10137 research outputs found
Sort by
PROFESSIONALISED CARE: Relational Management at Alchemy Film & Arts
Get PDFThe application of an ethic of care within arts management is of increasing interest to funders, managers, and policymakers invested in the European arts and culture sector as a facet of the perceived benefits of arts to community-building and regeneration efforts. The focus on the potential role of care as a value and a practice within arts management is most noticeable within the increased investment in socially-engaged art within community-centric projects and organisations due to its explicit focus on relationship-building, placemaking, and ultimately community care. Given the growing investment in arts work toward regeneration and maintenance in rural areas and localised communities, understandings of how care might be formalised within arts management practice in these community-centric contexts is vital for the management of individual creative and cultural projects and organisations, as well as the overall sector. The presented research within this thesis therefore investigates how an ethic of care can be incorporated within rural arts management practice alongside processes and expectations of professionalisation. The presented thesis critically examines the perceived importance of care within rural arts management and offers an illustrative perspective on the benefits, tensions, and complications around the relationship between care, management, and professionalisation within the context of rural arts. Alchemy Film & Arts, a cultural organisation based in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick specialising in experimental film and moving image, acts as a case for this exploration in the midst of a pivotal period of organisational development and navigation of precarious socioeconomic landscapes between 2020 and 2022. Through the application of ethnographic and creative research, the offered observations and findings explore the social and relational aspects of both work and management within the arts. The thesis concludes that practices of care within rural arts management are dependent on relationship-building and the context of place, and therefore cannot be fully standardised within processes of professionalisation and perceptions of professional practice. The theory of professionalised care is therefore introduced as part of the findings and observations as a structured yet adaptable way to facilitate the incorporation of ethics of care within rural arts management
OP0207-HPR EFFECT OF FOOT ORTHOSES IN REDUCING PAIN IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS: A 12-MONTH RANDOMISED CLINICAL TRIAL
No full textFrom Elsevier via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: issued 2022-06-30, epub 2025-01-02Article version: AMPublication status: PublishedBackground
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in children and adolescents [1]. The manifestation of JIA may include joint swelling, tenderness, and painful limitation with joint movement. Only few studies have explored the effect of foot orthoses (FOs) alone in children with JIA [2,3]. These studies showed FOs can reduce pain in children with JIA, however, further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed [4]. Prescribing FOs on the same day of the initial assessment may promote early clinical and targeted intervention, which is the gold standard approach in paediatric rheumatology.
Objectives
This single blinded multicentre randomised clinical trial (RCT) aims to investigate the effect of customised prefabricated FOs in reducing pain amongst children and adolescents with JIA.
Methods
Overall, 66 children and adolescents with JIA presenting with foot symptoms were recruited from the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (Westmead and Randwick) and John Hunter Children's Hospital (Newcastle). The primary outcome measure was pain with a minimal clinical significance of 8mm on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Participants were randomly allocated to receive either customised prefabricated or sham FOs. The trial intervention was a low-density Slimflex Simple device that was customised at chair-side. The control (sham) device was made of 2mm flat leather board with no corrective modifications. Standardised tests such as the Foot Posture Index, navicular drift and drop were used to identify biomechanical abnormalities. The FOs were worn for a total of 12 months, with data collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6 months and 12 months.
Results
Reduction in self-reported pain was statistically and clinically significant at 4-weeks (p=0.018, -14.92 [-27.30, -2.55]) and 3 months (p=<0.001, -28.93 [-40.90, -16.96]) post intervention in favour of the trial group. The 6- and 12-month follow-ups were not statistically or clinically significant. Parent reported pain was statistically and clinically significant at the 3-month (p=<0.001, -21.92 [-33.16, -10.67]) in the reduction of pain in favour of the trial group. However, parent reported pain was not statistically significant at the 4-week, 6- and 12- month follow-ups. These results are similar to child reported pain with a p-value of less than 0.001 and average coefficients twice that of the clinical significance cut-off for VAS pain in paediatric rheumatology. The trial intervention was safe and tolerated well by participants with high compliance and adherence rates.
Conclusion
Results of this clinical trial indicate customised preformed FOs can be effective in reducing pain and in children with JIA experiencing foot and ankle symptoms. Significant clinical effects appear to be within the first 3-months of intervention prescription and reduce beyond 6 months. Overall, this podiatric intervention was safe, inexpensive, well tolerated and it can be easily implemented as part of the multidisciplinary paediatric rheumatology care.
References
[1]Ravelli A, Martini A. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Lancet. 2007;369:767–78.
[2]Powell M, Seid M, Szer IS. Efficacy of custom foot orthotics in improving pain and functional status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a randomized trial. J Rheumatol 2005;32:943–50.
[3]Coda A, Fowlie PW, Davidson JE et al. Foot orthoses in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child 2014;99:649–51.
[4]Fellas A, Coda A, Hawke F. Physical and mechanical therapies for lower-limb problems in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2017 Sep;107(5):399-412.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge all parents and children for their precious time.
Disclosure of Interests
None declaredpubpu
Routledge Companion to Occupational Therapy: Theories, Concepts and Models [Edited book]
No full textItem is not available in this repository.Sarah Kantartzis - ORCID: 0000-0001-5191-015X
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5191-015XThis comprehensive and groundbreaking text provides an indispensable guide to the application of key theories, models, and concepts informing occupational therapy's professional practice. It includes contributions from a range of international scholars and addresses practice with individuals, groups, and communities.
This book also features theories underpinning professional education. Each chapter includes the theoretical core as well as evidence supporting the validity, reliability, and clinical effectiveness of the particular theoretical approach or model, giving readers an insightful overview of the evidence available to determine the effect of interventions based on that theory. Chapters also include case examples that illustrate application as well as sections offering constructive critique and possible future directions for further development of the theories.
This comprehensive, wide-ranging volume is the ideal resource for using theory as a tool for practice by occupational therapy practitioners, students, and educators.https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003526766pubpu
Physical Function Tests to Assess Postural Balance in Patients on Dialysis: A Systematic Review
No full textPelagia Koufaki - ORCID: 0000-0002-1406-3729
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1406-3729Item is not available in this repository.Background
This systematic review evaluated physical function tests used to assess postural balance in patients on dialysis and described their measurement properties.
Methods
The study was registered in PROSPERO (#CRD42020186578). Seven databases were searched from inception to August 2023. Observational and experimental studies including at least one physical function test for postural balance in patients on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis were eligible. Two independent researchers selected studies, assessed methodological quality using the Critical Review Form-Quantitative Studies, and extracted data.
Results
Of the 21 studies analyzed, 42.9% were cross-sectional, and 38.1% demonstrated good methodological quality. The one-leg standing Test was the most common physical function test (used in 47.6% of studies), with variations in protocol, such as eyes open or closed and durations ranging from 5 to 60 s or unspecified. Other tests included the Berg balance scale, balance evaluation systems test, brief-balance evaluation systems test, mini-balance evaluation systems test, stork balance test, standing balance test, functional reach test, and frailty and injuries cooperative studies of intervention technique-4. Reliability, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change were reported for only the one-leg standing test, balance evaluation systems test, brief-balance evaluation systems test, and mini-balance evaluation systems test.
Conclusions
The one-leg standing test was the most frequently used physical function test for assessing postural balance in patients on dialysis. Additionally, the measurement properties of these tests remain understudied in this population.This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES (001/2023) and the National Council forScientific and Technological Development—CNPq.https://doi.org/10.1111/hdi.13263aheadofprintaheadofprin
THE INSTITUTIONALISATION OF WHISTLEBLOWING IN THE SCOTTISH HEALTH SERVICE: AN INTERPLAY BETWEEN ORGANISATIONS, MEDIA AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE
Get PDFThe act of whistleblowing has become a common, global phenomenon in recent decades, and the necessity to find satisfactory solutions has become a major focus for organisations world-wide. This is particularly important in the field of health, where the National Health Service has witnessed serious whistleblowing events to the detriment of healthcare staff and, perhaps more importantly, to patients. NHS Scotland is selected as a case study to explore the reconceptualization of whistleblowing as a normative organisational process. This research study contrasts with existing literature on whistleblowing, which has focused primarily on the treatment of healthcare whistleblowers at the hands of their managers and organisations, where the primary victim is the whistleblower, subjected to organisation reprisal.
A qualitative research study has been undertaken, which includes interviews with NHS leaders, media coverage of high-profile whistleblowing cases and official whistleblowing-related documents. The primary theme of this thesis concentrates on whistleblowing institutionalisation as an emerging political process initiated by the Scottish Government.
This thesis makes two main contributions to the issue of whistleblowing specifically in the Scottish health service. First, it provides evidence of the introduction of whistleblowing institutionalism through related policies and processes for the whole of NHS Scotland and associated organisations, including contractors.
Second, it identifies media impact on public policy decision making in relation to whistleblowing with the discovery of a ‘whistleblowing’ specific frame. This frame provides empirical evidence of an influential media on the political landscape
Translating Metrics to Meaning: Investigating mobile health applications in cancer care research using a pragmatists methodological approach
No full textItem is not available in this repository.8pubpubSprin
Editorial
No full textItem is not available in this repository.Sian Jones - ORCID: 0000-0002-2399-1017 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2399-1017https://doi.org/10.1177/275264612513389264pubpub
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF ACOUSTIC VOICE ANALYSIS USING SMARTPHONE RECORDINGS FOR CLINICAL AND REMOTE ASSESSMENT
Get PDFThis thesis addresses the critical need for reliable and accessible methods to assess and monitor vocal health, particularly among occupational voice users and patients accessing speech and language therapy remotely. Traditional clinical methods, including patient self-reports and acoustic analyses conducted during isolated visits, provide only limited snapshots of vocal health, often missing daily fluctuations essential for long-term well-being. Leveraging advancements in smartphone technology, which offers sophisticated audio processing and widespread accessibility, this research explores the feasibility and clinical utility of smartphone-based acoustic voice analysis. The research comprises four comprehensive studies. Studies 1, 1b and 1c evaluate the reliability of acoustic measurements obtained from four smartphone models compared to a professional studio microphone in a controlled environment. Results indicate that measures such as cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), harmonics-tonoise ratio (HNR), long-term average spectrum (LTAS) slope, and glottal noise excitation ratio (GNE) demonstrate acceptable random error, suggesting that smartphones can reliably capture these parameters under controlled conditions. Study 2 validates the use of loudspeakers to transmit pre-recorded voice signals for acoustic analysis. The study finds minimal systematic bias and acceptable random errors, particularly for reading passages, affirming the reliability of loudspeaker transmitted recordings for standardised voice assessments. Study 3 assesses the validity and reliability of smartphones in field environments, comparing their performance to a studio-grade reference microphone. Higher-end smartphones, such as the iPhone 6s, reliably capture fundamental frequency (F0), CPPS, LTAS slope, and GNE, although shimmer and jitter measures exhibit significant variability. Study 4 investigates the impact of ambient noise on smartphone recordings, revealing that spectral measures remain stable, while parameters like shimmer and jitter are adversely affected by background noise. This underscores the necessity for controlled recording environments or robust noise mitigation strategies in real-world applications.
Overall, this thesis demonstrates that smartphones hold significant potential for remote and real-time vocal health monitoring, particularly when focused on specific acoustic measures and controlled recording conditions. The findings contribute to the development of standardised protocols, enhancing the integration of smartphone technology into clinical voice assessment and telehealth services
Sociology as science of liberation: a case-study of manual laborers
Get PDFThis paper begins by adverting to the re-opening of the question of the relationship between (working) class and its representation in light of mounting awareness of the price paid for the eclipse of class-based discourse within politics, academia and the media. Upon the twin bases of a ‘representational deficit’ and search for ‘integral representation’ released by material affluence and unprecedented expectations of agency, I give an account of liberation drawing upon three years of ethnographic fieldwork among manual laborers in Fife (Scotland), beginning with a description of the ‘second nature’ brought into being by doing (manual labor). Introducing the notion of the condition of reduction, I use this as the foundation for an account of individuation which culminates in the exercise of cognitional agency characterized by the alignment of doing, being and knowing. Upon this structuration in truth the paper argues for a fully representational sociology and reviews the sociology of knowledge tradition and some of the self-limiting pre-suppositions of classical sociology, including the short-comings of Marxism, to draw out how sociology can respond to the mass advent of unprecedented freedom.https://doi.org/10.1080/03906701.2025.2469061pubpu
Rethinking pathways to well-being: the function of faith practice in distress alleviation among displaced Muslim women affected by war
Get PDFKathleen Rutledge - ORCID: 0009-0003-5728-5967
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5728-5967Background: For many populations globally, coping approaches employed during times of extreme adversity are rooted in religious convictions. Positive religious coping following potentially traumatic events and in times of crisis is widely evidenced as resilience promoting. Despite international mandates for aid and mental health responses to enable such coping, there is limited guidance for work with distinct faith groups and limited quantitative evidence overall. This mixed methods study examined the role of faith in mental health among displaced Muslim women affected by conflict, highlighting implications for responders.
Methods: A total of 160 questionnaires, 50 interviews, and four focus groups were conducted among 160 Sunni Muslim women in an Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDP) camp with subjects who had been affected by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) conflict. A total of 19 faith leaders, MHPSS providers, and humanitarian workers were interviewed as key informants. Qualitative responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, while statistical tests examined variable correlations between the mean scores of response groups.
Results: Religious meanings were attributed to every aspect of daily life, in addition to shaping fundamental understandings of wellbeing, the ultimate goals of life, and the coping strategies employed. Religiosity was high. Prayer, reciting, or reading the Qur’an, and fasting were widely reported as a means of comfort, stress relief, divine protection, and daily provision. The function of faith practices in distress alleviation was mediated by the individual’s beliefs regarding the afterlife and by their perception of God’s “care” for their life and situation. Self-appraised “inadequate” faith practice—seen as incompatible with the fundamental goal of life for many in the study, entering Paradise after death—and feeling that God does not “care”, were variables associated with higher distress and poor mental health. Gender-blind approaches in the camp and exclusion of faith needs from assessments and response actions compounded distress by creating access barriers. Ensuring access to gender- and faith-sensitive coping resources (when requested by the affected individuals) is likely to boost mental health outcomes, particularly when such supports align with recovery and/or strengthening of the individual’s sense of connectedness to a benevolent, responsive God.The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. KR was funded by Islamic Relief Canada, Santander UK and Queen Margaret University doctoral research program to complete this study.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.133564016pubpu
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Queen Margaret University eResearch? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!