Telerehabilitation in the Middle East North Africa Region: A Structured Review

A structured review using the PRISMA guidelines, MeSH keywords and eight health databases was conducted (1990 to March 2021). Telerehabilitation research evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) was summarized. Twelve studies from Iran, Israel, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia met inclusion criteria; nearly all had been published within the past five years. Methodological quality was moderate to good in the four randomized controlled trials, five cohort-studies and three cross-section surveys. There were seven intervention studies in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurology or burn rehabilitation and three patient perception and two practitioner perception studies. Narrative synthesis revealed content themes relating to rehabilitation availability and accessibility; patient/practitioner perceptions of telerehabilitation; telerehabilitation to augment traditional services; and barriers to telerehabilitation. Telerehabilitation practice in MENA has been demonstrated as feasible, acceptable to patients, and effective in practitioner-designed cohort specific programs. Practitioners are generally positive but lack experience and need training, enabling technological systems, and policy frameworks.

General practitioner perceptions of telehealth services in Australia: a qualitative study

BackgroundPrimary care providers have been rapidly transitioning from in-person to telehealth care during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There is an opportunity for new research in a rapidly evolving area, where evidence for telehealth services in primary care in the Australian setting remains limited.AimTo explore general practitioner (GP) perceptions on providing telehealth (telephone and videoconsultation) services in primary care in Australia.Design & settingA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to gain an understanding of GP perceptions on telehealth use in Australia.MethodsGPs across Australia were purposively sampled. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to identify initial codes, which were then organised into themes.ResultsFourteen GPs were interviewed. Two major themes that described GP perceptions of telehealth were 1) Existence of business and financial pressures in general practice and 2) providing quality of care in Australia. These two themes interacted with four minor themes: 3) consumer-led care, 4) COVID-19 as a driver for telehealth reimbursement and adoption, 5) refining logistical processes and 6) GP experiences shape telehealth use.ConclusionThis study found that multiple considerations influence GP choice of in-person, videoconference, or telephone consultation mode. For telehealth to be used routinely within primary care settings, evidence that supports the delivery of higher quality care to patients through telehealth and sustainable funding models will be required.

Nature-based activities for people living with dementia: A nice day out or a matter of human rights?

Purpose There is growing interest in and evidence for the benefits of connecting with nature for people living with dementia, sometimes known as “green care”, including reduced stress, improved sleeping and even enhanced cognition. However, many people living with dementia are denied such opportunities, often because of practitioner perceptions of risk and poor design of outdoor spaces. This paper reports on the evaluation of a project that worked with national providers to give people living with dementia opportunities and support to access the natural environment. Design/methodology/approach The evaluation adopted a mixed-methods approach, using a combination of bespoke and commonly used tools and in-depth case study work to identify the facilitators and challenges to delivering the project and explore the experiences of activity participants. Findings Qualitative measures indicated a significant improvement in mental well-being for participants with dementia and family carers following attendance at activity sessions. Research interviews indicated that participants enjoyed activities based on connecting with nature. Being outdoors was a major factor in the experience, along with taking part in activities that were meaningful and opportunities for social interaction. Originality/value This paper provides evidence for the benefits of connecting with nature for people living with dementia. This paper concludes that access to the outdoors is not a luxury, it is a basic human right and one which has become increasingly important in light of restrictions that have emerged as a result of the COVID19 pandemic.

The role of spirituality and spiritual care in complementary and alternative medicine: A scoping review

Background: Spirituality has become more prevalent in health professions other than complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). In CAM, spirituality appears to be part of a foundational component of the clinical practice, which is valued by many patients. Spirituality has gained popularity in healthcare education and practice; however, the contribution made by CAM remains minimal evidenced by the paucity of studies on the topic of spirituality in CAM. Therefore, there is need for a scoping review to: 1) to explore the focus and nature of research on spirituality in CAM; 2) to provide recommendations based on the relational aspects between spirituality and CAM. Methods: A scoping review was performed of all relevant articles found in Ebscohost (Academic Search Complete), Science Direct, and Scopus published between 2000 and 2019. This scoping review included two hundred and six studies, of these, twentytwo articles focussed on the role of spirituality in CAM. Results: These four themes were reported in the results: spirituality as a modality of CAM; patient perceptions of the role of spirituality and CAM; practitioner perceptions of the role of spirituality and CAM; and the role of spirituality and CAM in education and practice. Spirituality was considered an important component and was linked to culture, traditions and/or religious beliefs. The use of spirituality in CAM was especially linked to patients living with chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiac conditions and cancer. Spirituality seemingly facilitated health care and while patients expected spirituality healthcare advice from CAM practitioners most CAM practitioners felt ill equipped to deal with the topic appropriately. Conclusions: Overall, this scoping review highlights that the role of spirituality in CAM seem to be of value for both practitioners and clients within the CAM clinical setting. However, only a few practitioners include spiritual healthcare advice without clear guidelines. Consequently, this may compromise the holistic treatment, which so many patients expect within the CAM domain. Therefore, there is a need for the inclusion of spirituality in the CAM curriculum and guidelines for CAM practitioners. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(4) 2021 p.714-724

“You come up with different theories every year”: Practitioner perceptions of injury risk factors and player monitoring practices in elite men’s domestic cricket

The aim of the current study was to capture and better understand the current perceptions of injury risk factors and player monitoring practices in elite men’s domestic senior cricket, to help guide practice in this setting. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used, consisting of a quantitative survey sent to science and medicine practitioners at all English County clubs ( n = 23, with representation from each club) and a set of qualitative interviews ( n = 10 from six County clubs). Previous injury and physical fitness were the intrinsic injury risk factors most frequently endorsed as being important, with reduced recovery time and congested match schedules the most frequently endorsed extrinsic risk factors. Monitoring bowling overs was the most common tool for continually assessing injury risk. Player adherence was perceived to be the main factor impacting effective monitoring, along with human resource and practical application of monitoring knowledge. The interviews revealed that communicating value, fostering effective working relationships, and a strong club culture were important for successfully implementing monitoring and prevention initiatives. Cricket presents distinct challenges for its practitioners, and more education and guidance on appropriate monitoring methods and analysis is needed.

Development of electronic student worksheets based on toulmin argumentation patterns to improve argumentation skills in basic acid materials

This research is part of a research project to help improve students' argumentative skills in chemistry subjects. This research is part of the development of argumentation-based teaching materials while other studies have developed learning models, teaching materials and a collection of argumentation questions. The purpose of this research was to determine the process of developing students' e-worksheets, the feasibility of students' e-worksheets based on concept and practitioner perceptions, and the effectiveness of students' e-worksheets that were developed as teaching materials based on the Toulmin argumentation pattern. Product trials were conducted at state senior high schools 11 Jambi City. The results of the practitioner's eligibility based on the teacher's response are in the very good category and students from both groups have a correlation in the "high" category. The effectiveness test is seen from the average N-Gain score of the experimental class in the quite effective category. There is a significant difference between the experimental class and the control class which can be seen from the difference in learning outcomes of the experimental class (using students' e-LKS based on the Toulmin argumentation pattern) higher than the control class (not using e-LKS).

Public Relations or Humas: How do the public and practitioners perceive it?

This study aims to describe the public and practitioner's perceptions of the public relations or Humas profession. Public relations plays a role in maintaining the credibility of the organization which is built from public perceptions. Apart from public relations, this profession is also called humas. However, based on Propechy's Self-Fulfilling Theory, it is possible to have different meanings by the public and practitioners related to these two terms. This study uses a constructivist approach (qualitative) and interview methods to collect data. The number of informants was 200 people in Malang City. The focus of this research is to find perceptions about what public relations or humas is, its functions, its relation to gender, and educational background. This research produces four propositions, namely public and practitioner perceptions of public relations and humas tends to be positive, public relations and humas are considered the same profession, men and women are perceived to be practitioners in this profession, and practitioners should come from the discipline of communication science and public relations. This research contributes to challenge the previous view that public relations is seen as an attempt to manipulate communication messages.