Samenvatting:Bij het evalueren van gezondheidsbevordering is het van belang de beoogde doelgroep erbij te betrekken. In de praktijk wordt participatieve evaluatie echter nog onvoldoende ingezet. Om professionals te helpen de doelgroep bij de evaluatie te betrekken werd hiervoor in het kader van de JOGG-aanpak (Gezonde Jeugd, Gezonde Toekomst, voorheen: Jongeren Op Gezond Gewicht) een instrument ontwikkeld. Hoewel het samen met de JOGG-professionals is ontwikkeld, bleek dit instrument niet goed aan te sluiten bij hun behoeften. In dit artikel reflecteren we op hoe dit komt en delen we de geleerde lessen. Ongelijkwaardige samenwerking tussen onderzoekers en professionals heeft er aan bijgedragen dat praktijkbehoeften onvoldoende in het evaluatie-instrument zijn meegenomen. Daarnaast ervaren professionals zelf verschillende uitdagingen bij participatieve evaluatie, omdat de context waarin zij werken hen hierin onvoldoende faciliteert.Abstract: Participation of the target group is important in evaluating health promotion. However, in practice the use of participatory evaluation is still limited. To support professionals within the JOGG (Healthy Youth, Healthy Future, previously Youth At a Healthy Weight) rogramme with participatory evaluation a tool was developed. Although this tool was developed with professionals, it did not meet their needs. In this article we reflect on the development of the tool and share lessons learned. Unequal collaboration between researchers and professionals may have contributed to the needs of professionals being insufficiently taken into account. Additionally, professionals themselves experience challenges with participatory evaluation, because the context in which they work does not facilitate participatory evaluation.
In the 1980s there was a lot of discussion about whether monitoring special conditions should be a probation task, and whether this can be combined with offering help and assistance. The authors show that this discussion has been settled by introducing a specific knowledge base for probation work. They outline a number of important developments in recent decades: the focus on risk and the enforced framework, and the great influence of new technology. Nevertheless, an important basis for probation remains unchanged: the quality of the contact between probation officer and client.
Some patients in psychiatric treatment are considered extremely difficult to treat because of the disruptive nature of their relationships with treatment staff. In this paper, we describe and evaluate a specialist inpatient treatment program for these patients. Data were collected from medical records and daily reports of patients (n = 108). Pretest-posttest measurements were used to evaluate the treatment. The main treatment method consists of the provision of safety, structure, and cooperation. Treatment results show statistically significant changes from admittance to discharge. The collaborative and consistent manner in which nurses approach the patients is crucial for quality of care.
Size measurement plays an essential role for micro-/nanoparticle characterization and property evaluation. Due to high costs, complex operation or resolution limit, conventional characterization techniques cannot satisfy the growing demand of routine size measurements in various industry sectors and research departments, e.g., pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials and food industry etc. Together with start-up SeeNano and other partners, we will develop a portable compact device to measure particle size based on particle-impact electrochemical sensing technology. The main task in this project is to extend the measurement range for particles with diameters ranging from 20 nm to 20 um and to validate this technology with realistic samples from various application areas. In this project a new electrode chip will be designed and fabricated. It will result in a workable prototype including new UMEs (ultra-micro electrode), showing that particle sizing can be achieved on a compact portable device with full measuring range. Following experimental testing with calibrated particles, a reliable calibration model will be built up for full range measurement. In a further step, samples from partners or potential customers will be tested on the device to evaluate the application feasibility. The results will be validated by high-resolution and mainstream sizing techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Coulter counter.
Due to the existing pressure for a more rational use of the water, many public managers and industries have to re-think/adapt their processes towards a more circular approach. Such pressure is even more critical in the Rio Doce region, Minas Gerais, due to the large environmental accident occurred in 2015. Cenibra (pulp mill) is an example of such industries due to the fact that it is situated in the river basin and that it has a water demanding process. The current proposal is meant as an academic and engineering study to propose possible solutions to decrease the total water consumption of the mill and, thus, decrease the total stress on the Rio Doce basin. The work will be divided in three working packages, namely: (i) evaluation (modelling) of the mill process and water balance (ii) application and operation of a pilot scale wastewater treatment plant (iii) analysis of the impacts caused by the improvement of the process. The second work package will also be conducted (in parallel) with a lab scale setup in The Netherlands to allow fast adjustments and broaden evaluation of the setup/process performance. The actions will focus on reducing the mill total water consumption in 20%.
Physical rehabilitation programs revolve around the repetitive execution of exercises since it has been proven to lead to better rehabilitation results. Although beginning the motor (re)learning process early is paramount to obtain good recovery outcomes, patients do not normally see/experience any short-term improvement, which has a toll on their motivation. Therefore, patients find it difficult to stay engaged in seemingly mundane exercises, not only in terms of adhering to the rehabilitation program, but also in terms of proper execution of the movements. One way in which this motivation problem has been tackled is to employ games in the rehabilitation process. These games are designed to reward patients for performing the exercises correctly or regularly. The rewards can take many forms, for instance providing an experience that is engaging (fun), one that is aesthetically pleasing (appealing visual and aural feedback), or one that employs gamification elements such as points, badges, or achievements. However, even though some of these serious game systems are designed together with physiotherapists and with the patients’ needs in mind, many of them end up not being used consistently during physical rehabilitation past the first few sessions (i.e. novelty effect). Thus, in this project, we aim to 1) Identify, by means of literature reviews, focus groups, and interviews with the involved stakeholders, why this is happening, 2) Develop a set of guidelines for the successful deployment of serious games for rehabilitation, and 3) Develop an initial implementation process and ideas for potential serious games. In a follow-up application, we intend to build on this knowledge and apply it in the design of a (set of) serious game for rehabilitation to be deployed at one of the partners centers and conduct a longitudinal evaluation to measure the success of the application of the deployment guidelines.
