AIDS Service Research Articles

Exploring the lived experiences of British Sign Language (BSL) users who access NHS adult hearing aid clinics: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Objective To explore the lived experiences of culturally Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users who access adult hearing aid services. Design Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in BSL by the Deaf researcher and analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. Study sample Eight Deaf BSL expert informants who were experienced users of NHS adult hearing aid clinics. Results Participants expressed dissatisfaction about audiology staff's lack of Deaf awareness and did not feel valued as Deaf signers. Participants' motivations for hearing aid use primarily concerned audibility rather than speech. Mismatch of perspectives on ‘hearing’ between audiologists and Deaf patients are discussed in the context of culturally sensitive services. Inadequate or uncertain linguistic access during appointments is considered in light of patient agency. Conclusion This is the first study to explore culturally Deaf signers' specific experiences of adult hearing aid services in the UK and their experiences of hearing aids. There are numerous reasons why Deaf signers wear hearing aids, but access to spoken language is not a priority. Limited Deaf awareness and cultural competence in adult hearing aid services can result in patient frustration and disempowerment. Suggestions for improvement in the Deaf signing patient experience are offered.

Health outcomes and healthcare utilization of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders living with HIV in Hawai‘i: A mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT Objectives: Past research shows mixed outcomes in terms of HIV-related disparities among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHOPI). This study investigates HIV-related disparities among NHOPI living with HIV in Hawai‘i. Design: An explanatory sequential design was utilized. The quantitative portion analyzed survey data from a statewide Ryan White Needs Assessment (N = 398) to examine the differences in viral suppression and satisfaction with care between NHOPI and other ethnic groups. Utilizing the behavioral model for vulnerable populations (BMVP), semi-structured interviews (N = 16) were conducted next to explain what factors play a role in satisfaction with care and viral suppression when it comes to NHOPI living with HIV in Hawai‘i. Results: Among the 398 participants 13% were NHOPI. NHOPI were more likely to have a viral load of ≥10,000 copies/mL compared to those who didn’t identify as NHOPI. However, there were no significant differences for other viral load levels (20–199 or 200–9999), and only 20 participants (5.2%) had a viral load of 10,000 copies/mL or more. No significant ethnic differences were found in satisfaction with medical care. In the qualitative phase, factors from all domains of the BMVP were represented within the four themes identified: (1) Care coordination is essential- with AIDs service organizations taking the lead; (2) HIV care, as well as overall health, is defined by the effectiveness of medication; (3) Initial diagnosis is a critical moment for intervention; and (4) Aspects of culture are intangible. Conclusion: Among NHOPI in Hawai‘i who are engaged in case management, there appears to be no substantial disparities in either viral load or satisfaction with care compared to other ethnic groups. Despite this, qualitative findings provide insights on how ethnicity and culture may still be playing a role. Addressing all domains of the BMVP is crucial to addressing this.

Periodontal treatment need, interdental cleaning habit and dental services utilization of a Nigerian population


 
 
 
 
 Objective: Optimal home-use plaque-control measure maintains a functional dentition and reduces the risk of loss of periodontal attachment throughout life. The combination of toothbrushing and inter-proximal oral hygiene devices optimally prevents plaque accumulation. Individual’s attitude, lack of awareness and affordability are barriers for the utilization of dental services. This study evaluated the interdental cleaning habits; periodontal treatment needs and dental service utilization of a Nigerian population.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on socio-demographics, use of interdental cleaning aid and health services utilization of participants. A full-mouth examination was done to assess the periodontal status and the treatment needs of the participants using the CPITN probe. Data was analyzed using Epi info 2008 version 3.5.1.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Result: Only 24.4% of the participants who claimed to clean interdentally actually used dental floss and interdental brushes) while majority of them ({160(71.2%)} used toothpicks. Three out of five participants {49(59%)} who do not clean interdentally, didn’t know that they had to do so. Though 284(92.2%) of the participants do not routinely access oral care, almost half (49.7%) had previous dental check-ups, scaling and polishing, tooth extractions and restorations. 44(14.3%) did not need periodontal treatment, 131(42.5%) needed Oral Hygiene Instruction (OHI) and Scaling and Polishing (S&P) and 19(6.2%) needed OHI, S&P and sub-gingival scaling.
 Conclusion: Dental services utilization was low until they perceived that they have a dental ailment, appropriate interdental aids were not used and knowledge on the need for interdental cleaning and advance periodontal treatment need of the participants were low.
 
 
 
 

Adaptation of evidence-based approaches to promote HIV testing and treatment engagement among high-risk Nigerian youth.

BackgroundNigeria has the second highest number of people living with HIV (PLWH) globally, and evidence-based approaches are needed to achieve national goals to identify, treat, and reduce new infections. Youth between the ages of 15–24, including young men who have sex with men (YMSM), are disproportionately impacted by the Nigerian HIV epidemic. The purpose of this study was to inform adaptation of evidence-based peer navigation and mHealth approaches (social media outreach to promote HIV testing; short messaging service text message reminders to promote HIV treatment engagement) to the local context within iCARE Nigeria, a multi-phase study designed to investigate combination interventions to promote HIV testing and care engagement among youth in Nigeria.MethodsTo elicit expert and community perspectives, a local group of advisors from academia, community, and governmental sectors provided feedback on intervention adaptation, which then informed a series of focus groups with stakeholders in Ibadan, Nigeria. Focus group data were collected over a period of three days in December of 2018. Participants in focus groups included YMSM and HIV-positive youth in care ages 16–24, and HIV service providers from local AIDS service organizations (ASO). Groups were stratified by HIV serostatus, gender, and stakeholder type. Focus group sessions were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a content analysis approach.ResultsLocal experts recommended intervention adaptations specific to the status of peer navigators as volunteers, peer characteristics (slightly older age, high maturity level, HIV/YMSM status), and intervention characteristics and resources (low navigator to peer ratio; flexible matching by demographic and social characteristics; social media platforms and content). Five focus group discussions with stakeholders, including 27 participants were conducted to elicit feedback on these and other potential adaptations. Youth participants (n = 21) were mean age 20 years (range = 16–24); 76% HIV-positive, 76% men and 48% MSM. Service providers (n = 6) represented both HIV prevention and care services. Participants across stratified subgroups reported largely positive perceptions and high perceived acceptability of both mHealth and peer navigation strategies, and echoed the recommendations of the advisory group for volunteer-based navigators to promote altruism, with a low navigator-peer ratio (1:5). Participants emphasized the need to incorporate minimal mobile data use strategies and popular social media platforms among YMSM (e.g., Facebook, Grindr) for widespread access and reach of the interventions.ConclusionsIn Ibadan, Nigeria, stakeholders support the adaptation of combined mHealth and peer navigation strategies to promote HIV testing and care engagement among high-risk youth. Recommended adaptations for the local context reflect concerns about the feasibility and sustainability of the intervention and are expected to improve accessibility and acceptability.

Legal provision for medical aid and medical service in Ukraine

In the process of any human right exercising there is always an issue related to the quality of received service or aid especially in the healthcare sector. Authors analyzed applicable legislation of Ukraine regulating the provision of medical aid and services with the use of the following methods – analysis, interpretation, hermeneutics, systemic-structural. During the research were analyzed applicable legislation which contains medical aid and service definitions and peculiarities of its regulation. According to the results of regulatory framework analysis, we can state that definitions “medical aid” and “medical service” are mutually reinforcing as medical aid comprises relevant procedures. Comparison of these phenomena also can be performed based on other criteria, namely: subjective composition (professional medical staff will always be the provider, in case of emergency cases – persons whose duty is to provide primary medical aid as part of their activity; medical services are provided by state and municipal facilities along with higher educational establishments and research centers, i.e. not only medical staff; payment (regarding the subject – free of charge or paid; services are paid per se except if covered by relevant budget category); financial guarantee.

The Prevalence and Negative Impacts of Substance Use Disorders among People with HIV in the United States: A Real-Time Delphi Survey of Key Stakeholders

Although HIV and substance use disorders (SUDs) constitute a health syndemic, no research to date has examined the perceived negative impacts of different SUDs for people with HIV (PWH). In May 2019, 643 stakeholders in the U.S., representing clients of AIDS service organizations (ASOs), ASO staff, and HIV/AIDS Planning Council members, participated in an innovative Stakeholder-Engaged Real-Time Delphi (SE-RTD) survey focused on the prevalence and individual-level negative impact of five SUDs for PWH. The SE-RTD method has advantages over conventional survey methods by efficiently sharing information, thereby reducing the likelihood that between-group differences are simply due to lack of information, knowledge, and/or understanding. The population-level negative impacts were calculated by weighting each SUD’s individual-level negative impact on indicators of the HIV Care Continuum and other important areas of life by the perceived prevalence of each SUD. Overall, we found these SUDs to have the greatest population-level negative impact scores (possible range 0–24): alcohol use disorder (population-level negative impact = 6.9; perceived prevalence = 41.9%), methamphetamine use disorder (population-level negative impact = 6.5; perceived prevalence = 3.2%), and opioid use disorder (population-level negative impact = 6.4; perceived prevalence = 34.6%). Beyond further demonstration of the need to better integrate SUD services within HIV settings, our findings may help inform how finite funding is allocated for addressing the HIV-SUD syndemic within the U.S. Based on our findings, such future efforts should prioritize the integration of evidence-based treatments that help address use disorders for alcohol, methamphetamine, and opioids.

Challenging the HIV Epidemic in Ontario Through PrEP and HIV Testing

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) is a non-profit network which collaborates with health clinics, AIDS service and community organizations, and policy leaders in order to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with and at risk of HIV. I joined the OHTN as a member of the Collective Impact team, with a focus on examining the barriers and facilitators to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in Ontario. PrEP is a once-daily pill which is highly effective in preventing HIV infections for HIV-negative people, however usage remains relatively low in Ontario. In this role, I liaised with the Knowledge Synthesis team at OHTN to collect, analyse, and synthesize recent scientific literature on Pre and Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in order to create a comprehensive annotated bibliography on PrEP research. Key findings were drawn from the research to identify potential next steps to increase PrEP use for priority populations in Ontario. Findings from the annotated bibliography were presented to OHTN staff, and have been used to assist in the development of two PrEP study proposals; 1) a cisgender and transgender women-focused PrEP education package and HIV risk screening tool, and 2) a pharmacist-led PrEP delivery pilot. I also worked with the Testing and Clinical Initiatives team at the OHTN, to aid in the implementation and evaluation of two HIV-testing projects: the GetaTest pharmacy-based HIV-testing study, and the GetaKit HIV self-testing pilot program. In this role I drafted health communication materials; analysed survey data and drafted project reports for stakeholders; and provided perspectives on the HIV-care continuum, particularly on PrEP initiation, adherence, and efficacy. My work with the OHTN was important to public health because it sought to expand access to HIV testing and prevention services for priority populations in Ontario, including men who have sex with men, and cis and trans women.

Challenges to Overcome by the Members of the NARMUL Dairy Cooperative

Dairy cooperatives have played an important role in improving the economy of small milk producers’ households in different regions of India. Telangana is one amongst them, which is predominantly an agricultural state with an excellent potential for milk production. The study was conducted to analyze the constraints faced by dairy farmers of Yadadri- Bhongir district of Telangana. The study data was collected during March-April 2021 from 90 milk producers of NARMUL co-operative in Yadadri-Bhuvangiri district of the state. Low procurement price of milk, Lack of disease control programs, No Bonus, Lack of milk testing & animal screening facilities, Irregular visits of Veterinary staff were considered as the most serious constraints where as, Unavailability of first aid services and lack of sufficient supply of vaccines to the animals, Non availability of loan facilities, Lack of artificial insemination (A.I.) facilities in/around the village, Inadequate supply of feed and mineral mixture were considered as the least serious constraints.

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) in Providing Legal Aid Services to the Oppressed Women: A Study on Sylhet Branch

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) in Providing Legal Aid Services to the Oppressed Women: A Study on Sylhet Branch

Income and poverty status among women experiencing intimate partner violence: A positive social return on investment from civil legal aid services

AbstractWe examined the economic status of women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and sought civil legal aid services over 1 year. Women's average overall income increased, after accounting for both private income increases and public income decreases, by approximately $5500, and the odds of being in poverty 1 year after civil legal services decreased. The social return on investment estimate for total income impact relative to legal aid costs was 141%, meaning that women's overall income increased $2.41 for every $1 expended on legal aid services. Legal aid services can improve income and reduce poverty among women experiencing IPV.

Practices and problems of female health/medical technicians in North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan

The Ministry of Health in Pakistan introduced in 1977 mid-level health workers called medical technicians to provide emergency aid and rudimentary services at basic health units and rural health centres. With the policy of placement of doctors in these units in the early eighties, their name was changed to health technicians, whose duties emphasized preventive activities instead of working as doctors’ substitutes. The objectives of this study were to estimate the percentage of graduated female technicians in the service, understand their reasons for not joining or leaving the service, appraise their practices in comparison to the expected performance, identify and report the academic and operational problems and recommend measures to resolve these problems and improve performance

Past trauma, resettlement stress, and mental health of older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience

Objectives Older displaced persons often receive limited attention from aid organizations, policy-makers and service providers in countries of resettlement. The objective of this study is to identify the relationship between experiencing traumatic events and stressors prior to resettlement, current resettlement stressors, social support, and mental health of older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience. Method Study participants were 190 older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience living in a metropolitan area in New England (US) and Ontario (Canada). We used structural equation modeling to determine the association between traumatic and stressful events in Bhutan and Nepal, current resettlement stressors, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, as measured by the GAD-7 and PHQ-9. We assessed the role of social support as an effect modifier in the relationship between these variables. Results Surviving torture was associated with anxiety (p=.006), and experiencing threats to physical wellbeing in Nepal was associated with both anxiety (p=.003) and depression (p=.002). The relationship between physical threats in Nepal and current mental health were partially mediated by resettlement stressors. Social support moderated the relationship between trauma, stress, and mental health. Conclusion Both past traumas and current resettlement stressors contribute to the current psychosocial functioning of older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience. Based on our findings, social support is critical in promoting mental health in this population.

Family Planning Utilization among PLWHIV Attending TASO Masaka: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study

People living with HIV (PLWHIV) need family planning (FP) services to avert the spread of HIV and eliminate mother to child transmission (MTCT). Besides, family planning services greatly reduce the incidence of vertical transmission reducing new cases of pediatric infections. The aim of this study was to establish the factors influencing the utilization of FP services among PLWHIV affiliated to The AIDS Service Organization (TASO) Masaka responsible for the unmet need for FP utilization. A cross-sectional study with quantitative data analysis was used. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data in line with the set objectives. Categorical data were presented as frequency percent and continuous data as a mean ±standard deviation. The data were analyzed with the statistical software called Medcalc software v. 19.5.6. Analysis was done using the test of proportion at 95% confidence interval and a P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study had significantly more females, married, and of low education level (p<0.05). Medium parity of 1-3, a spouse being comfortable with a partner using FP, knowledge about FP were significantly associated with FP use (P<0.05). The Majority of the participants were using FP methods (P<0.05) with injections being the most used method (P<0.05). The Majority of the clients would encourage others to use FP (P<0.05) and HIV had no effect on FP use (P<0.05). Culture and society beliefs did not affect FP utilization (P<0.05). Being close to the service provider, hospitality of the service provider, information about the benefits and risks associated with FP use were significantly associated with utilization of FP methods (P<0.05). However, the overall utilization of FP was low (58.9%) and was largely affected by personal factors other than community or service delivery factors. Future research should focus on the putative personal factors that may prevent the utilization of FP methods.

Students’ Perceptions of Institutional Services and Online Learning Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore new online students’ perceptions of self-efficacy and satisfaction with institutional resources. A mixed methods approach was used to better understand online students’ perceptions. During the first phase of the study, 155 new online graduate students were surveyed about the importance and their satisfaction with university resources as well as their online self-efficacy. During the second phase of the study, follow-up interviews were conducted with six participants to better understand their perceptions. Participants reported being aware of the institutional resources and having positive experiences with online course tools. Furthermore, most participants found administrative services such as Registration and Financial Aid and Scholarship services the most important. Participants also reported high levels of online self-efficacy. While the results illustrate student perceptions of institutional resources, more studies are needed to explore how participants with limited prior experience in online courses would evaluate the effectiveness of institutional resources.

Peningkatan Pemahaman Anak Didik Pemasyarakatan di LPKA kelas II Pekanbaru tentang Standar Layanan Bantuan Hukum

The need for understanding on improving correctional students at LPKA class II Pekanbaru regarding the RI Minister of Law and Human Rights Number 4 of 2021 concerning Legal Aid Service Standards is Very Urgent. This activity was carried out on April 26, 2021, at LPKA Pekanbaru in the form of lectures, dialogues, and discussions to solve the problems faced. The working procedures to support the methods offered are lectures held, dialogue, and discussion. Partner participation in this community service event provides a place and time for program implementation and presents partner members as audiences. According to this community service activity plan, the outputs that will be produced are: for partners, an increase in understanding of the Placement of the Local Workforce. For the proposer, the output to be achieved is in the form of scientific articles and cannot be separated from the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.

BloodLine IOT Based Blood Bank Management System

BloodLine offers new horizons for health that gives aid services by utilizing the mobile devices and communication technologies. In health care services, blood donation could be a advanced method and consumes time to search out some donor who has the compatibility of people with the patient. The planned system is an android primarily based blood bank application to determine a affiliation between the requester and donor at anytime and anyplace. A bank as we all know provides blood to folks in would like now and then of emergency. The bank system is intended in such the way that users will read the knowledge concerning registered blood donors which is able to facilitate within the hour of would like. The planned system includes a login page wherever the user is needed to register, however user doesn't got to register if he doesn't notice the specified result. The user also can register to give blood on the system if they want to. therefore this technique helps to pick out the proper donor instantly using people. the most aim of developing this technique is to scale back the time to an excellent extent that's spent in searching for the proper donor and also the convenience of blood needed. therefore the planned system provides the desired info quickly and additionally helps in faster higher cognitive process.

An Integrated Approach for Post-Disaster Flood Management Via the Use of Cutting-Edge Technologies and UAVs: A Review

Rapid advances that improve flood management have facilitated the disaster response by providing first aid services, finding safe routes, maintaining communication and developing flood maps. Different technologies such as image processing, satellite imagery, synthetic imagery and integrated approaches have been extensively analysed in the literature for disaster operations. There is a need to review cutting-edge technologies for flood management. This paper presents a review of the latest advancements in the flood management domain based on image processing, artificial intelligence and integrated approaches with a focus on post-disaster. It answers the following research questions: (1) What are the latest developments in image processing for flood management in a post-disaster scenario? (2) What are the latest techniques for flood management based on artificial intelligence in a post-disaster scenario? (3) What are the existing gaps in the selected technologies for post-disaster? (4) How can the authorities improve the existing post-disaster management operation with cutting-edge technologies? A novel framework has been proposed to optimise flood management with the application of a holistic approach.

Development of GPS & GSM based advanced system for tracking vehicle speed violations and accidents

The ever increasing growth of infrastructure and technology has made our lives much comfortable and easy. The advent of technology has also increased the number of road accidents. And because of poor emergency facilities the accidents frequently cause huge loss of life and property. Majority of sources say accidents are occurring because of violation of the speed protocols set by government. In this project, an attempt is made to address such societal problems to help in providing emergency first aid services. This project makes use of a GPS module. The GPS module continuously takes input from the GPS satellite constellation and stores the location information in the microcontroller buffer. If the Accident occurred the vibrator sensor sends the signal to the microcontroller where it deactivates the GPS and sends the last coordinate values stored in the buffer to GSM module. The GSM module helps in communicating with respective traffic control stations and network of hospitals. Also this project identifies the vehicles that are violating the speed protocols set by the government. If the driver increases the speed above the standard speed the respective traffic control stations are going to get the message as the vehicle is moving with high speed.

Epidemiological characteristics of road traffic injuries accepted by Shenzhen Emergency Center from 2010 to 2018

Objective To investigate the current situation of road traffic injuries (RTI) among the population in Shenzhen from 2010 to 2018, and to provide references and suggestions for improving road traffic safety related policies and traffic injures prevention in Shenzhen. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the RTI data accepted by the Emergency Comprehensive Information Query Platform of Shenzhen Emergency Center from 2010 to 2018, and statistics were made on the overall situation, population characteristics, time, regional distribution and severity of RTI in Shenzhen. Results From 2010 to 2018, there were 79 369 cases of RTI in Shenzhen, and the ratio of injuries to instant deaths was 79.66∶1. The incidence of RTI in Shenzhen Emergency Center was generally decreasing (χtrend2=8.200, P=0.004), and the on-site death rate was also showed a decreasing (χtrend2=4.604, P=0.032) trend. The incidence rate of male was 478.90 per 100 000, which was higher than that of female (223.92 per 100 000, χ2=92.823, P Conclusion According to the epidemiological characters from 2010 to 2018, the key points to preventing and controlling RTI would be: improving the road traffic management system; improving the traffic safety awareness of the key crowds; strengthening the roads regulation during the rush hours; deploying the emergency resources more rationally; shorting the emergency response time; improving the first aid system and service mode; and developing scientific precautionary measures.

Developing a National School Health Strategy: The role of School Children and Parents in Priority Setting, Sudan, 2016

Background: School health policies and strategies, ensure a holistic healthy environment for children to harness an effective education. Beside provision of services, a health promoting school (HPS) includes an environment in which children and their parents are active participants and not only recipients. Aim: The study aims at exploring the views of primary and secondary schools children aged 10-17 years, and their parents on future strategic priorities for HPS interventions for the years 2016-20. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional school-based, conducted in 10 localities (districts) of five purposively selected States in Sudan. Qualitative data was collected by interviewing students and parents using guided focus group discussions and was analyzed using Conceptual Content Analysis Technique. Results: Results were generated from FGDs with 271 students and 191 parents. Training of students, parents and teachers on health issues and first aid, improving health, nutrition and psychosocial services along with physical education were the top five priorities suggested by students and parents. Parents added establishing better coordination mechanisms between schools and families and charity funding for poor families as pressing priorities. Conclusion: The outcomes of priority setting by children and parents through an extensive process of engagement and consultation help in fixing the top priorities in view of constrained resources, therefore attracts political support and facilitate acceptance and endorsement by different levels of decision making.