Include me in: user involvement in research and evaluation

yesPurpose: This paper discusses the experiences of a group of ten user and carer researchers from mental health and learning disability services who worked together in a research and evaluation project between 2009 and 2012. The research project aimed to identify changes that took place as over 300 people moved from hostel accommodation into independent tenancies in flats and bungalows. These moves were part of a three year project involving a partnership between a local authority and a housing association. Design / approach: The paper describes the process of involving user and carers in the research process, identifying the challenges and benefits of involving users and carers. The ways in which people were trained and supported to take part and stay involved are outlined, as well as how the group felt they learnt new skills and increased their confidence. Findings: User involvement in research can mean different things with different levels of involvement, from consultation through to user-controlled research. The collaborative study had a range of benefits for the lives of the co-researchers, as well as contributing to the development of a new independent living service. A number of factors contribute to the success of user involvement in research and these are listed. Originality / value: This paper adds the voices of the co-researchers to the literature and provides ‘lessons learned’ for other researchers in this area

Globalization, the ambivalence of European integration and the possibilities for a post-disciplinary EU studies

Using the work of Manuel Castells as a starting point, this article explores the ambivalent relationship between globalization and European integration and the variety of ways in which the mainstream political science of the EU has attempted to deal with this issue. The analysis here suggests that various 'mainstreaming' disciplinary norms induce types of work that fail to address fully the somewhat paradoxical and counter-intuitive range of possible relationships between globalization and European integration. The article explores critically four possible analytical ways out of this paradox—abandonment of the concept of globalization, the development of definition precision in globalization studies, the reorientation of work to focus on globalization as discourse, and inter- and post-disciplinarity. The argument suggests that orthodox discussions of the relationship require a notion of social geography that sits at odds with much of the literature on globalization and while greater dialogue between disciplines is to be welcomed, a series of profound epistemological questions need to be confronted if studies of the interplay between global and social process are to be liberated from their disciplinary chains

Women and the information society: barriers and participation

Paper presented to the Women’s Is-sues Section of IFLA at the 68th IFLA General Conference, held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 18–24 August 2002. Reviews the literature on the topic of women, the information society and the Internet. Also presents selected results of Masters’ research projects undertaken in the Department of Information Science at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. Discusses female access to the Internet and explores some of the barriers that may prevent women having the same access as men. Examines differences in male and female Internet use. The negative aspects of the Internet for women are very often emphasized, but there are positive reasons for women to use the Internet and advantages to this method of computer-mediated communication for women. The concept of Cyberfeminism is discussed. Concludes that although there are negative sides to the technology, women must engage with the Internet if they are to help shape the Information Society

Are the current difficulty scores for laparoscopic liver surgery telling the whole story? An international survey and recommendations for the future

Background: Recent studies have suggested that the difficulty of laparoscopic liver resections are related to both patient and tumour factors, however the available difficulty scoring systems only incorporate tumour factors. The aim of this study was to assess the opinion of laparoscopic liver surgeons regarding the factors that affect the perceived difficulty of laparoscopic liver resections. Method: Using a Visual Analogue Scale an international survey of laparoscopic liver surgeons was undertaken to assess the perceived difficulty of 26 factors previously demonstrated to affect the difficulty of a laparoscopic liver resection. Results: 80 surgeons with a combined experience of over 7000 laparoscopic liver resections responded to the survey. The difficulty of laparoscopic liver surgery was suggested to be increased by a BMI > 35 by 89% of respondents; neo-adjuvant chemotherapy by 79%; repeated liver resection by 99% and concurrent procedures by 59% however these factors have not been included in the previous difficulty scoring systems. Conclusion: The results suggests that the difficulty of laparoscopic liver surgery is not fully assessed by the available difficulty scoring systems and prompts the development of a new difficulty score that incorporates all factors believed to increase difficulty

Are the current difficulty scores for laparoscopic liver surgery telling the whole story?: An international survey and recommendations for the future

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that the difficulty of laparoscopic liver resections are related to both patient and tumour factors, however the available difficulty scoring systems only incorporate tumour factors. The aim of this study was to assess the opinion of laparoscopic liver surgeons regarding the factors that affect the perceived difficulty of laparoscopic liver resections.METHOD: Using a Visual Analogue Scale an international survey of laparoscopic liver surgeons was undertaken to assess the perceived difficulty of 26 factors previously demonstrated to affect the difficulty of a laparoscopic liver resection.RESULTS: 80 surgeons with a combined experience of over 7000 laparoscopic liver resections responded to the survey. The difficulty of laparoscopic liver surgery was suggested to be increased by a BMI &gt; 35 by 89% of respondents; neo-adjuvant chemotherapy by 79%; repeated liver resection by 99% and concurrent procedures by 59% however these factors have not been included in the previous difficulty scoring systems.CONCLUSION: The results suggests that the difficulty of laparoscopic liver surgery is not fully assessed by the available difficulty scoring systems and prompts the development of a new difficulty score that incorporates all factors believed to increase difficulty.</p

Noise-induced hearing loss in Asia

The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the current scenarios encompassing noise exposure in the workplace and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in Asia. NIHL is the most prevalent and preventable occupational disease in most Asian countries. Sources of noise in these countries include manufacturing and agriculture industries, exploitation of natural resources, and urban traffic. The highest attributable fraction of adult-onset hearing loss resulting from noise exposure in the world comes from Asian countries. NIHL is a serious health problem in Asia, not only because of the number of affected labourers, but also because the majority of Asian countries are still developing economies where access to health services and preventive programmes are limited. Lack of awareness about NIHL among employers, employees, and health care professionals is one of the main barriers for the prevention of NIHL in Asia. In this paper, the sources of noise, NIHL prevalence in different industries, local legislation, and research publications on NIHL from Asia are discussed