Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that impact disaster health research

Objective: To characterize the strengths and weaknesses of the current status of disaster research evidence; and to identify potential interventions specific to the disciplines of medicine, public health, and social sciences.Design: A mixed method study using nominal group technique and a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.Participants: Subject matter experts (SMEs) in the fields of medicine, public health, and social sciences who are engaged in disaster research.Results: The nominal group technique achieved 100 percent response rate. After coding and analysis, ten distinct disaster research evidence themes were identified: awareness; evidence quality; funding; human resources; interdisciplinary studies; politics; research process; research topics; sectoral collaboration; and “other.” Strengths in each area were limited but focused on quality and workforce pipeline. Weaknesses were limited funding and low research quality. Opportunities included improving methods and increased interdisciplinary collaboration. The threats most consistently identified were limited funding and political influences on disaster research funding.Conclusions: Disaster research experts from three disciplines identified a number of barriers and facilitators to improving disaster-related research. The limited, inconsistent, and episodic funding and the politics related to it were the greatest and most common barriers. This weakness needs to be strategically addressed to significantly advance the field of disaster research.

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Using a nominal group technique to approach consensus on a resilience intervention for smoking cessation in a lower socioeconomic population

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-7939-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

George Tsourtos ◽

Kristen Foley ◽

Paul Ward ◽

Emma Miller ◽

Carlene Wilson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Deliberative Democracy ◽

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Mindfulness Training ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Knowledge Generation ◽

Resilience Intervention ◽

Group Technique

Abstract Background Smoking prevalence remains inequitably high for lower SES (socioeconomic status) populations. The psychosocial interactive model of resilience theorises that resilience might be ‘switched on’ in order to support and/or maintain smoking cessation for these populations. This study aimed to develop a Resilience Intervention for Smoking Cessation (RISC) through reviewing the extant literature around efficacious interventions for smoking cessation. Deliberative democracy principles were then used to understand lay perspectives regarding this potential smoking cessation program. Methods Public health databases were searched to find efficacious psycho-social resilience interventions in the peer-reviewed literature for smoking cessation amongst lower SES populations. Potential components for RISC were selected based on evidence within the literature for their effectiveness. We then employed the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to create discussion and consensus on the most socially appropriate and feasible components from the perspective of smokers from low SES areas. The NGT included 16 people from a lower SES population in southern metropolitan Adelaide who indicated they were seriously contemplating quitting smoking or had recently quit. Data were collected from multiple Likert ratings and rankings of the interventions during the NGT workshop and analysed descriptively. The Wilcoxon signed-ranked test was used where appropriate. Qualitative data were collected from participant reflections and group discussion, and analysed thematically. Results Six smoking cessation interventions, likely to enhance resilience, were selected as potential constituents for RISC: mindfulness training; setting realistic goals; support groups; smoke free environments; mobile phone apps; and motivational interviewing. Consensus indicated that mindfulness training and setting realistic goals were the most acceptable resilience enhancing interventions, based on perceived usefulness and feasibility. Conclusions This research applied principles from deliberative democracy in order to illuminate lay knowledge regarding an appropriate and acceptable smoking cessation resilience program for a lower SES population. This process of collaborative and complex knowledge-generation is critically important to confront inequities as an ongoing challenge in public health, such as smoking cessation for disadvantaged groups. Further research should involve development and trial of this resilience program.

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Food poverty contributors: individual, structural or political? Examining stakeholder perspectives using interviews and nominal group technique

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-09-2020-0817 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Emma Beacom ◽

Sinéad Furey ◽

Lynsey Elizabeth Hollywood ◽

Paul Humphreys

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Northern Ireland ◽

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Structural Factors ◽

Political Factors ◽

Content Type ◽

Theoretical Perspectives ◽

Group Technique

PurposeData were collected from a range of stakeholders in Northern Ireland including consumer representatives, policy makers and public health representatives. Data collection occurred in two phases: firstly via in-depth interviews (n = 19), and secondly via roundtables (n = 4) with stakeholders (n = 36) using nominal group technique.Design/methodology/approachFood poverty has been identified as a significant societal and public health problem in the UK, evidenced in part by published statistics on the prevalence of food poverty, and the well-documented increase in the uptake of food bank provision. This paper presents various theoretical perspectives regarding the aetiology of (food) poverty, followed by stakeholders' opinions on the contributors to food poverty and consideration of how these align with various theoretical perspectives.FindingsVarious individual, structural and political factors were identified by stakeholders as contributors to food poverty, with income largely agreed to be the most significant contributor. Two themes of contributors were identified during analysis: micro-level and individual-level contributors and macro-level and economic-level contributors. Structural factors were most commonly cited as contributors to food poverty during both stakeholder interviews and stakeholder roundtables, followed by individual factors and political factors.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the contributors to food poverty can inform targeted policy action.Originality/valueThere is a lack of theoretical and conceptual literature regarding the causes of food poverty, and there has to date been limited research on the contributors to food poverty in Northern Ireland/the United Kingdom.

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“Teaches People That I'm More Than a Disability”: Using Nominal Group Technique in Patient-Oriented Research for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ◽

10.1352/1934-9556-54.2.112 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 112-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Natasha A. Spassiani ◽

Amanda R. Sawyer ◽

Megan S. Abou Chacra ◽

Kimberley Koch ◽

Yasmin A. Muñoz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developmental Disabilities ◽

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Research Process ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Healthcare Needs ◽

Traditional Research ◽

Oriented Research ◽

Group Technique

Abstract Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have complex healthcare needs, which are often unmet. Nominal group technique (NGT) uses a mixed-methods approach, which may engage the IDD population in the research process in a person-centered manner and address the shortcomings of traditional research methods with this population. NGT was used with a group of 10 self-advocates to evaluate a series of healthcare tools created by and for individuals with IDD. Participants provided helpful input about the strengths of these tools and suggestions to improve them. NGT was found to be an effective way to engage all participants in the research process.

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Prioritization Of Research Under National Aids Control Programme In India Using Nominal Group Technique

SAARC Journal of Tuberculosis Lung Diseases and HIV/AIDS ◽

10.3126/saarctb.v8i1.5888 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 20-30

Author(s):

R Sogarwal ◽

D Bachani

Keyword(s):

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Research Priorities ◽

Control Programme ◽

Pediatric Hiv ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Phase Iii ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Research Questions ◽

Group Technique

Introduction: During the fi rst 2 years of the fi ve year plan of India’s National AIDS Control Programme Phase-III (NACP-III; 2007-12), various interactive consultative workshops were organized in collaboration with development partners with the objective of identifying priority areas for operational research and further development of research protocols adopting mentorship approach. Methodology: This article is an attempt to present the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) which was used to identify a set of fundable and practically feasible research priorities under NACP-III specifi cally focusing on Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) and Pediatric HIV Care in India. The activity was undertaken with support of UNICEF in the year 2010. A total of 110 persons participated in the consultation clustering into 37, 36 and 37 members in Group A, B and C, respectively. The participants refl ected the mix of policy makers / decision makers (8), programme managers (12), implementers (36), subject experts / researchers (28), other stakeholders (16). Results: A total of nine highest priority research questions were identifi ed by all the groups in the assigned themes. The value of Kendall’s W coeffi cient of concordance was 0.68, which shows signifi cant agreement among raters on priority research questions (chi-square=16.35; p=0.03). Conclusion: Based on our experience, we can conclude that NGT was found to be an important tool for setting research priorities that is more democratic and transparent than the traditional methods. By applying various stages of the group sessions, participants can experience the rethinking process with reference information to enhance their judgment. The results of our experience may help programme managers / policy makers to plan similar and more improved method in other element of NACP as well as other health programmes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/saarctb.v8i1.5888 SAARCTB 2011; 8(1): 20-30

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Psychographic segmentation of the self-employed: An exploratory study

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1108/neje-13-02-2010-b004 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 47-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Matthew G. Kenney ◽

Art Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Small Business ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Nominal Group Technique ◽

The Self ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Academic Literature ◽

Self Employment ◽

Group Technique

Although it is well established in the academic literature that entrepreneurs share common traits, there has been limited research dedicated to evaluating psychographic profiles of the self-employed. Using the Nominal Group Technique, the authors gleaned insight from a panel of experts in an effort to segment the self-employed based on personality traits and the benefits they receive from an entrepreneurial career. The findings show that self-employed individuals can be classified into four distinct segments: Exemplars, Generals, Moms and Dads, and Altruists. Each group derives different benefits from self-employment. Understanding these benefits can greatly assist entrepreneurship educators and marketers of small business oriented products and services.

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Using the nominal group technique effectively

National Productivity Review ◽

10.1002/npr.4040020209 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 173-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

D. Scott Sink

Keyword(s):

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Group Technique

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Application of the nominal group technique to inform a co-design project on power assisted exercise equipment for people with stroke

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2021.10.049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 113 ◽

pp. e80-e81

Author(s):

R. Young ◽

C. Smith ◽

K. Sage ◽

D. Broom

Keyword(s):

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Nominal Group ◽

Design Project ◽

Exercise Equipment ◽

Group Technique

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Abstract 12173: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and Community First Response: Identifying Data Collection and Analysis Priorities via the Nominal Group Technique

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.144.suppl_2.12173 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 144 (Suppl_2) ◽

Author(s):

Eithne Heffernan ◽

Dylan Keegan ◽

Jenny Mc Sharry ◽

Tomas Barry ◽

Andrew Murphy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiac Arrest ◽

Data Collection ◽

Online Survey ◽

Nominal Group Technique ◽

Nominal Group ◽

First Response ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

Virtual Meeting ◽

Hospital Cardiac Arrest ◽

Group Technique

Introduction: Community First Response (CFR) is an important intervention for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in many countries. CFR entails the mobilization of volunteers by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to respond to OHCAs in their vicinity. These volunteers include lay-people and professionals (e.g. physicians, fire-fighters). CFR can increase rates of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation performed prior to EMS arrival. However, its impact on additional outcomes (e.g. survival, cognitive function) requires further study. This research aimed to identify the most important CFR data to collect and analyze, as well as the most important uses of CFR data. Methods: This study used the Nominal Group Technique: a structured consensus process where key stakeholders develop a set of prioritized recommendations. There were 16 participants, including CFR volunteers, an OHCA survivor, researchers, clinicians, EMS personnel, and policy-makers. They completed an online survey to generate lists of the most important (1) CFR data to collect and analyze and (2) uses of CFR data. They then attended a virtual meeting where they discussed the survey results in groups before voting for their top ten priorities from each list. They also identified barriers to CFR data collection. Results: The top ten CFR data to collect and analyze included volunteer response time, interventions performed by volunteers, time of emergency, time of CPR initiation, individuals who performed CPR, and the mental and physical effects of being a volunteer. The top ten uses of CFR data included providing feedback to volunteers, increasing bystander participation in resuscitation, improving volunteer training, measuring CFR effectiveness, and encouraging inter-operability with the EMS. Barriers to data collection included time constraints, prioritization of patient care, and limited training. Conclusions: This study established priorities for the collection, analysis, and use of CFR data in consultation with key stakeholders. These findings have important implications for both CFR research and practice. In particular, they can be used to improve the efficiency, consistency, and utility of CFR data collection and to build evidence for this intervention.

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