Response to the impact of COVID-19 by health professions education institutions in Africa: a case study on preparedness for remote learning and teaching

BackgroundAfrica, like other parts of the world, continuously strives to deliver quality health professions education. These efforts are influenced to a larger extent by the socio-economic and cultural context of the region, but also by what happens globally. The global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 necessitated the implementation of emergency remote teaching to continue delivering on the mandate of educating future health professionals. The purpose of this research was to describe the response of selected health professions education institutions in Southern Africa to the impact of COVID-19 and their preparedness for remote learning and teaching.MethodsA case study design was applied using an adapted ADKAR model as a conceptual framework for data interpretation. The purposively selected study population consisted of educators, students, and administrators in undergraduate medical and nursing programmes from six institutions in five countries.ResultsA total of 1307 respondents provided data for the study. Many of the institutions were caught off-guard when most educators and almost all students were required to leave their universities and go home. Stakeholders immediately became aware of the need to adopt online approaches as an emergency measure. In all programmes, educators, students, and administrators agreed that change was desired, and students realised that they had to take charge of their own learning independently. Overall educators reported confidence in the ability to use of standard Microsoft software, while knowledge of learning management systems proved more challenging for both educators and students. Many stakeholders, especially students and administrators, reported uncertainty about their ability to function in the new reality. Conducive family dynamics, a quiet space to study, good connectivity, a reliable electricity supply and appropriate devices were reported to reinforce learning and teaching.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the need for higher education institutions to prepare for alternative modes to face-to-face learning and teaching approaches with the ultimate aim of transitioning to full online learning more expeditiously. This requires scaling up educational infrastructure, prioritising strategic directives driving continuous professional development of educators and fostering co-constructivist approaches towards student centered education.

Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World: The Challenges of Establishing Academic Identities During Times of Crisis

This book adopts collaborative autoethnography as its methodology, and presents the collective witnessing of experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic within the higher education sector. Through the presentation of staff and student experiences and what was learnt from them, the authors examine the global phenomenon that is the COVID-19 pandemic through the purposeful exploration of their own experiences. This book presents an overall argument about the state of higher education in the middle of the pandemic and highlights academic issues and region-specific challenges. The reflections presented in this book offer insights for other staff and students, as well as academic policy-makers, regarding the pandemic experiences of those within academia. It also offers practical suggestions as to how we as a global community can move forward post-pandemic. © The Editor(s)(if applicable)and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

CODA The Challenges of Establishing Academic Identities During Times of Crisis

This section of the book synthesises authors' contributions by reflecting on the key themes identified in the various stories told within the chapters. It briefly describes the impact that marginalisation, parenthood, mental health, and virtual participation had on the formation of academic identity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The section ends with the editors' thoughts on what was achieved in this volume, in addition to the challenges that lie ahead. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Preface: Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World

Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World explores how the academic identities of students and staff were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter outlines the main motivation for writing this book and provides a brief overview of the chapters that follow. This book was initiated to allow the chapter authors to narrate their emotional journeys during a time of significant upheaval. We believe that stories matter;individual experiences matter. The stories in this book are of trauma, grief, and loss, but also highlight moments of resilience and growth. As the editors, we encourage the reader to explore these stories with us. In this book, you will discover stories which either resonate with, or differ significantly from, your own experience. As you read these stories, then, we encourage you to reflect on your own journey during the COVID-19 pandemic—you may be surprised at the response this reflection evokes. In this way, we can all bear collective witness to the often-times idiosyncratic ways in which the pandemic has affected us all. It is only through this collective witnessing that we can learn to move forward into a post-pandemic society. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

A Harmony of Voices: The Value of Collaborative Autoethnography as Collective Witnessing During a Pandemic

In this chapter, I describe collaborative autoethnography—the methodology which was chosen for this book. In order to clearly explain this methodology, I explore my own journey as I moved into social science research, discovered autoethnography, and subsequently encountered collaborative autoethnography. Through my reflections, I highlight the knowledge which can be gained through purposeful exploration of personal experience. I also demonstrate how, when multiple autoethnographers work together, the resulting collaboration creates a profound synergy and harmony of voices which cannot be achieved by an individual alone. Finally, I present the specific framework used to apply the collaborative autoethnography methodology in this book. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Patient Involvement in Decision-Making around Their Treatment and Care: Findings from a Global Patient Experience Survey

Introduction: Two years in, COVID-19 continues to impact healthcare systems and the treatment and care all patients receive, including those living with lung cancer. The Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) is a partnership of 42 patient organisations across 30 nations dedicated to improving outcomes for lung cancer patients. The GLCC used its third annual global patient experience survey to explore whether the pandemic had affected the extent to which patients are able to be involved in decision-making around their treatment and care. Methods: Among several topics in the survey, the GLCC’s multi-national steering group of patients, advocates, and clinicians included a question to ask about the extent to which patients felt involved in decisions about their treatment and care when talking to their treatment team. The survey received 555 responses from lung cancer patients across 21 countries. Results: Globally, almost half (48%, 258/533) of patients responding to the 2022 survey said they did not feel fully involved in decisions about their treatment and care, with almost one in ten (9%, 48/533) noting that they were not involved but would like to have been. This is a smaller proportion than in the 2021 survey, where 59% (755/1287) of responding patients stated that they did not feel fully involved in decision-making. The national data in Figure 1 highlights variation in the extent to which patients felt involved in decision-making. In both years, the country with the highest proportion of respondents feeling fully involved in decisions was the Netherlands (76% in 2022 and 75% in 2021). Conclusions: The GLCC’s patient charter highlights that every patient should have informed self-determination, which includes involvement in decision-making. This survey highlights the importance of treatment teams asking, and supporting, lung cancer patients to be as involved in decisions around their treatment and care as they wish to be. In all countries, there is scope to increase the extent to which patients feel involved in decision-making. Research is needed to identify best practice from countries where larger proportions of respondents felt fully involved in decision-making. Keywords: patient involvement, decision making, COVID-19 [Formula presented]

Lung Cancer Patients’ Willingness to Attend a Screening Appointment or Lung Health Check: Insights from a Global Patient Experience Survey

Introduction: Lung health checks or screening programmes are a key measure to detecting the disease earlier, when treatment is most likely to be successful, and thus reducing the huge burden currently imposed on the individuals affected, their families, the country, and the healthcare system as a whole. The Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC), a partnership of 42 patient organisations across 30 nations, states in its patient charter that all patients have the right to witness the widespread implementation of well structured, evidence-based programmes of early diagnosis, including screening. With few countries currently offering screening programmes, the GLCC wanted to understand if patients would be willing to attend an appointment if it was available and they were invited. Methods: In the GLCC’s third annual survey, the steering group included questions on the availability of screening in their country, including a question asking patients if they would attend a lung health check or screening programme if invited. The survey received 555 responses from patients across 21 countries. Results: The majority of responding patients (85%, 449/526) said they would attend a screening appointment or lung health check if they were invited. The number of patients willing to attend ranged from 100% in Spain and Ireland to 63% in the USA. One in ten patients (54/526) said they were unsure if they would attend a screening appointment, and almost one in 20 (4%, 23/526) stated that they would not attend. Patients in Italy (17%, 22/129), Taiwan (17%, 12/71) and the USA (37%, 10/27) most frequently selected these options, although the proportions are lower than those stating that they would attend a screening appointment. Figure 1 shows a breakdown of responses by country. Conclusions: Lung health checks or screening programmes are available in very few countries worldwide, despite the increasing number of people being diagnosed every year. The findings from this survey demonstrate that the majority of patients would have been willing to attend a screening appointment to detect their lung cancer earlier if it had been available and they had been invited. As stated in the GLCC patient charter, in countries where lung cancer screening programmes are not available, governments should look to implement pilots as a matter of urgency, as evidence suggests that screening programmes support earlier detection and diagnosis and better patient outcomes. Keywords: advocacy, screening, COVID-19 [Formula presented]

MA08.07 Understanding Lung Cancer Patients’ Preferences in Speaking to Their Treatment Team: Insights from a Global Patient Experience Survey

Introduction: The Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) is a partnership of 42 patient organisations across 30 nations dedicated to improving outcomes for lung cancer patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many lung cancer patients were offered virtual (telephone or video) consultations alongside or instead of face-to-face appointments. Reasons included protecting patients from exposure to the virus, saving travel time, and freeing-up clinical time. As health systems explore the potential of hybrid systems of telemedicine post-COVID-19, the GLCC wanted to understand patients’ preferences for speaking to their treatment team and how they felt about virtual consultations. Methods: In its third annual online patient survey, the GLCC included questions to ask how patients would like to be able to contact their treatment team in different situations. In total, the survey received 555 responses from patients across 21 countries. Results: The findings show that globally, the majority of responding patients would prefer to see their treatment team in person when: finding out their diagnosis (91%, 406/444);having their first consultation (94%, 412/438);having regular check-ups (78%, 349/450);and there is a change to their treatment (84%, 374/444). However, if they are worried about something, many patients would also be willing to have a telephone consultation (32%, 146/452). Figure 1 highlights that patients in almost all countries favoured telephone over video consultations in all situations. However, video consultations were preferred over telephone consultations by patients in the USA for regular check-ups, and in Taiwan if there is a change to treatment. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of treatment teams seeking to understand patients’ preferred methods of contact. Support will be needed for treatment teams and for patients if health systems are to successfully transition to a hybrid model of virtual and in-person appointments. This includes treatment teams and patients having appropriate settings and IT in which to conduct virtual consultations. Patients should be asked whether virtual consultations are working for them, since preferences may change with their experience of technology. Keywords: advocacy, virtual consultations, COVID-19 [Formula presented]

THE IMPACT OF A PANDEMIC ON EDUCATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO FAST TRACK TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN BASIC EDUCATION IN PREPARATION FOR 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ERA EMPLOYMENT

The possible effect of a pandemic on education is conceptually addressed in this paper. The arrival of Corona virus (CoVid 19) as one form of such a pandemic in South Africa has exposed and accelerated the trend of growing disparities in basic education system between private and the vast majority of public schools. The advent of lockdown regulations brought by various governments in the world and South African government in particular has accelerated development of e-learning and e-content creation by private education providers. Whereas Face-to -face offerings are still preferred, blended education has increased dramatically with more e-content likely to be the game changer and enabler of the long awaited 4IR relevant education outcome in SA in particular as addressed in this paper. Whilst this development is positive for basic education, the advent of lockdown brought by CoVid 19 pandemic, has also highlighted that the difference in access to technology between poor and rich schools could translate at a basic level to a huge gap in available classroom instruction times which is a fundamental element of the required learning environment. In 2020, South African schooling calendar experienced major disruption due to lockdown regulations however, rich schools were able to mitigate this impact through e-learning platforms, something not possible currently for poor schools. This paper seeks to conceptually establish the unique impact of technology application on the outcome of basic education in South Africa. We make a comparison to the trends of the past 9 years and contrast this with the results of the 2020 school year under CoVid 19 pandemic restrictions. We argue in this paper, that though not the only element of advantage, access to e-learning and e-content can be a big contributor to the difference in performance of high school pupils in basic education. The paper demonstrates that the ability to use technology and e-content creates the major difference between poor and exceptional/resilient education system. We believe that as was demonstrated during lockdown by business and higher learning institutions, creating more access to e-learning platforms material and virtual classrooms for children in remote areas can mitigate against any disruptions due to the macro environment and enhance the ability of the system to transform education from passive learning (teach and absorb type) to an active learning (stimulation based and research type) that is most relevant to the 4IR era. Copyright © 2021 by Naudé Scribante. Permission granted to IAMOT to publish and use.

A SYSTEMS THINKING CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR VALUE CREATION IN THE AFRICAN CEMENT MARKET

Sement is die wereld se belangrikste boumateriaal, en dit het Afrika, as 'n opkomende mark, afhanklik gemaak van die sementbedryf as 'n kritieke instrument om ekonomiese infrastruktuurgroei te bevorder. Vandag se uitdagende ekonomiese klimaat het sementprodusente ook toenemend afhanklik gemaak van spesialiste om hul bedrywighede op te gradeer, te moderniseer en in stand te hou. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te evalueer hoe ingenieursdiensorganisasies wat in Afrika werksaam is tans hul sake met hierdie sementprodusente bedryf. Die navorsing toon dat die literatuur oor stelselingenieurswese nie ten volle gebruik maak van waarde-ingenieurskonsepte nie. Die studie het hierdie gebrek aan samewerking identifiseer en 'n nuwe waarde-ingenieursisteemmodel voorgestel wat gebruik kan word om die gebruik van ingenieursdienste en -produkte in die Afrika-sementbedryf te bevorder en te versterk.Alternate :Cement is the worlds most important building material, and it has made Africa, as an emerging market, dependent on the cement industry as a critical tool to promote economic infrastructure growth. Todays challenging economic climate has also made cement producers increasingly dependent on specialists to upgrade, modernise, and maintain their operations. The objective of this research was to evaluate how engineering service organisations operating in Africa currently conduct their business with these cement producers. The research also showed that the literature on systems engineering does not make full use of value engineering concepts. The study identified this lack of collaboration, and proposed a new value engineering systems model that can be used to promote and strengthen the use of engineering services and products in the African cement industry.