Suchergebnisse

It can be predicted that a substantial number of patients will seek medical care during a possible disaster, placing an increased strain on hospital resources, including health information services. With medical records playing a vital role in the identification of patients and documentation of patient care, the ability of the health information system to cope with this projected surge in demand needs to be addressed. This study was designed to investigate the expected use of specialised health information systems for disasters in Victorian hospitals during such contingencies. Specifically, this study investigated what type of specialised systems hospitals had in place at the time and whether a standard for specialised health information systems for disasters was needed. While 79% of responding hospitals reported having a specialised health information system for disasters, 91% of all responding hospitals reported that specialised health information systems for disasters were necessary. All specialised systems were paper-based, and 94% were based on the standard medical record format and content. Finally, 64% of hospitals believed that a Standard for specialised disaster medical records should be developed.

AbstractBackgroundPublic stigma, or negative community‐held beliefs, about children with disabilities (CWDs) often leads to negative outcomes for CWD and their families. This study considers the effectiveness of four community‐level interventions to reduce public stigma in two Lusaka, Zambia communities.MethodsThis feasibility study describes four community‐based interventions to provide education to consider whether perceptions of attitudes and stigma towards CWD changed after implementing four educational interventions.ResultsResults revealed that these interventions were achievable. Preliminary multiple regression analyses indicated a significant impact of attending an event on the attitude scale, while no effect on the stigma scale. Presence at multiple anti‐stigma events exhibited no effect for the stigma scale, while the attitude scale showed significance.DiscussionThis study builds on the limited research available in low‐income countries to reduce public stigma towards CWD, with the hope of enhance quality of life for CWD and their families.

Children with disabilities and their families often experience life circumstances that lead to reduced quality of life in low- and middle-income countries. This article describes the development of a curriculum to train community volunteers to provide support to families of children with disabilities in Lusaka, Zambia, using feedback from an advisory board of local stakeholders. Stakeholders had two opportunities to offer input on the curriculum. Reviewer comments focused on three themes – making the manual more Zambian, needing additional content, and simplifying the message. Recommendations were incorporated into the manual – allowing for culturally appropriate alignment with Zambian needs and customs.