Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on carers’ experiences of being involved in the development of a web-based support programme for carers of people with heart failure (CPwHF), and ...discuss the challenges related to their involvement in the development process. The focus was on the different phases in the project as well as the methodological challenges and opportunities that occurred in the user group sessions conducted.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopt an explorative design studying a co-design process to develop an information and communication technology based support programme for and with CPwHF. Habermas’ concepts of lifeworld and system are used as a theoretical framework to analyse the co-design process employed in the study.
Findings
Reflecting on the co-design approach adopted, the findings highlight the methodological challenges that arise with carer involvement and the possible tensions that occur between researchers’ ambitions to include users in the design process, and the goal of developing a product or service, in the different phases of the design process.
Originality/value
Findings highlight that there is a tension between the system and lifeworld in the co-design process which are not totally compatible. The paper highlights that there is a need to develop flexible and reflexive human-centred design methodologies, able to meet carers’ needs and ideas, and at the same time balance this with proposed research outcomes.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the most methodologically sound methods of conducting empirical research, but a successful RCT is contingent on the recruitment of subjects into the ...intervention and study. Few research articles and evaluations in education discuss recruitment, and even fewer discuss challenges in recruitment. This is worrisome, given that recruitment can jeopardize internal and external validity - the most valuable aspects of RCTs. This paper initiates a conversation about planning and carrying out a successful recruitment campaign, specifically in postsecondary settings where students are more autonomous, programmes are likely to be voluntary, the flow of information is disparate, and incentives are often misaligned for external evaluation. We also share our challenges and lessons learned in recruiting students for a student support programme and its evaluation. We also advocate that more researchers devote attention to, and sufficiently plan for the recruitment of subjects into RCTs.
Background
Mental health problems are increasing among children and adolescents worldwide, and parental support programmes have been suggested as one preventive intervention. However, the actual ...impact and low rates of adoption and sustainability of prevention programmes have proven to be a concern, and thus, further studies on their implementation are needed.
Aim
This study focused on the initial implementation of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) in primary care. The aim was to investigate the involved actors’ views on factors likely to affect implementation and the strategies used to manage them.
Design
A case study design with a mixed‐methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews was used.
Methods
Eighty‐two professionals at different positions in the involved organisations participated. Directed content analysis was used for analyses, focusing on perceived levels of importance and the manifestation of implementation factors.
Findings
Interviews and questionnaires provided descriptions of factors influencing the initial ICDP implementation. Uncertainty on how to manage important factors and vague change strategies was reported. Discrepancies in the perceived levels of importance versus manifestation were found regarding several factors, including hands‐on support, time and resources, communication and information, a comprehensive plan of action, follow‐ups, and external and internal collaborations. Manifested factors were a need for change, motivation and the ICDP's compatibility with existing norms, values and practices.
Conclusions
Implementing a parental support programme in a complex setting will benefit from being preceded by a thorough examination of the intervention and the target context and the development of clear implementation strategies based on the results of that examination. This study provides insights into how and by whom knowledge on implementation is applied during the launch of a health promotion programme, and these insights might help increase the rate of adoption and the use of such programmes and thereby increase their effectiveness.
Although the efficiency of social-protection programmes depends on their coverage and the accurate targeting of those in need, the identification of beneficiaries can result from interpersonal ...relationships and political favouritism. This paper explores the impact of political favouritism on the identification of beneficiaries of Pakistan's Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in Sargodha district of Punjab in Pakistan. A comparison of beneficiaries identified by parliamentary representatives with those identified by a Poverty Score Card survey method reveals that the former were not the poorest and did not satisfy the stated selection criteria, while the existence of these two methods was a cause of conflict whose probability increased with the degree of political favouritism, lack of education and rural-urban disparities, but decreased with increases in the level of income.
Farmer-managed irrigation systems(FMIS) in the high altitude valleys of the Karakorum,Pakistan, continue to be managed effectively despite increased pressure on the social arrangements that sustain ...them. Colonial era records shows that over a century ago government agencies undertook irrigation support projects. In the past three decades,government agencies and the non-government agency Aga Khan Rural Support Programme(AKRSP), which channels foreign funds into the region, have actively engaged in the provision of irrigation support. This article seeks to explore whether such projects support or undermine farmer-managed irrigation systems and the complex institutional arrangements that underpin them. Field research using ethnographic and participatory methods was conducted in spring 2013 in the upper Shigar valley, Skardu district, GilgitBaltistan. The findings show that irrigation development is a political activity that involves village-based actors, religious leaders, local politicians,and government and non-government agencies.Government agencies operate in a largely top-down,engineering mode, their larger projects limited to villages suffering water scarcity. The local government provides small funds for renovation work of FMIS,though allocation of funds is highly politicized. Nongovernment agencies, for a variety of reasons including donor-funding cycles, apply a one-size-fitsall ‘participatory’ model in an attempt to socially engineer rules and institutions. In communities divided by factionalism the use of such external models that stress formation of committees are unlikely to yield positive results, and could instead contribute to undermining the very systems they seek to support. This research argues that irrigation interventions should take care to build upon the rich and complex social arrangements that have sustained FMIS through the centuries.
The paper investigated farmers’ participation in public extension service delivery in relation to selected farmer and farm-related variables. By means of a cross-sectional survey, semi-structured ...questionnaires were used to collect data from extension support recipients within the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) between November 2014 and January 2015. Findings show that all respondents attended training sessions organised by local extension agents and were satisfied with the training. Another major finding was that the farmer and farm-related variables appear to be situation-specific regarding farmers’ participation in public extension service delivery. Specifically, the findings showed no significant relationships between CASP enterprise type, farm distance from local extension office, farming type, and number of extension visits received. Similarly, satisfaction with CASP-Extension training received did not significantly differ between maize and non-maize producers. The findings are, however, of practical significance to extension programme managers in the Tshwane municipality that farmers, whether individuals or groups, far or near the local extension office receive farm visits, that irrespective of the crop farmers are cultivating, all producers are satisfied with the content of training programmes provided. It is recommended that extension practioners should, however, analyse their local situations for programme participation factors to enhance participation effectiveness.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that affect the university students' participation in the employment support programs. Towards this end, the Korea Employment Information Service's ...'University Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey' related panel data were used, and the variables that affect the participation in the employment support program with 3,916 students in 2-3 year and 4-year universities were analyzed as individual variables, university characteristics, and education, which were analyzed by classifying into the supporting variables and employment preparation factors. For the study, descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were conducted, and cross-tabulation and binomial logistic regression analysis were conducted to analyze the differences in the participation in the employment support program and the influential factors. The main analytical results are as follows. First, as a result of cross-analysis to confirm individual background differences in the employment support program participation, there was a significant difference in the employment support program participation according to gender, major, and school type. Second, as a result of the binomial logistic regression analysis conducted to identify the factors influencing the participation in the university student work experience program, the individual variables include humanities majors in majors, academic grades, recognition of youth subsidy, and student support system and career related counseling and satisfaction with the support system. Third, the factors influencing the participation in the work experience program at universities in the non-metropolitan areas were humanities among majors, student loans, grades, and satisfaction with the student support system and career related counseling and support system among educational support variables. Fourth, the factors influencing the participation in the work experience program for universities in the metropolitan areas were the individual variables, whether youth subsidy, university characteristics, school type, and employment preparation factors, job experience while attending school, volunteer work, and contest experience. Based on the results of the study, the implications for setting the direction of the university employment support program and the limitations of the study were discussed.
Australia is increasingly becoming a culturally diverse country, with this trend being reflected in nursing education as significant numbers of students enrol from backgrounds where English is a ...second/other language (ESL). These students will enable the provision of culturally competent care that a culturally diverse health system requires (Ohr et al., 2010), however they require significant levels of support to not only achieve academically in their nursing programme, but also to perform at the expected level during clinical placements (Boughton et al., 2010). Difficulties communicating with colleagues, patients and their families in the clinical setting have been identified among the challenges that ESL nurses face (Boughton et al., 2010; Jeong et al., 2011). A review of the literature indicates sporadic research into the education of nurses from ESL backgrounds. This paper discusses and raises awareness of common themes such as the challenges of adjusting to Western culture and using the advanced and technical English required by higher education and healthcare. This paper also discusses mixed results reported from a number of English language support programmes. This indicates a need for further research in this area to strengthen support for these nurses who can assist in the provision of culturally competent care.
Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent in patients with severe mental illness (SMI) than in the general population. Method Seven geographically diverse centres were assigned a ...nurse to monitor the physical health of SMI patients in secondary care over a 2-year period in the “Well-being Support Programme” (WSP). A physical health screen was performed and patients were given individual weight and lifestyle advice including smoking cessation to reduce cardiovascular risk. Results Nine hundred and sixty-six outpatients with SMI >2 years were enrolled. The completion rate at 2 years was 80%. Significant improvements were observed in levels of physical activity ( p < 0.0001), smoking ( p < 0.05) and diet ( p < 0.0001). There were no changes in mean BMI although 42% lost weight over 2 years. Self-esteem improved significantly. Low self-esteem decreased from 43% at baseline to 15% at 2 years ( p < 0.0001). At the end of the programme significant cardiovascular risk factors remained, 46% of subjects smoked, 26% had hypertension and 81% had BMI >25. Conclusion Physical health problems are common in SMI subjects. Many patients completed 2 years follow up suggesting that this format of programme is an acceptable option for SMI patients. Cardiovascular risk factors were significantly improved. Interventions such as the Well-being Support Programme should be made widely available to people with SMI.
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