The COVID-19 pandemic enhanced digital transformation. With the spread of the pandemic and the introduction of epidemiological measures, citizens were enforced to use the Internet to an increased ...extent. The digital divide among citizens and the capability of citizens to get an equal level of services has also come to the fore. The paper explores the changes in the use of e-government services and the impact of the pandemic on the citizens' attitudes toward Internet use in Croatia. The analysis is based on the survey data. The results show that due to the pandemic, citizens became more dependent on IT equipment. Citizens spend more time using digital public services than in the pre-pandemic period. The results also reveal differences in the COVID-19 impact on the use of digital public services between different groups of population.
Demografski podatki in podatki o razpoložljivosti kapacitet domov starejših občanov (DSO) v Sloveniji nakazujejo potrebo po spremembi organiziranosti tega segmenta varstva. V prispevku smo se ...osredotočili na analizo in vrednotenje stanja urejenosti in dostopnosti zelenih površin ter storitev splošnega pomena v majhnih mestih z vidika potreb starejših prebivalcev, ki svojo starost preživljajo v DSO. Hkrati smo ocenili možnosti za dejansko uporabo zelenih površin te skupine prebivalstva. Ugotovili smo, da v Sloveniji potrebujemo temeljite sistemske spremembe na področju institucionalnega varstva starejših občanov, tudi na področju zagotavljanja, urejenosti in uporabe zelenih površin ob DSO.
The problems of oral health of people diagnosed with depression are not adequately recognized, either in developed or developing countries. Social stigma, lack of self-interest, or even inadequate ...approaches of dental doctors towards the unique situation of this group of people this lead to excessive oral health problems.
The bibliographic database PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and Whiley online library were searched using the following text and MeSH as separate key terms and in combination: depression and oral health/dental caries/periodontal disease/tooth loss/utilization of oral health services/and barriers. The content of documents was analysed using qualitative methodology.
Twenty-six original studies were included in the review. Level/severity of depression, medication and medical comorbidity are the most important medical barriers influencing the oral health of people diagnosed with depression. Dental fear and anxiety are mostly combined with low oral hygiene and bad oral health. Socioeconomic status, dental insurance, bad habits and education also have important roles in the oral health status of people diagnosed with depression.
Including individuals with depression and oral health problems in national health programs, creating specific prevention programs, or subsidizing the cost of treatment are some of the recommendations suggested as solutions.
From the Five Star Movement to Podemos, from the Pirate Parties to La France Insoumise, from the movements behind Bernie Sanders to those backing Jeremy Corbyn, the last decade has witnessed the rise ...of a new blueprint for political organisation: the digital party. Paolo Gerbaudo addresses the organisational revolution that is transforming political parties in the time of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Cambridge Analytica. Drawing on interviews with political leaders and organisers, Gerbaudo demonstrates that besides rapidly growing in votes, these formations have also revitalised party democracy, involving hundreds of thousands in discussions carried out on online decision-making platforms. Participatory, yet plebiscitarian, open and democratic, yet dominated by charismatic 'hyperleaders', digital parties display both great potentials and risks for the development of new forms of mass participation in an era of growing inequality. All political parties will have to reckon with the lessons of the digital party.
This special volume collects contributions from leading scholars who scrutinize the challenges digital finance presents for the EU internal market and financial market regulation from multiple public ...policy perspectives. Author contributions aim to provide policy-relevant research and ideas shedding light on the complexities of the digital finance promise. They also offer solid proposals for reform of EU financial services law.
Perceived value and its antecedents and consequences have been claimed to be important in industries with higher customer involvement. The aim of this paper is therefore to empirically assess the ...conceptual model, with perceived service value as its central component. It also investigates how it affects loyalty and satisfaction, how it is influenced by its antecedents, and to compare with other studies investigating partial relationship between variables.
A total of 800 patients were enrolled in the main study, and the data was analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. By modelling linear structural equations, we assessed reliability and established the convergent and discriminant validity of the questionnaire in the same way as in the pilot study.
In the conceptual model for testing our hypotheses, we also included the relationship between patient satisfaction and loyalty. In this manner, the fitting of data to the model was significantly improved. After including the additional relationship, global fit indices had the following values: Chi-square=349.6 (sig.=0.00), df=143, RMSEA=0.05, NFI=0.96, CFI=0.97. All relationships between the constructs were statistically significant, thus confirming all our hypotheses.
The major conclusion of this paper is that an especially higher reputation and higher perceived service quality can contribute to perceived service value and therefore to more satisfied patients. The research approach has a few limitations. In the future, the model of perceived service value can be extended with variables such as emotions, patient trust, and commitment as well.
Abstract Aim: To present the work of professionals and volunteers of the local help network that revolves around trying to help the homeless and to stimulate readers to critically assess the possible ...methods aimed towards the successful integration of those people into society. Methods: In the city of Koper, we visited five governmental (GOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs): Red Cross Koper, Daybreak Association, Center for Social Work Koper, Diocesan Caritas Koper and Koper Prison; and interviewed 3-10 staff members at each organisation. Results: For each organisation, we described its duties and activities, including its interconnection with other organisations, methods of integrating the homeless into the society and the personal thoughts of its staff members. Conclusions: Both GOs and NGOs are necessary for providing effective assistance to people in need. NGOs excel at quickly responding to immediate needs. Their programs are usually implemented only as short-term resolutions. GOs on the other hand require a longer time to implement their concepts. Nonetheless, in contrast to NGO projects, they provide long-term stability. Even though people from remote parts of the society usually cooperate, the efforts of those who work with them are nothing short of exerting. They strive to achieve a general social acceptance of their ward population, which is the one thing those people need the most. Since only the society is truly capable of offering them a firm stepping stone towards escaping from the vicious circle in which they stray.
Izvleček Cilj: Predstaviti delo strokovnega osebja in prostovoljcev lokalne mreže pomoči brezdomnim ter spodbuditi bralce h kritičnemu razmišljanju o mogočih načinih reševanja problema vključitve teh ljudi v družbo. Metode: V Kopru smo obiskali pet vladnih in nevladnih organizacij: Rdeči križ Koper, Društvo Svit, Center za socialno delo Koper, Škofijsko Karitas Koper in Zavod za prestajanje kazni zapora Koper; pri vsaki organizaciji smo izvedli intervju z od 3 do 10 strokovnimi sodelavci ali prostovoljci. Rezultati: Za vsako organizacijo smo opisali, katere naloge in dejavnosti opravlja, vključno s tem, kako se povezuje z drugimi organizacijami, kakšni so njeni načini vključitve brezdomnih v družbo ter kakšna so osebna opažanja njenega osebja o dejavnostih organizacije in uspešnosti dela, ki ga opravlja. Zaključki: Vladne in nevladne organizacije so potrebne za učinkovito pomoč ljudem v stiski. Nevladne se odzovejo takoj; njihovi programi so ponavadi uporabljeni le kot kratkotrajne rešitve težav. Vladne organizacije pa se v primerjavi z nevladnimi odzovejo z zamikom; njihovi projekti z dlje časa trajajočim delovanjem ustvarjajo dolgotrajno stabilnost. Kljub sodelovanju ljudi iz obrobja družbe je delo posameznikov, ki z njimi delajo, zelo naporno in izčrpno. Stremijo k temu, da bi ogroženo populacijo družba bolje sprejela, kar je nekaj, kar ti ljudje najbolj potrebujejo. Samo družba je namreč tista, ki jim lahko nudi učinkovit izhod iz začaranega kroga, v katerem blodijo.
Vlada afriškega nacionalnega kongresa (ang. African National Congress ali ANC) se je v okviru programa rekonstrukcije in razvoja odločila za gradnjo, da bi zagotovila stanovanja nekdanjim socialno ...šibkejšim skupinam in rešila vprašanje velikih zaostankov v stanovanjski gradnji, ki so zadnja leta značilni za Južnoafriško republiko. Kljub dobrim namenom pa so ta stanovanja tarče ostrih kritik zaradi nizkih gradbenih standardov in slabe kakovosti ter tudi pomanjkanja osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin na območju novogradenj. Raziskava, na podlagi katere je nastal ta članek, je bila opravljena leta 2008, v njej pa so sodelovali prebivalci območja Braamfischerville v Sowetu. S pomočjo vprašalnika smo za vsako gospodinjstvo med drugim zbrali demografske podatke ter podatke o mesečnih dohodkih in stroških. Stopnjo zadovoljstva s posameznimi prvinami stanovanja, kot so okna, vrata in streha, in tudi s samim stanovanjem na splošno, smo določili s pomočjo petstopenjske Likertove lestvice in intervjujev. Pri določanju dejavnikov, ki prispevajo k večjemu zadovoljstvu, smo ugotovili, da je bližina osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin za stanovalce enako pomembna kot videz stanovanja. V bližini novozgrajenih naselij je zato treba zagotoviti osnovne javne dobrine. Stanovalci so se pritoževali nad kakovostjo stanovanj in dostopom do osnovnih storitev in javnih dobrin; te znižujejo stopnjo zadovoljstva s stanovanji in tako negativno vplivajo na kakovost življenja prebivalcev naselja Braamfisherville.