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Young mothers in Kenya face a higher risk of giving birth early: study explores why
No full textPreterm babies are those born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. The global figure for babies born early was 13.4 million in 2020. But statistics on preterm babies in African countries are poor. Obasanjo Bolarinwa and Kobi Ajayi, who research and teach public health and global healthcare management issues, unpack their research from Kenya
Integrating AI-driven wearable devices and biometric data into stroke risk assessment: A review of opportunities and challenges
Get PDFStroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and early detection of risk factors is critical for prevention and improved outcomes. Traditional stroke risk assessments, relying on sporadic clinical visits, fail to capture dynamic changes in risk factors such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation (AF). Wearable technology (devices), combined with biometric data analysis, offers a transformative approach by enabling continuous monitoring of physiological parameters. This narrative review was conducted using a systematic approach to identify and analyze peer-reviewed articles, reports, and case studies from reputable scientific databases. The search strategy focused on articles published between 2010 till date using pre-determined keywords. Relevant studies were selected based on their focus on wearable devices and AI-driven technologies in stroke prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation. The selected literature was categorized thematically to explore applications, opportunities, challenges, and future directions. The review explores the current landscape of wearable devices in stroke risk assessment, focusing on their role in early detection, personalized care, and integration into clinical practice. The review highlights the opportunities presented by continuous monitoring and predictive analytics, where AI-driven algorithms can analyze biometric data to provide tailored interventions. Personalized stroke risk assessments, powered by machine learning, enable dynamic and individualized care plans. Furthermore, the integration of wearable technology with telemedicine facilitates remote patient monitoring and rehabilitation, particularly in underserved areas. Despite these advances, challenges remain. Issues such as data accuracy, privacy concerns, and the integration of wearables into healthcare systems must be addressed to fully realize their potential. As wearable technology evolves, its application in stroke care could revolutionize prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation, improving patient outcomes and reducing the global burden of stroke
Use of balanced crystalloids to treat adult sepsis in the prehospital setting: a review
No full textBackground:
Paramedics in the UK are unable to administer balanced crystalloid fluid for the early treatment of sepsis, a practice that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence suggests has value.
Aims:
This research examines the literature to identify a case for change to improve prehospital sepsis care. This study considered: are balanced crystalloids more effective than normal saline at treating sepsis, and should they be implemented into paramedic practice?
Methods:
This research was conducted using a systematic review. A thematic analysis was completed to produce narrative themes.
Findings:
Four themes were identified within the literature that generally describe patient outcomes being better with the early use of balanced crystalloids in sepsis.
Conclusion:
Balanced crystalloids offer advantages over normal saline for treating sepsis, including reducing rates of electrolyte abnormalities and improving renal function. Balanced crystalloids are therefore preferable to normal saline when treating adults with sepsis in the prehospital setting
Critical Success Factors of Lean Six Sigma in Higher Education Institutions
No full textPurpose of Study —This paper explores existing literature and expert views to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for the effective implementation of Lean Sigma (LSS) as Operation Excellence (OPEX) and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Design/methodology/approach —A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the CSFs of Lean Sigma implementation. Second, qualitative research was employed through a semi-structured interview to explore the views of the OPEX experts based on their experience in identifying the CSFs of LSS projects they have implemented in the higher education environment. Finally, a Template Analysis (TA), a form of thematic analysis, was used to establish useful themes and allow the researcher to organise the emerging themes into meaningful groups.
Findings —–The expert interviews show considerable consensus with the commonly cited CSFs of LSS in the literature reviewed, which include management support and commitment, organisational culture and change, employee engagement and empowerment, and education and training. However, new CSFs emerged from the practitioner views based on their experience, such as securing buy-in for the OPEX initiative, slowing down the speed of the change process, freeing up capacity for the employee to engage in the OPEX initiative, aligning OPEX strategy and benefits with organisational objectives, clear purpose and benefits, focusing on non-financial benefits, and clear definition of the improvement problem.
Research Implications —This study can serve as a resource for researchers and practitioners to understand the importance of CSFs and positioning CSFs for the successful implementation of LSS projects in HEIs and Public Service Organisations.
Originality/Value—Limited empirical studies explore the CSFs of LSS methodology implementation in HEIs and Public Service Environments. This study has made a further and new contribution to the existing research in identifying the CSFs of LSS projects in HEIs and public service organisations (PSOs). The TA on the expert interview presents a unique effort to assess OPEX CSFs in HEIs.
Key Words: Lean, Lean Sigma, Critical Success Factor, Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Higher Education, Template Analysi
The Impact of Legal Policies and Workplace Culture on Breastfeeding in the UK Health Sector
Get PDFThe UK remains one of the countries with the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world despite the well-recognised benefits of breastfeeding. The National Health Service (NHS) provides guidance on how breastfeeding mothers should be supported in the workplace. However, the implementation of the guidance is not consistent across the sector, hence impacting on mothers’ ability to initiate or sustain breastfeeding. This study draws on data collected from 983 survey responses targeted at mothers working in the health sector. The study found that health sector employees are not well supported to breastfeed upon return to work. Only 36.3% of the participants (n=983) reported their workplace had a breastfeeding policy. Participants cited breastfeeding as a reason for staying longer on maternity leave because of lack of workplace support. This also affected mothers’ ability to benefit from shared parental leave, as it would require the mother to return to work early. This study highlights the barriers mothers in the health sector face with breastfeeding upon return to work while expected to continue fulfilling their duties, which includes promoting and supporting breastfeeding to other mothers and patients. The findings of this study expose the urgent need for the UK health sector to review its workplace policy to implement the guidance provided by the NHS to support breastfeeding employees returning to work. More broadly, the study exposes the extent of breastfeeding challenges in the UK and the need for a legislative reform to include breastfeeding in the national family friendly rights which will obligate employers to provide resources to support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace
N25 A qualitative study exploring health professionals’ experiences and understanding of the sexual health and associated care needs in men with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
No full textBackground Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) can negatively affect men’s sexual well-being and alter the way in which they engage in sexual activities (1). People with IBD in the UK have reported that health professionals are reticent to initiate discussions about their sexual health (1, 2). There is a paucity of research exploring men’s sexual health in IBD (3). This study aimed to describe and interpret the experiences of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) working in IBD within the UK to explore current practice in relation to the assessment of sexual health of men with IBD, understand the perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging with men about their sexual health and inform recommendations for clinical practice, education, and research. Methods A qualitative interpretive description design (4) using individual, online semi-structured interviews. Participants were UK health professionals purposively sampled and recruited through advertising the study through professional IBD organisations, conferences and online networks. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results 19 HCPs participated in the study: 10 nurses, 6 medical doctors, 2 clinical psychologists and 1 dietitian. Participants had worked with IBD patients for between 6 months and 22 years (mean 13 years, SD 9.66),14 were female, 5 were male. Participants’ experiences of sexual health discussions, assessment, and provision of care were apparent through two emergent themes. The first theme, ‘it’s difficult to discuss sex’ represented personal, professional, and societal barriers to discussing sexual health with male IBD patients. The second theme, ‘service transformation is needed’, encapsulated the service-related barriers faced by both patients and HCPs and the possible adjustments required to facilitate the identification and support of men’s sexual health and well-being needs within clinical practice. Several sub-themes reflected the perceived barriers faced by HCPs including: 'feeling ill-equipped', 'ask the IBD nurses, they’ll know', 'men tend to bravado', 'a fire-fighting service', and 'creating a safe environment'. Conclusion IBD healthcare practitioners working in the UK may face personal, professional, organisation, and societal barriers to providing assessment and support for the sexual health and care needs of men with IBD. It is likely that these barriers may be moderated by improving the availability of sexual healthcare resources and developing treatment pathways that promote cohesive multi-disciplinary working. Future research should focus on how HCPs can be supported to become comfortable and proficient at initiating sexual health conversations that are inclusive of psychosocial-sexual needs. References (1)Ma S, Knapp P, Galdas P. "My sexual desires, everything, my normal life just stops"; a qualitative study of male sexual health in inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2024. doi:10.1111/jocn.17292 (2)Fourie S, Norton C, Jackson D, Czuber-Dochan W. "These discussions aren’t happening". Experiences of people living with inflammatory bowel disease talking about sexual well-being with healthcare professionals. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis. 2021;15(10):1641-1648. doi:10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjab043 (3)Ma S, Veysey M, Ersser S, Mason-Jones A, Galdas P. The impact of inflammatory bowel disease on sexual health in men: A scoping review. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2020:(19-20):3638-3652. doi:10.1111/jocn.15418 (4)Thorne S. Interpretive Description: Qualitative Research for Applied Practice. Routledge; 2016
Who books the tickets for visitors to innovative installations and events in cathedrals? Exploring the psychological type profile of the gatekeepers
Get PDFPrevious research concerned with the psychographic segmentation of cathedral visitors, employing psychological type theory has drawn attention both to the psychological types under-represented among cathedral visitors and to the capacity of an innovative event to widen the psychographic appeal of cathedrals. This study tests the thesis that the requirement for advanced online booking to attend an innovative installation may nonetheless further delimit the psychographic appeal. This thesis was supported by 778 individuals booking online to attend a Luxmuralis installation in Liverpool Cathedral who completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. Among this constituency there was under-representation of perceiving types and over-representation of the Epimethean temperament (SJ)
LinkedIn as a research participant recruitment tool: Reflections from the football industry
Get PDFPurpose
The article explores the process of using LinkedIn to recruit hard-to-reach groups, reflecting on our experience of the football industry. We propose LinkedIn as a viable option to mitigate recruitment challenges, particularly in employment-focussed research.
Design/methodology/approach
We examine how LinkedIn was used to recruit 43 football backroom staff for a sociological research study. It outlines the process of using LinkedIn to contact participants, the ethical considerations made throughout the research process and reflects on why LinkedIn was effective for a primarily employment-focussed study.
Findings
We discuss the importance of insider knowledge for identifying LinkedIn as a potentially fruitful recruitment tool and how the functionality of the platform can be beneficial for a targeted recruitment method. We also explore the ethical and practical considerations of using social media for recruitment.
Originality/value
Previous research discusses social media as if they are indistinguishable and interchangeable with one another and we argue that this neglects the importance of a platform’s functionality. We discuss how the decision to use a particular social media platform to recruit should be grounded in the researcher’s familiarity with the site, the functionality the platform offers and the sample recruited. This article explicitly explores the considerations taken when using LinkedIn to help overcome recruitment challenges
Effects of nature of recreational disturbances and intrinsic characteristics of birds on their responses to birdwatching activities
No full textRecreational disturbances from birdwatching have been widely reported at birdwatching sites, implying the need for more in-depth explorations on how birdwatchers and birds interact to help manage disturbance from humans. This study investigated the influence and interaction of the nature of recreational disturbance with the intrinsic characteristics of birds on the responses of birds to birdwatcher activities. Data was collected in 25 field days from Oct 2019 to April 2020 at Mai Po Nature Reserve, a local Ramsar site in Hong Kong. Regarding the nature of disturbances, the visual impact was found to cause a more significant number of birds to be disturbed. Birds in the functional guild of dabblers were also shown to display a greater level of response to birdwatching activities. Based on the impacts and interactions between birdwatchers and birds, relevant recommendations on birdwatcher management are given
Incorporating the principles of Spiritually Competent Practice in mental healthcare: A qualitative exploration with service users
No full textThough service users may view them as an important aspect of care, spiritual issues are often neglected by mental health professionals. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of mental health service users in the United Kingdom around the integration of spirituality in their care. Two new concepts which support the implementation of spirituality into clinical practice; ‘Spiritually Competent Practice’ and ‘Availability and Vulnerability’, were also examined. Qualitative data were obtained via a web-based survey (n = 170) and semi-structured interviews (n = 6) carried out during 2021. The data were analysed thematically and organised into four overarching themes: Spirituality and mental health care, Perceptions of spirituality, Spiritually Competent Practice and Availability and Vulnerability. Findings in this study showed that service users valued the integration of spirituality into mental healthcare and saw the recognition of individuals’ spiritual needs as important, but reported this was lacking in their experience. Participants provided rich and nuanced reflections on the concepts of ‘Spiritually Competent Practice’ and ‘Availability and Vulnerability’ as a means to address this gap. Findings pointed to the need for adequate training to ensure the implementation of these concepts into practice is both evidence-informed and resonant with the service user