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BEING SEA-EU Abstract Booklet
No full textIn recent years, scholars, governments and policymakers have shown increasing interest and investment in the creative industries, recognizing their significance in terms of employment, economic growth, and social well-being. However, for these investments to yield positive outcomes, it is crucial to attract young individuals towards pursuing careers in the creative industries. While efforts over the past two decades have largely focused on promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers, the Arts have received comparatively less attention. Despite the recent evolution of STEM into STEAM by including the Arts, there remains a gap in the literature concerning young people’s perceived attractiveness of careers in the creative industries, and on the factors that shape aspirations towards such careers. This paper contributes towards filling this gap by addressing the following research question: What are the factors underlying secondary school students’ creative career aspirations? Data were gathered from 400 students aged 11 to 16 attending nine schools in Malta. A questionnaire, structured around the 4 Ps model of creativity (Rhodes, 1961) and informed by prior research, was distributed during class. Correlations and OLS regressions were conducted to examine the relationships between various factors. Results indicate that engaging in creative activities, both at school and during leisure time, positively shapes aspirations towards creative careers. Additionally, gender and parental education were identified as significant predictors of career preferences, with girls showing a greater tendency to aspire to careers in the Arts, and higher parental education being negatively associated with creative career aspirations.peer-reviewe
A review of the distribution of Otala Punctata (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda : Stylommatophora : Helicidae) outside of its native range
Get PDFThe aim of this contribution is to analyze the diffusion of the terrestrial mollusc Otala punctata
(O.F. Müller, 1774) outside of its native range. Through this analysis, the importance of historical
malacological collections present in natural history museums around the world is highlighted.peer-reviewe
Teacher education delivery. Case studies
Get PDFThe book is openly accessible from: https://care-ss.frederick.ac.cy/docs/E-Book3-CARE-SS.pdfOne of the courses implemented by the University of Malta was a blended course called
‘Contemporary Social Issues and Socially Engaged Arts in Education’ and was initially
intended for teachers of Social Studies and Personal, Social and Career Development. An
open call was issued but resulted in few applications, so the target group was broadened
to include teachers of the arts in the primary and secondary sectors. The response was
only marginally better, and seven applicants were accepted, six of whom completed the
course. Five participants were female while one was male, and their ages varied (one
participant in the 26-35 age group, 2 participants in the 36-45 age group, one participant
in the 46-55 age group, and two participants older than 55). One of these participants
was a primary school generalist teacher with degrees in Youth and Community Studies,
Access to Education in Inclusive Communities and eleven years of teaching experience.
The background and qualifications of the remaining five participants were mainly in art
education, particularly in the secondary sector, and they all had considerable teaching
experience, ranging from 14 to 29 years. [excerpt]Funded by the European Union: Erasmus+, KA2: Strategic Partnerships for higher education, KA220-HED - Cooperation partnerships in higher educationpeer-reviewe
The state of health in the European Union (EU‑27) in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019
Get PDFBackground: The European Union (EU) faces many health-related challenges. Burden of diseases information
and the resulting trends over time are essential for health planning. This paper reports estimates of disease burden
in the EU and individual 27 EU countries in 2019, and compares them with those in 2010.
Methods: We used the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals for the whole
EU and each country to evaluate age-standardised death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs)
and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates for Level 2 causes, as well as life expectancy and healthy life expectancy
(HALE).
Results: In 2019, the age-standardised death and DALY rates in the EU were 465.8 deaths and 20,251.0 DALYs
per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. Between 2010 and 2019, there were significant decreases in age-standardised
death and YLL rates across EU countries. However, YLD rates remained mainly unchanged. The largest decreases
in age-standardised DALY rates were observed for “HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases” and “transport
injuries” (each -19%). “Diabetes and kidney diseases” showed a significant increase for age-standardised DALY rates
across the EU (3.5%). In addition, “mental disorders” showed an increasing age-standardised YLL rate (14.5%).
Conclusions: There was a clear trend towards improvement in the overall health status of the EU but with differences
between countries. EU health policymakers need to address the burden of diseases, paying specific attention
to causes such as mental disorders. There are many opportunities for mutual learning among otherwise similar countries
with different patterns of disease.peer-reviewe
National health examination surveys ; a source of critical data
Get PDFThe aim of this paper is to contribute technical arguments to the debate about the importance of health examination surveys and their continued use during the post-pandemic health financing crisis, and in the context of a technological innovation boom that offers new ways of collecting and analysing individual health data (e.g. artificial intelligence). Technical considerations demonstrate that health examination surveys make an irreplaceable contribution to the local availability of primary health data that can be used in a range of further studies (e.g. normative, burden-of-disease, care cascade, cost and policy impact studies) essential for informing several phases of the health planning cycle (e.g. surveillance, prioritization, resource mobilization and policy development). Examples of the use of health examination survey data in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region (i.e. Finland, Italy, Malta and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and the WHO Region of the Americas (i.e. Chile, Mexico, Peru and the United States of America) are presented, and reasons why health provider-led data cannot replace health examination survey data are discussed (e.g. underestimation of morbidity and susceptibility to bias). In addition, the importance of having nationally representative random samples of the general population is highlighted and we argue that health examination surveys make a critical contribution to external quality control for a country’s health system by increasing the transparency and accountability of health spending. Finally, we consider future technological advances that can improve survey fieldwork and suggest ways of ensuring health examination surveys are sustainable in low-resource settings.peer-reviewe
Implementation of computerized prescriber order entry systems : a review of impacts, barriers, and facilitators
Get PDFObjective: This review evaluated the impact of a digitized computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) system and described barriers and facilitators for introducing a digitized system. Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL using keywords. Articles in English during the last 10 years were included. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Study selection was presented using a PRISMA flow diagram. Forty-eight studies were included. Data from the articles were presented to address each of the three objectives. Data Synthesis: CPOE systems improved the quality of care provided but also introduced new types of errors. Facilitating factors for implementation included leadership, stakeholder engagement, training, and user-centered design. Inadequate training, software design, changes in workload, and workflow disruptions were identified as barriers. Recommendations for implementation included dedicated training of users, user-centered design, a backup for system downtimes, and stakeholder engagement. Conclusion: Application of knowledge of the facilitators and barriers for the introduction of a CPOE system supports this change-management process within the specific context and augurs for more successful implementation.peer-reviewe
The use of e-tools in health care management for social safety and security in Poland
Get PDFPURPOSE: This research aims to present digital solutions used in health care for social safety
and security, which are applied on a large scale by both patients and medical staff,
improving management in health care and healthcare security.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This research focuses on the analysis of the e-tools that
were implemented in Polish healthcare system in order to improve: the functioning of
healthcare, accessibility to healthcare services and the quality of healthcare delivery for
social safety. The analysis in the article shows the increasing interest of e-tools among
healthcare providers and patients. The article also highlights the advantages of
implementing innovation e-tools in healthcare from the perspective of the patient, medical
staff and the safety system as a whole, and highlights the challenges and threats of the
digitalisation of healthcare. In order to achieve the study aims and answers the research
questions the following research methods were used: a critical analysis, synthesis and
evaluation of science literature and websites presenting digital solutions for the national
health care system, an analysis of source materials and statistical data of the e-Health
Center.FINDINGS: The digitization of health and the use of e-tools in healthcare are crucial for the
development of healthcare in Poland, from the point of view of patients, medical staff, and
people involved in creating the healthcare system. The numerical data referred to in the
article indicate the high use of e-tools and their growing popularity among patients and
healthcare entities, although their functioning is often not without problems or drawbacks.
The study presents a description of e-tools implemented in the Polish healthcare system. The
described e-tools include: e-prescription, e-referral, Electronic Medical Documentation and
Medical Events, the Internet Patient Account application (pacjent.gov.pl), and the MojeIKP
mobile application.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The article attempted to cover an expansive subject area of
digitalization in healthcare system and its impact on higher quality, better accessibility to
healthcare services and, summing up, ensuring the proper healthcare security. Undoubtedly,
the tools offered to patients and healthcare providers improve the quality of service
provision, create a more participant-friendly healthcare system, however, they need to be
constantly modernized, upgraded and secured against cyber-attacks.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: A key factor influencing future healthcare services delivering will be the
implementation of a new and modern, often innovative, technical and technological
solutions. The wide spectrum of current, as well as continuously evolving, modern e-tools,
computer systems, applications, communication systems, and intelligent solutions by internet
of things (IoT), artificial intelligent (AI) and augmented reality (AR) in the field of
digitalisation have laid the foundation for creating and developing modern healthcare
systems.Financed by Military University of Technology, Warsaw, UGB 764/2024,
UGB 758/2024.peer-reviewe
Islands and resilliance : global oppurtunities
No full textThe proliferation of waste from single-use plastics poses a significant threat to the environment and a considerable challenge to policy-makers world-wide. In small island communities, the problem is heightened by susceptible environments and high per capita burden of regulations. There have been an increasing number of regulatory interventions to counter this issue in the past few years. Legislative bans, especially on products like polystyrene foam, and market-driven measures, such as fees on disposable plastics, manifest a renewed commitment among authorities to reduce plastic consumption and disposal. This paper reviews the current state of the art on the regulation of single-use plastic in small islands. Adopting a narrative review method, it consolidates information from diverse sources such as governmental reports, academic research and NGO publications, presenting a broad perspective of plastic waste challenges and mitigation strategies. Malta and Aruba are selected as case studies, showcasing the diverse approaches islands may take. Findings indicate that a holistic strategy, blending legislative restrictions, market measures and communication, is vital in transforming behaviour on single-use plastic consumption. The study underscores these strategies' pivotal role in ensuring the environmental sustainability of island communities.peer-reviewe
Integration of simulation-based education in anaesthesiology specialist training : synthesis of results from an Utstein meeting
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Despite its importance in education and patient safety, simulation-based education and training (SBET) is only partially or poorly implemented in many countries, including most European countries. The provision of a roadmap may contribute to the development of SBET for the training of anaesthesiologists.OBJECTIVE: To develop a global agenda for the integration of simulation into anaesthesiology specialist training; identify the learning domains and objectives that are best achieved through SBET; and to provide examples of simulation modalities and evaluation methods for these learning objectives.DESIGN: Utstein-style meeting where an expert consensus was reached after a series of short plenary presentations followed by small group workshops, underpinned by Kern's six-step theoretical approach to curriculum development.SETTING: Utstein-style collaborative meeting.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five participants from 22 countries, including 23 international experts in simulation and two anaesthesia trainees.RESULTS: We identified the following ten domains of expertise for which SBET should be used to achieve the desired training outcomes: boot camp/initial training, airway management, regional anaesthesia, point of care ultrasound, obstetrics anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia, trauma, intensive care, critical events in our specialty, and professionalism and difficult conversations. For each domain, we developed a course template that defines the learning objectives, instructional strategies (including simulation modalities and simulator types), and assessment methods. Aspects related to the practical implementation, barriers and facilitators of this program were also identified and discussed.CONCLUSIONS: We successfully developed a comprehensive agenda to facilitate the integration of SBET into anaesthesiology specialist training. The combination of the six-step approach with the Utstein-style process proved to be extremely valuable in supporting content validity and representativeness. These results may facilitate the implementation and use of SBET in several countries.Financial support and sponsorship: the consensus meeting (travel expenses and meeting rooms) was funded by an unrestricted grant from the Laerdal Foundationpeer-reviewe
Transport policy of European Union member states in the period 2008-2023
Get PDFPURPOSE: The European Union’s transport policy focuses on ensuring sustainable, safe, and
efficient mobility, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, which aims for
climate neutrality by 2050. This article aims to assess the changes in the transport policies of
individual EU countries between 2008 and 2023.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study was conducted using 10 selected variables that
describe the outcomes of transport policies in 27 EU countries. Methods from
multidimensional comparative analysis were employed.FINDINGS: Over the past 15 years, EU countries have made significant progress in
implementing more environmentally friendly and socially-oriented solutions in both
passenger and freight transport. This progress has led to a significant reduction in road
accident fatalities and a decrease in transport-related pollution.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Evaluating the factors that shape the preferred developmental
direction of EU countries' transport systems can help identify priority areas that should be
considered in making various socio-economic decisions in the field of EU transport policy.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article demonstrates the potential of using multidimensional
comparative analysis methods to assess the importance of factors influencing the
development of transport systems in individual EU countries and to offer a synthetic
evaluation of their transport policies.Co-financed by the Minister of Science under the “Regional Excellence
Initiative”.peer-reviewe