Your call is important to us: COVID-19 and trends in Public Health Unit call service utilization

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Analyze COVID-19 related call data at Metro North Public Health Unit, Brisbane Australia, over the 2020 calendar year to assist surge preparedness. METHODS Call data was retrieved by call category or reference to ‘COVID’ in summaries from the call management system at a large metropolitan public health service. Under a mixed-methods approach, qualitative data (caller, call purpose, and call outcome) was categorized with categories arising de novo. Resulting variables were numerically analyzed to identify trends by categories and time. RESULTS Of the 3,468 calls retrieved, 160 duplicates and 26 irrelevant calls were excluded. Of 3,282 included calls, General Practitioners, followed by the public, contributed the greatest call volumes. Healthcare-related callers and the public made 84.2% of calls. Calls most frequently related to patient testing (40.7%) and isolation/quarantine (23.2%). Education provision accounted for 29.4% of all outcomes. 11.8% of all call outcomes involved applying relevant case definitions. 49.1% of calls were identified as potentially preventable through effective ERC and targeted call-handling. CONCLUSIONS This study identified key drivers of public health unit phone service utilization related to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020. The results highlighted where risk perception influenced call volume and provided important insights for future public health preparedness.

Australian Mobile Survey 2021: Mobile Buying and Churn Drivers Stable

Venture Insights has been surveying Australian mobile consumers annually since 2018. The latest survey was conducted in March 2021 and included 1,019 respondents. The results show that price and network performance remain the main purchasing drivers for mobile services, with more than 90% of respondents rating them as important or very important. On price, 86% did not expect to spend more each year for their mobile phone services, which is consistent with previous surveys. The persistent importance of price shows that mobile services are seen as a commodity by many customers. A total of 38% of respondents were considering churning their mobile phone service; of these respondents, 40% chose price as the key churn driver. There is consistent focus on Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) driven by price. The survey results suggested that the total market share for MVNOs could increase by 6 percentage points, if all respondents indicating a move to an MVNO actually did so. Only 20% of respondents indicated they were willing to pay more for 5G mobile services or handsets. A majority (55%) of respondents change their mobile phones every 2-3 years; 39% said they would consider purchasing a recycled/refurbished mobile phone at a lower price.

Household Evacuation Planning and Preparation for Future Hurricanes: Role of Utility Service Disruptions

We analyzed data from a survey administered to 1,212 respondents living in superstorm Hurricane Sandy-affected areas. We estimated the effect of having experienced hurricane-induced disruptions to utility services, such as electricity, water, gas, phone service, and public transportation, on having an evacuation plan. Around 39% of respondents reported having an evacuation plan in case a hurricane affects their neighborhood this year. Respondents who had experienced disruptions to electricity supply had an approximately 11 percentage-point higher likelihood of having an evacuation plan than those who had experienced no such disruptions. Respondents who had experienced monetary losses from Hurricane Sandy had around a five percentage-point higher likelihood of having an evacuation plan compared with those who had not. Among control variables, prior evacuation, distance to the coastline, residence in a flood zone, concern about the impacts of future natural disaster events, had window protection, and household members being disabled, each had an association with residents’ future evacuation planning and hurricane preparedness. In light of these findings, we discuss the policy implications of our findings for improving disaster management in hurricane-prone areas.

The Influence of Marketing Communication Tools on Customers’ Satisfaction Towards Mobile Phone Service Provider Companies in Jordan

The current study aims to identify the influence of marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction towards mobile phone service provider companies in Jordan by activating the marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction and identify the extent of its effectiveness on the mobile phone companies. In this study, the researcher used the descriptive and analytical approach method to describe the phenomenon in question, which evaluates the role of marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction concerning the mobile phone service providers' companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. However, the study population represents all the companies of mobile phone service providers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which reached the end of 2019; (3) companies, namely, Zain Jordan Telecommunication Company, Orange Jordan Telecommunication Group, and Umniah Telecommunication Company. Taking into account the limited number of telecommunications companies in Jordan, notably, all telecommunications companies were taken by a comprehensive survey. Accordingly, the study sample represented two categories. The sampling and analysis unit included customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Meanwhile, the researcher has distributed (600) questionnaire on the study sample individuals who are customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The study results showed a significant impact of the marketing communication tools on Jordanian mobile phone service provider companies’ customer satisfaction, from customers’ point of view.

Freedom of speech and access to technology: a case study of the 2011 BART CELL PHONE SERVICE shutdown

This study explores the online public sphere’s response to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)’s decision to shut down cell phone service in select subway stations for three hours in August 2011 to prevent a rumoured protest from taking place. Through an in-depth discourse analysis of popular user comments in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Huffington Post, this research examines the informal social construction process of the meaning of freedom of speech and identifies salient themes and discourses surrounding freedom of speech in technologically mediated communication. The findings reveal that the online public sphere is starkly divided in many aspects in its understanding of freedom of speech outlined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and what constitutes its violation. Moreover, a careful examination of the discussion threads suggests that the presence of cell phones does not alter the public’s existing understanding of freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech and access to technology: a case study of the 2011 BART CELL PHONE SERVICE shutdown

This study explores the online public sphere’s response to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)’s decision to shut down cell phone service in select subway stations for three hours in August 2011 to prevent a rumoured protest from taking place. Through an in-depth discourse analysis of popular user comments in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Huffington Post, this research examines the informal social construction process of the meaning of freedom of speech and identifies salient themes and discourses surrounding freedom of speech in technologically mediated communication. The findings reveal that the online public sphere is starkly divided in many aspects in its understanding of freedom of speech outlined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and what constitutes its violation. Moreover, a careful examination of the discussion threads suggests that the presence of cell phones does not alter the public’s existing understanding of freedom of speech.

Internal migration and mobile communication patterns among pairs with strong ties

Using large-scale call detail records of anonymised mobile phone service subscribers with demographic and location information, we investigate how a long-distance residential move within the country affects the mobile communication patterns between an ego who moved and a frequently called alter who did not move. By using clustering methods in analysing the call frequency time series, we find that such ego-alter pairs are grouped into two clusters, those with the call frequency increasing and those with the call frequency decreasing after the move of the ego. This indicates that such residential moves are correlated with a change in the communication pattern soon after moving. We find that the pre-move calling behaviour is a relevant predictor for the post-move calling behaviour. While demographic and location information can help in predicting whether the call frequency will rise or decay, they are not relevant in predicting the actual call frequency volume. We also note that at four months after the move, most of these close pairs maintain contact, even if the call frequency is decreased.

Feasibility, Acceptability and Usage Patterns of a 24-Hour Mobile Phone Helpline Service for Women Discharged from a Mother-Baby Psychiatry Unit (MBU) in India

Background: For women with perinatal mental illness, phone helplines may be a useful way of accessing help. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, limitations, and usage patterns of a helpline service for mothers discharged from a mother-baby psychiatry unit. Methods: Mothers discharged from a mother baby unit during an 18-month period were provided with a helpline number. A social worker answered the calls. Details of the calls, including the reasons and the interventions provided, were recorded. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by calling all users and nonusers. Satisfaction with the helpline was recorded among users, and reasons for not calling were assessed among nonusers. Results: Among 113 mothers, 51 (45%) made 248 calls. Calls were regarding medication, sleep problems, planning pregnancies, symptom exacerbation, appointments, and suicidal ideation. Some calls were related to domestic violence ( n = 13, 5.24%), and infant health and breastfeeding ( n = 11, 4.44%). Seventy-six (67%, 44 callers and 32 noncallers) were contacted. The majority (41/44) of the callers found it useful: 91% said they got help, and 95% said they would recommend it to others. However, language difficulties (9%) and technical problems (5%) were reported. Among the noncallers, the majority reported having experienced no problem related to mental health or had contacted a doctor. However, of the noncallers, one woman died of suicide, did not have access to a phone, and the family did not choose to call. Conclusions: Helpline phone service appears to be feasible and acceptable and can be adapted in other mother-baby psychiatry units in low and middle-income countries. However, in some women, the nonavailability of a phone may be a limiting factor.