara López-Solà ◽  
...  

Though problematic hoarding is believed to be a universal human behavior, investigations of clinically-defined hoarding disorder (HD) have been confined almost exclusively to Western countries. The current investigation sought to describe and directly compare the features of individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for HD across four distinct cultural settings. Participants were 82 individuals meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for HD, recruited and assessed by trained clinicians at one of four project sites: London, Barcelona, Fukuoka, and Rio de Janeiro. A series of semi-structured interviews and self-report scales were administered, including assessments of socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbidity, and severity of hoarding and related features. Results indicate that the severity and core features of HD, as well as the cognitions and behaviors commonly associated with this condition, are largely stable across cultures. However, some differences in patient demographics—in particular age, marital status, and clinical expression—as well as comorbid psychiatric features also emerged. These findings confirm that HD, as defined in DSM-5, exists and presents with similar phenomenology across the studied cultures. Future, more fine-grained, research will be needed to study the features of the disorder in additional cultures (e.g., non-industrialized nations) and to evaluate the impact of these cultural aspects on the design of interventions for the disorder.


2002 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Brennan ◽  
Julie M. Hurd ◽  
Deborah D. Blecic ◽  
Ann C. Weller

Studies documenting the usage patterns of electronic journals have compared print and e-journal characteristics, surveyed faculty for their perceptions and expectations, and analyzed the impact on library practices. This study, a qualitative exploration of a wide array of issues related to the research and teaching habits of early adopters of e-journals in a research setting, was conducted in the spring of 2001 with faculty in the basic and health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Open-ended questionnaires provided a framework to wide-ranging discussions of perceptions, expectations, and changing practices pertaining to e-journals and other electronic resources. The results were analyzed with a specific focus on shared behaviors and values, discipline-dependent variations, and changing research and teaching habits. Several challenges for library resources and services are identified and discussed.


Author(s):  
Isabella Blandisi ◽  
Kimberley Clow ◽  
Rosemary Ricciardelli

Many exonerees report stigmatizing experiences and difficulties securing gainful employment post-incarceration. Although researchers have begun to investigate public perceptions of wrongful conviction, there remains a dearth of knowledge about public perceptions of exonerees. To provide insight into how the public perceives exonerees, face-to-face interviews were conducted with members (n=30) of a suburban city in South Central Ontario. Data analysis included a constructed grounded approach to reveal emergent themes in the transcripts. All interviewees acknowledged that wrongly convicted individuals are stigmatized by the public and that this can have negative effects in many of their lived experiences. In addition, findings of this exploratory study suggest that some interviewees, indirectly or directly, stigmatize exonerees in their responses while being interviewed—lending insight into how the public views and reacts to exonerees. Findings and policy implications are theoretically framed in Erving Goffman’s (1963) seminal work on stigma. Implications include the potential role of research and education in informing community members, and all levels of government, about wrongful convictions in general, and the negative implications of stigma, in particular.


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