Telephone Lines Research Articles

E-learning Supporting Infrastructure Investment in South Africa: Perspective of a Developing Economy

South Africa is one of the developing economies. Most of its provinces are in rural areas and have poor or lack of reliable critical infrastructure to enable development as in the case of urban areas. Infrastructure refers to physical structures that serve as the underlying foundation for the functioning of an economy. It includes physical facilities such as communication systems (telephone lines, broadband), and power supply systems (electrical grids, dams, etc.). The focus of the study is on information communication technological infrastructure (ICT) such as telephone and broadband networks and electricity infrastructure that support the adoption of e-learning. Many schools in South Africa are in rural areas and are attended by the majority of learners. These learners should perform the same way as learners in urban schools. Urban schools have better access to ICT infrastructure. Due to a lack of equitable ICT infrastructure, many education institutions back-tracked from the hybrid teaching mode implemented during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown to the traditional class/lecture-room mode of teaching. It is revealed in the study that South Africa struggles in the area of infrastructure development. These affect the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) which are heavily dependent on infrastructure, including education. E-learning offers a better advantage compared to traditional class/lecture-room-based education. ICT infrastructure that supports the provision of e-learning is not equitably distributed, and those that are available are not enough and reliable. South Africa is reported to need R4.8 trillion to achieve its critical infrastructure goals, indicating a dire need for infrastructure investment. Under-investment in infrastructure affects all sectors of the economy, including the education sector.

WP4.2 - Covid positivity: the pandemic surgical referral telephone triage legacy lives on

Abstract Introduction Covid restrictions provided opportunities for novel approaches to patient assessment. Innovative telephone triage of surgical referrals at Great Western Hospital, a UK District General Hospital, resulted in reduction in those patients reviewed and discharged the same day from 56% to 23.6%. Furthermore, 28.4% of admissions were avoided by triage. This novel work was adapted for the Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) department of Yeovil District Hospital, in response to exponential increases in Primary Care and Emergency Department referrals. Aims To develop a telephone triage system to get the right patient to the right place at the right time, reviewed by the right team. Methods Over the two-week study period (18/9–29/9/2023) a dedicated triage telephone line enabled a discussion between referring clinician and an experienced surgeon. Four outcomes were offered:AdviceOutpatient review within 1 weekHot clinic review within 24-48 hoursSame-day review by the on-call team Prospective referral data (18/9–29/9/2023) and retrospective non-triage data (1/9–14/9/2023) were gathered. Triage effects were measured by outcome comparison with non-triage data. Results A total of 193 patients were discussed. 48% were Emergency Department referrals, 25% from General Practitioners. Same-day reviews reduced by 35%. Overall, the on-call workload decreased by 68%. Return to AEC for review reduced by 99%. Reduction in average time spent by patients in AEC from 6.9 to 1.29 hours, saved up to 6 bed-days per day and facilitated significant cost savings. Conclusions Novel approaches can be cost effective and positively impact patient care.

Perspectives on Creating a Chronic Pain Support Line in Portugal: Results of a Focus Group Study among Patients and Healthcare Professionals.

Background: Chronic pain (CP) patients frequently feel misunderstood and experience a lack of support. This led to the creation of support telephone lines in some countries. However, there is no scientific data grounding their development or evaluating their performance. Almost 37% of the Portuguese adult population suffers from CP, with great costs for patients and the healthcare system. Methods: To determine the viability of a support line for CP in Portugal, a qualitative study was designed, and online focus group meetings, with patients and healthcare professionals, were conducted. Their perspectives, beliefs, and expectations were evaluated and described. Results: This study revealed that a CP support line is a feasible project from the participants' perspective if its interventions are limited to active listening, emotional support, and tailored suggestions. Conclusions: It has the potential to generate a positive impact on healthcare services, while also contributing to greater equity of access to support.

Analyzing the impact of cultural accessibility and ICT infrastructure on economic growth in Kazakhstan

For this, the primary aim of this study was to analyze of the impact of cultural accessibility and ICT (information and communication technology) infrastructure on economic growth in Kazakhstan, employing regression models to asses a single country data from 2008 to 2022. The research focuses on two sets of variables: cultural development variables (e.g., number of theaters, museums, and others) and ICT infrastructure variables (e.g., number of fixed Internet subscribers, total costs of ICT, and others). Principal component analysis (PCA) as employed to reduce the dimensionality of the data and identify the most significant predictors for the regression models. The findings indicate that in the cultural development model (Model 1), the number of recreational parks and students are significant positive predictors of GDP per capita. In the ICT infrastructure model (Model 2), ICT costs are found to have a significant positive impact on GDP per capita. Conversely, traditional connectivity indicators, such as the number of fixed telephone lines, show a low dependence on economic growth, suggesting diminishing returns on investment in these outdated forms of ICT. These results suggest that investments in cultural and ICT infrastructure are crucial for economic development. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for quality improvements in education and strategic modernization of communication technologies.

The Economic Impact of Community Paramedics Within Emergency Medical Services: A Systematic Review.

Globally, emergency medical services (EMSs) report that their demand is dominated by non-emergency (such as urgent and primary care) requests. Appropriately managing these is a major challenge for EMSs, with one mechanism employed being specialist community paramedics. This review guides policy by evaluating the economic impact of specialist community paramedic models from a healthcare system perspective. A multidisciplinary team (health economics, emergency care, paramedicine, nursing) was formed, and a protocol registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023397840) and published open access. Eligible studies included experimental and analytical observational study designs of economic evaluation outcomes of patients requesting EMSs via an emergency telephone line ('000', '111', '999', '911' or equivalent) responded to by specialist community paramedics, compared to patients attended by usual care (i.e. standard paramedics). A three-stage systematic search was performed, including Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Two independent reviewers extracted and verified 51 unique characteristics from 11 studies, costs were inflated and converted, and outcomes were synthesised with comparisons by model, population, education and reliability of findings. Eleven studies (n = 7136 intervention group) met thecriteria. These included one cost-utility analysis (measuring both costs and consequences), four costing studies (measuring cost only) and six cohort studies (measuring consequences only). Quality was measured using Joanna Briggs Institute tools, and was moderate for ten studies, and low for one. Models included autonomous paramedics (six studies, n = 4132 intervention), physician oversight (three studies, n = 932 intervention) and/or special populations (five studies, n = 3004 intervention). Twenty-one outcomes were reported. Models unanimously reduced emergency department (ED) transportation by 14-78% (higher quality studies reduced emergency department transportation by 50-54%, n = 2639 intervention, p < 0.001), and costs were reduced by AU$338-1227 per attendance in four studies (n = 2962). One study performed an economic evaluation (n = 1549), finding both that the costs were reduced by AU$454 per attendance (although not statistically significant), and consequently that the intervention dominated with a > 95% chance of the model being cost effective at the UK incremental cost-effectiveness ratio threshold. Community paramedic roles within EMSs reduced ED transportation by approximately half. However, the rate was highly variable owing to structural (such as local policies) and stochastic (such as the patient's medical condition) factors. As models unanimously reduced ED transportation-a major contributor to costs-they in turn lead to net healthcare system savings, provided there is sufficient demand to outweigh model costs and generate net savings. However, all models shift costs from EDs to EMSs, and therefore appropriate redistribution of benefits may be necessary to incentivise EMS investment. Policymakers for EMSs could consider negotiating with their health department, local ED or insurers to introduce a rebate for successful community paramedic non-ED-transportations. Following this, geographical areas with suitable non-emergency demand could be identified, and community paramedic models introduced and tested with a prospective economic evaluation or, where this is not feasible, with sufficient data collection to enable a post hoc analysis.

GFRP COMPOSITES: A MATERIAL TO STRENGTHEN REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS WITH WEB OPENINGS FOR SHEAR

Buildings that require mechanical and electrical services must have utility pipes and ducts. The services include air conditioning, power supply, telephone lines, network cables, sewerage lines, water supply and etc. A reinforced concrete (RC) deep beam with web openings experiences excessive cracking and deflection, as well as a decrease in beam stiffness. Enlargement of these openings near supports would reduce beams’ capacity for shear. Hence, analysis and design of such beams require careful consideration, particularly with regard to their performance. In addition, design compliance to relevant codes and standards, and selection of suitable material properties and construction techniques are needed. When such an enlargement is unavoidable, strengthening of beam for shear and flexure is necessary. In this study, the use of GFRP (Glass-Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composites for strengthening of RC beams with openings is experimentally investigated. As compared to the control beam, test results showed that using GFRP was found to be effective in increasing the shear strength of beams with openings by 40% to 60%. Test results of beams with web openings exhibited higher shear strength than the predicted values whereas for strengthened beams with GFRP, code predictions are found conservative.

Risks to patient safety in remote consulting.

Remote consulting was rolled out across general practice in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most consultations are carried out safely, in some cases remote care has contributed to adverse outcomes. To understand where the risks lie in delivering primary care remotely. Mixed method study in UK primary care settings including general practice, out of hours and 111 services. Data was collated from NHS England complaints quarterly reviews, NHS Resolution cases, 111 Wales, the HSIB report into 111 COVID services and longitudinal case ethnographic cases studies of 11 general practices. 2 reviewers coded the data and identified themes. There are staff, patient, and setting factors that contribute to risk in remote consulting. Staff factors include communication skills, over-reliance on a previous diagnosis made remotely, failure to recognise clinical findings or the urgency of a case, over/under prescribing/investigating and referring and safety netting. Patient factors include impaired communication, repeated telephone consultations, unstable chronic disease, and certain medical conditions such as chest and abdominal pain. Risk was encountered when settings had limited telephone lines, call handlers or clinicians, or where access to appointments was either restricted, hard to navigate, or where inappropriate layers of triage were applied. Processes had not always adapted for remote working, leading to risk in delayed access to acute prescriptions and delayed referrals. Attention to staff, patient, and setting factors can allow risk to be identified and addressed when providing care remotely. .

Measuring and Analyzing the Impact of ICT Applications on GDP using ARDL Methodology: Iraq Case Study

The fourth digital revolution is one of the most prominent events of the current century. One of the most prominent manifestations of this revolution is the progress made in ICT applications. ICT has a direct impact on human life, and the current study aims to clarify what ICT is by studying and analyzing some applications directly related to ICT and its impact on the composition of Iraq's GDP during the period. (2010-2022), as the study relied on a time-series analysis of ICT components (Number of personal computers used per 100 people, Internet usage density per 100 people, and finally number of mobile and wireless telephone lines activated). The study examined the time series of GDP at constant prices for the period in question. The study used the methodology of slowing down time gaps. (ARDL) to analyze the effects of ICT applications on the composition of GDP. The study showed a long-term moral impact relationship between the number of mobile and wireless lines and GDP. Between the Internet intensity index per 100 people and GDP. In the short term, measurement and analysis results showed that the independent variable (GDP) was only affected by the variable number of personal computers per 100 people and the effect was negative according to the results.

Psychosocial support initiatives in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake: A university-led community approach

This article discusses the response of a university psychology department to the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023, resulting in significant loss of life and widespread destruction. This paper focuses on the narrative practices undertaken by a university psychology department in the affected region, particularly the establishment of a psychological support telephone line staffed by volunteer psychologists. Beyond the initial establishment of the support line, the university extended its outreach to address the immediate needs of affected individuals in five cities, and subsequently, within the university premises. A “Tent of Hope” was established within a “container city” of displaced families to continue psychosocial support. This involved the volunteer efforts of psychology students to offer assistance to both children and adults. Initiatives also included the dissemination of a culturally sensitive booklet for the public and the development of a comprehensive booklet for therapists, aiming to empower individuals and communities in the aftermath of trauma. This paper includes reflections from people who contributed to these initiatives, sharing learning and insights relevant to others responding to natural disasters.

BASIS DATA TERDISTRIBUSI

In the context of a distributed database, data is stored on various computers that are interconnected through communication media such as high-speed buses or telephone lines. A distributed database system consists of a set of sites, where each site has the ability to execute transactions that access data at one or more sites. A distributed database is a collection of logical data that is physically dispersed in a computer network, which is independent of current or future application programs. Fragmentation is a phenomenon in which storage space is inefficiently utilized, resulting in reduced storage capacity, while the term also refers to the condition of the deserted storage itself. Replication, on the other hand, is a technique for copying and distributing data and database objects from one database to another, as well as maintaining data consistency through synchronization between databases.

The Impact of Approved Information and Communication Technology Indicators for Development Purposes on The Gross Domestic Product of Selected Arab Countries for The Period 2007-2021

Information and communication technology (ICT) has a significant impact on all economic sectors through innovation, higher productivity, and economic growth. This research paper seeks to illustrate how specific ICT indicators have influenced the gross domestic product (GDP) of selected Arab nations (Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Morocco) during the period from 2007 to 2021.. The multiple regression model has been used and implemented by Python language. The obtained results demonstrate that the effect of fixed telephone line subscriptions adversely affects the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the prementioned countries , while the international bandwidth of the Internet and the Internet Users Index positively affect the GDP in the countries of Saudi Arabia, Jorden and the United Arab Emirates. On the other hand, Morocco was the opposite.

Anthropogenic mortality threatens the survival of Canarian houbara bustards

Anthropogenic mortality is a major cause of global mortality in terrestrial vertebrates. Quantifying its impact on the dynamics of threatened species is essential to improve their conservation. We investigated cause-specific mortality in Canarian houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), an endangered subspecies endemic to the Canary Islands. We monitored 51 individuals tagged with solar-powered GSM/GPRS loggers for an average of 3.15 years, and recorded 7 casualties at aerial lines (13.73% of the sample; 5 at power lines, 2 at telephone lines), 1 (1.96%) at a wire fence, 4 road kills (7.84%) and 1 case of predation by cat (1.96%). Cox proportional hazards models showed that anthropogenic and natural annual mortality rates were similar (respectively, 6.20% and 6.36% of the individuals). We estimate that 33–35 houbaras die each year in the Canary Islands due to anthropogenic causes. Population viability models using these data and juvenile productivity values obtained over seven years predicted the extinction of the species in 50 years. Eliminating anthropogenic mortality, the population could be recovered, but would still require management actions to improve habitat quality. Conservation measures to reduce anthropogenic mortality due to power line fatalities, roadkills and predation by cats, as well as to increase productivity, are urgently needed, particularly on Fuerteventura, where houbaras are on the brink of extinction.

Effect of Service Quality on the Performance of Airline Industry in Nigeria

This study examines the inadequacies in service delivery provided by organizations due to issues like poor infrastructure, poor budget allocations, corrupt practices, and lack of employee incentives, amongst others. The objective, therefore, is to ascertain the effect of such service delivery on the performance of the Airline industry in Nigeria. Primary data was employed in the survey research design and obtained through administration of structured questionnaires. Simple percentage was used to analyze the data collected and ordinary least square (OLS) was used to estimate the effect of service delivery on the performance of the Airline industry in Nigeria. Findings from this study revealed that the constructs of responsiveness (RES), reliability (REL) and assurance (ASS) had positive and significant effect on customer retention with the respective values of 0.0000, 0.0000 and 0.0000. On the other hand, Empathy (EMP) had a negative and significant effect on customer retention with 0.0000. Furthermore, it showed that service delivery influenced 86% of the variation in the performance of Airline industry in Nigeria with the following breakdown: Customer retention increased by 52.4% due to a 1% increase in responsiveness; Additionally, customer retention increased by 61% due to a 1% increase in reliability, whereas it increased by 43% and 53% respectively due to a 1% increase in assurance and empathy respectively. The study concludes that there is a direct impact of service delivery on performance. In view of these, this study recommends that Airline Managers identify with and prioritize the needs of their customers, among other strategies for improving service quality such as live chats, dedicated telephone lines, and suggestion boxes. This will sustain responsiveness, and reliability constructs as well as improve the constructs of assurance and empathy which are necessary for any business to succeed.

Small Area Estimation Using Empirical Bayes Poisson Gamma on Adolescent Fertility Rate in Indonesia

High population growth is one of the main population problems facing Indonesia. One of the government's efforts to overcome this is by preventing adolescent fertility. The Adolescence Fertility Rate (AFR) produced by the IDHS is designed until provincial level, whereas the availability of AFR at the district/city level is needed as an indicator of regional development measurement. The purpose of this research is to produce an estimation of AFR at the district/city level in Indonesia and find out which auxiliary variables significantly influence it and evaluate the performance of the model in estimating AFR. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis to explain the characteristics of adolescent fertility and auxiliary variables and also direct estimation and the indirect estimation method using Small Area Estimation Empirical Bayes Poisson Gamma. The results showed that the number of villages, school facilities, health facilities, health workers, telephone lines and operators significantly affected the fertility of adolescents and the results of the SAE EB Poisson Gamma estimation were better than the direct estimation method. Suggestions proposed are the government need to increase attention to districts/cities that have AFR that is higher than the average AFR or National AFR and increase the number of school facilities and the number of health workers.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ РОЗЫСКНЫХ МЕРОПРИЯТИЙ ПРИ РАССЛЕДОВАНИИ ПРЕСТУПЛЕНИЙ, СОВЕРШАЕМЫХ В СФЕРЕ КОМПЬЮТЕРНОЙ ИНФОРМАЦИИ

It is difficult to overestimate the issues of improving the tactics of investigative measures in the investigation of crimes in the field of computer information. In recent years, due to the significant growth of digitalization, both quantitative indicators of crimes in the field of computer information and their qualitative level have been steadily increasing. It becomes more difficult for investigative bodies to collect the necessary evidence, detect electronic and digital traces, determine their authorship and establish cause-and-effect relationships. Modern operational investigative measures assume that law enforcement officers have the skills to detect and analyze digital data, extract electronic traces, as well as record these data as evidence. The investigation of crimes in the field of computer information requires specialized knowledge and skills to effectively counter the new methods and technologies used by offenders. The relevance of the search tactics is due to the need to adapt to the ever-changing cyber threat and ensure the security of information systems. It is determined that law enforcement agencies need to constantly improve their skills and enrich their knowledge, the need for appropriate material and technical equipment, assuming the availability of specialized tools, is obvious. It is especially important to modernize the tactics of searching for suspects. It has been revealed that wiretapping is an important element in conducting operational search activities. Listening involves installing audio tracking devices on telephone communication lines, as well as concluding an agreement with telecom operators to gain access to Internet traffic and telephone conversations. However, there are significant risks of abuse of authority by law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, the law does not define a list of criteria by which it is possible to determine whether listening should be used in a particular case or not. This creates threats to users’ personal data and introduces uncertainty into law enforcement activities.

Community Intervention Team Management of Urology patients in the Community

Introduction: Urinary catheters are a necessary and frequent intervention in the acute clinical setting but can be successfully implemented in a patient’s home with the appropriate protocols. Caredoc Community Intervention Teams (CIT) work closely with local hospitals to establish structured, streamlined referral pathways for patients requiring catheterisation to be managed in the community, thus reducing hospital admissions and visits. Caredoc CIT nurses have been equipped with the requisite skills to successfully manage urology patients, many who are post-operative, outside of the hospital setting, ensuring that this cohort can be managed safely at home with the support of family and/or carers.&#x0D; Aims, Objectives, Theory Or Methods: The purpose of the CIT urology pathway is to provide rapid acute nursing care interventions to patients in their own homes. Patients are identified by urology consultants at local hospitals or by their GPs and referred to CIT for a period of continuous care, with home visits carried out by specialist nurses during a defined timeframe. This facilitates both early hospital discharge and admission avoidance as well as reducing waiting lists for outpatient ambulatory and scheduled care. This shared care initiative aims to transition vital urinary catheter care to the community resulting in a person-centred approach that keeps discharged patients comfortable and well in their own environment.&#x0D; Highlights Or Results Or Key Findings: Patients are managed safely in their own homes by the CIT Team for the duration of their ongoing treatment. By providing a spectrum of catheter care and education, such as teaching patients on the colour of their urinary output, how and when to empty their drainage bag and how to use a fluid balance sheet to record volume emptied, patients are given the knowledge to monitor their urinary output and are enabled to recognise potential red flags for infection and any catheter-related issues that may debilitate or affect their quality of life, with a particular emphasis on the prevention of sepsis in older patients. 24-hour catheter care support is offered by way of a telephone line for patients and their carers should they need advice - prior to the instantiation of the CIT service, patients with subrapubic catheters in residential care or who sought care in the out-of-hours were referred to emergency department via ambulance transfer, as the specialism required for management of these patients was not otherwise available.&#x0D; Conclusions: The CIT Team have successfully demonstrated integrated care pathways for managing patients requiring catheterisation in the community, leading to positive patient outcomes and experiences as well as having a significant impact on urology waiting lists and emergency department attendances. &#x0D; Implications For Applicability/Transferability, Sustainability And Limitations: Sustainability of this process is guided by an integrated, systematic approach to proactive care of people who require catheter care at home, with the aim to improve delivery methods, reduce the burden on acute hospitals and achieve better patient outcomes.

Seeking help for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of adults' experiences with digital technologies and services.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about dramatic changes in how patients access healthcare from its outset. Lockdown restrictions and remote working led to a proliferation of digital technologies and services, which also impacted mental health provisions. Against the backdrop of new and changing support services, along with an unprecedented emphasis on mental health, relatively little is known about how adults sought out and received support for their mental health during this period. With a sample of 27,574 adults assessed longitudinally online over 12 months of the pandemic in the UK, we analysed reports of help-seeking for mental health, as well as sources of treatment or support and the perceived helpfulness of treatments received. We observed that the proportions of participants who reported seeking help remained relatively consistent throughout the 12-month period (ranging from 12.6% to 17.0%). Online talking therapies were among the most frequently sought sources (15.3%), whereas online self-guided treatments were among the least frequently sought sources (5%). Telephone lines, both NHS and non-governmental, had marked treatment 'gaps'. These treatment gaps, where individuals sought treatment but did not receive it, were especially evident for men and older adults. Our findings underscore online talking therapies as being a widely-sought and helpful source of mental health support. This is important given the current global need for accessible treatment options.

Abstract B105: Evaluating the racial equity of a digital health patient-reported symptom management system in patients receiving chemotherapy

Abstract INTRODUCTION. The development of behavioral &amp; supportive care interventions to improve quality of life for people receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer, even with demonstrated overall efficacy, may unintentionally result in unequal benefit including across racial subgroups. The purpose of this study was to determine if Symptom Care at Home (SCH), is efficacious, digital health patient-reported outcome (PROs) symptom managment system, provide equitable benefit across racial subgroups. METHODS. A randomized trial was conducted to determine the active components of SCH. Participants reported daily on 11 common treatment symptoms through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone-based system that transmitted data through telephone lines. Continuous measures &amp; standard deviations with ordinal &amp; categorical measures, frequencies &amp; percentages of the totals were summarized. Comparisons between participants across Georgia &amp; Utah &amp; between Black &amp; White race were completed using Students t-test &amp; chi-square tests. Statistical analyses were completed using a 5% level of significance. This analysis compared these two groups to determine if participation with the SCH digital health tool &amp; symptom reduction benefits were equitable. RESULTS. Participants were 239 Black plus 13 Other or mixrd-race patients (251; 86%) as compared with the 118 White patients (32%) receiving chemotherapy treatment in Atlanta, Georgia. Blacks had slightly lower call compliance 67.59% (25.92%) versus (vs) Utah Whites 72.75% (22.45%) p=0.005; lower days in study Blacks 48.9% (29.9%) vs 80.8% (50.3%), p&amp;lt;0.001; &amp; lower completion of study all 3 cycles of chemotherapy &amp; still calling (65.4% vs 75.2%), p&amp;lt;0.001. Georgians also had significantly lower average total alerts 5.08% (10.69%) vs Utah 8.12% (15.20%), p&amp;lt;0.001 and lower presence of at least one moderate/severe symptom for most of the 11 symptoms. Georgians were more likely to be Female (72.2% vs 49.2%, p&amp;lt;0.001); Non-marreid (37.7% vs 72.9%, p&amp;lt;0.001); Non-degree holder (59.9% vs 39.8%, p&amp;lt;0.001); &amp; have diagnosis of Breast Cancer (34.9% vs 12.7%). Blacks had slightly lower call complaince 65.17% (27.1%) vs Whites 72.75% (22.45%), p=0.005; but with no statistically significant difference in number of days in study 49.0% (30.2%) vs 48.6% (29.5%), p=0.911; no statistically significant difference in completion of all 3 cycles of chemotherapy (65.4% vs 63.5%, p=0.895); with difference in average number of total alerts 4.89% (10.93%) vs 5.48% (10.20%, p=0.621). CONCLUSIONS. This study found no racial diffrences in how participants engaged the SCH digital health platform or lenght of study, although the Black plus other raccial group reported daily symptoms 7.5% less days than the White grpup. The degree of benefit found from the SCH was equitably distributed across racial categories. Carefully designed digital health tools utilized to measure &amp; manage PROs in patients receiving chemotherapy can achieve equitable symptom benefit across racial groups &amp; may contribute to reducing racial diparities in cancer symptom care. Citation Format: Mary Gullatte, Eli Iacob, Gary Donaldson, Kathi Mooney. Evaluating the racial equity of a digital health patient-reported symptom management system in patients receiving chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B105.

Arrangements for Telephone Consultation on Radiation Health Effects in a Nuclear Emergency in Japan: Lessons Learned from the Nuclear Accident in Fukushima, Japan, 2011

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) established a telephone consultation system at the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in response to residents’ concerns about the radiation health effects following the nuclear accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in March 2011. Eight toll-free telephone lines were established and employees with knowledge of radiation health effects were assigned for consultation. The JAEA expert response group for telephone inquiries comprised a telephone response team, a question-and-answer team, and a manager. Approximately 35,000 consultations were conducted from March 17, 2011 to September 18, 2012. Japan’s Basic Disaster Prevention Plan was revised following the accident, where one of the JAEA’s roles for nuclear emergency response was to provide telephone consultation on radiation health effects. The JAEA’s system for telephone consultation was improved following this experience. The description of telephone hotlines in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s guide, GSG-14, published in 2020, was discussed for further improvement in the JAEA’s telephone consultation system.

Hidden Disparities: How Language Influences Patients' Access to Cancer Care.

Patients with limited English proficiency, a vulnerable patient population, remain understudied in the literature addressing cancer disparities. Although it is well documented that language discordance between patients and physicians negatively impacts the quality of patient care, little is known about how patients' preferred spoken language impacts their access to cancer care. Between November 2021 and June 2022, we conducted an audit study of 144 hospitals located across 12 demographically diverse states. Using a standardized script, trained investigators assigned to the roles of English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Mandarin-speaking patients called the hospital general information telephone line seeking to access care for 3 cancer types that disproportionately impact Hispanic and Asian populations (colon, lung, and thyroid cancer). Primary outcome was whether the simulated patient caller was provided with the next steps to access cancer care, defined as clinic number or clinic transfer. We used chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis to test for associations between the primary outcome and language type, region type, hospital teaching status, and cancer care requested. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with simulated patient callers being provided the next steps. Of the 1,296 calls, 52.9% (n=686) resulted in simulated patient callers being provided next steps to access cancer care. Simulated non-English-speaking (vs English-speaking) patient callers were less likely to be provided with the next steps (Mandarin, 27.5%; Spanish, 37.7%; English, 93.5%; P<.001). Multivariable logistic regression found significant associations of the primary outcome with language spoken (Mandarin: odds ratio [OR], 0.02 [95% CI, 0.01-0.04] and Spanish: OR, 0.04 [95% CI, 0.02-0.06] vs English) and hospital teaching status (nonteaching: OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.32-0.56] vs teaching). Linguistic disparities exist in access to cancer care for non-English-speaking patients, emphasizing the need for focused interventions to mitigate systems-level communication barriers.