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Background
Digital health offers a fresh avenue to address health disparities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Despite the scant evidence about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders access and use health technology, the Australian government has prioritised research that uses technology to enable people to manage their he...
Citations
... A protocol for this study was published in 2022 [37]. The consent process was co-designed with the Aboriginal Project Governance (APG) group (for details of this group, refer to the next subsection), and participants had the opportunity to ask questions and consult with others before signing a written (web based or paper) consent form. ...
Background
Digital health is becoming ubiquitous, and we must ensure equity in access. Indigenous people across most high-income countries typically have not benefited as much as other citizens from usual health care systems and technologies. Despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s clear interest in, and enthusiastic use of, new technologies, little research has examined the needs or interests of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Objective
This study prioritizes the perspectives of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, tapping into their expertise associated with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, as well as their unique position within their families and communities, to design a model for using digital technologies to improve health for themselves and their families as well as their communities.
Methods
Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from 4 partner organizations were recruited for this study. This co-designed qualitative research included citizen scientists in shaping the protocol as well as collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. We used yarning, an Indigenous research method validated for use in health research with Indigenous people and seen as respectful and culturally safe, as a primary research tool. The use of Indigenous methodologies and our iterative process enabled us to deeply explore and incorporate perspectives from all participants and ensure that the perspectives of Indigenous citizen scientists with lived experience were privileged. The data-checking methods also used a yarning methodology, which ensured that the findings and translational model derived from the findings were validated by the participants.
Results
Participants comprised 24 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged ≥41 years and including 3 generations that did not grow up with the internet: seniors, baby boomers, and Generation X. The key findings in this research were that older women use various digital technologies to improve health and well-being for themselves and their families as well as their communities. Older Aboriginal women want a culturally sensitive cyberspace that caters specifically to their needs and includes relevant content and functionality that are accessible and efficient. Our translational model highlights the conditions necessary for anyone to use digital health technologies, summarizes the essential elements needed to promote equity in digital health, and illuminates the unmet needs and requirements for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to fully benefit from digital health technologies.
Conclusions
Health is a fundamental right. As we move toward greater reliance on digital health solutions, we must recognize and address the concerns of the smaller populations of people who differ in their needs. We must urgently address the financial, connectivity, and other limiting factors highlighted by older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in this study that limit equitable access to digital health tools.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
RR2-10.1177/20552076221084469
... However, parts of clinical postgraduates have to spend more time in clinical practice than in scientific research [23], their SRA will be suppressed in the long run. As we have known, the development of clinical medicine requires the promotion of scientific innovation based on the SRA [24][25][26][27]. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the SRA of clinical postgraduates through various measures. ...
Background:
Scientific research ability (SRA) is very important for clinical postgraduates. However, the factors affecting students' SRA are constantly changing with the development of medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the current situation of SRA in clinical postgraduates and exploring the potential factors and the corresponding countermeasures under the background of new medical science.
Methods:
A total of 133 postgraduates (first- or second-year) were investigated by questionnaire in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. All results were analyzed by R software.
Results:
In terms of the SRA, academic-degree postgraduate students (ADPSs) were significantly better than professional-degree postgraduate students (PDPSs) (P = 0.001), the students with scientific research interest were remarkably better than those without scientific research interest (P = 0.004), the students who mastered statistical analysis methods were more prominent than those who did not (P = 0.007), the students with paper-writing skills were obviously superior to those without it (P = 0.003), and the second-year students were notably better than the first-year students (P = 0.003). Stratified analysis by the above factors except the degree type showed no significant difference in the first-year postgraduates. In the second-year postgraduates, the ADPSs were remarkably superior to the PDPSs (P = 0.002), the students with scientific research interest were obviously better than those without scientific research interest (P = 0.014), the students with more time investment in scientific research were more prominent than those with less time investment in scientific research (P = 0.025), the students with paper-writing skills were notably superior to those without it (P = 0.031), and the students with plotting ability were better than those without it (P = 0.013).
Conclusion:
The important factors affecting the SRA of clinical postgraduates include the degree type, the grade of student, scientific research interest, time investment in scientific research, statistical analysis methods, paper-writing skills, plotting ability. In short, earlier systematic SRA training contributes to the improvement of SRA in clinical postgraduates, especially in PDPSs.
... The AHWs engaged with the learning material and teaching approaches, which enabled a supportive and flexible learning environment to be created. It has been reported in other studies that Aboriginal people are early adopters of technology and partners in digital health programs and research [44,45]. In this study it was reported that using VoIP technologies enabled information to be paced and different teaching techniques applied to thoroughly explore specific aspects of COPD. ...
Background
Despite the high incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Aboriginal communities in Australia, Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) have limited knowledge about effective management.
Aim
To evaluate an online education program, co-designed with AHWs and exercise physiologists (EPs) or physiotherapists (PTs), to increase knowledge about COPD and its management.
Methods
AHWs and EPs from four Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) were recruited. An Aboriginal researcher and a physiotherapist experienced in COPD management and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) delivered seven online education sessions. These sessions used co-design principles and an Aboriginal pedagogy framework ‘8 Ways of learning’, which incorporates Aboriginal protocols and perspectives to realign teaching techniques and strengthen learning outcomes. Topics covered were: How the lungs work; What is COPD; Medications and how to use inhalers and COPD Action Plans; Why exercise is important; Managing breathlessness; Healthy eating; Managing anxiety and depression. After each session, AHWs with support from EPs, co-designed education ‘yarning’ resources using Aboriginal ways of learning to ensure topics were culturally safe for the local Aboriginal community and practiced delivering this at the following session. At the end of the program participants completed an anonymous online survey (5-point Likert scale) to assess satisfaction, and a semi-structured interview about their experience of the online education.
Results
Of the 12 participants, 11 completed the survey (7 AHWs, 4 EPs). Most (90%) participants strongly agreed or agreed that the online sessions increased knowledge and skills they needed to support Aboriginal patients with COPD. All (100%) participants felt: their cultural perspectives and opinions were valued and that they were encouraged to include cultural knowledge. Most (91%) reported that delivering their own co-designed yarning scripts during the online sessions improved their understanding of the topics. Eleven participants completed semi-structured interviews about participating in online education to co-design Aboriginal ‘yarning’ resources. Themes identified were: revealing the Aboriginal lung health landscape; participating in online learning; structuring the online education sessions; co-designing with the facilitators.
Conclusions
Online education using co-design and 8 Ways of learning was rated highly by AHWs and EPs for improving COPD knowledge and valuing cultural perspectives. The use of co-design principles supported the cultural adaptation of COPD resources for Aboriginal people with COPD.
Trial registration
PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42019111405).
... 42 Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women as cultural leaders can provide insights into the safety and efficacy of healthcare messaging through social media and online platforms. 48 A continuing challenge is the invisibility of the diversity of women who are engaged at the forefront of climate action at local and broader levels. 49,50 This situation is exacerbated by a lack of gendered thinking in the use of digital health technologies according to The Australian Women and Digital Health project, 17 with implications for the way devices and apps are designed for women's bodies and their specific health needs. ...
Exploring the contribution of health informatics is an emerging topic in relation to addressing climate change, but less examined is a body of literature reporting on the potential and effectiveness of women participating in climate action supported by digital health. This perspective explores how empowering women through digital health literacy (DHL) can support them to be active agents in addressing climate change risk and its impacts on health and well-being. We also consider the current definitional boundary of DHL, and how this may be shaped by other competencies (eg, environmental health literacy), to strengthen this critical agenda for developed nations and lower-resource settings.
Objective
Alarmingly, the individuals’ reach and coverage to get vaccinated in developing regions during the pandemic is a massive challenge for concerned authorities. This study aimed to demonstrate how cyberchondria play a significant role in a classical health belief model. Cyberchondria may influence cognitive factors (e.g. self-efficacy), which may contribute to an increase in attitude–behavior gap. Especially in the context of a health-centric scenario, it may discourage individuals to take protective measures.
Method
By using the cross-sectional research design, the authors conducted a quantitative survey in Pakistan and collected 563 responses from 303 male respondents (rural = 91; urban = 212) with (Urban M:35.5, standard deviation (SD):13.4) and rural M:37.5, SD:8.4).
Result
The findings indicate that decision self-efficacy among males is stronger than that in females. It dominates other determinants, which can dampen the individuals’ intentions to get vaccinated. For instance, the effect of conspiracies and perceived seriousness was noted nonsignificant and weak. In females, perceived seriousness was stronger determinant than in males. In addition, the negative effect of decision self-efficacy was noted in the case of females, and conspiracy and cyberchondria had a negative role.
Conclusion
This study highlights valuable implications for future research in infodemic, health communication and health literacy, and practical implications for regulatory bodies and public administration.
Objetivo: mapear as evidências científicas sobre a produção de tecnologias em saúde para os idosos indígenas. Método: revisão de escopo, baseada no protocolo proposto pelo Joanna Briggs Institute. A busca de artigos completos publicados ocorreu nas bases de dados Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online/Pubmed, SCOPUS, Excerpta Medica data BASE. Resultados: evidenciou-se que dentre as tecnologias mapeadas nesta revisão encontram-se as tecnologias digitais (telessaúde e tablet) e as tecnologias assistivas (bengalas, andador, cadeira de rodas). O uso desses dispositivos despertam a independência, elevam a autoestima desses grupos etários, promovendo um envelhecimento saúdavel e ativo. Conclusão: o interesse dos idosos indígenas em terem acesso as novas tecnologias de saúde, contribuem para a insersão de novos dispositivos, visto a presente necessidade de se adaptar, investir e produzir tecnologias que baseiam na especifidade étnica cultura desses idosos indígenas.
