Potential Service Users Research Articles

Community reintegration of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities from prison

Since the Bradley Review in 2009 initiatives have been developed to support individuals with mental health problems and learning disabilities in the criminal justice system. Despite these initiatives, it was identified that some individuals were being released from local prisons without adequate support. The custodial partnership group (CPG) evolved as a mechanism to identify potential service users six months before their release from prison, prompting an NHS trust in the north west of England to become involved in their care.A focus group was held after a scheduled CPG meeting. A total of five members representing different services took part in the focus group: a local prison service, criminal justice and liaison team and community-based forensic support service. A thematic analysis was conducted to review the qualitative data collected from the focus group. The evaluation found that the CPG was viewed positively by those in attendance and seen as a valuable and innovative forum to continue the care of service users with a forensic pathway.

Artificial Intelligence in FinTech: understanding robo-advisors adoption among customers

PurposeConsidering the increasing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on financial technology (FinTech), the purpose of this paper is to propose a research framework to better understand robo-advisor adoption by a wide range of potential customers. It also predicts that personal and sociodemographic variables (familiarity with robots, age, gender and country) moderate the main relationships.Design/methodology/approachData from a web survey of 765 North American, British and Portuguese potential users of robo-advisor services confirm the validity of the measurement scales and provide the input for structural equation modeling and multisample analyses of the hypotheses.FindingsConsumers’ attitudes toward robo-advisors, together with mass media and interpersonal subjective norms, are found to be the key determinants of adoption. The influences of perceived usefulness and attitude are slightly higher for users with a higher level of familiarity with robots; in turn, subjective norms are significantly more relevant for users with a lower familiarity and for customers from Anglo-Saxon countries.Practical implicationsBanks and other firms in the finance industry should design robo-advisors to be used by a wide spectrum of consumers. Marketing tactics applied should consider the customer’s level of familiarity with robots.Originality/valueThis research identifies the key drivers of robo-advisor adoption and the moderating effect of personal and sociodemographic variables. It contributes to understanding consumers’ perceptions regarding the introduction of AI in FinTech.

"21ST CENTURY SKILLS" IN SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN BELGRADE - HOW TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR A NEW GLOBAL SOCIETY?

Education in the Republic of Serbia, where is it today and whether special secondary vocational schools are changing to prepare students for "21st century skills"? The aim of this paper is to compare and map the schools with strategic orientation and definition of the vision, mission and content of the educational, structure, learning objectives, knowledge and skills development with strictly defined and generally recognized skills for the 21st century. The success of an educational institution, at any level of education, whether it is primary, secondary, or high, is reflected in the success of maintaining standards both in teaching and learning. "21st century skills" includes communication and cooperation; creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; information media and technology. Equipping students with effective tools and strategies to help them critically and logically think is a necessary preparation for coping with the challenges of the 21st century. It seems that schools, that is, Directors - managers who manage them, thinking about state schools, have not yet realized the importance of on-line advertising and presentations, especially missions, visions and strategic goals, so that potential service users choose easier the right ones. The presence on the Internet enables better brand recognition, greater loyalty of educational service users, more flexible adaptation to individual needs and habits, less operational costs which together contribute to better reputation, competitiveness, higher sales of services on the national or international market.

An investigation of the fraud risk and fraud scheme methods in Greek commercial banks

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine types of fraud risk and fraud scheme methods in Greek commercial banks.Design/methodology/approachData used for this study were obtained from primary source through questionnaires. This method of data collection was followed and was considered appropriate because the information sought is not publicly available and middle management and internal auditors are in a good position to know the answers to the questions asked. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of 230 persons, all bank branch employees (internal auditors were excluded), in the city of Athens (capital city of Greece), in five banks, National Bank of Greece, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, Eurobank and Postal Bank, during February 2017-March 2017. Finally, of the 230 questionnaires distributed, 225 completed and returned but only 203 of them were usable questionnaires. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the reliability of variables.FindingsResults showed that forgeries, bribery and money laundering are the most important types of fraud risk, and the best fraud scheme methods are using dormant accounts and checks. Based on the empirical findings, the study recommends that there is a need for banks to implement a code of conduct and a code of ethics for staff, staff training, signature verification, control over dormant accounts, asking employees about their opinions and the way they feel about their bank, conducting surprise audits and using a hot line for whistleblowing.Practical implicationsThe study will help banks in fraud risk management and in the development of policies to reduce risk within the banking sector. Also, will be useful to all categories of potential bank clients and users of financial services including shareholders, creditors, debtors and fund providers.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining middle management and staff opinions about fraud risk and fraud scheme methods in Greek commercial banks.

Para que serve o Serviço Móvel de Urgência: representações sociais de possíveis usuarios.

Objective: know the representations of potential users of the emergency mobile service in a city in the South, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research, carried out with 50 citizens using convenience sampling in public places. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, recorded in audio and subsequently transcribed. For the organization and analysis of data, the Collective Subject Discourse method based on the theory of Social Representations was used. Results: The representations obtained were: Fast emergency service, Ambulance that rescues Same as firemen, A government entity that helps people, and nothing. Regarding the function, the following ideas were identified: To assist someone in an accident or someone who gets sick, Take to the hospital, and I do not know. Conclusion: Representations refer to common sense about health systems and emergency care. There is no clarity about the type of service provided by the emergency mobile service. Emphasis is placed on the need to implement educational measures for the appropriate recognition of the service functions, in order to provide a better organization of the demand in the context of the Health Networks.

Development of a trauma-informed substance use and sexual risk reduction intervention for young South African women.

PurposeTo develop a trauma-informed substance use and sexual risk reduction intervention for young South African women at risk of HIV.Patients and methodsGuided by the ADAPT-ITT framework for intervention development, we selected four focus groups (n=26) to assess the service needs and preferences of trauma-exposed young women (aged 18–25 years) who use substances. We used findings to develop a needs-based and contextually appropriate intervention. In addition four focus groups (n=30) were selected to explore potential service users’ views of this intervention and recommendations for improving acceptability and appeal. Expert stakeholders were also consulted.ResultsYoung women described therapeutic, self-care, and social support needs for coping with traumatic experiences and reducing substance- and sexual-related risks for HIV and further trauma. To address these needs, we expanded the Women’s Health Co-Operative (WHC; an evidence-based HIV prevention program) to include trauma-related psychoeducation; cognitive-behavioral strategies for coping with the emotional impact of trauma, stress, and substance use craving; social support strategies; and self-care components to help young women create a life with purpose. This novel and expanded six-session group-based intervention is called the trauma-informed WHC. Focus group participants and expert stakeholders viewed the trauma-informed WHC as highly relevant and acceptable. They provided recommendations for modifications to the intervention structure and reformatting of intervention materials to enhance the intervention’s appeal and the feasibility of reaching and retaining young women in the program.ConclusionEngaging women as potential service users in the process of developing a trauma-informed substance use and sexual risk reduction intervention helped identify service needs not commonly addressed in trauma-informed substance use interventions but critical for recovery and local relevance. It also enhanced the acceptability and appeal of the intervention. While potentially acceptable, the trauma-informed WHC requires feasibility testing before establishing its efficacy in a larger trial.

Service user and carer involvement in mental health care safety: raising concerns and improving the safety of services

BackgroundPrevious research into improving patient safety has emphasised the importance of responding to and learning from concerns raised by service users and carers. Expertise gained by the experiences of service users and their carers has also been seen as a potential resource to improve patient safety. We know little about the ease of raising concerns within mental health services, and the potential benefits of involving service users and carers in safety interventions. This study aimed to explore service user and carer perceptions of raising safety concerns, and service user, carer and health professional views on the potential for service user and carer involvement in safety interventions.MethodsUK service users, carers and health professionals ( n= 185) were recruited via social media to a cross-sectional survey focussed on raising concerns about safety issues and views on potential service user and carer participation in safety interventions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and free text responses were coded into categories.ResultsThe sample of 185 participants included 90 health professionals, 77 service users and 18 carers. Seventy seven percent of service users and carers reported finding it very difficult or difficult to raise concerns. Their most frequently cited barriers to raising concerns were: services did not listen; concerns about repercussions; and the process of raising concerns, especially while experiencing mental ill health. There was universal support from health professionals for service user and carer involvement in safety interventions and over half the service users and carers supported involvement, primarily due to their expertise from experience.ConclusionsMental health service users and carers experience difficulties in raising safety concerns meaning that potentially useful information is being missed. All the health professionals and the majority of service users and carers saw potential for service users and carer involvement in interventions to improve safety, to ensure their experiences are taken into consideration. The results provide guidance for future research about the most effective ways of ensuring that concerns about safety can be both raised and responded to, and how service user and carer involvement in improving safety in mental health care can be further developed.

User acceptance of long distance bus services in Germany

Since the liberalization of intercity bus services in Germany in 2013 the intercity bus market has seen tremendous growth (and concentration). Herein, we attempt to assess its long-term market potential. However, as the bus market had been completely regulated for decades, only limited data on user behaviour and revealed preferences currently exists. Our paper wants to contribute to closing this research gap. We conducted a representative survey for Germany in spring 2014 to collect data on actual and potential users of intercity bus services. Our paper presents the most relevant results of this survey and investigates the passenger acceptance of long distance bus services by potential and effective users. We want to show how users evaluate bus services in comparison to alternative modes (rail services, aircraft or use of passenger cars). The analysis distinguishes between different travel purposes and distance. In particular, we examine travel purposes (business trips, holiday and leisure trips), distance, and modal characteristics (e.g. price, quality, speed) as key determinants of modal choice to assess the potential for modal shift from rail, plane, and private car towards intercity bus services. In addition, we also consider habituated behaviour as another determinant of modal choice.

Opening Canada's first Health Canada-approved supervised consumption sites.

In response to the opioid overdose crisis, a Public Health Emergency was declared in British Columbia (BC) in April 2016. There were 1448 deaths in BC in 2017 (30.1 deaths per 100,000 individuals). Approximately one third of all overdose deaths in BC in 2016 (333/993) and 2017 (482/1448) occurred within the region served by Fraser Health Authority (FH). We identified a need for a supervised drug use site in Surrey, the city with FH's highest number of overdose deaths in 2016 (n = 122). In order to ensure low-barrier services, FH underwent an internal assessment for a supervised drug use site and determined that a supervised injection site was unlikely to meet the needs of individuals who consumed their drugs using other routes, choosing instead to apply for an exemption to the Controlled Drug and Substances Act in order to open a Supervised Consumption Site (SCS). In assessing population needs, injection was identified as the mode of drug administration in only 32.8% of overdose deaths in FH from 2011 to 2016. Other routes of drug (co-) administration included oral (30.6%); smoking (28.8%); intranasal (24.2%); and unknown/other (17.1%). Interviews with potential service users confirmed drug (co-) administration behaviours and identified other aspects of service delivery, such as hours and co-located services that would help align the services better with client needs. With Health Canada's approval, SafePoint in Surrey opened for supervised injection on June 8, 2017 and received an exemption to allow oral and intranasal consumption on June 26, 2017. By assessing drug use practices, the evolving needs of people who use substances, and tailoring services to local context, we can potentially engage with individuals earlier in their substance use trajectory to improve the utility of services and prevent more overdoses and overdose deaths.

In the eyes of the beholder: Parental and professional value mismatch in child risk and protection in two communities in Israel.

This paper aims to identify several of the mismatches at play when social workers encounter families belonging to diverse groups and assess risk, well-being and protection for children. Two minority groups in Israel were studied: the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia. A context-informed approach was adopted to explore the subjective perceptions and constructions of "risk," "well-being," and "protection" among parents of the two communities (N = 60) and the social workers who work with them (N = 50). The social workers included some who belong to the minority groups they serve and others who are from the majority group. The analysis of the interviews yielded two main themes: (a) an understanding of the discrepancies in parents' and professionals' perceptions and constructions of "risk" and "protection" for children as the product of differences in the values, norms and contexts of these two groups; and (b) the implications of these discrepancies for the relationship between professionals/social service agencies and parents who are potential service users. Our findings call upon professionals to re-visit "universals" in the "risk" discourse while taking into account the realms of culture, ethnicity, religiosity, spirituality and community life when assessing risk and treating children and families of minority communities.

Factors Affecting Mobile Payment Adoption Intention: An Indian Perspective

This study aims to identify the factors affecting mobile payment (m-payment) adoption intention in India by proposing a conceptual framework based on technology acceptance model (TAM). In addition to construct of TAM, four user-centric constructs have been added to evaluate m-payment adoption intention in India. The proposed research framework was empirically tested by data collected from 381 potential m-payment service users, through online and offline survey. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results exhibit that perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), trust, and self-efficacy (SE) have a significant positive impact on m-payment adoption intention. However, subjective norms (SN) and personal innovativeness (PI) have no significant impact on m-payment adoption intention. Findings of the study have important theoretical and practical implications, particularly to understand important user-centric factors affecting m-payment adoption.

A stakeholder co-design approach for developing a community pharmacy service to enhance screening and management of atrial fibrillation

BackgroundCommunity pharmacies provide a suitable setting to promote self-screening programs aimed at enhancing the early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF). Developing and implementing novel community pharmacy services (CPSs) is a complex and acknowledged challenge, which requires comprehensive planning and the participation of relevant stakeholders. Co-design processes are participatory research approaches that can enhance the development, evaluation and implementation of health services. The aim of this study was to co-design a pharmacist-led CPS aimed at enhancing self-monitoring/screening of AF.MethodsA 3-step co-design process was conducted using qualitative methods: (1) interviews and focus group with potential service users (n = 8) to identify key needs and concerns; (2) focus group with a mixed group of stakeholders (n = 8) to generate a preliminary model of the service; and (3) focus group with community pharmacy owners and managers (n = 4) to explore the feasibility and appropriateness of the model. Data were analysed qualitatively to identify themes and intersections between themes. The JeMa2 model to conceptualize pharmacy-based health programs was used to build a theoretical model of the service.ResultsStakeholders delineated: a clear target population (i.e., individuals ≥65 years old, with hypertension, with or without previous AF or stroke); the components of the service (i.e., patient education; self-monitoring at home; results evaluation, referral and follow-up); and a set of circumstances that may influence the implementation of the service (e.g., quality of the service, competency of the pharmacist, inter-professional relationships, etc.). A number of strategies were recommended to enable implementation (e.g.,. endorsement by leading cardiovascular organizations, appropriate communication methods and channels between the pharmacy and the general medical practice settings, etc.).ConclusionA novel and preliminary model of a CPS aimed at enhancing the management of AF was generated from this participatory process. This model can be used to inform decision making processes aimed at adopting and piloting of the service. It is expected the co-designed service has been adapted to suit existing needs of patients and current care practices, which, in turn, may increase the feasibility and acceptance of the service when it is implemented into a real setting.

Opportunities to Achieve a Sustainable Restaurant Business

This report examines the place of restaurant business in the tourism system and its importance in the formation and realization of the tourist product. Due to its leading role in tourism, opportunities are being sought to apply new tools and methods to achieve sustainable development, including reducing its harmful impact on the environment and creating new, more favourable habits for consumers. There is a study of good practices in the world and their potential application in Bulgarian catering establishments as possible ways to achieve sustainable restaurants. In addition, a survey is conducted among potential users of restaurant services to determine their attitude and role in achieving sustainable results.

IoT Smart Home Adoption: The Importance of Proper Level Automation

The word “smart” has been used in various fields and is widely accepted to mean intelligence. Smart home service, one of the representative emerging technologies in the IoT era, has changed house equipment into being more intelligent, remote controllable, and interconnected. However, the intelligence and controllability of a smart home service are contradictory concepts, under certain aspects. In addition, the level of intelligence or controllability of a smart home service that users want may differ according to the user. As potential users of smart home services have diversified in recent years, providing the appropriate functions and features is critical to the diffusion of the service. Thus, this study examines the smart home service features that current users require and empirically evaluates the relationship between the critical factors and the adoption behavior with 216 samples from Korea. The moderating effect of personal characteristics on behavior is also tested. The results of the analysis provide various theoretical and practical implications.

Between User’s Expectations and Provider’s Quality of Work: the Future of Elderly Care in Lithuania

In the context of the future development of a high-quality, user-driven elderly care system and efforts to ensure sufficient labour supply and job quality in this sector, it is important to analyse the sector from the perspective of both service users and service providers. The article aims to reveal the controversy between the demand for eldercare services, which reflects preference for informal care and home help services, and the challenge of securing quality jobs for care sector’s employees. Expectations of potential service users with regard to care services in Lithuania indicate a need for developing various employment models, including non-standard forms of employment, in order to ensure better access for the elderly to in-home services. On the other hand, taking into account the problem of the quality of jobs, the article considers not only the preconditions for developing the service system itself, but also the issues of job quality within the sector.

"Thanks for Letting Us All Share Your Mammogram Experience Virtually": Developing a Web-Based Hub for Breast Cancer Screening.

BackgroundThe decision around whether to attend breast cancer screening can often involve making sense of confusing and contradictory information on its risks and benefits. The Word of Mouth Mammogram e-Network (WoMMeN) project was established to create a Web-based resource to support decision making regarding breast cancer screening. This paper presents data from our user-centered approach in engaging stakeholders (both health professionals and service users) in the design of this Web-based resource. Our novel approach involved creating a user design group within Facebook to allow them access to ongoing discussion between researchers, radiographers, and existing and potential service users.ObjectiveThis study had two objectives. The first was to examine the utility of an online user design group for generating insight for the creation of Web-based health resources. We sought to explore the advantages and limitations of this approach. The second objective was to analyze what women want from a Web-based resource for breast cancer screening.MethodsWe recruited a user design group on Facebook and conducted a survey within the group, asking questions about design considerations for a Web-based breast cancer screening hub. Although the membership of the Facebook group varied over time, there were 71 members in the Facebook group at the end point of analysis. We next conducted a framework analysis on 70 threads from Facebook and a thematic analysis on the 23 survey responses. We focused additionally on how the themes were discussed by the different stakeholders within the context of the design group.ResultsTwo major themes were found across both the Facebook discussion and the survey data: (1) the power of information and (2) the hub as a place for communication and support. Information was considered as empowering but also recognized as threatening. Communication and the sharing of experiences were deemed important, but there was also recognition of potential miscommunication within online discussion. Health professionals and service users expressed the same broad concerns, but there were subtle differences in their opinions. Importantly, the themes were triangulated between the Facebook discussions and the survey data, supporting the validity of an online user design group.ConclusionsOnline user design groups afford a useful method for understanding stakeholder needs. In contrast to focus groups, they afford access to users from diverse geographical locations and traverse time constraints, allowing more follow-ups to responses. The use of Facebook provides a familiar and naturalistic setting for discussion. Although we acknowledge the limitations in the sample, this approach has allowed us to understand the views of stakeholders in the user-centered design of the WoMMeN hub for breast cancer screening.

Stakeholder-based evaluation categories for regional climate services – a case study at the German Baltic Sea coast

Abstract. In this study, categories, dimensions, and criteria for evaluating regional climate services are derived by a participatory approach with potential service users at the German Baltic Sea coast. The development is carried out within nine face-to-face interviews conducted with decision makers, working in climate sensitive sectors at the German Baltic Sea coast. Three main groups of categories were localized which seem to matter most to the considered stakeholders and which seem to be crucial evaluation categories for regional climate services: (1) credibility, (2) relevance, and (3) appropriateness. For each of these evaluation categories several dimensions emerged, indicating certain perspectives of stakeholder demands. When summarizing these evaluation categories and their dimensions, 13 evaluation criteria for regional climate services can be derived (see Table 1). The results show that stakeholders do mainly address components other than those found in the literature (e.g. inputs, process, outputs, outcomes, and impacts). This might indicate that an evaluation, following solely literature-based (non-participative) components, is not sufficient to localize deficiencies or efficiencies within a regional climate service, since it might lead to results which are not relevant for potential users.

Using participatory methods to design an mHealth intervention for a low income country, a case study in Chikwawa, Malawi

BackgroundmHealth holds the potential to educate rural communities in developing countries such as Malawi, on issues which over-burdened and under staffed health centres do not have the facilities to address. Previous research provides support that mHealth could be used as a vehicle for health education campaigns at a community level; however the limited involvement of potential service users in the research process endangers both user engagement and intervention effectiveness.MethodsThis two stage qualitative study used participatory action research to inform the design and development of an mHealth education intervention. First, secondary analysis of 108 focus groups (representing men, women, leadership, elderly and male and female youth) identified four topics where there was a perceived health education need. Second, 10 subsequent focus groups explored details of this perceived need and the acceptability and feasibility of mHealth implementation in Chikwawa, Malawi.ResultsStage 1 and Stage 2 informed the design of the intervention in terms of target population, intervention content, intervention delivery and the frequency and timing of the intervention. This has led to the design of an SMS intervention targeting adolescents with contraceptive education which they will receive three times per week at 4 pm and will be piloted in the next phase of this research.ConclusionThis study has used participatory methods to identify a need for contraception education in adolescents and inform intervention design. The focus group discussions informed practical considerations for intervention delivery, which has been significantly influenced by the high proportion of users who share mobile devices and the intervention has been designed to allow for message sharing as much as possible.

Reasons for using workplace wellness services: Cross-sectional study among 6000 employees.

While workplace wellness services are proactively established to improve well-being and reduce sickness absence, knowledge of reasons for using these services remains sparse. This study investigates which factors determine use of an in-house wellness service at a large organization (the Danish Police) with several departments in different geographical locations. All potential users of the Wellness service ( n = 15,284) were invited to respond to a cross-sectional questionnaire. Of 6060 eligible respondents, 58% had used the service at least once (any use) and 17% had used the service at least three times (frequent users). Two items assessed the frequency of statements of justifications for using or not using the Wellness service. Associations between 32 demographic and psychosocial variables and use of the Wellness service were evaluated with unadjusted bivariate logistic regression analyses. The two primary justifications for using the Wellness service were: to get a blood pressure assessment (37%) and to rehabilitate injury (26%). The two most common justifications for not using the Wellness service were: no perceived need (44%) and already physically active (34%). Of the 32 demographical and psychosocial variables included, 28 were associated with any use and 24 with frequent use. Use of the Wellness service appears to be driven by a complex configuration of factors that resist easy translation into practical advice. Non-participation was accounted for in terms of both positive and negative barriers. Use of the service for purposes of primary prevention and health promotion was, relatively speaking, lagging behind.

P149 Patient involvement in sexual health service delivery

IntroductionSexual and reproductive health and HIV (SRHH) services face unique PPI challenges, as the anonymity and confidentiality required by service users can be a barrier to attracting patient input. PPI could improve sexual health services, through increased trust in services and the ability to tackle sexual health inequalities. However, specific practical guidance on how to address PPI in sexual health and the evidence to support it is sparse.MethodsThis research aimed to begin building an evidence base for PPI in sexual health services through: 1) an audit of PPI in SRHH in the Bristol region; and 2) a parallel survey of potential users of sexual health services about their experiences of PPI. For the audit, 18 SRHH organisations from all those in the region invited complete a short online survey, representing a range of different service providers. For the online survey, 96 sexually active young people were recruited through a convenience sample.ResultsSexual Health patients are reluctant to get involved in PPI work, often because of embarrassment. PPI work was highly variable with some reliance on customer satisfaction approaches. Patients reported not being asked for feedback and wanted to know what PPI is for. Services cited under-resourcing and a lack of time as barriers to improving PPI work.DiscussionImproving the use of patient’s voice in sexual health needs through clarity of purpose (measured against outcomes), better communication with patients, and the exploration of flexible methods that respect patients’ needs for anonymity. Next steps will be outlined.