Cultural safety and First Nations health content within tertiary education for undergraduate healthcare students: A scoping review

Introduction:Many health professional university programs have integrated content on First Nations health into their curricula in response to the serious health inequities between First Nations and non-First Nations peoples.Methods:A scoping review was conducted, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the various ways that tertiary education institutions are incorporating content on First Nations health and cultural safety into health professional education curricula, and how learning outcomes related to cultural capability are assessed.Online databases were used to identify papers published globally between 1995 and 2021, from which 28 were selected.Consumer and Community Involvement:First Nations co-authors, working alongside occupational therapy academics, have ensured that the meaning and context of the relevant studies have been thoroughly understood and that appropriate terminology has been used throughout the review.Findings:There is considerable variability in the way that content on First Nations health is delivered and assessed within the tertiary sector for health-care students, internationally. There are limited assessment tools that provide a comprehensive understanding of the ability to work in a culturally safe manner with First Nations peoples.Conclusion:The importance of having an understanding of First Nations peoples and health is recognised, with many institutions now, including this information into the university curricula as one method to positively impact the health outcomes of First Nations peoples, as well as in response to health professional accreditation and registration requirements.There remains variability with regard to how this content is delivered and assessed. Despite encouraging data on learning outcomes, it remains unclear whether this intervention has an impact on the health-care practices of graduates once they enter the workforce. Further research into the impact of this strategy is warranted in order to determine its effectiveness

The Treatment Experiences of Vegetarians and Vegans with an Eating Disorder: A Qualitative Study

Background:Vegetarianism and veganism have long been tied to disordered eating and are frequently considered to be methods of limiting available food choices. Health professionals specializing in eating disorder treatment may modify their treatment practices to support their vegetarian or vegan clients. However, there are no formally recognized clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders in these groups. Moreover, no studies have yet explored the experiences of seeking and receiving eating disorder treatment while adhering to vegetarianism or veganism, which are needed to inform the development of guidelines. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of vegetarians and vegans on eating disorder treatment through semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Methods:Seventeen participants (aged 19–48, 76% female, 41% vegan) with a history of receiving eating disorder treatment were recruited. Results: We identified five themes that participants described as important experiences for the treatment of their eating disorder when sought as a vegetarian or vegan: (1) Health professional perspectives, (2) The interaction of dietary status with treatment quality, (3) The give and take of treatment, (4) Lack of flexibility in treatment services, and (5) Current treatment approaches not well equipped to support dietary variations. Conclusions: This paper identifies the complex relationship between eating disorders, veganism, and vegetarianism and the perceptions of treatment from the perspectives of those who have received treatment. Our findings suggest that acknowledgement and the flexibility to work with an individual’s vegan and vegetarian values within treatment may contribute to enhanced outcomes and treatment experiences. Limitations include potential participation and response biases and a predominantly female-identifying sample. This study will contribute to the development of clinical guidelines when working with vegan and vegetarian clients

A comparison of two law enforcement marksmanship assessments

Background: Law enforcement officers (LEO) must be confident in their ability to employ their firearm and be accurate in its application in high stress, life threatening, situations. To assess officer firearm marksmanship and training needs, police officers are assessed annually on their firearm handling and shooting accuracy. The unknown is whether different marksmanship assessments may yield different results in officer qualification rates, and measures of officer firearm comfort, confidence, and safety.Objective:This study aimed to identify differences in officer firearm qualification rates and perceptions of comfort, confidence, and safety in the handling of their firearms between their current Traditional Pistol Assessment (TPA) and an Alternate Pistol Assessment (APA).Methods: Australian LEO (male n = 8; female n = 6) consented and participated in a cross sectional, within-subjects, randomised, repeated measures study. Subjective data (e.g. perceived confidence), objective data (e.g. heart rate and breathing rate), and marksmanship qualification results were collected for both assessments.Results: Four (29%) officers passed the TPA, while seven (50%) passed the APA. While more complex, officers had greater confidence in their sidearm handling and marksmanship ability following the APA. There were no significant differences in physiological demands between the two assessments.Conclusions: Officer firearm qualification rates are influenced by the nature of the marksmanship assessment undertaken as are their perceptions of firearm comfort, confidence, and safety when handling and firing their firearm. A firearms qualification assessment should include a variety of occupationally relevant situations (e.g. moving, shooting from behind cover, vocalisation, etc.), and consider impacts on officer firearms confidence

Extended reality (XR) — A magic box of digitalization in driving sustainable development of the construction industry: A critical review

Against a background of global resource shortage and climate change, there is an urgency for the construction industry to aim towards sustainable development. With the rapid development of information technology, the emergence of extended reality (XR) has provided new ideas and options for sustainable construction (SC). Such technologies are applied in research and practice of the whole construction lifecycle, which can well meet the requirements of SC. This paper presents a critical review of XR applications in SC, aiming to systematically summarize the specific uses and advantages of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies. This study also examines the gap in research into the imbalance between the use of technology and the construction stages involved. Most XR applications focus on the pre-construction stage, while visualization and interactivity are the main features for further application. Through qualitative analyses, different applications of XR are introduced in stages throughout the entire lifecycle of building projects. In addition, the current challenges and limitations are presented, and several suggestions are proposed to facilitate further advancements in SC research and practice in the near future. This review provides valuable information to help stakeholders understand the advances in XR research and benefit future exploration and practice in the field.<br/

National Report: Australia

Judicial independence and impartiality in the third milleniu

Patient outcomes and surgical strategies in revision cervical arthroplasty following M6-C™ disc-related osteolysis

PURPOSE: Periprosthetic osteolysis from the M6-C™ Artificial Cervical Disc (Orthofix, Lewisville, Texas) has become a significant issue, sometimes requiring revision spine surgery (RSS). This study evaluates patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and revision strategies for managing device-related wear and osteolysis.METHODS: PROMs, including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for neck/arm pain and the Neck Disability Index (NDI), were analyzed at pre-index surgery (T1), pre-RSS (T2), and final follow-up (T3). Osteolysis severity was graded radiographically. A control group who underwent primary M6-C cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) without RSS was included for comparison.RESULTS:Of 53 patients with M6-C CTDR, 19 (35.9%) required RSS due to osteolysis. Osteolysis grades included Grade 1 (4 patients), Grade 2 (7 patients), Grade 3 (3 patients), and Grade 4 (5 patients). Revision strategies included removal and anterior fusion, requiring vertebrectomy for Grade 4 cases; revisions to a different CTDR prosthesis were reserved for Grades 1-3. The RSS group showed significant VAS neck pain improvement at T3 (mean = 36.2 points, p &lt; 0.001), exceeding the minimum clinically important difference (MCID). However, VAS arm pain and NDI did not meet MCID thresholds. The control group showed clinically significant improvements across all PROMs. At T2, the RSS group had a higher disability (NDI, p = 0.027) than the controls.CONCLUSION: Revision surgery for M6-C osteolysis improves neck pain, not arm pain or disability. Early detection and tailored revision strategies are crucial to optimize patient outcomes and mitigate osteolysis-related disability

Crisis planning intentions among hotel managers: what have we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?

This study investigates the motivational factors which influence future crisis planning intentions, by utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the underlying theoretical framework. This research focuses on understanding the attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control of hotel managers’ intentions regarding future crisis planning. To enhance the TPB model, the study incorporates two additional variables: perceived risk and past behaviour, thereby addressing previous calls to extend the TPB model. Employing a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews (n = 21) were conducted with hotel managers who worked at government-appointed quarantine hotels in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis was conducted using Leximancer, an artificial intelligence (AI) data text mining software to explore the verbatim content via text mining, thematic analysis. This research provides critical insights into the determinants of crisis planning intentions among hotel managers, contributing to the theoretical and practical understanding of crisis preparedness in the hospitality industry

Business model innovation and its impact on the diffusion of innovation in construction business organizations

The evolving business landscape, driven by digitalization and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations, requires a systems approach to construction business. The discussion around digitalization as a key driver of innovation and a catalyst for change has been crucial, prompting construction organizations to adapt their business models. Due to the dynamic nature of the construction industry, construction organizations often encounter challenges in embracing new technologies and updating their business models to meet changing market demands. Consequently, business model innovation often takes a backseat. This chapter delves into how innovation, particularly driven by public sector clients, can influence business model innovations in construction organizations, drawing insights from an extensive literature review and the Hong Kong Housing Authority case. The findings suggest that construction organizations may be more inclined to adopt new technologies, implement systems, and explore business model innovations when public policies are in place to support such initiatives