scholarly journals Public priorities for osteoporosis and fracture research: results from a focus group study

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Hawarden ◽  
Clare Jinks ◽  
Waheed Mahmood ◽  
Laurna Bullock ◽  
Steven Blackburn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Fragility Fractures ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Delays In Diagnosis

Abstract Summary Four focus groups were conducted with members of the public to identify important areas for future osteoporosis research. Participants identified priorities to increase public awareness of osteoporosis, reduce delays in diagnosis, improve communication between healthcare providers and to improve follow-up and information provision about causes of osteoporosis, medication harms and prognosis. Purpose Patients and the public must be involved in setting research agendas to ensure relevant and impactful questions are prioritised. This study aimed to understand what people living with osteoporosis and fragility fractures felt was important to research, to inform the content of a national survey on research priorities in this area. Methods Focus groups were conducted with members of the public with experience of osteoporosis or fragility fractures. The topic guide was co-developed with a patient and public involvement research user group, and explored participants’ experiences of osteoporosis including diagnosis, management and effect upon their lives, what aspects of their ongoing care was most important to them and what about their care or condition could be improved. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results A total of twenty-three participants were recruited to four focus groups. Analysis identified two main themes: challenges in living with osteoporosis and healthcare services for osteoporosis. Information needs was a further cross-cutting theme. Participants called for increased public awareness of osteoporosis and wanted healthcare services to address conflicting messages about diet, exercise and medication. Participants described long delays in diagnosis, poor communication between primary and secondary care and the need for structured follow-up as important areas for future research to address. Conclusion The findings from this study provide an understanding of research priorities from the perspective of patients and the public, have informed the content of a national survey and have implications for patient education, health services research and policy.

DID KATRINA RECALIBRATE ATTITUDES TOWARD POVERTY AND INEQUALITY?: A Test of the “Dirty Little Secret” Hypothesis

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Grusky ◽  
Emily Ryo
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Poverty And Inequality ◽  
The Media ◽  
Public Ignorance

We test the popular claim that poverty and inequality were “dirty little secrets” until the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina exposed them to a wider public. If this account were on the mark, it would suggest that the absence of major antipoverty initiatives in the United States is partly attributable to public ignorance and apathy coupled with the narrowly rational decision on the part of policymakers to attend to other issues about which the public evidently cares more. Using the 2004 Maxwell Poll, we find strikingly high levels of awareness and activism on poverty and inequality issues even prior to Katrina, clearly belying the “dirty little secret” account. The follow-up Maxwell Poll, which was administered in 2005 immediately after Katrina, revealed only a slight increase in public awareness of poverty and inequality. The Katrina effect was evidently dampened because (1) the large number of preexisting poverty activists reduced the size of the residual population “at risk” for conversion to antipoverty activism, and (2) the remaining non-activists were ardently opposed to poverty activism and hence unlikely to be receptive to the liberal message coming out of Katrina.

scholarly journals Improving awareness of energy conservation: Rocky Mountain City

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Keller ◽  
A.J. Otjen ◽  
Mary McNally ◽  
Timothy J. Wilkinson ◽  
Brenda Dockery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communication Campaign ◽  
Taking Action

Purpose The purpose of this research project was to improve public awareness to improve public awareness of the importance of energy conservation and to improve the use of simple conservation strategies. A thorough evaluation of the net gain from the numerous energy campaigns rolled out to the public every year is lacking. This study conducted pre- and post-campaign surveys and focus groups to evaluate one campaign’s impact on self-reported energy behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The campaign used television public service announcements and a website to improve awareness of the city’s efforts to conserve energy and to increase individual energy conservation practices. Focus groups (n = 40) were used to identify common barriers to conservation, and pre- and post-surveys (n = 533, 479) were conducted to evaluate the campaign’s effectiveness. Findings Results indicated that the campaign increased positive changes in changing light bulbs and confidence in taking action to turn down thermostats, unplug devices and turn off lights. While follow-up research is needed on the precise mechanism of the psychological process at work, the findings are consistent with the concepts of self and response efficacy as needed components of any behavior change. The authors advocate the adoption of research-informed message design to maximize communication campaign effects. Originality/value This paper demonstrates how the combination of three prominent persuasion theories can be used to develop behavior change campaigns. Also, it is one of the few studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the Energy Star campaign.

ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Management in the United States: Data from the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry

2021 ◽  
pp. jrheum.201330
Author(s):  
Zachary S. Wallace ◽  
Huifeng Yun ◽  
Jeffrey R. Curtis ◽  
Lang Chen ◽  
John H. Stone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Treatment Preferences ◽  
Informatics System ◽  
Anca Associated Vasculitis ◽  
Laboratory Test Results

Objective ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) management has evolved substantially over the last two decades. We sought to characterize AAV treatment patterns in the United States. Methods We identified AAV patients in the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry who had at least two rheumatology clinician visits between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2017. Demographics, medications, laboratory test results, and billing codes were extracted from the medical record. Demographic and prescription trends were assessed overall and across US regions. Results We identified 1,462 AAV patients, 259 (18%) with new or relapsing AAV. The majority were classified as having granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, 75%). The mean age was 59.8 years and 59% were female. The majority of patients were in the South (45%) followed by the Mid-West (32%), West (12%), and Northeast (8%). Patients had a median of 3 visits and follow-up of 579 days. The most commonly prescribed medications during the study period were glucocorticoids (86%) followed by rituximab (45%), methotrexate (33%), azathioprine (32%) and mycophenolate mofetil (18%); cyclophosphamide was rarely used (97, 7%). At the most recent visits in RISE, 47% of patients were on glucocorticoids. Prescription trends were similar across regions. Conclusion This is the first study to evaluate the demographics and management of AAV by rheumatologists outside of major referral centers. Management strategies vary widely but cyclophosphamide is rarely used. These observations can be used to inform future research priorities. Additional studies are needed to characterize AAV severity in RISE and patient and provider treatment preferences.

Barriers and strategies of open government data adoption using fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 210-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Alexander Parung ◽  
Achmad Nizar Hidayanto ◽  
Puspa Indahati Sandhyaduhita ◽  
Karina Lia Meirita Ulo ◽  
Kongkiti Phusavat
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Fuzzy Ahp ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data

Purpose This study aims to propose strategies to address the identified major barriers for giving the public open access to government data. The study adopts fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (AHP-TOPSIS) to weigh the barriers and strategies, and it subsequently involves experts to identify and weigh the barriers and strategies. A case of Indonesia is used to contextualize the study. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected using fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS-based questionnaires given to several government representatives who had been working with data and information. The respondents were given sets of pairwise comparisons of which they were asked to compare the level of importance using one to nine fuzzy numbers between barriers and strategies. The data were then calculated using the fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS formula to obtain each weight of the barriers and strategies. The weight is used to prioritize the barrier and strategies. Findings In total, five barrier categories in the order of importance, namely, legal and privacy; government culture; social; technical; and economic, were identified from 27 barriers. In total, ten strategies of open government data (OGD) adoption were identified and ranked in the order of importance, and they can be grouped into five priorities. Priority 1 is to involve stakeholders in OGD planning and establish an OGD competence center. Priority 2 is to develop a legal compliance framework. Priority 3 is to adopt OGD gradually. Priority 4 is to create a collaboration feature on the portal for stakeholder communication and raise public awareness of OGD. Priority 5, finally, is to conduct training for government officials, develop standard operating practice for OGD management, use standard data formats and provide metadata. Research limitations/implications This study provides a perspective from the government’s view. One suggestion for future research is to conduct a study from the public’s perspective to formulate strategies based on the identified citizens’ barriers in using OGD. In addition, cross-country (of different characteristics) studies were required to generalize the findings. Practical implications The first strategy of the first priority implies that government institutions should be able to develop a preliminary plan to involve relevant stakeholders in OGD planning, which includes identifying relevant stakeholders and continuously engaging them to participate in the planning phase of OGD. The second strategy in the first priority entails that government institutions should realize an OGD competence center by creating a virtual team whose members are from various backgrounds and who are very knowledgeable about OGD and how to manage OGD in government institutions. Originality/value This research provides key strategies to address the main barriers to giving the public open access to government data.

scholarly journals Are we asking the right questions? Working with the LGBTQ+ community to prioritise healthcare research themes

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Crowe ◽  
Eleanor Barker ◽  
Meg Roberts ◽  
Lucy Lloyd ◽  
Clara M. de Barros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Involvement ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Priority ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Research Themes

Abstract Background Conversations about research priorities with members of the public are rarely designed specifically to include people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) and are not researchers. Methods Generally, to address this gap, and specifically, to inform future research for CLS, we carried out a rapid review of published research priority sets covering LGBTQ+ topics, and an online workshop to prioritise identified themes. Results Rapid review: results. The rapid review identified 18 LGBTQ+ research priority sets. Some focussed on specific populations such as women or men, younger or older people or people living within families. Five addressed transgender and gender non- conforming populations. All of the research priority sets originated from English-speaking, high and middle-income countries (UK, US, Canada, and Australia), and date from 2016 onwards. Prioritization approaches were wide-ranging from personal commentary to expert workshops and surveys. Participants involved in setting priorities mostly included research academics, health practitioners and advocacy organisations, two studies involved LGBTQ+ public in their process. Research priorities identified in this review were then grouped into themes which were prioritised during the workshop. Workshop: results. For the workshop, participants were recruited using local (Cambridge, UK) LGBTQ+ networks and a national advert to a public involvement in research matching website to take part in an online discussion workshop. Those that took part were offered payment for their time in preparing for the workshop and taking part. Participants personal priorities and experiences contributed to a consensus development process and a final ranked list of seven research themes and participants’ experiences of healthcare, mental health advocacy, care homes, caring responsibilities, schools and family units added additional context. Conclusions From the workshop the three research themes prioritised were: healthcare services delivery, prevention, and particular challenges / intersectionality of multiple challenges for people identifying as LGBTQ+. Research themes interconnected in many ways and this was demonstrated by the comments from workshop participants. This paper offers insights into why these priorities were important from participants’ perspectives and detail about how to run an inclusive and respectful public involvement research exercise. On a practical level these themes will directly inform future research direction for CLS.

The ‘Blue Gym’: What can blue space do for you and what can you do for blue space?

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.P. White ◽  
S. Pahl ◽  
B.W. Wheeler ◽  
L.E.F. Fleming ◽  
M.H. Depledge
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Of ◽  
Space Environments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Health And Well Being

The Blue Gym Initiative was created in the UK in 2009 to explore: (1) whether blue space environments might be positively related to human health and well-being; and (2) whether the public could be encouraged to preserve and protect these environments. Whilst the wider initiative considers all blue spaces including inland bodies of water (e.g. lakes, rivers and canals as well as the coasts and oceans), to date the focus has been primarily on marine and coastal environments. In this paper, we provide a brief history of the Blue Gym Initiative, and outline some of the research that has emerged to date. An important early finding was the observation that individuals living near the coast are generally healthier and happier than those living inland; much subsequent work has tried to understand why this might be. More recently we have begun to focus on how to promote pro-marine behaviours (e.g. sustainable fish choice, reduction of plastic use, avoidance of littering). This strand is still very much work in progress but highlights the importance of understanding public awareness, values and attitudes and the power of visualization in communicating the marine sustainability issues. We conclude with a brief discussion of some of the implications of the findings and future research needs.

scholarly journals Popular apps on the medical category targeting patients and the general public in the United Kingdom: Do they conform to the Health On the Net Foundation principles?

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ben-Mussa ◽  
Anthony M Paget
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Seven Principles ◽  
Medical Category ◽  
Google Play

Smartphones with their rising popularity and versatile software ‘apps’ have great potential for revolutionising healthcare services. However, this was soon overshadowed by concerns highlighted by many studies over quality. These were subject and/or discipline specific and mostly evaluated compliance with a limited number of information portrayal standards originally devised for health websites. Hence, this study aimed to take a broader approach by evaluating the most popular apps categorised as medical in the United Kingdom for compliance with all of those standards systematically using the Health On the Net (HON) Foundation principles. The study evaluated top 50 free and paid apps of the ‘medical’ category on both iTunes and Google stores for evidence of compliance with an app-adapted version of the HON Foundation code of conduct. The sample included 64 apps, 34/64 (53%) were on Google Play and 36/64 (56%) were free. None of the apps managed to comply with the entire eight principles. Compliance with seven principles was achieved by only one app (1.6%), and the rest were compliant with three, two, and one (14.7%, 27%, and 38%, respectively). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that most popular apps on the medical category that are available in the United Kingdom do not meet the standards for presenting health information to the public, and this is consistent with earlier studies. Improving the situation would require raising the public awareness, providing tools that would assist in quality evaluation, encouraging developers to use robust development process, and facilitating collaboration and engagement among the stakeholders.

scholarly journals Adolescent Performers’ Perspectives on Mental Toughness and Its Development: The Utility of the Bioecological Model

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Mahoney ◽  
Daniel F. Gucciardi ◽  
Clifford J. Mallett ◽  
Nikos Ntoumanis
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Bioecological Model

In light of the extant literature, the aim of the current study was to compare adolescents’ perspectives on mental toughness and its development across performance contexts, and to explore if such perspectives align with Bronfenbrenner’s (2001) bioecological model. Eighteen mentally tough adolescents (9 boys, 9 girls, Mage = 15.6 years) from three performance contexts (i.e., sport, academia, and music) participated in focus groups, 7 of whom also participated in follow-up one-to-one interviews. Inductive analyses revealed that mental toughness was conceptualized by 9 personal characteristics, and that while similar across performance contexts, some difference between previous mental toughness conceptualization and the current study existed. Analyses also revealed that mental toughness development was predicated on significant others, supportive social processes, critical incidents, and curiosity. These findings resonated with the properties of the bioecological model. Future research into how bioecological factors combine to facilitate mental toughness development during critical stages of life was suggested.

scholarly journals HIV infected patients attendance in a Brazilian public health service: A short report

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Silva dos Santos ◽  
Kátia Azevedo ◽  
Licinio Silva ◽  
Solange Oliveira ◽  
Ledy Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Retention In Care ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Short Report ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sustained Viral Suppression ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Background. Continuous health monitoring of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients is critical to allow uninterrupted access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and sustained viral suppression. Despite public health effort for patient retention in care, many HIV-infected patients fail to maintain effective engagement in Health Services. This study reports the attendance of HIV infected individuals for routine exams in a Brazilian outpatient clinic. Methods. Patients were enrolled in two moments, 2010/2011 and 2014/2015, as they attended the public service for monitoring HIV infection status. The individuals that agreed to participate the study signed an informed consent and completed a structured questionnaire. Results. Of 58 initially expected patients, only 31 participated in the second part of the study. The reasons for these individuals not returning to the health service during the study period were not related to death (1.7%) and the majority of them still remained enrolled in the service and in follow-up. Discussion. The difficulty of HIV infected patients in returning to healthcare services have been reported by several authors. Among the barriers that prevent monitoring, we suggest that noncompliance may also be linked to years of study. However this subject needs more investigation.

scholarly journals HIV infected patients attendance in a Brazilian public health service: A short report

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Silva dos Santos ◽  
Kátia Azevedo ◽  
Licinio Silva ◽  
Solange Oliveira ◽  
Ledy Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Retention In Care ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Short Report ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sustained Viral Suppression ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Background. Continuous health monitoring of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients is critical to allow uninterrupted access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and sustained viral suppression. Despite public health effort for patient retention in care, many HIV-infected patients fail to maintain effective engagement in Health Services. This study reports the attendance of HIV infected individuals for routine exams in a Brazilian outpatient clinic. Methods. Patients were enrolled in two moments, 2010/2011 and 2014/2015, as they attended the public service for monitoring HIV infection status. The individuals that agreed to participate the study signed an informed consent and completed a structured questionnaire. Results. Of 58 initially expected patients, only 31 participated in the second part of the study. The reasons for these individuals not returning to the health service during the study period were not related to death (1.7%) and the majority of them still remained enrolled in the service and in follow-up. Discussion. The difficulty of HIV infected patients in returning to healthcare services have been reported by several authors. Among the barriers that prevent monitoring, we suggest that noncompliance may also be linked to years of study. However this subject needs more investigation.

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