Communication Support Research Articles

Opportunities and challenges associated with the launch of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study to explore community pharmacists’ perspectives

Background: In February 2022, a novel antiviral for the treatment of COVID-19, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid), was approved by Health Canada and made available to patients in British Columbia (BC). BC community pharmacists did not prescribe nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, but dispensing involved a detailed assessment with close attention to drug-drug interactions and patient monitoring. As the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir service was unique in BC, and not all pharmacists participated in the program, it is important to evaluate the perspectives of all the pharmacists who were affected so that lessons learned from the program can inform future pandemic planning and government initiatives. Methods: A qualitative research study using key informant semistructured interviews was conducted. Community pharmacists with varying degrees of experience with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were recruited using multiple methods of recruitment through e-mail and fax invitations and social media posts. Open-ended questions explored pharmacists’ experiences with the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir program, including barriers and facilitators to dispensing it, and recommendations for future pharmacy initiatives. Results: Forty-three community pharmacists participated in the study. Most participants were between the ages of 30 and 39 years and had practiced for less than 10 years. Thematic analysis yielded 36 codes that were organized into 3 overarching themes related to the following: learning; in-process experiences, supports, difficulties; and perceptions about the expanded scope of practice. Discussion: The following strategies may be helpful to consider including in future initiatives: preprinted forms, a hotline for peer support, slower rollouts, a single source for communicating changes, a patient portal, addressing the divisions between dispensary and clinical work, and having specialized positions to support future rollouts. Conclusion: Lessons learned from the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir service included a slower approach to program initiation with additional training opportunities and more streamlined prescription options. Pharmacists also wished for better communication support and involvement in the planning of future initiatives.

How Does Secure-base Leadership Influence Employee Well-being?

To improve their operations in fast-paced business environment, organizations need leaders who embed the required changes into corporate strategy and implement it accordingly to maintain competitive edge. However, organizational change is disruptive and have a significant impact on employee well-being, unfortunately, the literature does not provide a comprehensive answer on what kind of leadership can be more effective to support employee well-being in environmental uncertainty. To ensure a smooth transition in dynamic environment, among several influential leadership styles, recent research found that employee well-being in the organization can be improved through secure-base leadership. Since, secure-base leadership recognizes the value of employees and provide them with secure-base support in organization. However, the literature is silent on the attributes of secure-base leadership. Therefore, to explore the attributes of secure-base leadership and how these attributes affect employee overall well-being, the study conducted a thematic analysis, data was purposively collected via interview from eight respondents. The study found that secure-base leadership is characterized by the elements such as (1) autonomy to make decisions (2) maintaining healthy work life balance (3) open communication (4) handling conflicts (5) recognizing and appreciating employees (6) promoting employees wellbeing and mental health (7) collaboration and teamwork and (8) working on a challenging project, among others. All these attributes are positively related to employee overall well-being, for example secure-base leaders fulfil employee psychological needs by providing autonomy through trust and empowerment, fostering competence through feedback and development opportunities, and promoting relatedness through open communication and interpersonal support. Fulfilment of employee psychological needs positively affect intrinsic motivation which in turn lead to higher level of job satisfaction and employee overall well-being. Findings of the current study enriches the literature on the relationship between secure-base leadership and employees well-beings. Further, the study shed light on key attributes possess by secure-base leaders, therefore, HR manager should formulate selection criteria for mangers in which priority should be given to candidates with secure-base leadership attributes.

Delivery of Supported Self-Management in Primary Care Asthma Reviews: Insights From the IMP2ART Programme.

Supported self-management (SSM) for asthma reduces the risk of asthma attacks and improves asthma control and quality of life. SSM optimally includes patient-centred communication and behaviour change support, however, the extent to which this occurs in routine primary care is unclear. This project was nested within the IMPlementing IMProved Asthma self-management as RouTine (IMP2ART) programme; a UK-wide trial evaluating an implementation strategy (including healthcare professional (HCP) training on behaviour change strategies and patient-centred care) to improve support for asthma self-management. To provide an understanding of how healthcare professionals deliver SSM in UK clinical practice; through assessing time spent on SSM strategies, how and to what extent patient-centred care and behaviour change discussions are delivered, and to explore whether factors such as mode of review or implementation support influence delivery. We conducted an observational study using video-recordings of 12 HCPs delivering routine face-to-face and telephone asthma reviews (n = 64) in a sample of general practices participating in the IMP2ART trial (implementation n = 4; control n = 6). Analytical methods included: ALFA Toolkit Multi-Channel Video Observation (to code and quantify tasks undertaken); the Patient-Centred Observation Form; and The Behaviour Change Counselling Index (to assess patient-centeredness and behaviour change counselling used by HCPs). HCPs mostly spent time during routine asthma reviews discussing: an individual's asthma condition and management (average of 27.8% of consultation time); collaboratively reviewing and completing a personalised asthma action plan (6.3%) and training for practical self-management activities (5.4%). Areas of patient-centred care delivery and behavioural discussions included: creating and maintaining relationships, discussing asthma action plans and medication reconciliation. Professionals in IMP2ART implementation group practices delivered more SSM strategies. Comparison of face-to-face and remote consultations found no significant differences in HCP delivery of SSM. HCPs in UK primary care spent half the time in both face-to-face and remote asthma reviews delivering components of SSM suggesting that either mode of delivery may be acceptable. Reviews carried out in IMP2ART implementation group practices demonstrated more behaviour change and collaborative SSM strategies compared to those in the control group. Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research (AUKCAR) PPI members were involved throughout, including project conception, providing feedback on participant-facing documents, and discussing implications of study findings.

How do dialogical group sessions work for mothers of young children with parenting challenges in Japan?

ABSTRACT Purpose Parenting support is a pressing issue in Japan. The application of open dialogue (OD)—an alternative treatment for mental illnesses—to parenting support has generated considerable interest. This study aimed to describe the participants’ experiences shared during a dialogic group session based on OD principles for mothers of young children facing parenting challenges. Methods Five mothers with parenting concerns participated in five continuing group sessions over a half-year at a parenting support centre in Japan. The data comprised participants’ utterances and feedback in each session, along with semi-structured individual interviews conducted after all sessions. Results Qualitative descriptive analysis revealed six themes: “From initial surprise to growing ease with dialogue without a theme,” “Talking and listening without interruption or judgement,” “Reflections by the facilitators: insightful or uncomfortable?,” “Learning to talk about difficult things,” “Offering empathic advice without imposing opinions,” and “Multiple voices helped deepen their thoughts and reflections.” Conclusions The participants discovered how to listen to others without judgement and verbalize thoughts that would otherwise have remained unvoiced. The sessions also enabled them to understand their families and themselves better. The dialogical group sessions demonstrated new possibilities for more open, mutually supportive communication.

Navigating Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking in Hospice Settings: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

This article explores current global research on voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) and presents a detailed, deidentified case study of a patient who elected VSED in a hospice setting in the Southeastern United States. It highlights the collaborative efforts of health care professionals in effectively supporting the patient and family, sharing multiple perspectives from various health care team members who cared for the patient and family. It offers evidence-based recommendations to guide health care teams through the ethical, medical, and emotional challenges of VSED, ensuring compassionate and competent care. The article emphasizes the importance of structured protocols and empathetic care in hospice settings, advocating for the education and preparation of health care teams and families to address the complex challenges associated with VSED. By promoting open communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and comprehensive support, hospices can respect the autonomy of patients and families choosing VSED, ensuring a compassionate and dignified end-of-life experience.

LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS IN THE MINDS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

This article examines the key role of leadership in the formation and maintenance of effective business communications in organizations. The authors emphasize that in the conditions of constant changes in the business environment and growing competition, strategic management requires leaders not only to have managerial skills, but also to have high communication skills. The article analyzes how different leadership styles affect internal communication processes, determining how leaders can create an open and supportive communication environment. It emphasizes the importance of interaction between the leader and the team, as well as between management and external stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and partners. The authors also consider the challenges faced by leaders in the context of digitalization and globalization, and offer recommendations for developing communication skills. The article emphasizes the need to adapt communication strategies to changing market conditions, which allows organizations to be more flexible and competitive. In addition, the article provides examples of successful leadership practices that demonstrate how effective communication can be the key to the success of strategic initiatives. The authors argue that the integration of leadership and communications into an organization's strategy is a key factor in achieving long-term goals and improving the overall effectiveness of management processes. Contemporary challenges faced by leaders in the context of globalization and digital technologies, as well as their strategies for adapting to changes, are separately considered. The intercultural style of leadership in the context of any culture is considered, which provides an opportunity to analyze existing values ​​and approaches to leadership. It has been proven that further research is needed: cross-cultural barriers in communications; the influence of cultural norms on leadership styles; the role of emotional intelligence in leadership communications; strategies for adapting strategic management to different cultural contexts.

Codesign and evaluation of advanced therapeutic information resources for and with families of children with neurological conditions: a mixed methods cross-sectional study

ObjectiveParents and caregivers of children with neurological conditions express interest in new and developing treatments and trials; however, they have limited knowledge of, and access to, reliable information. This study...

Exploring Patient-Generated Annotations to Digital Clinical Symptom Measures for Patient-Centered Communication

Patients' self-reports are crucial for effective care management of clinical conditions involving subjective symptoms. While patients often value the ability to bring in different forms of self-report data to convey their lived experiences, they often struggle to make their data practically usable in clinical settings. To better center patient needs in communicating illness experiences in clinical contexts, we explore the idea of patient annotations to digital clinical self-report measures, specifically in the context of discontinuing antidepressants. Through interviews with 20 patients with AT Annotator, a digital aid to introduce the concept of annotations, we found that participants perceived annotations to digital clinical measures as a means to enrich self-report measures and reduce the cognitive and emotional burden of logging. However, concerns were raised regarding potential disruptions in patient-provider relationships and the sensitive and complex nature of mental health contexts. We discuss opportunities for annotations to promote patient-centered communication by balancing with clinical practicality and incorporating customization support for patients' communication needs.

Resilience Strategy of Indonesian Seafarers in Facing Pressure and Stress on Ships

This study aimed to describe the resilience strategies used by Indonesian sailors in dealing with pressure and stress on board. This type of research used qualitative descriptive research with the determination of informants consisting of 7 informants selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study indicate that there are several resilience strategies used by Indonesian sailors in dealing with pressure and stress on board, including a) Cognitive strategies are managing feelings of stress and longing through positive thinking patterns, effective communication, and focusing on goals and the future of the family; b) emotional strategies are to combine social support, emotional management, spirituality amid tough work challenges and isolation situations at sea; c) social strategies are by building solid relationships, open communication, and emotional support from coworkers; d) professional strategies are by combining increased competence, discipline, self-management, and adaptability.

Coach-athlete emotional relationships in football and their impact on achievement motivation

Using the systematic literature review, this study investigates the emotional relationships between coaches and athletes in soccer and their impact on achievement motivation. Data were obtained from articles searched through Google Scholar. The search focused on the following keywords: "Emotional Relationship AND Coach AND Athlete AND Soccer AND Achievement Motivation". During the search, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. For example, the selected articles must be published in Scopus-indexed journals between 2019 and 2024. With these criteria, 17,300 articles were found. They were screened again in several stages, and 16 articles that fit the theme and met the inclusion requirements were chosen. During the article selection, this study followed the PRISMA guidelines, generating several key findings. The first finding of this study confirmed that emotional relationships between coaches and athletes in soccer are important in influencing motivation. A positive relationship, characterized by trust, emotional support, and effective communication, creates a conducive environment for athletes to develop intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which ultimately impacts their performance on the field. Another finding revealed that a coach's emotional intelligence is a crucial factor in building such relationships, as the coach's ability to understand and respond to athletes' emotional needs can increase athletes' self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, which in turn strengthens performance. Effective communication was also identified as a key element that enables coaches to provide constructive feedback and establish open channels of communication, thereby creating a climate that supports the development of athletes' achievement motivation.

Telepharmacy and remote medication management: An empirical study from patients' perspectives.

Background: Telepharmacy has emerged as a vital tool in healthcare, allowing remote medication management, especially for patients in rural areas. Despite its growing adoption, there is limited empirical evidence on its effectiveness and patient experiences in diverse healthcare settings. Aim: This study aims to investigate telepharmacy and remote medication management through the lens of patients, shedding light on their attitudes, challenges, and preferences. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design is adopted in this study. Survey participants included outpatients aged above 18 years, accessing telepharmacy services from public hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The survey questionnaire focuses on evaluating patients' experiences and perspectives regarding telepharmacy services for remote medication management. Excluding incomplete responses resulted in a final sample of 403. Results: Participants reported positive experiences with telepharmacy, rating it moderately to very effective (Mean = 3.12-3.21) across various factors. Significant age-related differences were observed, with younger participants perceiving telepharmacy more favorably (P < 0.0001). Education levels did not significantly affect perceptions. Residential location also showed no significant impact. Patients suggested technical support and improved communication methods to enhance telepharmacy services. Implementing these suggestions increased patients' likelihood of future telepharmacy use. Conclusion: Telepharmacy, by utilizing telecommunication technology, offers a transformative approach to remote medication management, significantly improving patient care across various healthcare environments.

Unmet educational needs and expectations among tracheostomy recipients

ObjectiveThis study seeks to better understand unmet educational needs and treatment expectations in individuals with a tracheostomy. Study designRetrospective, cross-sectional survey. MethodsA survey was distributed to individuals who received a tracheostomy at a tertiary care center in the last five years as well as in Facebook support groups for tracheostomy and head and neck cancer patients. The survey focused on tracheostomy education, satisfaction with care, and gaps in treatment plan understanding. Primary outcome was rate of tracheostomy peri-operative experience being on-par with expectations. ResultsAmong 83 respondents, only report of pre-operative speech (p = 0.024) and swallow (p = 0.019) discussions were associated with peri-operative experience being on-par with expectations. Respondents were more likely to report importance of counseling regarding psychological well-being (p < 0.001) and post-operative social integration/interaction (p < 0.001) than they were to report receiving focused counseling about these topics. Qualitative analysis demonstrated the most frequently missing components of understanding of treatment plans included post-operative care and the post-operative experience (n = 19, 40.4 % each). Reasons for treatment not meeting expectations included lack of communication/education (n = 15, 39.5 %) and experience being worse than expected (n = 8, 21.1 %). Individuals frequently wanted more details of the experience of living with a tracheostomy (n = 25, 42.6 %) and details about tracheostomy care (n = 10, 16.4 %). ConclusionThis study demonstrates significant gaps in informational needs for individuals receiving a tracheostomy, emphasizing the importance of guideline-directed tracheostomy counseling. Specifically, more information is needed regarding expected post-surgical experience, tracheostomy care and maintenance, psychosocial wellbeing, and communication support.

Strategies for Effective Occupational Stress Management in the Workplace

Effective stress management involves addressing and mitigating occupational stress among employees. Designing a successful stress management program requires identifying key factors that influence employees’ ability to manage workplace stress. This also involves selecting intervention models that can effectively target these factors. The management framework conceptualizes occupational stress as an outcome of how stressors are perceived and how employees evaluate their coping resources. Organizational strategies to control occupational stress tend to take a more proactive approach. This study examines occupational stress management at both organizational and individual levels, aiming to enhance our understanding of effective workplace coping strategies for occupational stress. The study results indicate that IT employees, at both individual and organizational levels, expect organizations to implement stress management strategies, including counseling, training and development programs, proper recognition, career advancement opportunities, effective performance management systems, open communication, and ample support from management.

Living with a permanent ostomy: a descriptive phenomenological study on postsurgical experiences in patients with colorectal cancer

ObjectivesTo explore the postsurgery lived experiences of patients with colorectal cancer with a permanent ostomy for informing initiatives to improve patient care and future quantitative research.DesignA descriptive qualitative phenomenological study.SettingWe...

Enabling scalable and adaptive machine learning training via serverless computing on public cloud

In today’s production machine learning (ML) systems, models are continuously trained, improved, and deployed. ML design and training are becoming a continuous workflow of various tasks that have dynamic resource demands. Serverless computing is an emerging cloud paradigm that provides transparent resource management and scaling for users and has the potential to revolutionize the routine of ML design and training. However, hosting modern ML workflows on existing serverless platforms has non-trivial challenges due to their intrinsic design limitations such as stateless nature, limited communication support across function instances, and limited function execution duration. These limitations result in a lack of an overarching view and adaptation mechanism for training dynamics, and an amplification of existing problems in ML workflows.To address the above challenges, we propose SMLT, an automated, scalable and adaptive serverless framework on public cloud to enable efficient and user-centric ML design and training. SMLT employs an automated and adaptive scheduling mechanism to dynamically optimize the deployment and resource scaling for ML tasks during training. SMLT further enables user-centric ML workflow execution by supporting user-specified training deadline and budget limit. In addition, by providing an end-to-end design, SMLT solves the intrinsic problems in public cloud serverless platforms such as the communication overhead, limited function execution duration, need for repeated initialization, and also provides explicit fault tolerance for ML training. SMLT is open-sourced and compatible with all major ML frameworks. Our experimental evaluation with large, sophisticated modern ML models demonstrates that SMLT outperforms the state-of-the-art VM-based systems and existing public cloud serverless ML training frameworks in both training speed (up to 8×) and monetary cost (up to 3×).

Communication Support to Deepen Human Connections Leading to a Spiritually Enriched Society through Information Technology

Communication Support to Deepen Human Connections Leading to a Spiritually Enriched Society through Information Technology

Developing a smartphone web app to help DWI offenders and their families

IntroductionDriving while intoxicated (DWI) results in significant morbidity and mortality. Ignition interlock devices (IID) decrease the risk of drinking and driving while installed, but DWI rates increase after the IID is removed. Efforts are needed to maintain change after the IID is removed; engaging concerned family members (CFMs) is an untested strategy. Smartphones may provide a promising platform to support DWI offenders with IIDs and their CFMs; the purpose of the present study was to develop such a smartphone-web app. MethodsFormative work occurred in two sequential phases. Phase 1 included key informant interviews with DWI offenders and CFMs, development of one app module, and usability testing. Phase 2 included focus groups with DWI offenders and CFMs, development of three more app modules, and usability testing. The Bangor System Usability Scale was used to rate app usability and navigability. ResultsResults of key informants and focus groups indicated that offenders and CFMs lacked information and were frustrated by the IID, experienced financial burden from the DWI and IID, viewed supportive communication and positive shared activities as important, and were positive about the app. Four modules were developed, Life with Interlock, Supporting Changes in Drinking, Doing Things Together, and Effective Communication. Usability testing indicated that the B-SMART modules were easy to use and informative. ConclusionsCareful formative work resulted in an app responsive to the concerns of DWI offenders with IIDs and their CFMs. Controlled research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the app.

A Provably Secure and Lightweight Two-Factor Authentication Protocol for Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are rapidly being integrated into various fields, significantly impacting and facilitating many aspects of human life. However, the increasingly prominent security issues associated with WSNs have become a significant challenge. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the security challenges faced by WSNs in resource constrained and open communication environments. As a key component of the Internet of Things (IoT), a WSN can perceive, collect and transmit physical environmental data in real-time, and is widely used in military, medical, agricultural and other fields. However, the insecurity of communication channels and unauthorized user access pose severe threats to network security and data integrity. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a provably secure two-factor authentication protocol. This protocol utilizes a Chebyshev chaotic map and a two-factor authentication mechanism, which not only enhances security in WSNs but also improves authentication efficiency. The protocol is validated through security proof and performance experiments, demonstrating excellent security, functionality and efficiency. This provides strong support for secure and efficient communication in WSNs across various application scenarios.

Exploring autism-friendly initiatives in Australian airports: ‘A lot better than a lot of airports that I’ve experienced’

ABSTRACT This study examines the effectiveness of autism-friendly initiatives implemented at two major Australian airports: Sydney and Gold Coast. As accessible air travel is essential for the social inclusion of Autistic individuals, ensuring that airports meet their specific needs is critical. Focusing on the lived experiences of Autistic adults and parents of Autistic children, the research seeks to assess how well these initiatives align with the needs of Autistic travellers and to identify any opportunities to further enhance airport accessibility. Through reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with 13 participants, the study generated themes related to persistent sensory challenges, the importance of planning and accessible quiet spaces, and the significant benefits associated with the Hidden Disability Sunflower lanyard. Although participants acknowledged the strides made in improving accessibility, they also highlighted areas that would benefit from further attention, particularly in communication and proactive support from airport personnel. The findings emphasise the pivotal role airports play in either facilitating or hindering the travel experiences and opportunities of Autistic individuals. The study concludes with a call for policy and practice reforms, advocating for the broader implementation of standardised autism-friendly initiatives and comprehensive staff training to ensure a consistently supportive environment for Autistic travellers.

Empowering health: exploring the vital role of facilitator organisations in supporting chronic disease patients in Assam, India

BackgroundThe research centers on an underrated type of mediator organization namely facilitator organizations (FO) that work in the health care setting. These organizations are mediators that bridge the gap between patients (healthcare customers) and medical services. The facilitator organizations considered for the study are non-governmental organizations situated in Assam that works in align to chronic diseases, particularly cancer.MethodsThe data collection was done through organizational referrals for the study making it a snowball sampling, progressively incorporating additional contemporary entities. The study's respondents were facilitator organizations (i.e.Non-Government Organizations) actively involved in addressing chronic disease. Data were gathered from these facilitator organizations situated in Assam, India, supporting healthcare customers specifically those with cancer. Key informant interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection, the responses were documented using a field diary and the Lovelock service model was used as a reference for the construction of the questionnaire and developing the research framework.ResultsThe analysis of data shows that facilitator organisations maintain continuity in relationships, which enhances health management and outcomes for customers. The shift in cancer care towards a patient-centred approach and the crucial role of FOs in providing comprehensive and individualized care, addressing diverse patient needs thereby addressing the holistic development of the health care customer is vital. In addition, effective patient-centred communication, incorporating trust, compassion, respect and comprehensive support including mental health therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation plays a crucial role in leading a normal life. `ConclusionThe facilitator organizations dealing with Cancer have to meet a broad range of services outside the core medical service providers for their healthcare customers. These efforts contribute to the overall recovery of both the healthcare customer with cancer and their family.