Participation With Social Media

By improving ICT within the scope of administration, new terms like e-government, m-government, e-governance, e-participation appeared in the field of public administration. The concept of e-government affects municipalities—closest service units to the citizens—and with this effect developed the term e-municipality. Municipalities in Turkey began to use the new technologies for the delivery of services, and terms like e-participation and e-governance are widening rapidly. This chapter investigates whether Facebook pages are an effective tool for local participation. The social media-citizen relationship that is claimed to be more effective, especially at the local level, has been evaluated through the Facebook pages of the municipalities. This chapter focuses on the role of social media in participatory administration.

Program Report: Nîsohkamâtowak—Helping Patients and Families Living With Kidney Disease in Northern Saskatchewan

Purpose of the Program: Nîsohkamâtowak, the Cree word for Helping Each Other, is an initiative to close gaps in kidney health care for First Nations and Métis patients, their families, and communities in northern Saskatchewan. Nîsohkamâtowak emerged from a collaboration between the Kidney Health Community Program and First Nations and Métis Health Services to find ways to deliver better care and education to First Nations and Métis people living with kidney disease while acknowledging Truth and Reconciliation and the Calls to Action. Sources of Information: This article describes how traditional Indigenous protocols and storytelling were woven into the Nîsohkamâtowak events, gathering of patient and family voices in writing and video format, and how this work led to a collaborative co-designed process that incorporates the Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action into kidney care and the benefits we have seen so far. The teachings of the 4 Rs—respect, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevance, were critical to ensuring that Nîsohkamâtowak reports and learning were shared with participants and the communities represented in this initiative. Methods: Group discussions and sharing circles were facilitated in several locations throughout northern and central Saskatchewan. Main topics of discussion were traditional medicines, residential schools impact, community and peer supports for kidney disease patients, and cultural safety education for health care providers. Key Findings: The general themes selected for improvement were education, support within the local community, traditional practices and cultural competency, and delivery of services. To address these gaps in kidney care, the following objectives were co-created with First Nations and Métis patients, families, and communities for Kidney Health to provide culturally appropriate education and resources, to ensure appropriate follow-up support to include strengthening connections to communities and other health authorities, to incorporate traditional practices into program design, and to ensure appropriate service delivery across the spectrum of care with a focus on screening and referral, which is strongly linked to coordination of care with local health centers. Implications: As a result of this work, the Kidney Health Community Program restructured the delivery of services and continues to work with Nîsohkamâtowak advisors on safety initiatives and chronic kidney disease awareness, prevention, and management in their respective communities. The Truth and Reconciliation and Calls to Action are honored to close the gaps in kidney care. Limitations: Nîsohkamâtowak is a local Kidney Health initiative that has the good fortune of having dedicated funding and staff to carry out this work. The findings may be unique to the First Nations and Métis communities and people who shared their stories. Truth and Reconciliation is an ongoing commitment that must be nurtured. Although not part of this publication, the effects of COVID-19 have made it difficult to further advance the Calls to Action, with more limited staff resources and the inability to meet in person as in the past.

Describing a 12-hour ambulance shift during a second wave of COVID-19 in London

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has strained international healthcare systems, including ambulance availability. Ambulance officers and paramedics are at the frontline of this pandemic and are therefore particularly exposed. Under normal operational circumstances, ambulance delivery is challenging; the effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated both the delivery of services and the stress placed on paramedics. In this case report, we describe a 12-hour emergency ambulance dayshift in central London during the second wave city-wide lockdown. We also discuss the impact COVID-19 has on day-to-day operations and the strategies employed to reduce paramedic infection.

Branding of Government Services: Benefits and Challenges

Till recently, brand management was perceived as a function exclusive to commercial organizations. However, the experiences of several nations have shown that branding can be an effective tool for managing government services also. This paper discusses the benefits of the current practices of branding in governance. A coherent branding strategy assists the departments in the formulation and delivery of services by having clarity of purpose and consistency in communication. The citizen benefits in various ways from a streamlined execution of the strategy. The paper also identifies the challenges for brand management to grow in the governance sphere.

Availability of Services and Caregiver Burden: Supporting Individuals With Neurogenetic Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person services for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities were disrupted globally, resulting in a transition to remote delivery of services and therapies. For individuals with neurogenetic conditions, reliance on nonclinical caregivers to facilitate all therapies and care was unprecedented. The study aimed to (1) describe caregivers’ reported impact on their dependent’s services, therapies, medical needs, and impact on themselves as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) assess the relationship between the extent of disruption of services and the degree of self-reported caregiver burden. Two online questionnaires were completed by caregivers participating in Simons Searchlight in April and May 2020. Surveys were completed by caregivers of children or dependent adults with neurodevelopmental genetic conditions in Simons Searchlight. Caregivers reported that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic moderately or severely disrupted services, therapies, or medical supports. The majority of caregivers were responsible for providing some aspect of therapy. Caregivers reported “feeling stressed but able to deal with problems as they arise,” and reported lower anxiety at follow-up. Caregivers reported that telehealth services were not meeting the needs of those with complex medical needs. Future surveys will assess if and how medical systems, educational programs, therapists, and caregivers adapt to the challenges arising during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Importance of Incorporating Lived Experience in Efforts to Reduce Australian Reincarceration Rates

It is widely acknowledged that ‘good policy’ should be informed by the people it most directly affects. In Australia, the value of drawing on lived experiences in the development and delivery of services has recently been noted in health areas, such as disability and mental health. However, learning from people with lived experiences in the criminal justice sector, such as people who have served time in prison, has received little attention. This article discusses the significance of and challenges related to capturing the voices of people who are currently serving time or have served time in prison. We argue that formalising the perspectives of these individuals into policymaking through co-design processes may be an important method for enhancing program responses to rising incarceration and reincarceration rates.

Re-Inventing Student Services for Food-Insecure Students in an Online Environment

This chapter examines the need to modify, fortify, and expand student services to support food-insecure students due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the chapter, the author surveys the existing scholarship on the importance of student services to reduce barriers to academic success for food-insecure college students. Additionally, this chapter will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on hunger and poverty and the impact on college students. Third, the researcher will survey the various approaches taken by colleges to address changes to the delivery of services due to reduced limited access, a reduction in resources, and safety protocols. Lastly, the researcher will discuss new approaches to support food insecure students during a global pandemic. This chapter concludes that colleges must refine their approaches to addressing students' needs to ensure they achieve their academic goals.

Telerehabilitation in Psychiatry

The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the usual mechanisms of healthcare delivery and exacerbated symptoms of mental illnesses. Telemedicine has morphed from niche service to essential platform, with newly released guidelines that cover various aspects of tele-mental health delivery. Rehabilitation services, which incorporate a range of psychosocial interventions and liaison services, have been significantly impacted too. They are currently more institute-based than community-based in India. However, recent legislation has mandated that community-based rehabilitation options be available. While a large treatment gap for mental health issues has always existed, telemedicine provides an opportunity to scale services up to minimize this gap. Community-based rehabilitation can be delivered over various platforms, from text to phone to videoconferencing, and various devices. Telemedicine is cost-effective, and enables delivery of services where existing services are inadequate. The recent guidelines allow other healthcare workers to be involved in mental health service delivery. Hence, in addition to direct delivery of services, telerehabilitation can facilitate task-shifting, with mental health professionals mentoring and supervising existing human resources, such as ASHA workers, VRWs, DMHP programme staff, and others. Tele-rehabilitation also poses challenges - not all needs can be met; access and privacy can be a problem in resource-scarce settings; liaison with existing services is required; and organisations need to plan appropriately and re-allocate resources. Digital access to welfare benefits and interventions must be expanded without disadvantaging those without internet access. Yet, many rehabilitation interventions can be adapted to telemedicine platforms smoothly, and task-shifting can broaden access to care for persons with disability.