Use Of Virtual Platforms Research Articles

The role of precautions: Organising a medical conference during COVID-19 pandemic-Lessons from IADVL MIDDERMACON 2021.

BackgroundThe use of virtual platforms for clinical meetings has become the default approach during this pandemic era. Organising an offline conference during a pandemic is a challenge and is possible if the participating crowd is vaccinated and is willing to follow appropriate pandemic protocols.ObjectiveTo determine the feasibility of conducting a conference among mostly vaccinated delegates using standard precautionary protocols.MethodsThis study was conducted at IADVL MIDDERMACON 2021, held in Mangalore, India, in late October 2021, during the phase of decline of the Delta variant of SARS‐CoV‐2. The study population included all conference attendees, including support staff. Details were collected about their vaccination status, comorbidities, and mode of travel to the conference venue. An reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) test was done randomly among the attendees for COVID‐19 infection. A post‐conference assessment and RT‐PCR tests were done at the end of 2 weeks to assess the occurrence of infections among study participants.ResultsA total of 1744 people were present at the venue, of which 576 (33.03%) participated in the study. The percentage of fully vaccinated was 88.88% (512/576). The majority had taken the vaccine Covishield (manufactured by AstraZeneca), that is, 85.06% (490/576). Infection post the conference was reported in 0.195% (1/576).ConclusionsHolding large gatherings like medical conferences pose a challenge during a pandemic. However, to increase the benefits of the conference, it is advisable to hold them offline with vaccinated delegates, follow the advice of the conference organising committee, and practise safe precautionary measures.

Cervical cancer prevention program in Nepal: A comprehensive "train the trainer" approach.

5530 Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths among women in Nepal, due in part to a lack of access to screening and limited medical providers trained to diagnose and treat women with preinvasive cervical disease. Cancer Care Nepal has partnered with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to implement a ‘train the trainer’ (TOT) program to teach visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), colposcopy, cervical biopsy, cryotherapy, thermal ablation, and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). Methods: An initial cervical cancer prevention course was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in November 2019, supported by ASCO and with faculty from Civil Service Hospital, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, and National Academy of Medical Sciences and MD Anderson. As a continuation of this program, a TOT course was implemented for local specialists from five participating institutions throughout Nepal to learn how to deliver these trainings. Each participating institution then holds their own local course for nurses and doctors in their region. The training is complemented with monthly Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) telementoring videoconferences. Results: The program was launched in November 2021. To date, two TOT training courses (2-day duration) have been held for clinicians from the 5 participating regions. Due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, didactic lectures were held virtually with MD Anderson and ASCO staff and included epidemiology of cervical cancer, screening guidelines, colposcopy, and treatment of cervical dysplasia. This was followed by hands-on training using simulation models to teach VIA, colposcopy, ablation and LEEP, led by the Nepalese faculty who had participated in the 2019 course. There were 41 participants in total (23 in the first course and 18 in the second course), including 21 gynecologists, 4 gynecologic oncologists, 1 medical oncologist, 1 general practitioner, and 14 nurses. 39 participants (73%) completed both the pre- and post- survey results. 86% of respondents from the first course and 100% of respondents from the second course reported that they intended to change their practice as a result of knowledge gained from the course. In addition, Cancer Care Nepal became a new hub for Project ECHO and held its first session in January 2022, with 20 participants representing two regions. The specialists from each of the 5 participating sites will be holding local courses for doctors and nurses in their respective regions throughout 2022. Conclusions: Our work shows that the TOT strategy can widen the reach of training in cervical cancer prevention in Nepal. Despite travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, global health training and mentoring can continue, though they require adaptions and use of virtual platforms.

Telemedicine and Plastic Surgery: Principles from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Health Policy Committee.

In the wake of the recent coronavirus disease of 2019 public health emergency, care delivery by means of telemedicine using audiovisual virtual platforms has become an important tool for patient communication. There are many logistic, medicolegal, and practical aspects of telemedicine that should be considered by the practicing plastic surgeon. Successful virtual patient interactions require an understanding of medical licensure requirements to perform telemedicine visits in a certain region. In addition, it is imperative to be familiar with specific liability and malpractice concerns, in addition to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations before conducting electronic visits. During consultations, providers should be aware of proper physician conduct and the potential role of chaperones. Furthermore, appropriate visit documentation, in addition to telemedicine billing and coding, has to be ensured. Lastly, plastic surgeons should adhere to the rules of controlled substance prescription by means of telemedicine platforms. This article describes these salient topics surrounding telemedicine visits that are faced by plastic surgeons and discusses strategies to optimize and ensure safe use of virtual platforms.

Virtual Organization Designs as Panacea for Covid-19 Workplace Adjustments

The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on business organisations across the globe have been dramatic and unprecedented. While some organisations have collapsed, others have managed to survive and maintained stability; whereas some others have flourished tremendously. The determinant of what happens to any organisation is predominantly a function of her response to the covid-19 imposed challenges. In this paper, we present a broad review of literature rooted in work and organizational psychology, and related fields, for making sense of the implications for employees, teams, and work organizations. In so doing, virtual organisation is projected as the panacea for corporate adjustments. The use of virtual platforms, telematics, and computer procedures enable working without physical presence was observed to have received a boost especially as governments across the world adopted lockdown measures in a bid to stem the tide of the spread of the pandemic. The paper concludes that the future of business belongs to those organisations that have developed or are willing to develop capacity for virtual operation. Keywords: Virtual Organizations, Virtual Teams, Collaboration, Communication, COVID-19 DOI: 10.7176/NCS/13-01 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

Shifts in Pharmacists' Responsibilities in Family Medicine Residency Programs during COVID-19.

Background: The role of clinical pharmacists in family medicine residency programs (FMRPs) has become increasingly commonplace in the last several years, with mixed responsibilities, however largely involving teaching and patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic affected all facets of healthcare, pharmacists included. Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the role of the pharmacist in FMRPs is needed. Methods: A survey tool was developed and distributed through two national listservs clinical pharmacists in FMRPs commonly subscribe to. Results: A total of 32 responses were received. The majority of pharmacist participants indicated no change in their overall time allocation to the FMRP. Patient care was affected by transitions to virtual or remote care for those in the outpatient setting, which in some cases were sustained changes. Teaching responsibilities increased for the majority, largely impacted by the need to transition to virtual platforms. Barriers to relationship development resulted from both of these transitions. Innovations and positive results were reported by participants in patient care, teaching, and research. Conclusions: These results highlight the many silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new challenges, such as the increased teaching need, use of virtual platforms and using creative ways to find connections and build relationships in an ongoing, semi-virtual world, are opportunities for continued innovation for clinical pharmacists as they fit within our strengths and scope within FMRPs.

Attitudes of Child Life Specialists Towards Telehealth

Telehealth is the use of virtual platforms to facilitate interactions between patients and medical providers, and its use has increased in recent years and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studying attitudes of medical providers towards telehealth is an important first step to effectively providing services virtually. Previous researchers have explored the attitudes of physicians towards telehealth, but none have surveyed Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs). CCLSs provide coping strategies and support for children in medical settings (e.g., hospitals and rehab centers). The main goal of this study was to explore the attitudes of CCLSs in the hospital setting towards telehealth and how they have implemented it during the pandemic. Using an online survey, researchers collected data from 63 CCLSs to better understand the use and perceived effectiveness of telehealth. Data collected indicates that participants agree telehealth has substantial benefits for both patients and providers. The findings from this study highlight the attitudes of CCLs towards telehealth and give us a better understanding of these services which are critical to children and their families.

A report of a South African university's management of undergraduate nursing students' teaching and learning following the COVID-19 interruptions.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exposed an absence of blueprints to avert an education disaster. In South Africa, in line with Alert Level-5, adhering to lockdown restrictions, higher education institutions (HEIs) closed, necessitating the transition to online teaching and learning. The HEIs, inclusive of the nursing discipline, needed to develop comprehensive plans and a rigorous follow-up scheme in order to ensure that faculty and students made proper use of virtual platforms and simultaneously met regulatory body requirements, thus ensuring that ‘no student and faculty were left behind’. The responses varied from one HEI to another. The objective of this study was to present how a South African nursing education faculty managed teaching and learning following COVID-19-related interruptions. This included an HEI in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Donabedian’s tripartite model, comprising structure, process and outcome, provides the organising structure to present the faculty and university’s approach to meet the desired outcome of saving the 2020 academic year. The Structures’ and Processes’ components of Donabedian’s tripartite model influenced both intended and unintended outcomes. In 3 months, what might have been argued as impossible, a 4-year undergraduate nursing programme was transitioned from a traditional approach to fully virtual remote teaching and learning. Thus, the 2020 academic year was saved.ContributionThis article offers guidance to HEIs on how to continue teaching and learning in contexts where education is interrupted.

Revolution in modern teaching in dentistry since the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic: A review

Dentistry schools have attempted to overcome the challenges imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic through teaching via the Internet with the use of virtual platforms, designed to simulate face-to-face interaction and counteract the social isolation affecting the integral development of students. This review searched the main health databases, including MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus and LILACS, and selected 31 articles to proceed with the research. During the pandemic, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Zoom, Google Meet, and other similar tools allowed teachers to develop dynamic slides and dental models to simulate procedures, which played an important role in the course of mainly theoretical classes. In addition, applications such as WhatsApp allowed the rapid acquisition and sharing of useful information on a specific topic. While virtual resources facilitate the learning process through generating interest as well as providing accurate, necessary, valuable, and easily accessible information, which is constantly updated, the disadvantages of remote learning include the lack of instruments, infrastructure and materials, apart from supervision, to promote personal development and progressive evolution to directly treat patients. Another issue with regard to virtual learning is whether within a short period of time students can achieve a comparable level of practical skills as in the case of the conventional learning. In conclusion, the current pandemic has changed not only the use of technology in education, but also educational strategies for the future.

Virtual medical research mentoring and collaboration: breaking the bounds of nationality during the COVID-19 pandemic

Funding AcknowledgementsType of funding sources: None.OnBehalfCardioovascular Analytics GroupBackgroundMedical research is critical to professional advancement, and mentoring is an important means of early research engagement in medical training. In contrast to international research collaborations, research mentoring programs are often locally limited. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing drifts to virtual classes and conferences, virtual international medical research mentoring may be viable. We hereby describe our experience with a virtual, international mentorship group for cardiovascular research.MethodsOur virtual international research mentorship group has been running since 2015. The group focuses on risk stratification and outcomes research in cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology. Mentees from any country or region in all stages of medical careers are welcomed. Considering the increasing emphasis of contemporary research on multidisciplinary healthcare and translational research, our team also includes allied healthcare professionals or students, and graduates from natural sciences (Figure 1). With our members’ diverse backgrounds, we firmly adhere to the principle that all members must be given equal opportunities and treatment, regardless of their age, gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, family background, and institution of study or practice. We make use of virtual platforms and multi-level mentoring (both senior and peer mentoring), and emphasize active participation, early leadership, open culture, accessible research support, and a distributed research workflow (i.e. an accessible-distributed model).ResultsSince establishment, our group has expanded to include 63 active members from 14 countries (Figure 2), leading a total of 109 peer-reviewed original studies and reviews published. We observed no significant difficulty in communication between team members, nor conflicts due to differences in nationality or ethnicity. Most studies involve cross-country and ethnicity collaborations, and inter-disciplinary and inter-regional knowledge exchanges are frequent. Multi-level mentoring ensured mentoring quality without compromising bonding and communication.ConclusionAn accessible-distributed model of virtual international medical research collaboration and multi-level mentoring is viable, efficient, and caters to the needs of contemporary healthcare. We hope that others will build similar models and improve medical research mentoring globally. Figure 1 Figure 2

Technological Acceptance of Virtual Platforms in University Students: An Analysis in Times of Pandemic

The global health emergency generated by Covid-19 has transformed the traditional learning model, generating a sudden generalized foray into virtual learning environments. Process in which ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward technology play a fundamental role in accepting virtual platforms as a tool for the teaching-learning process. The objective was to evaluate the acceptance of the use of virtual platforms by university students in the times of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the four constructs of the TAM technological acceptance model (perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitude, and intention to use) in a sample of 200 undergraduate students. It was concluded that the perceived utility and ease of use are antecedents of the attitude. This time, it is decisive of the intention to use virtual platforms in the academic activities of university students. Similarly, it was found that gender does not affect the acceptance of technology in the use of virtual platforms.

The Shift in Academics’ Conception of Virtual Platforms due to the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Saudi Context

This study aims to identify the perceptions of faculty members at King Saud University on using virtual platforms during the coronavirus pandemic. It reveals the differences among their opinions both before and during the pandemic as well as the various methods used to determine their views. It furthermore offers explanations for these views. 79 members were sampled during the pandemic and 74 members before it. The perceptions of both samples differed regarding needs, obstacles, procedures, and recommendations related to virtual platforms. The initial needs of the pre-sample focused on ‘training’, whereas the post-sample focused on the necessity of ‘technical support’. Both samples agreed that the obstacles facing the use of virtual platforms fell into three main categories: the importance of technical support, administrative considerations, and training. The two samples suggested focusing on laying down policy for management and decision-makers related to the adoption of ‘teaching strategies’. These should be based on the use of relatively blended learning designed to promote continued future use of virtual platforms. The study recommended considering the necessity of pedagogically employing virtual platforms in universities and raising awareness of eTeaching methods among members. It similarly suggested reducing obstacles and difficulties by means of continuous evaluation and addressing any problems. KEYWORDS Virtual teaching, perceptions, thematic analysis, electronic culture, higher education, eLearning.

Evaluation of the functionality of the virtual platform in the teaching process: analysis based on the usability factor

<span>The use of virtual platforms has been increasing exponentially during the context of distance education, however, there are still limitations to innovate in pedagogical proposals. This can hinder the assurance of student learning, either due to the little planning that occurred in its incorporation, the little knowledge of teachers and students in the educational use or the lack of use of the functionalities that they have incorporated for communication. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the operability of the virtual platform in the teaching-learning process through analysis based on the usability factor, the results will allow us to continue improving the tools linked to distance higher education. At the development of the investigation, a reliability value of 0.985 was obtained by means of Cronbach's Alpha. It was found as findings that 73.8% perceive an improvement in communication and in the exchange of information. Regarding the usability factor, 73.9% fully agree with the information available on the virtual platform and its accessibility. From what was determined, it is concluded that 65.98% of students consider that the functionality of the virtual platform with respect to the usability factor positively influences the teaching-learning process.</span>

Using new tools for building construction teaching during the sanitary emergency

Covid-19 pandemic has originated that a great number of countries’ governments demand universities to teach online classes, presenting a challenge to redesign the courses that had construction site visits included in the curricula. The purpose of this work is to present the successful strategies employed on the teaching of building construction, applied in a third-year civil engineering program of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. The methodology was designed so that one can adapt the pandemic and post-pandemic stages proposing a balanced use of virtual platforms and software for video conferences and laboratories, incorporating tools like Building Information Modeling, Lean construction, among other systems. Given the sanitary emergency, the construction site visits were replaced by virtual visits to construction projects generated with scanner laser technology, photogrammetry, and BIM, generating digital twins that were stored in online platforms. Students toured the construction project virtually and in an interactive manner, and along with the description of the professionals in charge of the project they were able to reach a good level of comprehension of the organization and the construction processes. In addition, students developed the layout plans of the temporary works with BIM models. On the other hand, the course taught to generate and analyze the unit prices and quantity surveying of activities using the BIM methodology with 5D software, developing the project budget. The success of this methodology is shown through the notable quality of papers and evaluations taken, through the results of surveys taken on students--which had an effectiveness rate of 96.4 % --, and on the improvement opportunities determined. This paper presents tools relevant that may be adapted by the academia and practitioners related to building constructions, for virtual or face-to-face learning.

Teaching Design Management tools during a pandemic: A Peruvian case study

During the year 2020, the sanitary emergency norm forced universities to teach under the remote learning method, representing a challenge of designing courses that require high effectiveness. The purpose of this work is to present the strategies that were successfully applied during the teaching of design management tools for a building project, implemented in a course part of the Civil Engineering master of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. The methodology considered the effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic and had as objective to develop soft skills and employability, for which a balanced use of virtual platforms as well as software was proposed for videoconference and laboratories. On the other hand, during this course, students developed a proposal for integrated planning and management of the design phase using tools of norms and guidelines of project management systems such as ISO 21500, Lean Construction, Building Information Modeling, PMBOK of the Project Management Institute, Integrated Project Delivery, among others. Under this framework, the participation of stakeholders, multicriteria decision making, development of project design deliverables and project sequence was analyzed, which presented an important change under the collaborative contracts. The success of this methodology is reflected in the high quality of final papers and expositions, the result of surveys taken - effectiveness of 99%-, and in the improvement opportunities detected. This paper presents important information that may be adapted by academic and practitioners during the phases of the pandemic and post-pandemic.

Teachers’ Perception in Selecting Virtual Learning Platforms: A Case of Mexican Higher Education during the COVID-19 Crisis

In this project, an analysis is made of the perception of teachers of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) regarding the use of Virtual Learning Platforms (VLP) in the transition from the Traditional Educational Model (face-to-face) to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). A statistical analysis of teachers’ views on the academic environment caused by the COVID-19 crisis is carried out for the change of educational scenarios from school to home through VLP, the support for teaching–learning knowledge of VLPs and the received training, and the main problems during the transition period. Through convenience sampling, data was collected for a statistical study using a developed instrument (Data collection was designed through the Google Forms application and distributed to public and private HEI teachers). The results of the study showed that more than 60% of respondents had experience using Moodle, Google Classroom, and Blackboard; 80% of teachers had training from their institution for the use of virtual platforms; and in 60% of cases, higher education institutions allowed them to choose the VLP. In addition, the main issues they faced were connectivity, student attitude, and student attendance at class sessions. Fisher’s test was conducted to determine the relationship in the variables analyzed by identifying that there are differences of teachers in perception depending on age.

Rapid Practice Change During COVID-19 Leads to Enduring Innovations and Expansion of Integrative Oncology Services

The COVID-19 pandemic forced cancer programs and practices to rapidly adapt how they deliver integrative oncology services that help patients manage symptoms and optimize their quality of life. Additional stressors imposed by COVID-19 increased the need for mind-body practices, natural products, and lifestyle modifications. However, literature on best practices for the provision of integrative oncology services during a pandemic is sparse. Our article seeks to describe strategies, challenges, and enduring innovations for successful integrative oncology practice during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis. Effective strategies include expanded telemedicine, online resource libraries, virtual interactive groups and classes, and additional infection prevention protocols. We also describe telemedicine challenges, such as technical difficulties and access to technology, “Zoom fatigue,” inability to perform hands-on physical exams, distractions outside the clinical environment, and obstacles to maintaining a virtual therapeutic relationship. Leveraging its skilled facilitators, Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, N.C., overcame many of these challenges through proactive responses, flexibility—demonstrated by staff and patients—and the use of virtual platforms. Our experience led to enduring telehealth expansion, livestream groups and classes, on-demand digital repositories of integrative practices, and targeted services delivered at the most clinically appropriate time(s). These insights may be adapted by other institutions to maintain integrative oncology services during and after unprecedented events, like a global pandemic.

Understanding the Educational Support and Psychosocial Needs of Parents and Adolescents With Kawasaki's Disease and Coronary Artery Aneurysms

Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery aneurysms (complex KD) presents relentless challenges for families. Psychosocial experiences and needs were explored.A descriptive, exploratory study of adolescents and parents using a needs survey and psychosocial instruments (anxiety, depression, and functional impairment).Fifty-one parents and 38 adolescents participated. Predominant interests were for information sheets, newsletters, Web sites, and phone applications. Gaps in disease-specific knowledge and awareness of coronary artery aneurysms between parents and adolescents were identified. Psychosocial concerns for adolescents included symptoms of anxiety (22%), depression (13%), and functional impairment (22%). Multivariable analyses indicated higher depression scores associated with longer travel distance from specialists (p = .04). Parent-reported social concerns for their adolescent were associated with higher anxiety (p = .005) and functional impairment (p = .005). Written commentary complemented the findings.Care protocols require psychosocial assessment/referral and the use of virtual platforms. The groundwork was laid for developing patient and family-centered strategies.

69 Acceptability of a Virtual Model for Diagnosis for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Abstract Primary Subject area Community Paediatrics Background A multidisciplinary team is required for diagnosis and recommendations of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The process involves assessments of growth and facial features, a caregiver interview with the physician, assessment of the patient by a psychologist, speech language pathologist and occupational therapist, and a multidisciplinary meeting of the above clinicians, clinic coordinators, school personnel and other support workers. A final meeting is held with the caregiver to debrief on the team findings, diagnosis, and recommendations. A literature search supported the feasibility of a reliable and accurate assessment of patients that adhere to the recommended Canadian FASD diagnostic guideline. As a result, a “Virtual Model for FASD Diagnosis” was developed. Objectives 1. Pilot a project to assess a Virtual Model of FASD Diagnosis; 2. Promote the model, by webinars, to FASD diagnostic teams nationally and internationally; 3. Survey acceptability of the model among webinar attendees. Design/Methods A literature search revealed that teams used virtual platforms for some components of FASD diagnostic process, but a complete virtual process does not exist. Virtual assessment of motor skills domain was not completed because, in the project team’s experience, this domain is rarely impaired. The project leaders developed a model and partnered with two diagnostic teams to complete a small pilot project of 6 patients, using Telehealth and Gotomeetings as a virtual platform to accommodate patients. Patients were scheduled as per the waitlist for each team. Support workers were trained to be with the patient and the caregiver to support any technological aspects, present testing materials, complete growth measurements and photographs for the photographic software for facial measurements. The coordinator scheduled clinician assessments and caregiver interviews; a multidisciplinary team meeting to discuss findings, diagnoses, and recommendations, and a meeting with the caregiver to debrief. A project member analyzed the photographs to measure the sentinel facial features. A survey of the caregivers, clinicians, support workers, and diagnostic team members was conducted to assess the experience, reliability, and feasibility of the virtual model. Webinars of the model were held (one in Alberta, and one for all of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia). A survey of participants’ pre- and post-webinar use of virtual platforms for part or all of the FASD assessment was completed. Results The results of the pilot project survey (Table 1) confirmed the feasibility, acceptability, and reliability of the virtual model of assessment. The caregivers confirmed that the process was rigorous and acceptable. 40% of team members indicated they would not have been present for an in-person meeting, indicating that the virtual format enabled attendance. Webinar surveys indicated a significantly increased interest in completing at least some portions of the assessment virtually. Conclusion Results indicate that a Virtual Model for FASD diagnosis is feasible, reliable, and acceptable. Increased interest in parts of or the whole project was indicated by teams nationally and internationally. Endorsements increased member attendance for team deliberations when virtual.

"It went through the roof": an observation study exploring the rise in PrEP uptake among Zimbabwean female sex workers in response to adaptations during Covid-19.

Introduction Sisters with a Voice (Sisters), a programme providing community‐led differentiated HIV prevention and treatment services, including condoms, HIV testing, pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy linkage for sex workers, reached over 26,000 female sex workers (FSW) across Zimbabwe in 2020. Zimbabwe's initial Covid “lockdown” in March 2020 and associated movement restrictions interrupted clinical service provision for 6 weeks, particularly in mobile clinics, triggering the adaptation of services for the Covid‐19 context and a scale up of differentiated service delivery (DSD) models. PrEP service delivery decentralized with shifts from clinical settings towards community/home‐based, peer‐led PrEP services to expand and maintain access. We hypothesize that peer‐led community‐based provision of PrEP services influenced both demand and supply‐side determinants of PrEP uptake. We observed the effect of these adaptations on PrEP uptake among FSW accessing services in Sisters in 2020.MethodsNew FSW PrEP initiations throughout 2020 were tracked by analysing routine Sisters programme data and comparing it with national PrEP initiation data for 2020. We mapped PrEP uptake among all negative FSW attending services in Sisters alongside Covid‐19 adaptations and shifts in the operating environment throughout 2020: prior to lockdown (January–March 2020), during severe restrictions (April–June 2020), subsequent easing (July–September 2020) and during drug stockouts that followed (October–December 2020).Results and discussionPrEP uptake in 2020 occurred at rates <25% (315 initiations or fewer) per month prior to the emergence of Covid‐19. In response to Covid‐19 restrictions, DSD models were scaled up in April 2020, including peer demand creation, community‐based delivery, multi‐month dispensing and the use of virtual platforms for appointment scheduling and post‐PrEP initiation support. Beginning May 2020, PrEP uptake increased monthly, peaking at an initiation rate of 51% (n = 1360) in September 2020. Unexpected rise in demand coincided with national commodity shortages between October and December 2020, resulting in restriction of new initiations with sites prioritizing refills.ConclusionsDespite the impact of Covid‐19 on the Sisters Programme and FSW mobility, DSD adaptations led to a large increase in PrEP initiations compared to pre‐Covid levels demonstrating that a peer‐led, community‐based PrEP service delivery model is effective and can be adopted for long‐term use.

Evaluation of User Satisfaction and Trust of Review Platforms: Analysis of the Impact of Privacy and E-WOM in the Case of TripAdvisor.

Technological advances have had many advantages like an E-WOM (Electronic Word of Mouth) that has become a very important and powerful tool for users who wish to share their knowledge, experiences and emotions about a product or service. But the use of virtual platforms may affect the privacy of users data. This present study has a twofold objective: first check if the privacy of users when using TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, has an impact on their satisfaction and trust on the platform. Secondly, the relationship between E-WOM and the variables users trust and satisfaction when using TripAdvisor is examined. In order to achieve the objectives set out, the sample of 390 persons was analyzed. The PLS-SEM method has been used to process the data and test the hypotheses. The results of the analysis have shown that there is a positive and direct relationship between TripAdvisor users’ privacy and satisfaction. The direct and positive relationship between users’ E-WOM and their degree of satisfaction and trust toward the platform has also been confirmed. This study makes a significant contribution to the academic literature on the variables studied, as previous studies presented different results.