scholarly journals Covid-19 and the ‘new normal’: are remote video consultations here to stay?

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Elaine Bidmead ◽  
Alison Marshall

Abstract Introduction During the UK Covid-19 lockdown, video consultations (telemedicine) were encouraged. The extent of usage, and to which concerns to earlier implementation were set aside, is unknown; this is worthy of exploration as data becomes available. Sources of data Sources of data are as follows: published case studies, editorials, news articles and government guidance. Areas of agreement Video can be clinically effective, especially where patients cannot attend due to illness or infection risk. Patients are positive, and they can benefit from savings in time and money. Adoption of telemedicine is hindered by a range of known barriers including clinician resistance due to technological problems, disrupted routines, increased workload, decreased work satisfaction and organizational readiness. Areas of controversy Despite policy impetus and successful pilots, telemedicine has not been adopted at scale. Growing points Increased use of telemedicine during the Covid-19 crisis presents opportunities to obtain robust evidence of issues and create service transformation effectively. Areas timely for developing research Examination of telemedicine use during the Covid-19 crisis to ensure that the benefits and usage continue into the post-lockdown, ‘new normal’ world.

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Brian Moore ◽  
Joris van Wijk

Case studies in the Netherlands and the UK of asylum applicants excluded or under consideration of exclusion pursuant to Article 1Fa of the Refugee Convention reveal that some applicants falsely implicated themselves in serious crimes or behaviours in order to enhance their refugee claim. This may have serious consequences for the excluded persons themselves, as well as for national governments dealing with them. For this reason we suggest immigration authorities could consider forewarning asylum applicants i.e. before their interview, about the existence, purpose and possible consequences of exclusion on the basis of Article 1F.


Author(s):  
Andy Lord

This chapter points to the ‘pluralization of the lifeworld’ involved in globalization as a key context for changing dissenting spiritualities through the twentieth century. These have included a remarkable upsurge in Spirit-movements that fall under categories such as Pentecostal, charismatic, neo-charismatic, ‘renewalist’, and indigenous Churches. Spirit language is not only adaptive to globalized settings, but brings with it eschatological assumptions. New spiritualities emerge to disrupt existing assumptions with prophetic and often critical voices that condemn aspects of the existing culture, state, and church life. This chapter outlines this process of disruption of the mainstream in case studies drawn from the USA, the UK, India, Africa, and Indonesia, where charismaticized Christianity has emerged and grown strongly in often quite resistant broader cultures.


2021 ◽  
pp. flgastro-2020-101713
Author(s):  
Mathuri Sivakumar ◽  
Akash Gandhi ◽  
Eathar Shakweh ◽  
Yu Meng Li ◽  
Niloufar Safinia ◽  
...  

ObjectivePrimary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a progressive, autoimmune, cholestatic liver disease affecting approximately 15 000 individuals in the UK. Updated guidelines for the management of PBC were published by The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in 2017. We report on the first national, pilot audit that assesses the quality of care and adherence to guidelines.DesignData were collected from 11 National Health Service hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland between 2017 and 2020. Data on patient demographics, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) dosing and key guideline recommendations were captured from medical records. Results from each hospital were evaluated for target achievement and underwent χ2 analysis for variation in performance between trusts.Results790 patients’ medical records were reviewed. The data demonstrated that the majority of hospitals did not meet all of the recommended EASL standards. Standards with the lowest likelihood of being met were identified as optimal UDCA dosing, assessment of bone density and assessment of clinical symptoms (pruritus and fatigue). Significant variations in meeting these three standards were observed across UK, in addition to assessment of biochemical response to UDCA (all p<0.0001) and assessment of transplant eligibility in high-risk patients (p=0.0297).ConclusionOur findings identify a broad-based deficiency in ‘real-world’ PBC care, suggesting the need for an intervention to improve guideline adherence, ultimately improving patient outcomes. We developed the PBC Review tool and recommend its incorporation into clinical practice. As the first audit of its kind, it will be used to inform a future wide-scale reaudit.


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Holden

Internationalized providers of care services face competing incentives and pressures relating to profit and quality. Case studies of corporate providers of long-term care in the UK demonstrate that their mode of organization has important implications for both user choice and the organization of care work. French Les fournisseurs internationalisés sont soumis à des pressions et à des incitatifs concurrentiels pour produire des profits et de la qualité. Des études de cas portant sur les fournisseurs institutionnels d'assistance à long terme au Royaume-Uni révèlent que leur mode d'organisation a d'importantes répercussions tant au niveau du choix des bénéficiaires qu'au niveau de l'organisation du travail d'assistance. Spanish Los prestadores transnacionales de servicios se enfrentan con incentivos que compiten entre sí y con la tensión entre calidad y ganancia. Se estudian unoscasos de prestadores de cuidados de larga duración en el Reino Unido. Estos demuestran que el modo de organización tiene consecuencias importantes, tanto para opciones abiertas al usuario como para la organización de los cuidados.


Livestock ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 270-273
Author(s):  
Jennifer Allan

Anthelmintic treatment at housing remains the cornerstone of common nematode and trematode management in the UK, taking advantage of the low re-infection risk once away from pasture. Treatment removes any endoparasite burdens acquired during the grazing season and reduces effects on productivity through the winter, as well as levels of larvae and eggs shed onto the pasture at spring turnout. This article covers the four most common parasitic disease complexes encountered in the UK that benefit from treatment at housing.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serik Tokbolat ◽  
Rajnish Kaur Calay

<p>This paper aimed to investigate the up-to-date levels of sustainability in the UK construction with special interest to sustainable housing. It also aims to examine the justification behind construction and housing sustainability, and to look at the practicality of transferring current expertise within the UK as well as to an emerging Central Asian country such as Kazakhstan. A synergy of case studies, survey and numerical simulation research methodologies were applied to undertake a wide-spectrum analysis of the topic. Regardless of difficulties related to applying sustainable practices the considered housing developments are found to be satisfactory in terms of environmental and socio-economic effects. Technical evaluation of the case studies compared to standard housing parameters has shown encouraging outcomes and confirmed the claimed energy and water efficiency. Findings of the survey indicated that construction companies of the UK and Kazakhstan are at different stages of application of sustainability measures. It was also established that companies and public are mainly optimistic about sustainability if suitable economical and legal conditions are ensured. Finally, numerical simulations have shown that selected sustainability measures made the studied housing projects competitive on the sustainability market. </p>


2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Armstrong

This paper proposes that there is a need to push beyond the popular discourses of ‘flexibility’ and ‘work-life balance’. Developing a feminist-Bourdieuian approach and drawing on three illustrative case studies from my interview research with 27 mothers in the UK, I show the importance of maintaining a focus on class and gender inequalities. In the first part of the paper the concepts of capitals, dependencies and habitus which shaped, and were shaped by, this interview research are discussed. An analysis of three women's accounts of their experiences across work and family life is then used to illustrate that although these women all used terms such as ‘flexibility’ and ‘juggling’ in describing their work, the experience of that work was crucially influenced by their histories and current positioning. Tracing each of these women's trajectories from school, attention is focused on the influence of differential access to capitals and relations of dependency in the emergence of their dispositions toward work. Overall, the paper points to the significance of examining the classed and gendered dimensions of women's experiences of employment and motherhood.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document