26207 research outputs found
Sort by
Beyond spatial accessibility. Redefining access to services through digital connectivity
Get PDFEnsuring equal opportunities for access to goods and services represents a key objective of sustainable development policies, in line with the principle of "Accessibility for all". Perspectives and paradigms of accessibility require new updates to face the challenges resulting from multiple transitions, considering the opportunities offered by spatial proximity and recent technological digital progress. The study develops a methodological approach to evaluate the correlations between physical accessibility levels and digital connectivity, to understand if and how the digital transition is shaping future accessibility of local communities to key services (education, mobility, socio-health). The Sardinia insular region (Italy) served as a case study to support the spatial representation of the correlation between physical accessibility and digital connectivity, enabling future sustainable regional policies, in line with the e.INS project, which aims to encourage sustainable multimodal integration in extra and intra-regional continuity, applying the concept of MaaS to the transport system
Prehospital emergency care for trauma victims in Nepal: a mixed-methods study
Get PDFBackgroundThe prehospital care system in Nepal is poorly developed, with multiple providers, limited coordination of services and no national coverage. There is little published evidence reporting the prehospital care of patients with trauma, data which are important to inform the development of the prehospital care system.ObjectivesIn order to understand the challenges of providing prehospital care to trauma patients, the study aimed to explore the burden of trauma presenting to prehospital care providers and the experience of providing care to these patients.DesignWe used a mixed-method study that included secondary data analysis and qualitative semi-structured interviews.SettingNepal (Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan, Pokhara, and Butwal)ParticipantsStaff employed by the Nepal Ambulance Service including ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians, dispatch officers, and service managers.Data sourcesData describing callouts by the Nepal Ambulance Service over one year. Callout data were anonymised and analysed descriptively. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsOf 1,408 trauma calls received, 48.4% (n=682) resulted in prehospital care being provided. The most common mechanism of injury was falls (35.8%), followed by road traffic crashes (19.1%) and the commonest types of injuries were fractures (33.1%) and spinal injuries (10.1%). Mean time from call to arrival at hospital was 48 minutes (range 20 minutes-6 hours). Seventeen staff described factors facilitating effective prehospital care, including having adequate resources, systems and training. Barriers to delivering prehospital care included the expectations and behaviour of patients' relatives and bystanders, a lack of public awareness of the role and provision of prehospital care, and poor road and traffic conditions.LimitationsFor some data fields, data were missing, limiting the ability to precisely determine patient needs and response times. The qualitative data may have been subject to responder bias if participants felt uncomfortable reporting something that may have reflected badly on their employer.ConclusionsTrauma is a major reason for requesting prehospital care, which can be delivered in less than an hour from receiving a call to arrival at the hospital. Multiple factors impede the effective delivery of care which could be addressed through further development across the prehospital care system.Future workQualitative research to explore the perceptions and experiences of trauma victims, road users, emergency department staff, police officers, members of organisations involved in prehospital care, firefighters, and policy-makers would complement the findings from this study. Specific issues raised, such as the difficulties experienced when handing over patients between prehospital and hospital care providers warrant further exploration
Antecedents and consequences of distributed leadership in Indian higher education
Get PDFPurpose The concept of distributed leadership (DL) has been widely advocated within higher education (HE). Yet, there have been few empirical investigations and little theory development outside Western contexts to date. This study presents a unique conceptualisation of DL and tests it empirically in India. Design/methodology/approach This study tests a moderated-mediation model by exploring the antecedents and consequences of DL in HE. Standardised questionnaires were drawn from literature and completed by a sample of 269 respondents from six top-ranked (elite) Indian higher education institutions (HEIs). Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis techniques were used to analyse the data. Findings Results demonstrated that empowering power structure (EPS) is positively related to DL, whilst participation in decision-making (PDM) strengthened this relationship. Further, it is also noted that DL mediates the relationship between EPS and behavioural outcomes of employee voice and silence. Practical implications The findings suggest that a DL approach can be effective at enhancing employee voice and reducing employee silence within HEIs in (and perhaps beyond) India. The research also suggests that where institutions implement EPS alongside opportunities for PDM, this can help foster and sustain DL. Originality/value By exploring antecedents (EPS and PDM) and consequences (voice and silence), this paper presents a novel approach to studying DL. The focus on Indian HE offers a more nuanced empirical understanding of DL in a non-Western context
The transformation of mobility in Europe: Technological change and social conditionings
Get PDFThe mobility of persons is changing due to technological innovation linked to autonomous and electric vehicles or to connectivity and data communication technologies. Furthermore, it is being conditioned by social behaviours. Qualitative research based on in-depth interviews with experts in mobility from three European countries is used to analyse the main trends that characterize the current transformation of mobility. Results show that the transformation towards the new autonomous, connected, shared and electric mobility is not only driven by technological development, but mainly by social conditionings such as environmental values, behavioural change or adaptability to users’ habits, and socio-demographic features of citizens to adopt servitization. These changes involve different impacts depending on the segment or niche of population, especially in terms of different age groups. The main conclusion of the research is that the new mobility can be considered a social challenge rather than a technological one
Laying Pluckley’s ghosts: Frederick Sanders and the origins of the “Most Haunted Village in England” 1939 – 1979
No full textThe village of Pluckley in the British county of Kent has enjoyed a reputation for being ‘the most haunted village in England’ for over seventy years. Popular books on ghosts have featured the village and its stories since the late 1960s, and the total now stands at between twelve and sixteen ghosts. This article uses archival research to piece together the origins of these stories and traces their earliest known recording to the work of a local historian named Frederick William Thomas Sanders during the period 1939 – 1960. The paper then subsequently traces these stories into the 1970s to map both their evolution and proliferation. It offers historical context for an example of a ‘Haunted Village’ for folklorists interested in research on ghosts as a cultural, social, and historical phenomena, as well as providing evidence of the means by which ghostlore can be produced and reproduced as a form of contemporary folklore
Psoriatic arthritis priority setting partnership: Patient and clinician informed considerations for future UK health service delivery
Get PDFLittle is known about the ideal service delivery model and shortcomings in patient experiences in the NHS for patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). To identify unmet needs perceived within the current health service delivery model for PsA from the UK Psoriatic Arthritis Priority Setting Partnership (PsA PSP). An online survey was conducted in 2020 and distributed to people with PsA, their carers and clinicians to identify research priorities in PsA. The participants were asked to submit three questions unanswered in PsA research. A proportion of submissions related to health service delivery were identified, which were deemed as out of scope for the main PsA-PSP but never-the-less important to report. Content analysis was used to analyse these submissions separately. We reviewed 138 submissions that were not related to the James Lind PSP and research priorities in PsA. Among these, 118 (86%) were focused on health service delivery and were classified into five main themes: rheumatology service, primary care navigation, education, holistic care, and ethnicity, diversity, and inclusion. Further analysis within the rheumatology service theme revealed additional sub-themes that emphasised integrating multidisciplinary services, improving access to advice lines and ensuring fair access to treatments. The five key themes provide valuable insights into the important areas of interest within health service delivery in the UK. By understanding these themes, policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers can better prioritise their efforts and address the specific care needs of people with PsA, their care providers and clinicians. [Abstract copyright: © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.
Body image and appearance distress among military veterans and civilians with an injury-related visible difference: A comparison study
No full textInjuries sustained during military conflict can significantly impact appearance. Yet, little is known about the psychosocial experiences of veterans with conflict-related appearance-altering injuries (AAI) and whether current civilian interventions are appropriate for this group. To inform the development of acceptable and effective support for veterans with appearance–related psychosocial difficulties, this study aimed to identify factors associated with psychosocial adjustment to an altered appearance among both veterans and civilians with AAI. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 121 veterans and 197 civilians who had sustained AAI. Multivariable regression was used to examine factors related to adjustment in the two groups. Overall, both groups reported similar experiences, with some key exceptions. Veterans reported significantly greater depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, significantly lower Body Image (BI) psychological flexibility, BI life engagement, and higher perceived appearance-related stigma. BI psychological flexibility was identified as a key predictor of appearance-related outcomes in both groups. Self-compassion predicted social anxiety and depression symptoms in both groups, but only appearance outcomes among civilians. Based on these identified associated factors, it is suggested that both groups, but particularly veterans, may benefit from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based intervention, including explicit self-compassion activities, and practical social skills training
Understanding the impact of organisational and operational stressors on the mental health of police officers in Ireland
Get PDFThe mental health of police officers is a critical yet under-researched area. They face unique operational and organisational stressors, including exposure to violence and trauma, as well as bullying, managerial conflict, and a lack of support in the workplace. This paper explores the multifaceted challenges impacting police mental health through thematic analysis of an online questionnaire completed by 98 members of An Garda Síochána (Irish police force) in Ireland. We found, inter alia, the existence of a culture of bullying and a lack of managerial support within the institution. Furthermore, exposure to traumatic events as part of the policing role was found to have a negative impact on the mental health of most respondents
Reporting guidelines for qualitative research: A values-based approach
No full textEvaluative tools for qualitative research need to be developed and designed in a way that allows them to be used by the research community to assess qualitative research on its own terms, and thus strengthen, rather than undermine, research quality. The diversity of qualitative research practice makes the development of ‘one size fits all’ tools challenging. When evaluating Big Q Qualitative – the use of practices for generating and analysing qualitative data underpinned by qualitative research values – many existing ‘one size fits all’ reporting checklists and standards have the potential to introduce methodological incongruence through their inclusion of criteria that don’t ‘fit’ or align with Big Q values. The values and practices of Big Q Qualitative research, and the paradigms and meta-theoretical assumptions that inform them, are typically incommensurable with ideas and ideals founded in, disciplinary dominant, (post)positivism/objectivism and scientific realism. The unknowing, or knowing-but-required, application of ill-fitting criteria and standards for reporting risks not just incongruence, but undermining the vitality and creativity of Big Q Qualitative. However, evaluative guidelines remain important tools, pragmatically and rhetorically. In this paper, we explain and justify our development of a set of reporting guidelines to support methodologically congruent and reflexively open evaluation and reporting of Big Q Qualitative research. The Big Q Qualitative Reporting Guidelines (BQQRG) articulate a values-, rather than consensus-, based framework for reporting and evaluating qualitative research
An exploration of the impact of different peer learning activities utilised to develop student employability
No full textAssumptions about fostering human capital for national competitiveness underpin higher education policy drivers regarding employability. Departing from this focus on human capital development, research has highlighted the importance of relationality for employability, but there is a gap in scholarship about the role of peer relationships. Drawing on interview data about a curriculum-based intervention in an English university business school we examine how students reflect upon and what they gain from peers in peer-focused employability learning experiences facilitated by external professionals. A ‘graduate capitals’ lens is used to illuminate student learning. Through group coaching, students’ identity capital grows by comparing themselves to peers and recognising mutual concerns; and through group activities in an assessment centre, students' cultural capital expands through observation of peers and interaction with each other. We conclude by discussing the importance of reflexivity stimulated by peer interactions, and how to address student reluctance to engage with peer-based learning