Policy Changes Research Articles

Applying arts to health interventions and health research in Ghana: a scoping review.

This review documents arts applied to health interventions and health research in Ghana, examines evidence of their impact on health outcomes, and identifies research and practice gaps. Eight databases (MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Humanities International Complete, Scopus, African Journals Online and PsycINFO) were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2022. Following screening, seventeen articles reporting sixteen eligible studies were selected. Ten art forms (including comedy, music, theatre) were applied to eight health conditions (including HIV/AIDS, mental illness, COVID-19). Most studies involved artists and artist-researchers. The majority of studies were cross-sectional. Impact was reported on health education, illness management and community health development. Some studies engaged with health policy communities, but none reported impact on health policy change. Creative arts have a reported measurable impact on selected health outcomes in Ghana. Participatory arts-based projects have the greatest potential for sustainable and transformational social health impact.

External drivers of changes in wildland firefighter safety policies and practices

Background Firefighter safety is a top priority in wildland fire response and management. Existing explanations emphasise how land management agency initiatives to change organisational culture, usually inspired by fatality incidents, contribute to changes both in formal safety policies and informal safety practices. Aims This paper identifies external factors that lead to changes in wildland firefighter safety policies and practices. Methods This paper uses qualitative data from a long-term ethnographic research project. Data include detailed fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews, and agency documents, which were systematically coded and thematically analysed. Key results In addition to the triggering effects of fatality incidents and agency initiatives to change organisational culture, external factors also directly impact the development of firefighter safety policies and practices. These include sociodemographic, material, political, and social-environmental factors. Conclusions Identifying and understanding the influence of multi-scalar external factors on firefighter safety is essential to improving safety outcomes and reducing firefighters’ exposure to hazards. Implications Attention to and recognition of external factors is valuable for fire managers and practitioners, whose work is influenced and constrained by meso- and macro-level factors. The framework presented in this paper would be useful in understanding other important aspects of wildland fire management.

Exploring Policy of Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries in China: Evolution, Challenges and Prospects

China plays a significant role in the global fishing industry. The small-scale fisheries (SSFs) operating along its coast have made noteworthy and invaluable contributions in the areas of poverty alleviation, protein provision, social equity, and overall socioeconomic development. Coastal small-scale fishing management is a persistent challenge for all fishing nations, including China. In recent years, China has made significant strides in adopting scientific and refined approaches to fishery management in this sector. This paper provides an overview of the development of China’s coastal fishery management practices, including changes in policies, methods, and modes since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. To address these challenges, this research seeks to enhance the governance system of small-scale coastal fisheries by assessing values from three dimensions: society, economy, and ecology.

Developing a Scale to Measure Public Health Nurses' Advocacy Practices in Group and Community Settings in Japan.

This study aimed to develop a scale to assess public health nurses' (PHNs') advocacy practices in groups and communities in Japan and determine its reliability and validity. This study is a cross-sectional investigation. The sample comprised PHNs across various municipalities in Japan. Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were conducted, including the attributes of PHNs, a preliminary scale, and external criteria. Reliability was assessed by calculating the alpha coefficient. To ascertain construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. A total of 432 questionnaires were analyzed. The scale comprised 27 items divided into five factors: "Raising awareness of the challenging situation faced by disadvantaged individuals," "Empowering disadvantaged individuals to improve their situation autonomously," "Establishing a foundation in local governments and community groups of disadvantaged individuals for advocacy initiatives," "Working toward policy changes," and "Collaborating with stakeholders and organizations to enhance the effectiveness of activities." The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.945. Model fit indices included a comparative fit index of 0.907, a goodness-of-fit index of 0.840, an adjusted goodness-of-fit index of 0.806, and a root mean square approximation of 0.067. The developed scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity.

Long-term patterns of post-fire harvest diverge among ownerships in the Pacific West, U.S.A.

Abstract Post-fire harvest (PFH) is a forest management practice designed to salvage value from burned timber, mitigate safety hazards from dead trees, reduce long-term fuels, and prepare sites for replanting. Despite public controversy and extensive ecological research, little is known about how much PFH occurs on private and public lands in the U.S. Pacific West, or how practices changed with shifting forest policy and increasing area burned over the last three decades. We mapped PFH across 2.2M burned hectares in California, Oregon, and Washington between 1986-2017 and used time series intervention analysis to compare trends in area, rate (% of burned area harvested), and mean patch size between private (0.5M ha) and federal (1.6M ha) forest land and across a gradient of burn severity. Harvest rates varied by ownership (4.9% federal, 18.6% private, 8.0% overall), and practices evolved and diverged over the study period. PFH area and rate declined across all ownerships in the mid-1990s during a period of reduced fire activity. As area burned increased between the early 2000s and late 2010s, PFH area rebounded and surpassed late-1980s levels, while rates remained relatively low. On federal lands, PFH practices shifted in the early-to-mid 1990s towards lower rates (10.3% to 3.8%) and smaller patches (6.0 to 3.3 ha), following policy changes and increased litigation. PFH rates on federal lands decreased at all levels of burn severity, with the largest decreases (6.2% to 1.2%) in forests with low tree mortality (i.e. fire refugia). Conversely, private PFH rates and mean patch sizes more than doubled in forests burned at very low-to-moderate severity. Our results highlight how PFH practices have shifted with policy, socio-economic pressure, and increasing area burned over 31 years in the Pacific West. A similar area of post-fire harvest is now dispersed over larger fires, with practices diverging substantially between ownerships.

“Every Day I was Crying about Something”: Lingering Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People Working in Juvenile Prisons

Staff working in prison settings experience high rates of job-related stress which was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty staff members from a juvenile prison were interviewed to determine the unique mental health symptoms and stressors several years after initial shutdown procedures. Anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and sleep disturbances were reported; sometimes resulting in staff avoiding interactions with youth. Some positive aspects were noted, but overall, results indicated a continued need for mental health support and policy changes for staff. As noted by one participant, “If you don’t have the direct care staff, you don’t have a facility.”

Human resource management of Physical Education teachers for students with special needs in inclusive schools

This study used the systematic literature review to explore articles related to human resource management and physical education teachers who work with students with special needs in inclusive schools. Data were obtained from articles searched through Google Scholar. The keywords used were ("Human Resource Management" OR "HR Management") AND ("Physical Education Teacher" OR "PE Teacher") AND ("Special Needs Students" OR "Students with Disabilities" OR "SEN Students") AND ("Inclusive Schools" OR "Inclusive Education"). The search focused on articles published in Scopus-indexed journals between 2019 and 2024. During the search, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The initial search generated 17,400 articles. Furthermore, the articles were screened again in several stages, and 16 articles that fit the theme and met the inclusion requirements were yielded. During the article selection, this study followed the PRISMA guidelines. The results of this study showed that inclusive education presents significant challenges in human resource management, especially regarding the readiness and competence of physical education teachers. For example, the teachers did not receive sufficient training in inclusive methodologies, leading them to feel underprepared for the diverse needs of students. Thus, comprehensive training that covers theory and hands-on practice was identified as a solution. Teachers with more in-depth training and experience showed more positive attitudes and abilities. In addition, adjustments to teaching methods and effective use of technology, with school support and collaboration between teachers, staff, and parents, were key to success. Furthermore, policy changes and adequate resource allocation were also crucial. Periodic evaluation of inclusive practices was necessary to ensure continuous development. Thus, increased training, supportive policies, and ongoing support from the government and schools were necessary to achieve effective, inclusive physical education.

Educator's role in preventing ageism.

This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the educator's role in imparting knowledge to healthcare students regarding ageism in Slovenia. Educators in Slovenian secondary nursing schools and in medical and health science faculties were asked to evaluate their practical experience in working with older people, their knowledge of gerontology and working with older people, and their attitude toward working with older people using an online questionnaire. They were also asked to rate their opinion about ageism on a Likert scale, along with reasons for ageism, skills that would help reduce ageism, their opinion about trainees' attitudes toward older people, and their assessment of certain facts about planning training. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach's alpha. The Kruskal‒Wallis test, Mann‒Whitney U test, and independent samples t-test were used to determine differences between the groups. The participants fully agree that the knowledge imparted could contribute to reducing age discrimination among healthcare students. Those that responded that their gerontological knowledge is good had significantly higher ranked responses regarding the reasons for ageism. On average, they agreed with the statements about planning their teaching activities and facilitating the acquisition of knowledge. Ageism is a challenge for modern society that requires a comprehensive approach to prevent and combat this form of discrimination. Awareness-raising, education, and policy change can create a fairer and more respectful society for all generations. Educators are insufficiently aware of their role in preventing ageism. Practitioners recognize it when they work directly with students. There are opportunities to update curricula and teaching methods.

Evaluation of emergency nurses’ knowledge of medical response in nuclear and radiological emergencies : a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEvaluating emergency room nurses’ knowledge of radiation protection, health effects, and decontamination procedures is crucial for preparedness in nuclear and radiological emergencies. This study aims to evaluate the level of knowledge among emergency nurses in Saudi Arabia regarding medical responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies.MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted via a self-structured questionnaire with 15 true‒false questions divided into three domains, namely, radiation protection measures, radiation health effects, and decontamination procedures, each with five items and a possible score of 1 point per correct answer. The collected data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The study followed the STROBE checklist for methodological rigor.ResultsA total of 594 emergency nurses participated in this study, with the majority being young (64.50% aged ≤ 30), female (68.69%), bachelor’s degree-holding (67.68%), single (63.64%), having ≤ 4 years of experience (56.06%), working in public health facilities (88.89%), and lacking training in medical response (85.35%). The mean knowledge scores for participants were highest for radiation exposure effects (3.27 ± 0.91), followed by radiation protective measures (2.32 ± 0.99), and lowest for decontamination procedures (1.46 ± 1.07). Overall knowledge was measured at a mean score of 7.06 ± 1.68, with 97.47% of the nurses categorized as having poor knowledge level. Nurses in private hospitals scored higher (7.77 ± 1.82) than those in public hospitals (6.97 ± 1.65) on overall mean knowledge (P = 0.034). Concerning findings include emergency nurses’ misconceptions about the protection provided by dense materials, the effectiveness of increasing distance from a radiation source, and prioritizing decontamination of victims over life-saving measures. Additionally, they were unaware of the immediate symptoms following radiation exposure and misunderstood that the primary threat in a radioactive bomb event is the explosion rather than the radiation itself.ConclusionThis study revealed poor knowledge among emergency nurses regarding medical responses to radiation emergencies and highlighted the critical need for enhanced and standardized training in radiation emergency preparedness among nurses. The gaps in knowledge identified in this study could significantly impact the effectiveness of healthcare responses in radiation emergency scenarios. Therefore, targeted educational interventions and policy changes are recommended to address these shortcomings.

Participatory data analysis in social change work: empowering, practical, or both?

Participatory work with marginalized groups claims to bridge a divide between researchers or project implementers (outsiders) and those with whom they are working to create social change (insiders). A debate within this field is whether participation's primary function is to support participants taking ownership over social change in their communities (an empowerment approach) or to garner feedback, particularly during the evaluation stage, in order for implementers to more efficiently assess project goals and adjust project design (a so-called ‘practical’ approach). This paper makes the claim that a greater focus on theory building through participatory data analysis can help bridge the divide between the empowerment and practicality camps. It does so by simultaneously embracing the assumptions behind empowerment ideologies (that community members hold the key to understanding and changing policies and systems) and behind more ‘practical’ approaches (that participation is immensely useful and practical for creating and improving interventions). I discuss a participatory evaluation of a US intimate partner violence intervention in order to demonstrate how participation supports theory building, including the crucial findings that emerged which the researcher, as an outsider, had missed. I offer raw excerpt analysis as a method to support these goals, and I discuss best practices for those using the method.

Developing an energy storage systems selection methodology for peak shaving purposes in photovoltaic micro-installations

This study investigates the selection methodology for peak shaving purposes in photovoltaic micro-installations. Due to the increasing share of photovoltaic micro-installations in the national electricity production and the consequent changes in the country's energy policy, the need for energy storage is becoming increasingly apparent. Therefore, based on data collected throughout the study of a photovoltaic installation conducted in years 2020-2024 and data on market electricity prices, the correlation between production, market electricity prices, and energy value was analyzed. The analysis established interconnections between these values and identified factors influencing their changes. It was observed that the market price of electricity is relatively low during hours of increased photovoltaic energy production. By comparing the correlations between energy production and electricity prices over different years, an increasing impact of the increasing share of photovoltaic energy production in national electricity production on the market price of electricity was noted, highlighting the importance of energy storage. For the described household, an energy storage system was selected with a view to meeting the energy demand during hours of higher market electricity prices. The selected model was Lithium-Iron-Phosphate battery with a capacity of 5 kWh. Furthermore, the cost effectiveness of household-scale energy storage systems was examined. Implementing the proposed solutions could result in increased auto-consumption and presumably improve cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic installations in the future.

Situating inservice teacher training in reform community of developing holistic competence to engage practice

This article investigates the situating of inservice teacher training (TT) in teaching-learning, education, and other sector reform communities for developing holistic competence to engage practice. It vignettes a holistic inservice TT resilience to situate in an often transient reform community of developing capacity to engage practice, including competence-based education (CBE) reform that often spews vague ideas in pieces amid low incentive and commitment to undergo practice. To assist, this article adopts the situated learning lens to investigate the extent to which contextualising inservice TT in authentic teaching-learning reform community resources develops competence to engage practice. In this holistic regard, the article mixes text, interview, and questionnaire methods involving 420 Cameroon inservice TT-CBE reform community subjects as part of the global education-for-all-practice reform flow. From findings, few teachers undergo narrow inservice training and lead few partners in reform oration, resenting few means and evading complex teaching-learning reform community practices. Inservice TT’s bare oration of public education policy and reform community changes prepares teachers to facilitate teacher-centred acquisition of less competence than what learners need to engage practice. The article opines ongoing inservice TT preplanning-research, onsite activity, and outcome sustainability themes to further situate in authentic reform community resources to develop holistic competence to engage complex practice.

Successful NH3 abatement policies and regulations in German agriculture

Anthropogenic ammonia (NH3) emissions, of which about 95 % are from agriculture, have led to environmental pollution, resulting in tremendous damage to human health and ecosystems. Thus, the NEC Directive 2016/2284/EU sets national reduction targets for NH3 emissions in individual EU countries. To implement the NEC Directive for NH3 emission targets, Germany amended the Fertilizer Application Ordinance in 2017 and 2020 (DüV_amended) and set the air pollution control regulation, Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA_Luft). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the DüV_amended on NH3 mitigation from applying livestock manure, digestates, synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers, and TA_Luft on housing and storage. This study showed that Germany reached the first national NH3 reduction target in 2020, as set by the NEC directive. The German DüV_amended, a significant policy change, has profoundly impacted NH3 emission mitigation from agriculture after 2017 by implementing measures aimed directly at NH3 reduction, reducing N surpluses, and improving N use efficiency. The reduction in NH3 emissions from synthetic N fertilizers between 2016 and 2022 contributed about 51 % to the decrease from the agricultural sector over the same period. Among the synthetic fertilizers, NH3 reduction from urea between 2016 and 2022 accounted for around 83 % of the total reduction from synthetic N, indicating that the NH3 emissions from urea fertilizer by reducing urea application and mandating urea to be incorporated immediately or to be stabilized with urease inhibitors played a crucial role in the sharp decrease in NH3 emissions over the last years in Germany. Achieving a high yield by lowering the synthetic N rate in this study strongly suggests that optimal reduction in N rate does not necessarily result in yield losses but rather in a pivotal relationship between the agronomic and environmental performance and indicates that the DüV_amended was an effective measure that can reduce the NH3 emissions.Over 80 % of Germany's annual agricultural NH3 emissions in 2021 and 2022 originated from livestock and digestates from energy crops. Mandatory close to the soil band application of slurry and digestates on cultivated cropland since 2020 reduced NH3 emissions. In addition, banning of broadcast application of slurry to grassland and manure incorporation within one hour on uncultivated soils will become mandatory in 2025 to comply with NEC 2030´s target of 29 % NH3 reduction relative to 2005. The recent German air pollution control regulation (TA_Luft) enforces abatement measures such as air purifiers in large poultry and pig housings and covered storage of slurry and digestate storages of large farms. The results of the German NH3 abatement strategy for synthetic N fertilizers may help reduce NH3 emissions worldwide, especially for countries consuming high amounts of urea fertilizers.

Fossil Fuel Layoff: Capturing Decarbonization Impacts on Workers Through a Refinery Closure

We surveyed and interviewed oil refinery workers who lost their jobs when a refinery in California shutdown in October 2020 to document post-layoff employment outcomes. Workers experienced post-layoff median hourly wage losses of 24 percent, a 26 percent unemployment rate, and reported frustrating job search experiences marked by a difficulty to convey skills to new employers. Our study harbingers future transition experiences of fossil workers and identifies social insurance responses that could inhere within climate change policies to shield workers from economic risk. Workers identified a need for third-party certification of their skills, benefits negotiators, and wage supports.

Academics’ Experiences during Horrible Times: Online Teaching, Learning, and COVID-19

E-Learning has become the new normal in Higher Educational Institutions across South Africa. Hence, intergration of the new learning pedagogies has initiated a shift of the norms on professional development. This paper seeks to unpack the strategies used by lecturers in the face of adversities experienced during the E-learning space pre & post Covid-19. There are strategies advised by teacher autonomy which need to be explored. It might have been better if teacher autonomy was merely being against pressures exerted on the individual teachers. But, it is a means for teachers to advance their personal and professional capability to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions and situations in learning spaces. This paper seeks to unravel an unacquainted new path on the drive of lecturers in their professional development that has not been evident in their training. In socio-politically transforming societies such as South Africa, the absence of adequate structures to implement a range of changing policies, may leave lecturers in despair when trying to access development opportunities. This paper adopts analytic theory and semi-structured interviews to give light to the constructivist views of lecturers who have developed methods during the times of adversity. Purposive sampling of 6 lecturers and 10 students will help the generation of data for this study because even though lectures had to adjust to new methods but students were in the receiving end of all the pressure. This study argues for implementation of best practices for the successful professional development of academics in line with E-learning. The University of Limpopo will be the centre of data generation with ethical considerations requested as well as literature visited. Collected data will be thematically analysed in order to sieve and arrange the necessary information for this study. The newly shared practices will form part of the resolutions to the professional development of academic staff.

MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS: O PAPEL DA LEGISLAÇÃO BRASILEIRA NA PROTEÇÃO DAS FLORESTAS

This article explores how climate change affects the planet on a global scale, causing rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification, among other issues. It analyzes how the United Nations (UN) has sought to mobilize countries to address these challenges. In this context, Brazilian legislation plays a crucial role by establishing norms to protect forests, biodiversity, and the quality of life for the population, ensuring the right to an ecologically balanced environment as stipulated in the Federal Constitution of 1988. Despite the existence of laws such as the Forest Code and the National Climate Change Policy (PNMC), which aim to reduce pollutant emissions and curb practices that contribute to the greenhouse effect, implementation still lacks effectiveness and direct incentives to promote sustainable practices. Additionally, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is essential in defending the environment and preventing illegal deforestation. This research adopts a qualitative approach, based on literature reviews and case analysis. The findings indicate that Brazilian legislation, although robust, requires more effective implementation and collaboration from society to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and ensure a sustainable future.

Effect of Delaying High School Start Time on Teen Physical Activity, Screen Use, and Sports and Extracurricular Activity Participation: Results From START.

We aimed to characterize relationships between delayed high school start time policy, which is known to lengthen school night sleep duration, and patterns in activity outcomes: physical activity, non-school electronic screen time (non-schoolwork), and sports and extracurricular activity among adolescents. We used data from the START study, a multi-site evaluation of a natural experiment, assessing the effects of a school start time policy change in high schools in the Minneapolis, Minnesota metropolitan area. The study follows students in 2 schools that shifted to a later start time (8:20 or 8:50 am) after baseline year and 3 schools that maintained a consistent, early start time (7:30 am) over the 3-year study period. Activity was measured by participant self-report on an in-school survey. The analysis used a difference-in-differences estimator, in which the changes in each outcome observed in the comparison schools estimate the changes in each outcome that would have been observed in the late-start adopting schools had they not delayed their start times after baseline. Over 2 years of follow-up, no changes emerged to suggest that later school start times either interfered with, or promoted, any activity-related outcome that was measured. Communities interested in promoting sleep by delaying start times may do so knowing that there are unlikely to be adverse effects on adolescent physical activity, electronic screen time, or organized sports and activity participation. A shift to later school start times does not appear to enhance or detract from the healthfulness of students' activity level.

Exploring the Effects of Greenhouse Gases and Particulate Emissions on Quality of Life: A Country-Level Empirical Study

This study explores the relationship between greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particulate emissions and quality of life. The aim is to understand how emissions affect quality of life globally—across countries, regions, and the global population. Statistical methods were used to examine the impact of various emissions’ indicators on different aspects of quality of life. The study highlights the urgent need for climate change action and encourages policymakers to take strategic steps. Climate change adversely affects numerous aspects of daily life, leading to significant consequences that must be addressed through policy changes and global governance recommendations. Key findings include that higher CO2 and methane emissions and air pollution negatively impact quality of life. CO2 emissions are positively associated with electricity while air pollution is positively associated with GDP and negatively with unemployment. Air pollution has an adverse effect on all three aspects of the children’s welfare dimension of quality of life. These results provide timely and convincing insights for policy- and decision-making aimed at mitigating the impact of emissions on quality of life.

Exploiting Legal Reserve Compensation as a Mechanism for Unlawful Deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome, 2012–2022

This research investigates the illegal Vegetation Suppression Authorization (VSA) for Legal Reserve Compensation (LRC) in Tocantins, Brazil, between 2012 and 2014. The VSA is a license issued by state environmental agencies that authorizes the removal or clearing of native vegetation. This infraction resulted from the state environmental agency’s mistaken interpretation of Resolution 07/2005 of the State Environmental Council and the Native Vegetation Protection Law, which operates nationally and takes precedence over state resolutions and laws. The study area focuses on eight municipalities contained in the Formoso, Pium, and Javaés river basins. The methodology examines irregular VSA-LRC cases through geospatial data analysis, multitemporal analysis using remote sensing data, and economic assessments in both the origin and destination areas of the compensatory reserve. The results showed that among the 217 VSA-LRC applications during the period, 93 had corresponding geospatial data, indicating that 57.1% of the geospatial data were missing. This discrepancy between the authorized area and the available geospatial information restricts the oversight capability of the regulatory agency. A decade-long deforestation analysis of VSA-LRCs using remote sensing data considered three phases: 2012–2014 (application and issuance of VSA-LRCs), 2015–2018 (operational issuance), and 2019–2022 (post-expiration of VSA-LRCs). The results revealed a total VSA-LRC area of 343.291 km2 (34,329.10 ha), with 229.1169 km2 (22,911.69 ha) of deforestation. Notably, 54.877 km2 (5487.70 ha) of this deforestation occurred in 2019–2022, after the VSA-LRC had expired. The analysis of the LRC origin and destination areas demonstrates a unidirectional strategy, from economically more valuable areas to less valuable ones, according to land market dynamics. Therefore, this investigation concludes the need for greater administrative transparency, the development of a reliable geospatial data system for monitoring, and policy changes and actions to enhance environmental protection.

How often are patients recording their healthcare consultations in Australia and why? An online survey

PurposeRecording important healthcare consultations can benefit patients. Technological developments enable recordings by patients and health professionals, as well as real-time ‘listening’ by AI scribes. Not enough is known about whether and why patients record their consultations. ObjectiveTo investigate people's experiences and preferences regarding consultation recording in Australia. MethodsA 21-item online survey available for all Australians aged 18+ was distributed via social media and professional networks in 2022. Items explored recording behaviour (past and planned), and reasons for recording and sharing. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively; qualitative content analysis was used to analyse open-text items. ResultsA total of 486 responses were received, of which 236 responses were analysed. Of these, 26 % had openly recorded a healthcare consultation, and 15 % had recorded covertly. The majority (71 %) of participants would consider recording a visit and would like their clinic to allow this (56 %). Participants strongly opposed the idea of sharing a recording on social media (84 %). Open-text responses indicated participants valued the health professional's consent, and protecting their own privacy by not oversharing recordings. ConclusionRecording of consultations in Australia is common, usually to enhance patients' knowledge, understanding, and participation in their care. Patients value the possibility of recording, especially when they are experiencing vulnerability. Recording can help people navigate the impacts of disability and barriers to information access. Privacy and fairness remain paramount. InnovationThis is the first survey of recording practices in Australia and is highly-relevant given recent technological developments. The findings indicate that changes in policy, law and technologies themselves are needed, to clarify parties' rights and responsibilities and to ensure the benefits of consultation recording are realised.