The Effectiveness of Minor Procedure as the Management of Onychocryptosis in Community Podiatry Setting: A Retrospective Study

Background: Onychocryptosis is a common and debilitating condition that often require surgical management. Despite this minor procedure being the most common and effective method in managing this condition, as well as being one of the essential services provided by Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) registered podiatrists, there is limited evidence around the effectiveness of this procedure in the community setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a non-invasive minor procedure for the management of onychocryptosis. Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken within the community podiatry department. All patients who underwent minor procedure for the management of onychocryptosis between June 2018 and December 2019 were included in this study. The data were collected from the electronic patient records using a comprehensive data collection tool. Recurrence rate and infection rate were calculated to determine the effectiveness of the minor procedure. Results: 354 minor procedures were performed on 272 patients presenting with onychocryptosis. The recurrence rate of nail regrowth following intervention was 5.6% (N=20). Patients <40 years old were more likely to experience a recurrence of nail regrowth following an intervention (N=16). The postoperative infection rate was 8.8% (N=31). Patients who had a partial nail avulsion procedure were more likely to experience postoperative infection compared to total nail avulsion.Conclusions: Although the management of onychocryptosis with this minor procedure is effective within the community podiatry department, incorporation of evaluation of patient satisfaction following this procedure is suggested within the recommendations. The limitations of this study have been highlighted and a mixed method research project is recommended to explore this area of specialty to improve patient outcome.

The Mechanism for Effectively Meeting the Needs of the Population in Essential services by Regions Municipal Economy: Current State and Trends

The importance of effectively meeting the needs of the region's population in essential services under conditions of uncertainty is becoming an increasingly important and relevant area of economic development of the local economy. A systematic study carried out in the article pertaining to assessing and using the potential of interaction between the state, regions and municipalities in order to meet the needs of the population in essential services contributes to strengthening the capabilities of the local economy. But this cannot be achieved without analyzing the external and internal environment and implementing, on this basis, a forecast of a dynamic change in the economic situation, to which the power structures do not pay due attention. It was found that the shortcomings of the methodological tools lead to a low quality of the developed forecast and management decisions. The article clarifies the concept of strategic management in relation to the socio-economic development of territories, shows that solving such problem situations increases the potential of the local economy, aims at increasing efficiency and has a positive effect on strengthening the socio-economic potential of the Siberian territories. Proposals aimed at solving the problems of forecasting socio-economic development have been prepared. It is shown that the mechanism of work of state structures of territories and of business on the field of rendering socially important services to the population, based on the use of optimization theory in forecasting activity, allows to reveal unused opportunities and redistribute them in the areas being the bottlenecks. The proposals include a conceptually distributed in time optimization model of effective solutions to meet the needs of the population in the region in services based on the real state of the economy and the emerging prospects for dynamic change towards growth. This view of the problems of the local economy makes it possible to use the proposed organizational and economic solutions to the challenges with a high degree of efficiency. This stimulates the search for new approaches to the study of the problems faced by municipalities, the identification of relevant forms and methods of solving socially significant problems.

Mitigating isolation: The use of rapid antigen testing to reduce the impact of self-isolation periods

Isolating, either enforced or self-guided, is a well-recognised and used technique in the limitation and reduction of disease spread. This usually balances the societal harm of disease transmission against the individual harm of being isolated and is typically limited to a very small number of individuals. With the widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and requirements to self-isolate when symptomatic or having tested positive, the number of people affected has grown very large causing noticeable individual cost, and disruption to the provision of essential services. With widespread access to reliable rapid antigen tests (also known as LFD or LFTs), in this paper we examine strategies to utilise this testing technology to limit the individual harm whist maintaining the protective effect of isolation. We extend this work to examine how isolation may be improved and mitigate the release of infective individuals into the population caused by fixed time-periods.

King IV municipal supplements: the impact on the municipal’s approach to governance

In using King IV municipal supplement as a conceptual framework, this paper critically analyses the King IV supplement implementation and control system within the municipal sector. For the municipality to be trusted and accountable to the public, it needs to implement effective governance processes. The observance of municipal governance implementation framework poses a significant challenge for the municipalities. The prevalence of unsuccessful provision of essential services and unsuccessful audit is an indication of the failure by municipal boards that are charged with the implementation of effective governance practices. It is further indicative of the municipal board not to understanding their governance roles fully. The advent of King IV municipal supplement will give more impetus to the implementation of governance framework and effective control processes. The municipal supplement will serve as a guide to proper governance in the municipality and will push for all municipal stakeholders to be involved in the governance of the municipality. The implementation of the King IV municipal supplement will enable the municipality to fulfil the constitutional mandate and deliver on the essential services. It has also become evident that good governance in the municipality is beneficial for stakeholders as a well-governed organization inspires the confidence of the stakeholders and lowers the cost of its operations. Even though King IV is not law, the governance outcome that it can achieve are laudable. The adoption and implementation King IV code municipal supplements practices will become the criteria by which the required standard of care and appropriate standard of conduct of the council can measured.

Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception: Migration and Membership During Pandemic Times

This chapter starts by introducing the policy and political context of the Covid-19 crisis, surveying some of the changes it brought to immigration policies in different countries: border closures for non-citizens; disruption for temporary migrants; and special arrangements for essential (migrant) workers like doctors and nurses or farmworkers to ensure emergency wards are staffed and the food processing chain is not disrupted. The chapter critically reviews these changes and discusses the main analytical and policy questions which the book addresses. It investigates how the pandemic forces us to rethink notions like membership, citizenship, belonging, but also solidarity, community, essential services or ‘essential’ workers. Migrants expose tensions and contradictions within these concepts and values. Citizens (who may carry the virus) cannot be banned from return to the homeland as they travel internationally or domestically; by contrast, temporary migrants or asylum seekers may be locked in their dormitories because of an outbreak in their midst to prevent spread and protect the citizens. This chapter shows that the specific tensions of the global pandemic for migration are linked to the more long-term tensions of globalisation, migration, and the nation-state, suggesting that the pandemic is but a magnifying lens. The chapter concludes with an overview of the book’s contents.

Unsung Heroes: How Senior Centers Have Adapted to Provide Essential Services in the Face of COVID-19

This presentation will describe the ways in which senior centers in Massachusetts have adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three surveys (distributed in April, August, and November, 2020) were conducted with 342 senior centers in the state to learn about current operations through the pandemic, challenges faced, and steps taken to solve those challenges. Results suggest that almost all senior centers (91%) continued to provide limited programming or essential services during the pandemic. Senior centers are prioritizing socialization and nutritional needs as critical services, but are changing the way they operate to continue to meet those needs. Despite facing uncertainty about the future, senior centers continue to adapt to changing conditions as they seek to meet their core mission. This presentation will discuss effects of COVID-19 on how senior centers will continue to operate through and post-pandemic times as well as local and state policy implications.

Delivery of Home and Community Based Services During a Pandemic: Unexpected Consequences

The COVID-19 pandemic required AAAs to pause essential services, serving as a catalyst for innovation. We examined such innovations as part of an explanatory mixed-methods, positive deviance study of AAA partnerships with health and social service organizations. We identified 8 AAAs with many partners serving areas with lower levels of health care use, and 3 AAAs with few partners serving areas with higher levels of health care use. We interviewed AAA and partners, (total = 123). Using the constant comparative method, we identified recurrent themes: 1) AAAs adapted to increased demand for services by developing new ways to deliver services, 2) the pandemic raised awareness of unmet needs such as social connection, 3) changes in delivery of services included embracing technology, and 4) AAAs and their partners identified resources to rapidly pivot services. AAAs and partners demonstrated resiliency to not only to sustain programs, but to innovate throughout the pandemic.

Transportation policy potholes: analyzing Metro Manila’s COVID-19 response

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government was already implementing policies and building infrastructure aimed at improving the country’s road-based public transportation system and alleviating impacts of traffic congestion, especially in Metro Manila. However, with the pandemic, new priorities emerged. Public transportation now plays a vital role in controlling the spread of the disease while, at the same time, ensures that essential services are accessible, and public transport providers are sufficiently supported. This paper analyzes the road-based public transportation policies of the government during the pandemic using a multi-dimensional framework. In general, and in principle, we see that the government policies issued are consistent with the recommended transport policies that must be implemented during such crisis. However, there are some strategies that are untimely implemented, such as the mandatory utilization of the integrated terminals, the forced consolidation of transport providers, and the continuing modernization of jeepneys.

Propose System Architecture Technology Hub for the New Normal in Sibuyan Island, Romblon (PSATH)

The new era of technologies around the globe continues transforming the process of innovation particularly in the province of Romblon where the community is being active and updated about the trends of technology, however, due to the limited bandwidth signal of internet connection, their telecommunications are affected especially during this new normal where the Business Transactions, Learning Management System, and other Essential Services are done through online. The purpose of this study is to propose an IT business project especially a technology hub that will cater to and satisfy the needs of the community on the Island. The impact of this study is simply for connecting and moving people into the fastest and easiest way of communication using social media and other online platforms. The proposed Technology hub is composed of four areas, the Internet Café, Printing Press, Research Learning Area, and Photo Studio. This is very beneficial to the people in the community especially to the students that needs IT services. This study aims to help the people, the Local Government Unit, and the University to make their goals put into reality. This study will truly change and innovate the lives of the people even for the progress of the economy, culture, and lifestyle of the place. This study is also recommended for the implementation of Techno hub within the island since this could give an opportunity to give new jobs, especially for the IT professions. This is very responsive to the needs of the society in terms of socialization, communication, and education.