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Ebuenyi ID, Smith EM, Jamali MZ, Munthali A, MacLachlan M. The IDEAL PROCESS for developing Assistive Technology policy. Assist Technol 2024; 36:224-231. [PMID: 37725484 DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2023.2254359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Policy development and implementation are key to improving access to Assistive Technology (AT). In this paper, we describe a strength-based framework for doing this at national level. We used an action research approach, with the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) as the primary frame of reference. Primary data were collected using the World Health Organisation's rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA). We describe the process of applying our emergent framework and how our findings support it. We identified seven guiding principles for effective policy process: Participatory, Resource aware, Outcomes focused, Collaborative, Evidence-informed, supporting good practices, and System strengthening - which can be summarized by the acronym PROCESS. Five crucial building blocks for effective AT policy development emerged: Identification of the assistive technology ecosystem, Demography of disability and AT use, Evaluation of inclusion and participation in existing policy, Alignment with UNCRPD and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Locality of implementation - which can be summarized with the acronym IDEAL. The IDEAL PROCESS incorporates key content building blocks and core process principles, constituting a systematic framework for guiding the development of context sensitive AT policy and a strength-based pathway to improving access AT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikenna D Ebuenyi
- Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Emma M Smith
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Monica Z Jamali
- Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | | | - Malcolm MacLachlan
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
- Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Bowen JM, Ouimet M, Lawarée J, Bielecki J, Rhéaume A, Greenberg C, Rac VE. Describing the state of a research network: A mixed methods approach to network evaluation. RESEARCH EVALUATION 2023; 32:188-199. [PMID: 37799115 PMCID: PMC10550251 DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes Action Canada Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Network in Chronic Disease was formed in 2016 and is funded primarily through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). We propose a novel mixed-methods approach to a network evaluation integrating the State of Network Evaluation framework and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) preferred framework and indicators. We measure key network themes of connectivity, health and results, and impact and return on investment associated with health research networks. Our methods consist of a longitudinal cross-sectional network survey of members and social network analysis to examine Network Connectivity and assess the frequency of interactions, the topics discussed during them, and how networking effectively facilitates interactions and collaboration among members. Network Health will be evaluated through semistructured interviews, a membership survey inquiring about satisfaction and experience with the Network, and a review of documentary sources related to funding and infrastructure to evaluate Network Sustainability. Finally, we will examine Network Results and Impact using the CAHS preferred framework and indicators to measure returns on investment in health research across the five domains of the CAHS framework, which include: advancing knowledge, capacity building, informing decision making, health impact, and economic and social impact. Indicators will be assessed with various methods, including bibliometric analyses, review of relevant documentary sources (annual reports), member activities informing health and research policy, and Patient Partner involvement. The Network Evaluation will provide members and stakeholders with information for planning, improvements, and funding future Network endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Bowen
- Program for Health System and Technology Evaluation, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI), Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- THETA Collaborative, University Health Network, 10th Floor Eaton North, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- Health Technology Assessment and Network Analytics, Diabetes Action Canada, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4,Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6,Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Mathieu Ouimet
- Health Technology Assessment and Network Analytics, Diabetes Action Canada, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4,Canada
- Département de Science Politique, Faculté des Science Social, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Justin Lawarée
- Département de Science Politique, Faculté des Science Social, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Joanna Bielecki
- Program for Health System and Technology Evaluation, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI), Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- THETA Collaborative, University Health Network, 10th Floor Eaton North, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Ashley Rhéaume
- Département de Science Politique, Faculté des Science Social, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Caylee Greenberg
- Program for Health System and Technology Evaluation, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI), Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- THETA Collaborative, University Health Network, 10th Floor Eaton North, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Valeria E Rac
- Program for Health System and Technology Evaluation, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI), Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- THETA Collaborative, University Health Network, 10th Floor Eaton North, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- Health Technology Assessment and Network Analytics, Diabetes Action Canada, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4,Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6,Canada
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Ebuenyi ID, Smith EM, Kafumba J, Jamali MZ, Munthali A, MacLachlan M. Implementation of the Assistive Product List (APL) in Malawi through development of appropriate policy and systems: an action research protocol. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e040281. [PMID: 33158833 PMCID: PMC7651723 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Assistive technology (AT) is important for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for persons with disabilities (PWD). Increasingly, studies suggest a significant gap between the need for and demand for and provisions of AT for PWD in low-income and middle-income settings. Evidence from high income countries highlights the importance of robust AT policies to the achievement of the recommendations of the World Health Assembly on AT. In Malawi, there is no standalone AT policy. The objectives of the Assistive Product List Implementation Creating Enablement of inclusive SDGs (APPLICABLE) project, are to propose and facilitate the development of a framework for creating effective national AT policy and specify a system capable of implementing such policies in low-income countries such as Malawi. METHOD AND ANALYSIS We propose an action research process with stakeholders in AT in Malawi. APPLICABLE will adopt an action research paradigm, through developing a shared research agenda with stakeholders and including users of AT. This involves the formation of an Action Research Group that will specify the priorities for practice-and policy-based evidence, in order to facilitate the development of contextually realistic and achievable policy aspirations on AT in Malawi and provide system strengthening recommendations that will ensure that the policy is implementable for their realisation. We will undertake an evaluation of this policy by measuring supply and support for specific AT prior to, and following the implementation of the policy recommendations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study protocol was approved by Maynooth University Research Ethics Committee (SRESC-2019-2378566) and University of Malawi Research Ethics Committee (P.01/20/10). Findings from the study will be disseminated by publication in peer-reviewed journals, presentations to stakeholders in Malawi, Ireland and international audiences at international conferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikenna D Ebuenyi
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Emma M Smith
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Juba Kafumba
- Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Monica Z Jamali
- Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | | | - Malcolm MacLachlan
- Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
- Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Marqués-Sánchez P, García-Rodríguez I, Benítez-Andrades JA, Fulgueiras-Carril I, Fernández-Sierra P, Fernández-Martínez E. Networks and Emotions in Cooperative Work: A Quasi-Experimental Study in University Nursing and Computer Engineering Students. Healthcare (Basel) 2020; 8:healthcare8030220. [PMID: 32698453 PMCID: PMC7551642 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare8030220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
University students establish networks that impact on their behavior. Social Network Analysis (SNA) allows us to analyze the reticular structures formed and find patterns of interaction between university students. The main objective of this study was to observe the impact of interdisciplinary collaborative work between nursing and computer engineering students on the collaboration and friendship networks, emotions and performance of the participants. It is a quasi-experimental descriptive study with pre- and post-intervention measurements. The contact networks analyzed showed an increase in density in the post-intervention period. The most central people in the network corresponded with those who considered positive emotions most in their academic environment, while the less central people coincided with those who highlighted negative emotions. Academic performance was only significantly associated in the collaboration network, between this and OutdegreeN. This study shows the impact of interdisciplinary activities on teaching methodologies and the repercussions of emotions on curricular activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Marqués-Sánchez
- SALBIS Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus of Ponferrada, University of León, 24401 Ponferrada, Spain; (P.M.-S.); (E.F.-M.)
| | - Isaías García-Rodríguez
- SECOMUCI Research Group, Escuela de Ingenierías Industrial e Informática, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain;
| | - José Alberto Benítez-Andrades
- SALBIS Research Group, Department of Electric, Systems and Automatics Engineering, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-987-29-3628
| | | | - Patricia Fernández-Sierra
- Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy Health Science School, University of León, Avenida Astorga s/n, Ponferrada, 24401 León, Spain;
| | - Elena Fernández-Martínez
- SALBIS Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Campus of Ponferrada, University of León, 24401 Ponferrada, Spain; (P.M.-S.); (E.F.-M.)
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Dow AW, Sewell DK, Lockeman KS, Micalizzi EA. Evaluating a Center for Interprofessional Education via Social Network Analysis. ACADEMIC MEDICINE : JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES 2020; 95:207-212. [PMID: 31577587 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000003010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Centers and institutes are created to support interdisciplinary collaboration. However, all centers and institutes face the challenge of how best to evaluate their impact since traditional counts of productivity may not fully capture the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The authors applied techniques from social network analysis (SNA) to evaluate the impact of a center for interprofessional education (IPE), a growing area for centers because of the global emphasis on IPE.The authors created networks based on the connections between faculty involved in programs supported by an IPE center at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2014 to 2017. They used mathematical techniques to describe these networks and the change in the networks over time. The results of these analyses demonstrated that, while the number of programs and involved faculty grew, the faculty maintained a similar amount of connection between members. Additional faculty clusters emerged, and certain key faculty were important connectors between clusters. The analysis also confirmed the interprofessional nature of faculty collaboration within the network.SNA added important evaluation data beyond typical metrics such as counts of learners or faculty. This approach demonstrated how a center was evolving and what strategies might be needed to support further growth. With further development of benchmarks, SNA could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of centers and institutes relative to each other. SNA should guide strategic decisions about the future of centers and institutes as they strive to meet their overarching goal of tackling a social challenge through interdisciplinary collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan W Dow
- A.W. Dow is assistant vice president of health sciences for interprofessional education and collaborative care and professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9004-7528. D.K. Sewell is assistant professor of biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9238-4026. K.S. Lockeman is assistant professor of medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1890-3710. E.A. Micalizzi is center administrator, Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care, Richmond, Virginia
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Shoham DA, Harris JK, Mundt M, McGaghie W. A network model of communication in an interprofessional team of healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study of a burn unit. J Interprof Care 2016; 30:661-7. [PMID: 27436781 DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2016.1203296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Healthcare teams consist of individuals communicating with one another during patient care delivery. Coordination of multiple specialties is critical for patients with complex health conditions, and requires interprofessional and intraprofessional communication. We examined a communication network of 71 health professionals in four professional roles: physician, nurse, health management, and support personnel (dietitian, pharmacist, or social worker), or other health professionals (including physical, respiratory, and occupational therapists, and medical students) working in a burn unit. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected by surveying members of a healthcare team. Ties were defined by asking team members whom they discussed patient care matters with on the shift. We built an exponential random graph model to determine: (1) does professional role influence the likelihood of a tie; (2) are ties more likely between team members from different professions compared to between team members from the same profession; and (3) which professions are more likely to form interprofessional ties. Health management and support personnel ties were 94% interprofessional while ties among nurses were 60% interprofessional. Nurses and other health professionals were significantly less likely than physicians to form ties. Nurses were 1.64 times more likely to communicate with nurses than non-nurses (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.01-2.66); there was no significant role homophily for physicians, other health professionals, or health management and support personnel. Understanding communication networks in healthcare teams is an early step in understanding how teams work together to provide care; future work should evaluate the types and quality of interactions between members of interprofessional healthcare teams.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Shoham
- a Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine , Loyola University Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA.,b Leischner Institute for Medical Education , Loyola University Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Jenine K Harris
- c Brown School , Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , Missouri , USA
| | - Marlon Mundt
- d Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA
| | - William McGaghie
- b Leischner Institute for Medical Education , Loyola University Chicago , Chicago , Illinois , USA
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Callard F, Fitzgerald D, Woods A. Interdisciplinary collaboration in action: tracking the signal, tracing the noise. PALGRAVE COMMUNICATIONS 2015; 1:15019. [PMID: 27516896 PMCID: PMC4978461 DOI: 10.1057/palcomms.2015.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Interdisciplinarity is often framed as an unquestioned good within and beyond the academy, one to be encouraged by funders and research institutions alike. And yet there is little research on how interdisciplinary projects actually work-and do not work-in practice, particularly within and across the social sciences and humanities. This article centres on "Hubbub", the first interdisciplinary 2-year research residency of The Hub at Wellcome Collection, which is investigating rest and its opposites in neuroscience, mental health, the arts and the everyday. The article describes how Hubbub is tracing, capturing and reflecting on practices of interdisciplinarity across its large, dispersed team of collaborators, who work across the social sciences, humanities, arts, mind and brain sciences, and public engagement. We first describe the distinctiveness of Hubbub (a project designed for a particular space, and one in which the arts are not positioned as simply illustrating or disseminating the research of the scientists), and then outline three techniques Hubbub has developed to map interdisciplinary collaboration in the making: (1) ethnographic analysis; (2) "In the Diary Room", an aesthetics of collaboration designed to harness and capture affective dynamics within a large, complex project; and (3) the Hubbub Collaboration Questionnaire, which yields quantitative and qualitative data, as well as a social network analysis of collaborators. We conclude by considering some themes that other inter-disciplinary projects might draw on for their own logics of tracking and tracing. This article forms part of an ongoing thematic collection dedicated to interdisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Callard
- The Hub at Wellcome Collection, Wellcome Collection, London, UK; Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK; Centre for Medical Humanities, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Des Fitzgerald
- The Hub at Wellcome Collection, Wellcome Collection, London, UK; Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Angela Woods
- The Hub at Wellcome Collection, Wellcome Collection, London, UK; School of Medicine, Pharmacy & Health, Durham University, Durham, UK; Centre for Medical Humanities, Durham University, Durham, UK
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