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1 – 10 of over 1000Haider Al-Darraji, Philip Hill, Katrina Sharples, Frederick L. Altice and Adeeba Kamarulzaman
This intensified case finding study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease among people with HIV entering the largest prison in Malaysia.
Abstract
Purpose
This intensified case finding study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease among people with HIV entering the largest prison in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in Kajang prison, starting in July 2013 in the men’s prison and June 2015 in the women’s prison. Individuals tested positive for HIV infection, during the mandatory HIV testing at the prison entry, were consecutively recruited over five months at each prison. Consented participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and asked to submit two sputum samples that were assessed using GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and culture, irrespective of clinical presentation. Factors associated with active TB (defined as a positive result on either Xpert or culture) were assessed using regression analyses.
Findings
Overall, 214 incarcerated people with HIV were recruited. Most were men (84.6%), Malaysians (84.1%) and people who inject drugs (67.8%). The mean age was 37.5 (SD 8.2) years, and median CD4 lymphocyte count was 376 cells/mL (IQR 232–526). Overall, 27 (12.6%) TB cases were identified, which was independently associated with scores of five or more on the World Health Organization clinical scoring system for prisons (ARR 2.90 [95% CI 1.48–5.68]).
Originality/value
Limited data exists about the prevalence of TB disease at prison entry, globally and none from Malaysia. The reported high prevalence of TB disease in the study adds an important and highly needed information to design comprehensive TB control programmes in prisons.
Aaron Payne, Helen Proctor and Ilektra Spandagou
This article examines the educational decision-making of hearing parents for their deaf children born during a period (1970–1990s) before the introduction of new-born hearing…
Abstract
Purpose
This article examines the educational decision-making of hearing parents for their deaf children born during a period (1970–1990s) before the introduction of new-born hearing screening in New South Wales, where the study was conducted, and prior to the now near-universal adoption of cochlear implants in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
We present findings from an oral history study in which parents were invited to recall how they planned for the education of their deaf children.
Findings
We propose that these oral histories shed light on how the concept, early intervention – a child development principle that became axiomatic from about the 1960s – significantly shaped the conduct of parents of deaf children, constituting both hope and burden, and intensifying a focus on early decision-making. They also illustrate ways in which parenting was shaped by two key structural shifts, one, being the increasing enrolment of deaf children in mainstream rather than separate classrooms and the other being the transformation of deafness itself by developments in hearing assistance technology.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to a sociological/historical literature of “parenting for education” that almost entirely lacks deaf perspectives and a specialist literature of parental decision-making for deaf children that is almost entirely focussed on the post cochlear implant generation. The paper is distinctive in its treatment of the concept of “early intervention” as a historical phenomenon rather than a “common sense” truth, and proposes that parents of deaf children were at the leading edge of late-20th and early-21st century parenting intensification.
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Rabiah Aminudin, Lee Pei May, Norhaslinda Jamaiudin, Rohana Abdul Hamid and Syaza Shukri
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that was unprecedented in human history. The scale of infection was unusual with most countries succumbing to this disease. Various mitigation plans…
Abstract
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that was unprecedented in human history. The scale of infection was unusual with most countries succumbing to this disease. Various mitigation plans were introduced by governments around the world to contain the spread of the virus. The Southeast Asian region is not spared from the harmful effects of COVID-19. Most Southeast Asian countries responded swiftly to COVID-19 by introducing stringent policies such as contact tracing, mandatory quarantine, restriction of movements, cancellation of public events, health screenings, and border closures early on to tackle the rapid spread of the virus. The adoption of technology for contact tracing such as MySejahtera (Malaysia), TraceTogether (Singapore), PeduliLindungi (Indonesia), Mor Chana (Thailand), and Stay Safe (Philippines) shows the rapid response from the governments to contain the spread of COVID-19. The variation in the degree of success stories at different timelines in managing COVID-19 in the region indicates that COVID-19 management requires short and long-term planning, especially in the public health policy. In the case of Malaysia, the first phase of movement control order (MCO, 18–31 March 2020) took place on the background of political turmoil. The newly formed government under the leadership of Muhyiddin Yasin announced the first phase of lockdown in Malaysia to control the rising number of COVID-19 cases. The lockdowns then evolved into different forms at different phases of implementation until it was announced on 8 March 2022 that the country is transitioning to the endemic phase on 1 April 2022. This study shows that the respondents to our survey during the first phase of MCO are highly aware of the government’s initiatives to manage COVID-19 and the Malaysian public has a high level of trust and confidence in the government’s initiatives. The stringent measures taken by the government in the first wave of COVID-19 were seen as a necessity and it provided legitimacy to the government despite being the first unelected government in Malaysian history.
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Jack Kie Cheng, Fazeeda Mohamad, Puteri Fadzline M. Tamyez, Zetty Ain Kamaruzzaman, Maizura Mohd Zainudin and Faridah Zulkipli
This paper aims to identify the interaction of different intervention strategies implemented in Malaysia towards flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases. Since the outbreak of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the interaction of different intervention strategies implemented in Malaysia towards flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many approaches were adopted and implemented by the Malaysian government. Some strategies gained quick wins but with negative unintended consequences after execution, whereas other strategies were slow to take effect. Learning from the previous strategies is pivotal to avoid repeating mistakes.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the cause, effect of and connection among the implemented COVID-19 intervention strategies using systems thinking through the development of a causal loop diagram. It enables the visualisation of how each implemented strategy interacted with each other and collectively decreased or increased the spread of COVID-19.
Findings
The results of this study suggested that it is not only essential to control the spread of COVID-19, but also to prevent the transmission of the virus. The Malaysian experience has demonstrated that both control and preventive strategies need to be in a state of equilibrium. Focusing only on one spectrum will throw off the balance, leaving COVID-19 infection to escalate rapidly.
Originality/value
The developed feedback loops provided policy makers with the understanding of the merits, pitfalls and dynamics of prior implemented intervention strategies before devising other effective intervention strategies to defuse the spread of COVID-19 and prepare the nation for recovery.
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Vincent Jumbe, Victor Mhango, Adamson Muula, Ruth Kaima, Luntha Rosemary Chimbwete, Apatsa Mangwana, Benjamin Msutu, Lisa Tembo, Charlotte Bigland, Stephanie Kewley and Marie Claire Van Hout
Prisons in the sub-Saharan African region face unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, the first prison system case of COVID-19 was notified in July…
Abstract
Purpose
Prisons in the sub-Saharan African region face unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, the first prison system case of COVID-19 was notified in July 2020. While prison settings were included in the second domestic COVID-19 response plan within the Law Enforcement cluster (National COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, July–December 2020), they were initially not included in the K157bn (US$210m) COVID-19 fund. The purpose of the study was to assess prison preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in Malawi..
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-method situation assessment of the COVID-19 response and human rights assurance of prisoners and staff was conducted in a large prison complex in Malawi. Qualitative research underpinned by the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological (EPP) framework consisted of interviews with key informants such as prison health personnel, senior prison staff, penal and judicial policymakers, government and civil society organisations (n = 14) and focus group discussions with consenting male (n = 48) and female prisoners (n = 48) and prison wardens (n = 24). Prison site visits were supported by detailed observations based on the World Health Organisation Checklist for COVID-19 in prisons (n = 9). Data were collected and analysed thematically using the EPP stepwise approach and triangulated based on Bronfenbrenner’s model conceptualising COVID-19 as a multi-level event disrupting the prison eco-system.
Findings
The results are presented as MICRO-MESO level individual and community experiences of incarceration during COVID-19 spanning several themes: awareness raising and knowledge of COVID-19 in prisons; prison congestion and the impossibility of social distancing; lack of adequate ventilation, hygiene and sanitation and provisions and correct use of personal protective equipment; MESO-MACRO level interplay between the prison community of prisoners and staff and judicial policy impacts; medical system COVID-19 response, infrastructure and access to health care; COVID-19 detection and quarantine measures and prisoner access to the outside world.
Originality/value
This unique situation assessment of the Malawian prison system response to mitigate COVID-19 illustrates the dynamics at the micro-level whereby prisoners rely on the state and have restricted agency in protecting themselves from disease. This is due to severe structural inadequacies based on low resource allocation to prisons leading to a compromised ability to prevent and treat disease; an infirm and congested infrastructure and bottlenecks in the judicial system fuelling a continued influx of remand detainees leading to high overcapacity. Multi-pronged interventions involving key stakeholders, with prison management and line Ministry as coordinators are warranted to optimise COVID-19 interventions and future disease outbreaks in the Malawian prison system.
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Severina Pocong Velos, Marivel Go, Johnry Dayupay, Rodolfo Jr Golbin, Feliciana Cababat, Hazna Quiñanola and Dharyll Prince Mariscal Abellana
With the aggressive movement towards testing for COVID-19 across the globe, this study aims to shed light on how testing facilities perform in an operational perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
With the aggressive movement towards testing for COVID-19 across the globe, this study aims to shed light on how testing facilities perform in an operational perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
With 102 testing facilities in the Philippines, the relative efficiencies of each facility are quantified using a data envelopment analysis technique. Afterwards, a best-worst method was conducted to assign priority weights to each testing facility.
Findings
Results show that the proposed approach effectively prioritizes testing facilities that most likely have high utilization.
Research limitations/implications
The findings in this study would be significant to the literature in a number of respects. For one, it reveals results that would stimulate the interest among scholars in a wide variety of disciplines such as management, data mining, policymaking, decision science and epidemiology, among others.
Originality/value
This study differs from previous works in a number of respects, particularly, in that to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relative efficiencies of COVID-19 testing facilities.
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Yaolin Zhou, Zhaoyang Zhang, Xiaoyu Wang, Quanzheng Sheng and Rongying Zhao
The digitalization of archival management has rapidly developed with the maturation of digital technology. With data's exponential growth, archival resources have transitioned…
Abstract
Purpose
The digitalization of archival management has rapidly developed with the maturation of digital technology. With data's exponential growth, archival resources have transitioned from single modalities, such as text, images, audio and video, to integrated multimodal forms. This paper identifies key trends, gaps and areas of focus in the field. Furthermore, it proposes a theoretical organizational framework based on deep learning to address the challenges of managing archives in the era of big data.
Design/methodology/approach
Via a comprehensive systematic literature review, the authors investigate the field of multimodal archive resource organization and the application of deep learning techniques in archive organization. A systematic search and filtering process is conducted to identify relevant articles, which are then summarized, discussed and analyzed to provide a comprehensive understanding of existing literature.
Findings
The authors' findings reveal that most research on multimodal archive resources predominantly focuses on aspects related to storage, management and retrieval. Furthermore, the utilization of deep learning techniques in image archive retrieval is increasing, highlighting their potential for enhancing image archive organization practices; however, practical research and implementation remain scarce. The review also underscores gaps in the literature, emphasizing the need for more practical case studies and the application of theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios. In response to these insights, the authors' study proposes an innovative deep learning-based organizational framework. This proposed framework is designed to navigate the complexities inherent in managing multimodal archive resources, representing a significant stride toward more efficient and effective archival practices.
Originality/value
This study comprehensively reviews the existing literature on multimodal archive resources organization. Additionally, a theoretical organizational framework based on deep learning is proposed, offering a novel perspective and solution for further advancements in the field. These insights contribute theoretically and practically, providing valuable knowledge for researchers, practitioners and archivists involved in organizing multimodal archive resources.
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Williams E. Nwagwu and Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha
This paper aims to examine the global pattern of growth and development of eHealth research based on publication headcount, and analysis of the characteristics, of the keywords…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the global pattern of growth and development of eHealth research based on publication headcount, and analysis of the characteristics, of the keywords used by authors and indexers to represent their research content during 1945–2019.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a bibliometric research design and a quantitative approach. The source of the data was Elsevier’s Scopus database. The search query involved multiple search terms because researchers’ choice of keywords varies very significantly. The search for eHealth research publications was limited to conference papers and research articles published before 2020.
Findings
eHealth originated in the late 1990s, but it has become an envelope term for describing much older terms such as telemedicine, and its variants that originated much earlier. The keywords were spread through the 27 Scopus Subject Areas, with medicine (44.04%), engineering (12.84%) and computer science (11.47%) leading, while by Scopus All Science Journal Classification Health Sciences accounted for 55.83% of the keywords. Physical sciences followed with 30.62%. The classifications social sciences and life sciences made only single-digit contributions. eHealth is about meeting health needs, but the work of engineers and computer scientists is very outstanding in achieving this goal.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates that eHealth is an unexplored aspect of health literature and highlights the nature of the accumulated literature in the area. It further demonstrates that eHealth is a multidisciplinary area that is attractive to researchers from all disciplines because of its sensitive focus on health, and therefore requires pooling and integration of human resources and expertise, methods and approaches.
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Yu Huang, Xiaofen Ji, Lina Zhai and Francisca Margarita Ocran
Breast cancer has become the largest cancer in the world today. Health problems for women with breast cancer need to be addressed urgently. This study aims to select the best…
Abstract
Purpose
Breast cancer has become the largest cancer in the world today. Health problems for women with breast cancer need to be addressed urgently. This study aims to select the best method for preparing temperature-sensitive sports underwear, and to verify the feasibility of using K-type thermocouple threads in underwear fabrics.
Design/methodology/approach
In the experiments, two samples were designed for temperature-sensitive performance tests and the effects produced by different outer layer structures were investigated. In the second step, K-type thermocouple wires were integrated into sports underwear. The comfort and feasibility of the temperature-sensitive underwear were investigated.
Findings
It was finally verified to obtain the best comfort and temperature-sensing performance of K-type thermocouple filaments integrated into sports underwear with plain stitching.
Originality/value
The underwear has a certain prospect for the application of smart apparel based on breast cancer health monitoring, which is of some significance for monitoring smart apparel.
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Shivani Bali, Vikram Bali, Rajendra Prasad Mohanty and Dev Gaur
Recently, blockchain technology (BT) has resolved healthcare data management challenges. It helps healthcare providers automate medical records and mining to aid in data sharing…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, blockchain technology (BT) has resolved healthcare data management challenges. It helps healthcare providers automate medical records and mining to aid in data sharing and making more accurate diagnoses. This paper attempts to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for successfully implementing BT in healthcare.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is methodologically structured in four phases. The first phase leads to identifying success factors by reviewing the extant literature. In the second phase, expert opinions were solicited to authenticate the critical success factors required to implement BT in the healthcare sector. Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was employed to find the cause-and-effect relationship among the third phase’s critical success factors. In phase 4, the authors resort to validating the final results and findings.
Findings
Based on the analysis, 21 CSFs were identified and grouped under six dimensions. After applying the DEMATEL technique, nine factors belong to the causal group, and the remaining 12 factors fall under the effect group. The top three influencing factors of blockchain technology implementation in the healthcare ecosystem are data transparency, track and traceability and government support, whereas; implementation cost was the least influential.
Originality/value
This study provides a roadmap and may facilitate healthcare professionals to overcome contemporary challenges with the help of BT.
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