Request For Aid Research Articles

Insights from GoFundMe posts: Analyzing GoFundMe financial aid requests from brain tumor patients in Ontario, Canada

Abstract Background Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors significantly affect individuals globally, with patients in Ontario, Canada, often bearing financial burdens for treatments such as oral chemotherapy due to insufficient coverage, resulting in complex insurance processes or out-of-pocket payments. However, limited understanding exists regarding other direct and indirect financial implications of their diagnosis. This study examines the financial strains, unmet needs, and overarching challenges encountered by Ontario’s brain tumor patients, utilizing GoFundMe posts as a unique data source to explore additional financial costs linked to CNS tumor diagnoses in the region. Methods A qualitative descriptive design employing thematic analysis analyzed GoFundMe posts supporting CNS tumor patients in Ontario from 2014 to 2021. A search strategy targeted posts featuring primary CNS tumor keywords, with NVivo 10 software facilitating post organization and coding. Results Focused on Ontario, the study yielded a final dataset of 154 posts from an initial pool of 9025, revealing further financial strain due to income loss among patients and caregivers. Posts highlighted various concerns: (1) navigating the complexities of accessing support services, (2) worries about family’s long-term financial and overall well-being, (3) insufficient public awareness about the financial and emotional burden on those affected, and (4) seeking emotional support, hope, and encouragement from the community. Conclusions These GoFundMe posts highlight a connection between financial burden, emotional distress, and the need for improved access to financial and emotional support services. The results emphasize distinct financial challenges faced by CNS tumor patients within Ontario’s healthcare system.

A robust optimization framework for two‐echelon vehicle and UAV routing for post‐disaster humanitarian logistics operations

AbstractProviding first aid and other supplies (e.g., epi‐pens, medical supplies, dry food, water) during and after a disaster is always challenging. The complexity of these operations increases when the transportation, power, and communications networks fail, leaving people stranded and unable to communicate their locations and needs. The advent of emerging technologies like uncrewed autonomous vehicles can help humanitarian logistics providers reach otherwise stranded populations after transportation network failures. However, due to the failures in telecommunication infrastructure, demand for emergency aid can become uncertain. To address the challenges of delivering emergency aid to trapped populations with failing infrastructure networks, we propose a novel robust computational framework for a two‐echelon vehicle routing problem that uses uncrewed autonomous vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for the deliveries. We formulate the problem as a two‐stage robust optimization model to handle demand uncertainty. Then, we propose a column‐and‐constraint generation approach for worst‐case demand scenario generation for a given set of truck and UAV routes. Moreover, we develop a decomposition scheme inspired by the column generation approach to generate UAV routes for a set of demand scenarios heuristically. Finally, we combine the decomposition scheme within the column‐and‐constraint generation approach to determine robust routes for both trucks (first echelon vehicles) and UAVs (second echelon vehicles), the time that affected communities are served, and the quantities of aid materials delivered. To validate our proposed algorithms, we use a simulated dataset that aims to recreate emergency aid requests in different areas of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Request for aid in flood-impacted regions following the 2022 flood crisis in Pakistan

Request for aid in flood-impacted regions following the 2022 flood crisis in Pakistan

Promoting the State through Food Scarcity: Czechoslovakia and the United States after World War I

Abstract After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy, Czechoslovak leaders sought ways to strengthen the state's position in Europe and considered the republic's good reputation as essential to stabilizing the state and securing food supplies. This article analyzes how the Czechoslovak authorities portrayed their country's image and the postwar food shortage, and who participated in its construction. Hunger and scarcity were interpreted as the result of years of deliberate exploitation by Austria-Hungary, and requests for aid were justified on the grounds that a democratic and moral state deserved aid as a matter of priority. Czechoslovak leaders sought to secure a favorable position among the victorious powers by establishing a consistent historical narrative, an elaborate system of publicity, lobbying networks, and personal relationships with Entente officials. They were able to present their country's situation in a positive manner, even in terms of scarcity, and to promise their citizens a better future. This article examines the ways the Czechoslovak state communicated its need for humanitarian aid, particularly from the United States. It argues that the Czechoslovak effort to capitalize on its self-proclaimed moral reputation was partially successful in attracting a circle of supporters, even promoters, and in creating and cultivating its international image as “an island of democracy in Central Europe.”

Implementation of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory Method for Selecting Social Assistance Recipients

Amil Zakat Infaq and Shadaqah Muhammadiyah Institution (LazisMu) Ayah is one of the national amil zakat institutions located in Ayah District, Kebumen Regency. Every month, LazisMu Ayah Service Office provides assistance to people in need in the form of house renovation programs, scholarships for high school or college level education, and business capital. The problem that is often encountered in determining potential aid recipients is that the large number of requests for aid is disproportionate to the number of officers processing the screening data. Apart from that, the selection process for aid recipients still uses manual methods, so it often causes problems such as the selection process for selecting aid candidates taking up to a week and miscalculations occurring, resulting in inaccurate results in the selection of potential aid recipients. Therefore, the method used as a solution model in providing decisions on the system for selecting potential aid recipients at LazisMu Ayah is a decision support system using the multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) method. This method was chosen because it is able to select the best alternative from a number of alternatives, in this case, the intended alternative is people who are entitled to receive assistance based on 10 criteria. The results of the black box testing show that the system created is in accordance with the design and can be used as a tool. making decisions on determining aid recipients, so that LazisMu Ayah services can be improved because the selection process becomes faster, more accurate, and on target.

From Bail-out to Bail-in: explaining the variegated responses to the international financial aid requests of Ireland and Cyprus

ABSTRACT The financial crisis that hit the Eurozone in 2010 drove a number of its members request assistance from their EU partners. The reaction to these requests at the European level came in coordination with the IMF, but not necessarily in a uniform manner. This article compares the adjustment programmes of Ireland and Cyprus. Despite their similarity on the independent variable (local economic conditions), the design of the Irish and Cypriot programmes (the dependent variable) differed fundamentally, not least because of the introduction of the bail-in clause in Cyprus, involving direct loses for depositors. This article seeks to explain how this key policy departure came to be and what were the conditions that made its introduction possible by examining the temporal evolution of the crisis response and focusing in particular on four explanatory themes: (i) time as a negotiating (dis)advantage; (ii) time as a platform for policy learning; (iii) time as a justifier of past policy choices (path dependency) and (iv) time as a signifier of future policy choices (path setting).

Assessing cancer-related financial support needs by household income.

210 Background: Financial hardship associated with a cancer diagnosis can impact access to healthcare, treatment adherence, and overall quality of life. Family Reach, a national nonprofit, offers direct financial assistance grants for both medical and nonmedical expenses. Our analysis aimed to assess financial hardship, essential needs, and specific assistance requests amongst grant applicants based on household income level. Methods: Data from applications in March 2021-February 2022 were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariate tests. Household income was assessed across 3 categories of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL): <150% of FPL, 150-250% of FPL, and >250% of FPL. Associations between FPL and race/ethnicity, gender, insurance, phase of treatment, self-reported financial concerns, and assistance requests were characterized. Results: 4077 patients with cancer applied for assistance in the 12-month period; 2398 (59%) were <150% FPL, 845 (21%) were 150-250% FPL, and 834 (20%) were >250% FPL. Common diagnoses included leukemia (25%), breast (19%), and brain (7%). 57% applicants were female and 42% male; racial/ethnic identity included 43% Non-Hispanic White, 24% Non-Hispanic Black, and 19% Hispanic/Latinx. 89% of applicants reported undergoing active treatment, with 7% in monitoring and follow-up. Lower household income was associated with more food insecurity, higher risk of utilities and phone being shut-off, and increased risk of homelessness (p<0.001). Requests for unexpected aid, childcare, funeral expenses, and public transportation were all less common in higher income groups compared to those with incomes <150% FPL. Requests for assistance with medical expenses and car payments/insurance were more common for those with higher household income. Conclusions: This analysis of patients with cancer who applied for financial assistance shows that support needs vary significantly by household income; families affected by cancer close to the poverty threshold had significant difficulties meeting essential needs, including food and shelter. Lack of individualized interventions may decrease effectiveness of aid and fail to fill gaps in financial coverage. Programs like Family Reach can serve as a blueprint for future individualized aid distribution to address financial barriers to optimal cancer outcomes.[Table: see text]

Supporting the Waldensians

Early modern aid to foreign fellow believers is usually seen as an expression of confessional solidarity, initiated by and through religious networks. By studying four collections organised in the Dutch Republic between 1655 and 1731 in aid of Waldensians persecuted in Savoy, this article argues for a broadening of our perspective on transnational aid beyond the narrow confines of religious solidarity. It investigates the role of the Dutch civil authorities in the provision of transnational aid to foreign Protestants, through an analysis of the decision-making process that followed aid requests, the manner in which charitable collections were organised, and how the resulting proceeds were used. Even if aid was only given to fellow believers, for the Dutch authorities such aid was never merely a question of confessional solidarity: it was first and foremost an instrument of national foreign policy. This adds an important dimension to our understanding of transnational aid to foreign fellow believers.

D. F. Sarmiento: la masonería y la Compañía de Jesús. Análisis del debate parlamentario de la Cámara de Senadores del Congreso Nacional Argentino del 18 de mayo de 1876 sobre una solicitud de colaboración para la reconstrucción del Colegio del Salvador de Buenos Aires

In this paper we will analyze the parliamentary debate of the Senate on May 18, 1876, due to a request for financial aid for the repair of the College "del Salvador" of the Society of Jesús in Buenos Aires, which had been burned down the year previous. In this debate we will focus on the performance of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who was serving as senator for the province of San Juan, noting his opinions and arguments against the Society of Jesús. To arrive at these considerations, we will first and briefly stop at the relationship between San Juan and freemasonry and the Jesuits. The objective will be to give a brief contribution more in the way of the investigation of the religious profile of Sarmiento and his performance in freemasonry, in the context of his national political performance

Analysis of Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors for the Aid Events of COVID-19 Based on GDELT

The uncertainty of COVID-19 and the spatial inequality of anti-pandemic materials have made international aid an important means for many countries to cope with this global public health crisis. It is of far-reaching significance to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of international aid events for the global joint fight against COVID-19 and the sustainability of global public health business. The data on aid events from 23 January 2020 to 31 October 2021, were from the GDELT database. China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada were selected as the study objects because they provided more aid. Their spatiotemporal characteristics of main aid flows, the response characteristics of the aid requests, and the characteristics of verbal aid to cash in were studied using spatial statistical analysis methods. The influencing factors of aid allocation also were studied by regression analysis. The results found that: the international aid flow of each country was consistent in spatial distribution, mainly to countries with severe pandemics and neighboring countries. However, there were differences in the recipients. China mainly aided developing countries, while the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada mainly aided developed countries. Relatively speaking, China was more responsive to aid requests and more aggressive in cashing in on verbal aid. The countries considered the impact of their economic interests when they planned to aid. At the same time, there were obvious “bandwagon effect” and “small country tendency” on the aid events.

The Implementation of Assisted Dying in Quebec and Interdisciplinary Support Groups: What Role for Ethics?

The purpose of this text is to tell the story of the implementation of the Act Respecting End-of-Life Care, referred to hereafter as Law 2 (Gouvernement du Québec, 2014) with an emphasis on the ambiguous role of ethics in the Interdisciplinary Support Groups (ISGs), created by Quebec's Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS). As established, ISGs provide "clinical, administrative and ethical support to health care professionals responding to a request for Medical aid in dying (MAiD)" (Gouvernement du Québec, 2015). It is suggested that their composition includes the participation of a person with an expertise in ethics. These ISGs represent an important innovation for stakeholders involved in MAiD. To date, no scientific research has specifically addressed ISGs and little research has been conducted in other jurisdictions on the roles, operations and practices of MAiD support structures, especially the implication of ethics. Several ISGs have certainly developed promising practices that could benefit all stakeholders in the wider field of ethics and end of life. We will explore the development of ISGs in Quebec as a support structure for MAiD by highlighting the role that ethics has played (and should play) in these morally and humanly challenging situations.

How do trained palliative care providers experience open desire to die-conversations? An explorative thematic analysis.

Despite the potential benefits of open communication about possible desires to die for patients receiving palliative care, health professionals tend to avoid such conversations and often interpret desires to die as requests for medical aid in dying. After implementing trainings to foster an open, proactive approach toward desire to die, we requested trained health professionals to lead and document desire to die-conversations with their patients. In this article, we explore how trained health professionals experience an open (proactive) approach to desire to die-conversations with their patients. Between April 2018 and March 2020, health professionals recorded their conversation-experiences on documentation sheets by answering seven open questions. A subsample was invited to offer deeper insights through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interviews and documentation sheets were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically, then findings from both sources were compared and synthesized. Overall, N = 29 trained health professionals documented N = 81 open desire to die-conversations. A subsample of n = 13 health professionals participated in qualitative interviews. Desire to die-conversations after the training were reported as a complex but overall enriching experience, illustrated in seven themes: (1) beneficial (e.g., establishing good rapport) and (2) hindering aspects (e.g., patients' emotional barriers) of desire to die-conversations, (3) follow-up measures, (4) ways of addressing desire to die, as well as (5) patient reactions to it. The interviews offered space for health professionals to talk about (6) content of desire to die-conversation and (7) (self-)reflection (e.g., on patients' biographies or own performance). As part of an open (proactive) approach, desire to die-conversations hold potential for health professionals' (self-)reflection and a deeper understanding of patient background and needs. They may lead to a strengthened health professional-patient relationship and potentially prevent suicide.

Military Response to Natural Disasters: The Resilience of Affected Nations

Humanitarian response efforts are difficult to predict because many variables impact the final decision. Previous research on the topic of military assistance has focused on the strength of the cyclone or earthquake as the dominant factor. The kinetic force behind a natural disaster is important, but many other elements influence a request for aid from the United States. Resilience factors such as the infrastructure’s ability to withstand the disaster impact the nation’s ultimate decision to request external help. If local structures and support instruments are robust enough, additional assistance will not be necessary. This paper analyzes 40 years of the United States military humanitarian response; over 300 military operations were reviewed and coded based on the nature of the disaster and the impacted country’s Bundhis Entwicklong Hift WorldRiskIndex exposure, susceptibility and coping capacity values and FM Global Resilience Index natural hazard risk quality value. The research shows foreign countries will likely request the United States military aid if they have an exposure value greater than 26.3. The results of this study will assist military commanders in defining response requirements and aligning operational plans with the most vulnerable populations.

Catalonia in the Face of the USSR: Soviet Intervention in the Spanish Civil War, 1936–9

The Politburo of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), with Stalin at its head, began its intervention in Spain in September 1936. From the beginning, Stalin understood very clearly what the logic, goals and mechanisms of Soviet intervention in Spain should be. He approved the Spanish Republican Government’s request for Soviet aid, but one of the Republic’s autonomous regions held surprises. Catalonia proved itself an unpredictable and, at times, undesirable player with respect to the USSR. This was due to a series of idiosyncrasies of the region that were incomparable throughout the Spanish Republic or indeed throughout the rest of Europe, making it necessary to seek unorthodox solutions. The two main focuses were the internal relations of the international communist movement led from Moscow and the interstate political relations between the Republic and the USSR. The dynamics generated were unique at both the Spanish and European level, and led to various hiccups for the Soviet intervention in Spain. On the basis of primary evidence found in Russian archives, this article examines how local dynamics affected, pressurised and shaped an intervention model that was conceived from the perspective of the state, standardisation and centralisation.

Types of psychological help-seeking as a result of the Corona Virus pandemic (Covid 19) among individuals in the Sultanate of Oman: أنماط طلب العون النفسي نتيجة جائحة فايروس كورونا (كوفيد19) لدى الأفراد في سلطنة عمان

The study aimed to uncover patterns of seeking psychological help and its relationship to gender, type of housing and age as a result of the Corona Virus (Covid 19) pandemic among individuals in the Sultanate of Oman. The study sample consisted of (384) male and female individuals who were chosen in a stratified random manner. The study used the descriptive method to collect data and use the questionnaire as a study tool. The results of the study showed that avoiding the request for psychological aid (self-efficacy) is the most appreciated form of individuals for the types of psychological aid request, followed by the request for instrumental help, then avoiding the request for help (show inefficiency). The results also revealed statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) in avoiding seeking help (showing inefficiency) in favor of (females), and statistically significant differences in the same axis in favor of the age group (18-30) among all members of the sample. The study also showed that there were no differences between the patterns of seeking psychological help due to the variable type of housing (city / village). The study recommended taking care to educate the community and create a safe and secure environment towards seeking psychological help, and its importance in solving the psychological problems of the individual and society.

Did the small business administration’s COVID-19 assistance go to the hard hit firms and bring the desired relief?

The paper uses newly released Small Business Pulse Survey data on small business’ response to questions about overall COVID-19 impact, federal aid request, federal aid receipt, and subsequent changes in revenue and employee hours to evaluate the efficacy of three federal aid programs: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and Small Business Administration (SBA) loan forgiveness programs. The paper finds no evidence that the severity of COVID-19 impact is related to the application and approval rate of any of the SBA assistance programs, implying that the relief funds did not reach the firms that need the liquidity injection the most. But the firms that did receive the relief funds were less likely to report revenue decrease and employee hours decline during the subsequent weeks. This result provides preliminary support to the social insurance value of the relief programs in boosting small businesses’ economic activities during the COVID-19 crisis.

Management of Emergency Services in Lombardy during COVID-19 epidemic using Business Intelligence

BackgroundIn Italy on the 20th of February, the first Italian patient was tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Lombardy region. The Regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Trust (Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza, AREU) of the Lombardy region decided to apply a Business Intelligence (BI) System to take timely decisions on the management of EMS and to monitor the spread of the disease in the region in order to better respond to the outbreak.MethodsSince the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, AREU developed a BI System to track the daily number of first aid requests received from 1.1.2. (Public Safety Answering Point 1). BI evaluates the number of requests that have been classified as respiratory and/or infectious episodes during the telephone dispatch interview. Moreover, BI analyses the pattern of the epidemic, identifying the numerical trend of episodes in each municipality (increasing, stable, decreasing). Currently, AREU is still implementing the BI as the epidemic is still ongoing.ResultsIn the Lombardy region on the 20th of February the number of the first aid requests for respiratory and/or infectious episodes were 314. This figure increased sharply during the month of February and March reaching its peak on the 16th of March with 1537 episodes. In the area around Bergamo, this number experienced a greater rise compared to the rest of the Lombardy territory, going from 74 episodes on the 20th of February to 694 on the 13th of March. Therefore, AREU decided to reallocate in the territory the resources (ambulances and human resources) based on the real-time data elaborated by the BI system.ConclusionsThe BI System has been of paramount importance in taking timely decisions on the management of EMS during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Lombardy region. Indeed, BI can be usefully applied to promptly identify the trend of the COVID-19 epidemic and, consequently, make informed decisions to improve the response to the outbreak.Key messages The Emergency Medical Services Trust of the Lombardy region applied a Business Intelligence System to promptly respond to the outbreak of COVID-19 and reallocate the resources based on real-time data.AREU used a Business Intelligence System to track the daily number of first aid requests that have been classified as respiratory and/or infectious episodes during the telephone dispatch interview.

Business Intelligence applied to Emergency Medical Services in the Lombardy region during SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

Background and aim of the work:On the 21st of February, the first patient was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at Codogno hospital in the Lombardy region. From that date, the Regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Trust (AREU) of the Lombardy region decided to apply Business Intelligence (BI) to the management of EMS during the epidemic. The aim of the study is to assess in this context the impact of BI on EMS management outcomes.Methods:Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, AREU is using BI daily to track the number of first aid requests received from 112. BI analyses the number of requests that have been classified as respiratory and/or infectious episodes during the telephone dispatch interview. Moreover, BI allows identifying the numerical trend of episodes in each municipality (increasing, stable, decreasing).Results:AREU decides to reallocate in the territory the resources based on real-time data recorded and elaborated by BI. Indeed, based on that data, the numbers of vehicles and personnel have been implemented in the municipalities that registered more episodes and where the clusters are supposed to be. BI has been of paramount importance in taking timely decisions on the management of EMS during COVID-19 outbreak.Conclusions:Even if there is little evidence-based literature focused on BI impact on health care, this study suggests that BI can be usefully applied to promptly identify clusters and patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic and, consequently, make informed decisions that can improve EMS management response to the outbreak. (www.actabiomedica.it)

"We trust in your justice and charity:" the potential for researching the history of care for the poor

This paper discusses the archives of municipal authorities, especially their correspondence, as important inputs for understanding the relationships between the poor population and the public administration during the early republican years in Brazil (1889 to 1930). The discourse of individuals who sent letters to the municipality of Santa Maria in which they claimed to be poor is discussed in order to investigate what survival strategies these people used and what public and private recourse they could turn to in the province of Rio Grande do Sul. Tracing the profile of poverty, the gender differences, marked in the justifications given in the requests for aid from the municipal authority, are analyzed.

A critical overview of work‐related injury and illness in aquaculture workers from Brazil

AbstractThis review outlines the available data on aquaculture injuries and diseases in Brazil along with the deficiencies in some official data. The information was obtained from the official statistical sources of Brazil, and in part, complemented by some of the few scientific studies in the area. Between 2013 and 2017, the number of injuries and work diseases in Brazilian aquaculture totalled 873 cases. The total injury claims between 2015 and 2017 were 477 cases, of which 31 are related to requests for medical aid; 345 work leave cases for less than 15 days and 96 cases for more than 15 days; and 4 fatal injuries. However, official statistical data for aquaculture may be underreporting, limited and fragmented, and the real picture may be even larger. Nevertheless, the available data provide a means to prioritize both ways of improving such statistics and, more importantly, to identify tentatively those diseases and injuries that require urgent preventative action. Also, this paper proposes some measures that may help to achieve further progress on the working conditions to reduce potential dangers.