scholarly journals A Framework for Urban Flood Resilience Assessment with Emphasis on Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7852
Author(s):  
Behnam Ghasemzadeh ◽  
Zahra Sadat Saeideh Zarabadi ◽  
Hamid Majedi ◽  
Mostafa Behzadfar ◽  
Ayyoob Sharifi
Keyword(s):  
Informal Education ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Urban Flood ◽  
Education Participation ◽  
Resilience Assessment

In recent years, the effects of climate change have become more noticeable in Iran, especially in big cities. In particular, climate-related flood risk is increasingly recognized as a potential threat in the capital city of Tehran. Accordingly, the present study aimed to provide a framework/assessment tool to measure Tehran’s resilience to flood risks. To this end, 21 professionals from different disciplines were selected through a purposive sampling procedure and were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The analysis procedure resulted in the identification of 3 themes, 15 categories, 40 subcategories, and 235 codes. The themes were social, economic, and organizational; The identified categories were culture and education (since culture is something to be learned through formal and informal education this component has two features: culture and education), participation, trust, attitude, solidarity, resources, empowerment, flexibility, credit, supervision, intercommunication, rules, specialization, and research. Validation of the indicators and their usability based on the opinions of local experts was used to calibrate the assessment tool and ensure its context-sensitivity. The results of this research can help planners and policymakers to increase their awareness of flood resilience. The approach taken in this research may also be useful for developing flood resilience assessment tools in other Iranian cities as well as in other cities of the Global South with similar conditions.

Towards a More Resilient Delhi: Rapid Urbanization and Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 05 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 1850014
Author(s):  
Jasdeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Global South ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
The City ◽  
Resilience Assessment

The discourse on resilient cities encapsulates various analogies, which are further constructed through the work of researchers in creation of several resilience assessment methodologies and toolkits. Despite the presence of numerous resilience assessment tools, there is an apparent lack of participation of residents of the global south within the assessment and iterative transformation processes. The situation, hence, is not truly represented through application of these tools in certain socio-political climates such as of India. Consistent economic growth of India has resulted in rapid urbanization of major cities. But, this has not been supplemented with proper planning, resulting in imbalances in all spheres of city infrastructure. Delhi, capital city of India, has been one of the worst hit cities. The hot seasons have caused thousands of fatalities in the past few years. An attempt is made to review the application of current resilience tools in Delhi against the backdrop of the sustainable development goals. In an attempt to improve the approach of these existing tools, an initial iteration is conducted, hinging on qualitative data obtained through surveying a sample population of the city and accessible quantitative metric data. Possible intervention scenarios are further suggested in view of aforementioned stressors and resilience scores. Research question: Where are the current resilience tools found lacking in the case of the global south, specifically in Delhi? How can the applicability of these tools be improved without compromising the deliverables yet ensuring an all-inclusive approach? Key findings: (1) The city is found lacking in adequate infrastructure facilities to its residents especially within the ambits of basic water and sanitation provision and healthcare services. (2) The city is relatively unprepared to face unforeseen events, both at the administrative and the grassroots levels. The lack of knowledge transfer and cooperation are largely evident.

scholarly journals Clinicians’ Perceptions of the Implementation of the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for Violence Risk (SAPROF) on an Inpatient Forensic Unit

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Domjancic ◽  
Treena Wilkie ◽  
Shaheen Darani ◽  
Brittney Williams ◽  
Bandhana Maheru ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Violence Risk ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Consensus Scoring ◽  
Additional Value

The Structured Assessment of PROtective Factors for Violence Risk (SAPROF) is an assessment tool that examines protective factors when assessing for violence risk. There is limited research on clinicians’ perceptions of the use and implementation of risk assessment tools, and this study aimed to examine the experiences of clinicians using the SAPROF in a low secure forensic rehabilitation inpatient unit in Canada. An exploratory research design was used, and five clinicians participated in semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach and three central themes were identified: understanding of the patient from a strengths-based point of view, providing clinicians with a focus on how to help the patient, and bringing in opportunities to collaborate as a team. The findings highlight the additional value of the SAPROF as tool in helping forensic teams to adopt strengths based approaches to risk assessment, enhancing treatment planning and inter-professional collaboration.   Keywords: strengths, risk assessment, SAPROF, consensus scoring, recovery

scholarly journals Governance Assessment of the Flood’s Infrastructure Policy in San Pedro Cholula, Mexico: Potential for a Leapfrog to Water Sensitive

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar Casiano Flores ◽  
Joep Crompvoets ◽  
Maria Eugenia Ibarraran Viniegra ◽  
Megan Farrelly
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Urban Floods ◽  
Urban Flood ◽  
San Pedro

Climate change together with population growth and land-use change have increased the risk of urban floods. Urban floods cause severe damages to cities and their inhabitants, and they are expected to increase over time. Consequently, urban adaptation is required to shift from traditional infrastructure (grey) to multifunctional infrastructure (blue-green) for improved flood management. Until recently, studies on the role and adoption of blue-green infrastructure have centered around large cities in developed countries, including Melbourne and Rotterdam, among others. Meanwhile, middle-sized cities in developing countries have received less attention. According to the Urban Water Management Transition Framework (UWMTF), cities in developing countries can learn from the experiences of developed cities and leapfrog to more ‘water sensitive’ practices. Although leapfrogging is context-dependent, our understanding of factors that support leapfrogging remains embryonic. This paper contributes to the scholarly understanding of the governance factors that support and limit leapfrogging. By applying the Governance Assessment Tool through semi-structured interviews and reviewing secondary data, this research assessed the implementation of flood protection infrastructure in San Pedro Cholula, a middle size city of Mexico. This work found the most supportive quality for delivering multifunctional infrastructure, was the extent of the governance system. The governance support extent was rated as moderate-low considering the platform for change is limited to government actors, which has further reinforced traditional approaches to infrastructure. In addition, the necessary governance features of coherence, flexibility and intensity were assessed as constraining change, with flexibility being the least supportive governance factor and ultimately hindering social actors’ participation and innovation. While the contemporary governance arrangements of San Pedro Cholula are not yet conducive to promoting a leapfrog in the delivery of urban flood infrastructure, the analysis has pointed to three catalytic factors to underpin a leapfrogging situation: trans-disciplinary science; cross-sector partnerships; and, innovation experiments.

scholarly journals Conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment as part of an integrated care approach for childhood obesity: experiences, needs and wishes of Dutch healthcare professionals

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. W. Koetsier ◽  
M. M. A. van Mil ◽  
M. M. A. Eilander ◽  
E. van den Eynde ◽  
C. A. Baan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care Approach ◽  
The Right ◽  
Visual Materials ◽  
Solution Focused

Abstract Background The causes and consequences of childhood obesity are complex and multifaceted. Therefore, an integrated care approach is required to address weight-related issues and improve children’s health, societal participation and quality of life. Conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment is an essential part of an integrated care approach. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences, needs and wishes of healthcare professionals with respect to carrying out a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment of childhood obesity. Methods Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Dutch healthcare professionals, who are responsible for coordinating the support and care for children with obesity (coordinating professionals, ‘CPs’). The following topics were addressed in our interviews with these professionals: CPs’ experiences of both using childhood obesity assessment tools and their content, and CPs’ needs and wishes related to content, circumstances and required competences. The interviews comprised open-ended questions and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using template analyses and complemented with open coding in MAXQDA. Results Most CPs experienced both developing a trusting relationship with the children and their parents, as well as establishing the right tone when engaging in weight-related conversations as important. CPs indicated that visual materials were helpful in such conversations. All CPs used a supporting assessment tool to conduct the psychosocial and lifestyle assessment but they also indicated that a more optimal tool was desirable. They recognized the need for specific attributes that helped them to carry out these assessments, namely: sufficient knowledge about the complexity of obesity; having an affinity with obesity-related issues; their experience as a CP; using conversational techniques, such as solution-focused counselling and motivational interviewing; peer-to-peer coaching; and finally, maintaining an open-minded, non-stigmatizing stance and harmonizing their attitude with that of the child and their parents. Conclusions Alongside the need for a suitable tool for conducting a psychosocial and lifestyle assessment, CPs expressed the need for requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes. Further developing a supporting assessment tool is necessary in order to facilitate CPs and thereby improve the support and care for children with obesity and their families.

Building organisational resilience for the construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulkfli Sapeciay ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson ◽  
Seosamh B. Costello
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Disaster

Purpose This paper aims to explore New Zealand construction practitioners’ approaches to organisational resilience practice in built environment discipline, based on survey and interview results. The objective was to explore the resilience practice within the construction sector with the intention of developing a resilient assessment tool specifically for construction organisations. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was conducted to gather information on assessment tools for measuring organisational resilience, their characteristics and indicators. Subsequently, a set of questions was formulated to collate opinions from construction practitioners in New Zealand, using a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings This paper concludes by showing that the construction industry lacks resilience practice, especially from an organisational perspective. The findings suggest that the industry would benefit from a resilience assessment tool to help improve resilience. The adoption of such a tool could potentially enhance organisational capacity to recover quickly from crises and disasters. Practical implications Improving the resilience of construction organisations to natural disasters not only minimises the negative consequences to their organisations post-disaster and enhances their organisational performance during business as usual but also helps to improve community resilience. Originality/value Improving the resilience of construction organisations also helps to improve community resilience and overall post-disaster recovery. However, at present, little research has been conducted on how construction organisations deal with the risk of natural disasters.

scholarly journals Understanding what impacts on disclosing anal incontinence for women when comparing bowel-screening tools: a phenomenological study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Tucker ◽  
Elizabeth Mary Ann Murphy ◽  
Mary Steen ◽  
Vicki L. Clifton
Keyword(s):  
Anal Incontinence ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Subsequent Pregnancy ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Women Of Childbearing Age ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Childbearing Age

Abstract Background There is limited research defining the true prevalence of anal incontinence (AI) in women of childbearing age. Understanding the limitations of the current assessment tools in the identification of AI is paramount for identifying the prevalence of AI and improving the care and management for women of childbearing age. The aim of this research was to explore and develop an understanding of women’s experiences in disclosing AI when completing a new bowel-screening questionnaire when compared to two established AI tools. Methods A phenomenological qualitative research study was undertaken in a maternity setting in a large tertiary hospital. Parous women in the first trimester of a subsequent pregnancy were recruited to complete a specifically designed screening tool (BSQ), St Marks Faecal incontinence score (Vaizey) and Cleveland (Wexner) score. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were utilised to identify experiences in disclosing AI. Results Women (n = 16, 22–42 years) with a history of anal incontinence either following the first birth (n = 12) or the second (n = 4) provided differing responses between the three assessment tools. All women answered the BSQ while the Vaizey and Wexner scores were more difficult to complete due to clinical language and participants level of comprehension. Women identified three major themes that were barriers for disclosing incontinence, which included social expectations, trusted space and confusion. Conclusion There are barriers for disclosing AI in the pregnant and post-natal population, which can be improved with the use of an easy assessment tool. The BSQ may facilitate discussion on AI between the patient and health professional leading to earlier identification and improvement in short and long-term health outcomes.

scholarly journals Health Literacy questionnaire development for 9 and 10 years old: a discussion of assessment tools!

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Reis ◽  
I Barroso ◽  
L Saboga-Nunes ◽  
O Okan ◽  
T Bollweg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
A Priori ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Questionnaire Development ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Settings

Abstract Background With Health literacy (HL) investments - to promote health and self-care during people’s life cycles (childhood, especially) - health professionals approach is multi-dimensional: within the family, school settings and community. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility and usability of a questionnaire to characterize HL levels among 9 and 10 years old. It is expected that this will help health care personal to better focus health promotion initiatives in the school setting. Methods The CrAdLiSa project in conjunction with the HLCA German Consortium, implemented a field test for the newly developed HL assessment tool for children in the Portuguese context. This is a deductive-inductive, exploratory-descriptive study including 16 children, with 9 and 10 years old, from 2 different elementary schools in Santarém District (rural and urban areas). Semi-structured interviews aim at exploring the cognitive appraisal of concepts and indicators at the base of the questionnaire developed to assess HL levels. Data was subjected to content analysis, with a priori and a posteriori categorization. Results Preliminary results point to the cognitive comprehension by children of the feasibility of an instrument to assess their HL levels. It depicts discriminatory capabilities (to allow characterization of low, medium or high levels of HL). Children living in urban areas, having better financial resources are less likely to develop obesity, or low weight. Better self-perception of school performance, good relationship with family members, parents with higher education or higher levels of HL appear to have better quality of life. Conclusions Results suggest the need to invest in children’s and families’ HL, while taking into consideration personal, environmental and socioeconomic determinants. School settings should be considered as a natural arena to improve children’s (and, as a result, families’ and communities’) HL levels.

scholarly journals Assessing collaborative performance on construction projects through knowledge exchange

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 968-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergana Staykova ◽  
Jason Underwood
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Continuous Assessment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Performance

Purpose How knowledge exchange (KE) can be used for the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance of project-based organisations in construction is explored. Collaboration on construction projects must be facilitated by people alongside practice of continuous performance assessment and improvement. Currently available assessment tools fail to explicitly define appropriate behaviours and actions due to a poor understanding of what it means for people to collaborate. In contrast, it is established that KE is the focus of collaborative efforts on construction projects; therefore, as most knowledge resides with people, it represents their role in collaboration. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Through a phenomenological/interpretivist and qualitative methodology, how KE can be used for the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance in project-based organisations in construction is explored. A single case study of a UK rail strategic alliance was adopted and six semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed through a thematic analysis. Findings An assessment tool is proposed based on a set of 20 characteristics of KE, divided into seven categories and linked to indicators of collaboration. The tool can be applied to highly collaborative projects where BIM and Lean are implemented, and project participants are collocated. By measuring their performance against the set criteria, project teams can assess which of their behaviours and actions are inappropriate, and focus their efforts on correcting them. Originality/value Defining the abstract indicators traditionally used to assess collaboration in terms of characteristics pertinent to day-to-day communication amongst participants on collaborative projects to facilitate the continuous assessment and improvement of collaborative performance.

scholarly journals Validation of a multiple criteria tool for healthcare facilities quality evaluation

Facilities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Brambilla ◽  
Göran Lindahl ◽  
Marta Dell'Ovo ◽  
Stefano Capolongo
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Patient Centeredness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Social Environmental

Purpose Several healthcare quality assessment tools measure the processes and outcomes of the care system. The actual physical infrastructure (buildings and organizational) aspects are, however, rarely considered. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of validation and weighting of an evidence-informed framework for the quality assessment of hospital facilities from social, environmental and organizational perspectives to complement other assessments. Design/methodology/approach Sustainable High-quality Healthcare version 2 (SustHealth v2) is the updated version of an existing framework composed of three domains (social, environmental and organizational quality). To validate and establish a relevant weighting, interviews were conducted with 15 professionals within the field of healthcare planning, design, research and management. The study has been conducted through semi-structured interviews and the application of the Simon Roy Figueras (SRF) procedure for the elicitation of weights criteria. The data collected have been processed through the DecSpace web platform. Findings Among the three domains, the organizational qualities appear to be the most important (W = 49%), followed by the environmental (W = 29%) and social aspects (W = 22%). Relevant indicators such as future-proofing, wayfinding and users’ space control emerged as the most important within each macro-area. Those results are confirmed by the outcome of the interviews that highlight user/patient-centeredness, wayfinding strategies and space functionality as the most important concepts to foster in existing healthcare facilities improvement. Practical implications The study highlights important structural and organizational aspects that hospital managers and planners can consider when dealing with healthcare facilities’ quality improvement. Originality/value The use of the SRF multicriteria method is novel in this context when used to weight an assessment tool with a focus on hospital built environment.

Technology acceptance among adults undergoing joint replacement surgery for conducting home assessments: A qualitative feasibility study for a technology-based home assessment tool (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutali Joshi ◽  
Sahar Mihandoust ◽  
Anjali Joseph ◽  
Kapil Chalil Madathil ◽  
Shelia Cotten
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Joint Replacement ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Joint Replacement Surgery ◽  
Replacement Surgery ◽  
Post Surgery

BACKGROUND Most adults prefer to age-in-place. However, the majority of homes are not designed to support resident needs, specially of adults undergoing joint replacement surgeries such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). It is of paramount importance to proactively assess and modify the homes of adults undergoing TKA/THA such that they can safely transition home following surgery. There are several tools that utilize emerging technology like virtual reality, augmented reality, or teleconferencing to assess home environments. These are meant to be used by professionals like occupational therapists. However, the acceptance and uptake of simple technology like phone applications for assessing homes proactively by residents has not been explored. OBJECTIVE A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and potential acceptance of technology as well as identify recommendations based on expectations of adults for development of a technology-based resident-initiated home assessment tool. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 patient-care partner dyads before and after THA/TKA. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as a framework to understand the perceived usefulness, intention to use technology-based home assessment tools, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators of using of the tool. RESULTS About 68% of the patient-care partner dyads interviewed for this study perceived benefits of using a technology-based tool. All the participants who perceived the tool to be beneficial, showed positive behavioral intention of using it. A comparison of responses between pre- and post-surgery interviews revealed that around 50% of participants showed increased intention of using an assessment tool after experiencing challenges in their homes post-surgery. Participants provided recommendations for key content, potential features to include in the assessment tool, and preferred formats (e.g., checklists, visuals, and videos). CONCLUSIONS To increase acceptance of a technology-based home assessment tool, it is crucial that residents are made aware of the home environment challenges and the importance of an assessment tool to improve their safety and independence. The content, features, formats, and usability suggestions from the participants in this study provide a framework for health mobile application and interface developers to design a technology-based home assessment tool.

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