17 research outputs found
Polio survivorsâ perceptions of the meaning of quality of life and strategies used to promote participation in everyday activities
This article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Introduction: The term âpost-polio syndromeâ (PPS) is used to describe new and late manifestations of poliomyelitis that occur later in life. Research in this area has focused upon health status rather than its effect on quality of life. Aim: To gain an in-depth understanding of the meaning of quality of life for polio survivors and to determine the type of strategies that are used by people with PPS and the support that they consider as important to facilitate participation in everyday life activities that have an impact on their quality of life. Method: Six focus groups were conducted with 51 participants from two regions in England. Data were audio-taped and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Our research found that polio survivors used terms used to describe quality of life which could be associated with that of happiness. Our research has identified resolvable factors that influence quality of life namely inaccessible environments, attitudes of health-care professionals and societal attitudes. Polio survivors have tried alternative therapies, chiefly acupuncture and massage, and found them to be effective in enhancing their quality of life. Conclusion: It is suggested that health-care professionals should consider factors which influence happiness and implement a person-centred approach with the views of the polio survivor being listened to. The three factors that influenced quality of life could be resolved by health-care professionals and by society. With regard to strategies used, we suggest that polio survivors should have access to the treatments that they perceive as important, although further research is required to design optimal interventions for this client group
Using life cycle sustainability assessment to trade off sourcing strategies for humanitarian relief items
Do Allocation Mechanisms Drive Strategic Ordering? The Case of Integrated Distribution Systems
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Factors influencing occupational therapy home visit practice: A qualitative study
Background: Home visits prior to discharge from hospital are an integral part both of occupational therapy practice and the discharge process. However there is remarkably little understanding as to why they occur in practice and who is thought to best benefit from a home visit. The aims of this research were to explore occupational therapistsâ perceptions of home visits and to ascertain their clinical reasoning about conducting home visits. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results: Our research revealed two different types of home visits: one with the patient and one without the patient. Both types aimed to enhance the discharge process. The key deciding factors for the chosen type of home visit were time issues and available resources. The therapistâs justification for a home visit was also associated with the patientâs living arrangements, impairments and level of functioning. Occupational therapists rarely consulted patients about their preferred type of visit.
Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify therapistsâ reasoning differentiate between two types of home visits that occur in practice and to identify therapistsâ reasoning for their choice. Future trials are imperative to ascertain which visit is more effective both in terms of patient outcomes and cost effectiveness
Bioconversion of post-culture wastewater from farm fisheries for the production of high-value algal biomass
The Three Generations of Electronic Government: From Service Provision to Open Data and to Policy Analytics
Part 1: E-Government FoundationsInternational audienceFor long time research and practice in the area of Electronic Government (e-government) has been focusing on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for improving the efficiency government agenciesâ internal operations, as well as transactions with citizens and firms. However, the increased needs and expectations of citizens, and the proliferation of âparticipatory democracyâ ideas, gave rise to a new generation of ICT exploitation by government for increasing and enhancing citizensâ participation. Furthermore, the increasing social problems and challenges that had to be addressed by government through appropriate public policies, such as the increasing inequalities and poverty, the aging society, the environmental degradation, and the rising number of âunpredictableâ events, such as the financial and economic crisis, give rise to the development of a new wave of e-government focusing on policy analytics for supporting the design of effective responses - public policies for these challenges. Therefore, evolutions in the needs of modern societies, in combination with technological evolutions, give rise to evolutions in e-government, and the emergence of new generations of it. This paper aims at the identification and better understanding of the main characteristics of the different e-Government generations, using an analytical framework based on two rounds of literature review. The results of the study provide insights on the main features of the three main e-government generations, regarding their main goals, obstacles, key methods and tools, and reveal the new emerging generation of e-Government 3.0 and its basic characteristics. Furthermore, within the first and to some extent the second e-Government generation there have been substantial advancements, which have created distinct sub-generations of them, revealed and analysed through extensive relevant growth/maturity stages research