Effects of Participating in a Volunteer Driving Program on Mental Health in Service Recipients and Volunteers

Objectives To assess the effects of a volunteer transportation program on mental health in riders and volunteers. Methods A cross-sectional study (N=133, age ≥60) compared pre- and existing (≥2 years) riders, pre- and existing (≥2 years) volunteer drivers, and riders (Rs) and pre-volunteers (PreVs), representing general older adults. The cohorts belonged to a large, community volunteer organization. Outcome measures, depression and quality of life, were analyzed using ANCOVA. Percentages of people who wanted to go to specific destinations with available transportation were identified for pre-riders (PreRs) and Rs. Results Rs had better depression scores (p<.001), no longer exhibited depressive symptoms (p=.005), and were better in quality of life (p=.002) than PreRs. Rs were similar to PreVs. PreRs’ major needs were going to medically related places (doctors’ offices – 74.4%, drug stores - 44.2%, hospitals – 37.2%) and basic living (grocery – 60.5%, clothing -37.2%). In Rs, these had significantly lowered, but still 40% wanted to go to doctors’ offices and 30%, grocery stores. Volunteer driver's (Vs)' depression (p=.009), health (p=.006), and social relationships (p=.004) were significantly better than PreVs'. Discussion Although the use of free transportation up to four times a month may not be enough to improve perceived health for Rs, it was beneficial to prevent depression and increase quality of life. Since many PreVs were doing volunteer work other than driving, the type of volunteer work matters. Regularly helping people, in person, with their core needs for living resulted in positive outcomes for Vs.

Assessing unused residual Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine: a community observational study

Summary: Worldwide morbidity and mortality associated with Covid-19 are severe and ongoing. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is said to be up to 95% effective against severe disease or death. We were able to demonstrate that an additional 9.8% of COVID-19 vaccine doses could theoretically be given if the residual vaccine within the reconstituted Pfizer vials after six doses are extracted were used. This could be achieved by aseptically combining this excess vaccine from multiple vials to achieve full 0.3ml doses. Methods: An observational study was conducted in April, 2021, at a mass vaccine site run by a community volunteer organization on Bainbridge Island, Washington. We measured the amount of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that was left in 172 vials after six doses had been withdrawn per Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocol. Results: A total of 30.68 ml of leftover vaccine was measured and discarded as medical waste. 1,036 doses were given from these vials. An extra 102 doses theoretically could have been given using the residual vaccine in the vials. This would have resulted in 9.8% additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine without requiring new vials. Conclusion: The ability to combine solution from reconstituted Pfizer vaccine vials to minimize waste and obtain additional doses of vaccine could result in an increase in the number of individuals that could be vaccinated worldwide without additional cost. Further studies to validate our findings are warranted. Clinical trials to study the feasibility, safety and efficacy of protocols using this excess vaccine should be considered.

The role of volunteer organizations in suicide prevention

Contemporary suicide prevention emerged, to a large extent, as a result of groundwork conducted by volunteers. This chapter focuses on the involvement of volunteers in suicide prevention organizations throughout history and across the world, including the involvement of volunteers in suicide bereavement support. The characteristics of volunteers and volunteer organizations are presented. The question regarding the effectiveness of volunteer organizations is discussed (e.g. the available evidence regarding the positive effects of telephone crisis lines, online help, and community volunteer organizations). However, further research is needed given the shortage of studies. The chapter concludes with a plea for increased cooperation between volunteer and professional organizations, and integration of volunteer involvement in national suicide prevention policies, in order to provide optimal care to the people in need.

Information System for Rapid Assessment of Emergency Responses Based on Android Applications for BPBD of Aceh Barat

Rapid assessment is part of disaster emergency response that are covering quick and precise assessments to the calamity place, casualties and damaged building. So far, rapid assessment in BPBD Aceh Barat is still conducted manually without an information system within its management of disaster emergency response. To support a successful result in emergency response activity, designing an android based rapid assessment application system is demanded to facilitate the public users (community/volunteer) and trained users (TRC Team) of BPBD Aceh Barat. Research methods of the study was based on Perka BNPB and previous studies. Then, continued by building prototype, and users System Usability Scale test. This research result is an android based rapid assessment application. The procedure is by inputting data by user via Android application that contained disaster info, casualties, refugee data, building damage, volunteer and humanitarian logistic. Then validated at www.tdb-aceh.com. Users can access to news and information, BNPB regulations, important dials, and TRC BPBD members on application. SUS test results showed that public users of 12 respondents average score is 68,95 and trained users of 3 respondents average score is 67,5. Analysis to both respondents group showed that the application is well-integrated, user friendly, and easy to understand.

Tracking demographic movements and immunization status to improve children access to immunization (TDM-IAI): A cluster randomized controlled trial protocol. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND In Cameroon, the coverage, completeness, and timeliness of EPI vaccines administration in children have remained heterogeneous and below the national and districts targets in several districts. In an effort to solve this problem, many interventions have been tested but none has shown significant improvement of the situation. OBJECTIVE Test whether involving Community Volunteers to assess children's vaccination status and demographic movements and using recorded data to plan catch-up immunization sessions can improve children's vaccination timeliness, completeness, and coverage. METHODS This is a cluster randomized controlled trial which aims to test whether involving Community Volunteers to assess children vaccination status and demographic movements and using recorded data to plan catch-up immunization sessions can improve children vaccination timeliness, completeness and coverage. Communities of the Foumban Health district, West region of Cameroon will be selected and assigned to either intervention or control groups using a restricted randomization of 2. In the intervention group, one Community Volunteer per community will be trained to visit households and record EPI targeted children in a register, their demographic movements and assess at monthly base their immunization status monthly for a year. The information recorded will be snapped and sent to the competent health center immunization team through WhatsApp. These will be used to plan and implement monthly community catch up immunization sessions in collaboration with the community volunteer. In the control group, the routine immunization sessions will be conducted with health centers organizing either weekly vaccination sessions for communities situated not farther than 5 kilometers away from the health facility or monthly vaccination sessions in communities situated more than 5 kilometers away from the health center. Baseline, mid-term and end-line surveys will be conducted to assess and compare immunization coverage, timeliness and completeness. RESULTS Discussion: This trial is expecting to test an innovative approach to improving children’s immunization timeliness, completeness and coverage by tracking EPI targeted population vaccination status and denominator at household level and building collaboration between the community and health facilities vaccination teams to organize monthly community-based response vaccination sessions. CONCLUSIONS This intervention is expected to improve children sustainable access to EPI vaccination as it offers assessing and responding to their immunization needs at monthly basis using low cost local human resources. CLINICALTRIAL Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201808527428720. Prospectively registered 22 August 2018.

The Elderly Expectations of the Caregiver’s Sociodemographic Preferences: a Qualitative Approach

Prevalence of chronic diseases and disability will increase at the advancing age. In the future, the need for the caregiver will increase. Only few studies about the expectations of the elderly towards the sociodemographics status of the caregiver found. Unfulfilled expectations of the elderly towards their caregivers may cause both health and non-health issues. The purpose of this study was to explore the elderly expectations of the caregiver’s sociodemographic preferences. A qualitative study was carried out to 7 elderly aged 64–77 years old from July to August 2018 in Bandung city. These elderly selected from 7 integrated care posts (pos pembinaan terpadu/posbindu) that met the inclusion criteria: aged 60 years old and above; male or female; capable of communicating adeptly, and no dementia by undergoing the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). A one-on-one interview was conducted at the residence of the elderly using an interview guide consisted of several opened questions related to the caregiver’s sociodemographic preferences. A content analysis was carried out. This study discovered that the elderly preferred their family members or relatives whom they can trust to become their caregivers (their children and grandchildren). Most of these elderly also preferred daughters who live with them and has a decent income. If the family members could not become their caregiver then their neighbor or a community volunteer/cadre, they knew well, and trust to be their caregiver. It concluded that the elderly prefer their daughters who live with them and has a decent income to be their caregivers. EKSPEKTASI USIA LANJUT TERHADAP STATUS SOSIODEMOGRAFI CAREGIVER: SUATU PENDEKATAN KUALITATIFPrevalensi penyakit kronis dan disablilitas akan meningkat dengan pertambahan usia. Hal ini berdampak pada kebutuhan terhadap caregiver akan meningkat pula. Penelitian tentang ekspektasi usia lanjut terhadap status sosiodemografi caregiver belum banyak dilakukan. Ekspektasi usia lanjut merupakan faktor penting karena bila ekspektasi tersebut tidak terpenuhi maka akan berisiko timbul masalah kesehatan dan nonkesehatan. Tujuan penelitian ini mengeksplorasi ekspektasi usia lanjut terhadap status sosiodemografi caregiver. Studi kualitatif dilakukan terhadap 7 orang usia lanjut berusia 64–77 tahun pada Juli hingga Agustus 2018 di Kota Bandung. Para usia lanjut berasal dari 7 pos pembinaan terpadu (posbindu) yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi, yaitu usia ≥60 tahun, laki-laki atau perempuan, dapat berkomunikasi dengan baik, dan tidak demensia dengan dilakukan mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Wawancara dilakukan di kediaman informan masing-masing menggunakan panduan wawancara terkait pertanyaan dengan preferensi sosiodemografi caregiver. Analisis konten dilakukan. Studi ini menemukan bahwa usia lanjut lebih memilih anggota keluarga mereka yang dapat dipercaya untuk menjadi caregiver terutama anak dan cucu. Anak perempuan yang tinggal bersama usia lanjut dan memiliki penghasilan layak menjadi pilihan utama. Jika anggota keluarga tidak dapat menjadi caregiver maka tetangga atau kader yang mereka kenal baik dan dipercaya menjadi pilihan. Simpulan, pilihan utama caregiver bagi usia lanjut, yaitu anak perempuan mereka yang tinggal bersama dan memiliki penghasilan layak.