ABSTRACT
Previous research on employee voice has sought to design technological solutions that address the challenges of speaking up in the workplace. However, effectively embedding employee voice systems in organisations requires designers to engage with the social processes, power relations and contextual factors of individual workplaces. We explore this process within a university workplace through a research project responding to a crisis in educational service delivery arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Within a successful three-month staff-led engagement, we examined the intricacies of embedding employee voice, exploring how the interactions between existing actors impacted the effectiveness of the process. We sought to identify specific actions to promote employee voice and overcome barriers to its successful establishment in organisational decision-making. We highlight design considerations for an effective employee voice system that facilitates embedding employee voice, including assurance, bounded accountability and bias reflexivity. © 2023 ACM.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Restrictions aiming to slow down the spread of COVID-19 had consequences on the amount and content of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Objectives & Aims: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity in PwMS. Method(s): An online survey was distributed during May - July 2021 in 11 countries. The survey gathered various metrics of physical activity (e.g. type, intensity, use of technology) performed prior to (2019) and during the pandemic (2021). Factors associated with stopping physical activity were also investigated. Result(s): The survey was completed by 3725 PwMS. Prepandemic 83% of the respondents reported being physically active, whereas during the pandemic 75% reported being physically active. Concern of contracting COVID-19 and loss of support were highly predictive factors associated with stopping physical activity. The decrease in physical activity was significant for both moderate and high intensity physical activity (p<.0001). Prior to the pandemic, 66% of the respondents reported physical activity behaviour indicating that they met the physical activity guidelines, while during the pandemic the respondents meeting the physical activity guidelines was 50%. The proportion of respondents meeting the guidelines decreased with increasing disability (Pre/during-pandemic: mild: 64%/ 55%;moderate: 52%/ 43%;severe: 39%/ 30%). Walking was the most frequent activity pre-pandemic (27%) and during the pandemic (33%). Of the 25% respondents who were inactive during the pandemic, 31% reported no interest in changing their physical activity behaviours, and 44% expressed a preference for a face-to-face format to conduct physical activity after the pandemic. During the pandemic, the most used technology (24%) were wearables (e.g. smart watch). Conclusion(s): Physical activity was reduced in PwMS from before to during the pandemic. Concerns of contracting COVID-19 and a loss of support were highly associated with reduced physical activity. There is a need to support PwMS aiming to increase physical activity. Physical activity programmes which address walking (the most frequent), disability and the use of wearable technology may be preferable.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a strain on healthcare services worldwide with a highly heterogeneous impact. Therefore, the Special Interest Group for Mobility (SIG Mobility) of the European Network for Best Practice and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation (RIMS) decided to examine the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on physiotherapy services in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Objective(s): To describe the impact of the pandemic on physiotherapy practice from the perspective of physiotherapists (PTs) by investigating changes in rehabilitation methods, organizational framework, and technology usage. Method(s): An online survey was developed by RIMS SIG Mobility and distributed to PTs in 9 countries (Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Turkey) from December 2020 to July 2021. Result(s): 215 PTs participated in the study. The therapy most affected during the pandemic was aerobic training/conditioning exercises;33.5% reported that these activities were either reduced or unavailable. In contrast, 15% reported increased use of relaxation/ mind-body techniques and/or fatigue management programs. Frequency, total number, and duration of sessions decreased significantly during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (p<0.001). Physiotherapy service delivery (accessibility) and effectiveness for pwMS were significantly decreased (p<0.001). There was a 10% decrease in the use of hands-on techniques and a 10% increase in the use of oral instructions when treating pwMS having moderate or severe disability during the pandemic compared to before. PTs increased use of telerehabilitation applications during the pandemic (p<0.001): app usage increased significantly from 37% to 56%, use of recorded videos from 38% to 55%, use of physiotherapy exercise websites from 33% to 52%, and use of exercise classes on TV from 7% to 20%. The top 4 challenges faced in telerehabilitation were limitations of assessment (54%), difficulties with equipment (43%), difficulties with understanding the patient's body language (35%), and not being able to use proprioceptive cues (35%). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic has notably affected physiotherapy services for pwMS internationally in terms of content, frequency of use, format, accessibility, and effectiveness. The long-term consequences of these changes should be investigated.