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Mentored online intercultural interaction offers foreign language learners the opportunity to develop different competences, including intercultural, linguistic, and digital competence (O'Dowd, 2021). Such virtual exchange (VE) projects typically involve computer-mediated communication via, for example, Zoom. However, the use of high-immersion virtual reality (VR) for synchronous online collaboration in VE projects has received little attention. This study investigated the effect of VR on students' levels of presence and engagement, on students' communication and on students' views on using VR for intercultural encounters compared to traditional videoconferencing tools. Twenty-seven university students from the Netherlands and Germany utilised VR to carry out intercultural learning tasks using English as a lingua franca during a four-week implementation period. Participants responded to pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, completed reflection journals, audio- or video-recorded their VR meetings and participated in interviews. Results showed that the levels of presence and engagement and preferences of social VR compared to videoconferencing for intercultural encounters depended on students individually. A VR immersion experience and comfortability scale was created based on the data which showed mixed experiences. VR influenced participants' interactions, topics of conversation and communication strategies when they explored their spaces together. The results showed that students' attitudes towards VR and their subjective experience of VR seem to play an important role in the VE-VR setting. VR provided a safe space for many participants. Positive attitudes towards communicating in the VR environment are highly correlated with positive attitudes towards meeting students from other countries in VR. Implications for language education are provided.

The global mobility of students is on the rise and the recruitment of international students is high on the agenda of institutions in higher education. By communicating a distinctive corporate identity on their websites, universities can distinguish themselves from competitors and generate a positive image to attract talented international students. In this study, the online corporate identity of top universities in 12 countries is compared by semantic network analyses. This cross-country comparison demonstrates that universities in different countries create a distinctive online corporate identity by using different (combinations of) frames within four identified themes: internal characteristics, student resources, external position and affairs, and corporate citizenship. These insights are useful in the development of communication strategies by universities and national governments.

In this study, we examined the use of compliments, self-praise, and self-denigration, as exchanged among nonnative English users. This was part of participation in an online cross-cultural exchange project (Ibunka 2019), which involved learners from six countries (Algeria, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands). The aim of the study was two-fold: first, to contribute to the burgeoning research on the three speech acts in online settings; second, to unravel how the project participants -- as nonnative users -- managed to build and sustain rapport/comity via these social acts, despite their assumed linguistic deficiency. The study's data were extracted from a corpus of 2055 posts and comments ([approximately equal to] 368654 words) and analysed in terms of: distribution (1105, 301, and 361 tokens were identified, respectively), topics (core vs. peripheral), sequential organisation (vertical vs. horizontal), and rapport/comity building potential. The findings were extensively discussed in light of the existing literature, especially relative to social networking sites. Some of these findings are of a particular interest to English language teachers, namely: using linguistic proficiency and incompetence as topics for the three speech acts and the latter deployment as metacomments and message openers/closers as well as for the management of relational work.

The situation caused by coronavirus disease 2019 closures in the spring of 2020 resulted in various restrictions for universities and led to a reorganisation of their operations. This created unprecedented challenges for all academic work. This study aimed to analyse the pandemic-related work experiences of doctoral researchers from several European universities. Thirty-eight doctoral researchers of management and organisation studies wrote voluntarily about their pandemic-related work experiences. The analysis focused on work communication since it emerged as the key theme in the writings. An analytical framework was developed to capture corporeal, virtual, formal, and informal dimensions of work communication in 72 relevant mentions that were extracted from the writings. These mentions created a rich evaluative space in that they evaluated different aspects of work communication. The general finding that all combinations of corporeal, virtual, formal, and informal work communication received both positive and negative evaluations theoretically made sense from a sociomaterial-technological perspective. Doctoral researchers must become immersed in specific sociomaterially and technologically constructed entanglements to achieve their goals of work communication. The findings revealed that these entanglements were both impeding the determinants of work communication as well as enabling researchers to carry out work communication in novel and creative ways.

Describing events may be challenging for any child, but children who use communication aids may face unique linguistic, pragmatic, and strategic challenges in conveying information with the communication means they have available. This study explores strategies used by young, aided communicators when describing the content of a video unknown to their communication partners. The participants of the study were 48 aided communicators (aged 5;3-15;2) from nine countries and seven language groups and their communication partners (parents, professionals, and peers) who used natural speech. Descriptive and statistical analyses were utilized to investigate the relationships between individual characteristics, linguistic and non-linguistic factors, linguistic strategies, and performance in conveying the content of the video event. Analyses of the 48 videotaped interactions revealed the use of a variety of linguistic elements and multimodal strategies, demonstrating both creativity and challenges. Success in relaying messages was significantly related to age, mode of communication, and individual profiles, such as everyday communication functioning and comprehension of grammar. Measures of receptive vocabulary and non-verbal reasoning were not significantly related to communicative success. The use of shared context and negotiation of meaning of potentially ambiguous utterances demonstrate the shared responsibility of disambiguation and meaning construction in interactions involving aided and naturally speaking communicators.

When people interact to establish shared symbols for novel objects or concepts, they often rely on multiple communicative modalities as well as on alignment (i.e., cross-participant repetition of communicative behavior). Yet these interactional resources have rarely been studied together, so little is known about if and how people combine multiple modalities in alignment to achieve joint reference. To investigate this, we systematically track the emergence of lexical and gestural alignment in a referential communication task with novel objects. Quantitative analyses reveal that people frequently use a combination of lexical and gestural alignment, and that such multimodal alignment tends to emerge earlier compared to unimodal alignment. Qualitative analyses of the interactional contexts in which alignment emerges reveal how people flexibly deploy lexical and gestural alignment in line with modality affordances and communicative needs.

Objectives: This study compared the effects of two types of health warnings on cigarette packages: 'narrative visual warnings', showing an image portraying people plus a corresponding slogan that could evoke a story-like interpretation, and 'non-narrative visual warnings' with non-narrative content (i.e. body parts). Moreover, the mechanisms underlying the effects of these health warnings were explored. Design: A within-participants experiment was conducted comparing narrative and non-narrative visual warnings. Path analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the narrative concepts transportation and identification, the emotions evoked by the health warning and the perceived effectiveness of the message. Method: Participants (N = 200) were presented with one narrative warning and one non-narrative warning. After each warning, they answered questions on narrative perception, transportation, identification, emotions and perceived effectiveness. Results: The narrative warnings were seen as more story-like than the non-narrative warnings. There was a statistical trend for narrative warnings to be perceived as more effective than the non-narratives. The narrative warnings caused more transportation, fear, sadness, compassion and anger; the non-narrative warnings evoked more disgust and surprise. For the narrative warnings, both narrative concepts of transportation and identification were directly related to perceived effectiveness, and also indirectly via sadness. For the non-narrative warnings, transportation was related to perceived effectiveness, both directly and indirectly via disgust. Conclusion: Seeing a story in a still picture with a slogan helps to increase the effectiveness of the antismoking message. Both narrative and non-narrative visual warnings may persuade receivers directly, but also by the evoking of emotions, although the specific emotions responsible for the persuasive effects may differ.

In this paper, two researchers reflect on the institutional space for participatory governance in a participatory action research (PAR) process that was initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (ECS) in the Netherlands. It was implemented in two schools by researchers contracted by the ministry. The project's aim was to explore possibilities for involving schools in policy processes using PAR. We conclude that PAR sheds light on the communication strategies, power and authority balances, and meaning of participation among the participants. The attempt to break through traditional hierarchies generated new insights into the institutional space at both the participating schools and the government institutions that can be used to create participatory approaches to governance. The researchers were the bridging actors between the schools and the government institutions. While previous research showed that a bridging actor can play a positive role as an objective party who is able to deliberate between the participants, we found that it impeded the creation of a participatory governance space.

Researchers of minority language media are increasingly interested in the role of internet-based communication in language usage, maintenance, and revitalisation. This study explores the use of hashtags signifying the Welsh/Cymraeg, Frisian/Frysk, and Irish/Gaeilge languages on Twitter. Acknowledging the challenges of interpreting social media data, we focus on the hashtag and what it can tell us about the social and digital lives of minority languages. Specifically, we examine the agents using those hashtags, the topics they discuss, the languages used and the extent to which ambient communities may be formed through their use. Our analysis reveals different types of agents who are active and who have a variety of purposes in applying the minority language hashtag -- sometimes to promote content in the minority language, more often to draw attention to content about those languages. Comparative analysis between the three language hashtags reveals statistically significant differences along a number of different dimensions, indicating that each minority language hashtag community has its own unique character. Through this comparative, platform-specific contribution we reach some generalisations concerning minority languages in the digital age, while also paying attention to the particularities of each language context and the exploitable features of social media for those languages.

To inform the development of recommendations to facilitate learning of skilled doctor-patient communication in the workplace, this qualitative study explores experiences of trainees and supervisors regarding how trainees learn communication and how supervisors support trainees' learning in the workplace. We conducted a qualitative study in a general practice training setting, triangulating various sources of data to obtain a rich understanding of trainees and supervisors' experiences: three focus group discussions, five discussions during training sessions and five individual interviews. Thematic network analysis was performed during an iterative process of data collection and analysis. We identified a communication learning cycle consisting of six phases: impactful experience, change in frame of reference, identification of communication strategies, experimentation with strategies, evaluation of strategies and incorporation into personal repertoire. Supervisors supported trainees throughout this process by creating challenges, confronting trainees with their behaviour and helping them reflect on its underlying mechanisms, exploring and demonstrating communication strategies, giving concrete practice assignments, creating safety, exploring the effect of strategies and facilitating repeated practice and reflection. Based on the experiences of trainees and supervisors, we conclude that skilled communication involves the development of a personal communication repertoire from which learners are able to apply strategies that fit the context and their personal style. After further validation of our findings, it may be recommended to give learners concrete examples, opportunities for repeated practise and reflection on personal frames of reference and the effect of strategies, as well as space for authenticity and flexibility. In the workplace, the clinical supervisor is able to facilitate all these essential conditions to support his/her trainee in becoming a skilled communicator.

Traditional research examining the communicational choices made by families with deaf children tends to emanate from the premise that families engage with either of the two grand discourses on deafness (i.e., the medical or cultural-linguistic perspective). This study investigated hearing mother's engagement with the educational options for their child from a dynamic, poststructural perspective. Three Flemish mothers were interviewed in-depth at the child's ages of 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. The data were analyzed within a theoretical model that describes the positioning process of the mothers. This method yielded alternative explanations for former findings concerning mothers' decision-making processes, especially the difficulty of learning sign language as a second language in an effort to provide a bilingual-bicultural education, and highlighted the importance of having rich experiences. It further showed that a bilingual-bicultural position was scarcely available and poorly supported for these mothers. These findings are discussed in relation to recent international consensus statements on best practices in early intervention.

The High Quality Communication intervention aims to stimulate interpersonal communication between individuals with congenital deaf-blindness (CDB) and their social partners. Found effective in multiple-case experiments, the intervention is based on Trevarthen's theory of intersubjective development (Bråten & Trevarthen, 2007), which describes children's innate and developing ability to share subjective states in interpersonal communication and social partners' mediating role in this development. One implication of this theory is that social partners can support the emergence of higher-complexity communication behaviors in individuals who are still developing these behaviors. To test this proposition, communication patterns between individuals with CDB and their parents, teachers, and professional caregivers were analyzed. Analysis of two-event sequences of communicative behaviors showed a highly significant correspondence between the behavior of the social partner and the subsequent behavior of the individual with CDB, confirming that social partners can scaffold higher-complexity communication within interpersonal communication.

This study examines the use of technology for interaction by second-year college students in The Netherlands and its relationship with their integration and sense of belonging. The concepts of student integration and sense of belonging, as used in previous studies in The Netherlands, link student's persistence to their social interactions. Our findings reveal that technology use for interactions is positively correlated with students formal and informal peer interactions and with their sense of belonging in the college environment. The findings however, show no disparities between majority and minority students concerning their interactions, sense of belonging or ICT use. The overall results confirm that the use of new technology for communication benefits the interaction of students in college with peers and teachers and therefore it is also an important component for the persistence of minority students in higher education.

Background: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) are at risk for age-related painful physical conditions, but also for under-reporting pain. Pictograms may facilitate self-report of pain, because they seem suitable for the global visual processing in DS and for iconic representation of abstract concepts. Method: Participants (N = 39, M age = 41.2) assigned pain qualities to pictograms, rated pain affect levels in facial scales (pictograms vs. drawn faces), and performed cognitive tests. Results: Recognition of all intended pain qualities was above chance level. Pain affect levels of both facial scales were ordered equally well. Both facial scales were preferred equally well. Comprehension of the 3 scales was positively associated with mental age, receptive language ability, and verbal memory. Most participants (74%) had pictograms in their direct environment, mainly to communicate activities or objects. Conclusion: Using pictograms may optimise communication about pain for a subgroup of cognitively higher functioning adults with DS.

This study focused on designing a flood-risk education program to enhance 15-year-old students' flood-risk perception. In the flood-risk education program, learning processes were modeled in such a way that the arousal of moderate levels of fear should prompt experiential and analytical information processing. In this way, understanding of flood risk in the surroundings should prompt students' threat and coping appraisal. To accomplish this, the program consisted of a variety of student-directed parts, such as serious games and flood simulations. The design of the program was based on theoretical understandings from learning theory, information processing, and risk communication. Furthermore, empirical findings about students' risk perceptions were incorporated. The design process was guided by the principles of Educational Design Research and had an iterative character.

For multinational corporations, the need for efficiency and control has motivated the choice for a corporate language. However, increasing internationalisation has forced corporations to rethink their language policies to cater to the changing demands of the multicultural and multilingual workplace. This paper explores two related issues. First, it addresses the influence of mode of communication (English as a Lingua Franca [ELF] vs. L1-L2 interactions) on task efficiency. Second, it investigates the use of communication strategies in the different types of interactions (ELF vs. L1-L2). In a within-subject experimental design, the present study explores the effectiveness of language use in dyadic, computer-mediated communication between non-native speakers of English (ELF) and native and non-native speakers of German and Dutch (L1-L2). In three consecutive chat sessions, 60 participants performed a problem-solving task in English, German or Dutch. Findings indicate that in L1-L2 interactions, the participants were more effective in realising communicative goals than in ELF interactions, and that participants made use of different communication strategies in L1-L2 interactions than in ELF interactions. Consequently, international organisations which implement a corporate language may benefit from condoning multilingual practices on the work floor.

A digital learning and performance support environment for university student design tasks was developed. This paper describes on the design rationale, process, and the usage results to arrive at a core set of design principles for the construction of such an environment. We present a collection of organizational, technical, and course-related requirements that led to the particular choice and setup of the targeted environment. Building upon the established learning management system "Moodle", we designed a backbone structure called Product & Process that fitted onto the ASCE intervention model. Within the four phases of this model, students could find activity checklists, tools, and background information to support their design activities. In addition, the environment was supplemented with tools for group Communication and collaborative Report writing. The environment has been used for 5 weeks by 35 students who worked in small groups on a design task. We analyzed the students' appraisals for usability, and examined usage data from their action logs. The results indicated that the students were positive about the environment, and generally used its facilities fairly frequently. The discussion revolves around the issue of how to achieve a balance between constraints, freedom, and scaffolding. In addition, a set of design principles is proposed for the constructing of a future version of a learning & performance support environment.

The past two decades have witnessed increasing global acceptance of the important role that capable leadership plays in education reform and school improvement. Consequently, policymakers internationally have actively sought means of strengthening capacity for school-level leadership, with a particular focus on the design of more effective programmes of administrator preparation and development. In this article we examine trends in the design of graduate education programmes offered in the related domains of business management and publication administration. We analyse data extracted from on-line descriptions of three types of master's degree programmes: master of business administration (MBA); master of public administration (MPA); and MBA programmes with a concentration in education (MBA-Ed). The study identifies patterns in the programme structure, curriculum content and learning methods employed in these graduate management programmes. The analysis yields features that could add potential value to university-based master of education degree programmes aimed at principal preparation. (Contains 2 tables and 4 notes.)

While the present individualistic and religio-culturally pluralistic scene requires RE teachers to re-evaluate their educational orientation, research shows that they find it difficult. How do RE teachers carry out their task when dealing with an individualistic, pluralistic population? It is argued that communication in the RE classroom is not only about learning to understand the other, but also about learning to relate to larger contexts like the community or society. Such an approach calls for a particular kind of communication to be effective. Teachers could make their communication regarding larger contexts more effective by inspiring students. Inspiration refers to the stimulating influence that teachers have on students. A study was designed to establish whether teachers are in fact credited with an inspiring influence, and whether certain effects ascribed to students are the result of teachers' inspiring influence. The research permits certain conclusions that are pertinent to teachers' inspiration as a positive influence on students. Inspiring teachers are credited with such qualities as proficiency in their subject, the ability to motivate students to achieve, devoting special attention to weaker students and finally with demonstrating the meaning of things. The study also shows that the teacher's inspiring influence is regarded to help students to develop social virtues, knowledge and insight as well as spirituality and a sense of transcendence. Thirdly, qualities ascribed to teachers significantly influence the virtues attributed to students, while the various parties' cultural, social or religious background has limited influence. Remarkably, imparting the meaning of things is a key factor in explaining the inspiration emanating from teachers. Findings are discussed with a view to RE teachers. It is recommended that RE teachers explicitly demonstrate how their actions convey meaning, whether these entail teaching, modelling, feedback or whatever. They should not only communicate with students by questioning aspects such as otherness and sameness, but also by asking whether things are meaningful: "What is this good for?"

Purpose: Seven scales of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI; M. E. Demorest & S. A. Erdman, 1987) were translated into Dutch: Maladaptive Behavior, Verbal Strategies, and Nonverbal Strategies (within the area of Communication Strategies) and Self-Acceptance, Acceptance of Loss, Stress, and Withdrawal (within the area of Personal Adjustment). Method: This cross-sectional study evaluated the factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement error of the Dutch CPHI scales. In all, 399 adults with impaired hearing participated, and data on a subgroup of 40 patients were included in the test-retest analyses. The participants completed the questionnaire before routine clinical care or at home. Demographic data and data on pure-tone hearing thresholds were also collected. Results: Based on item factor analyses, we omitted 5 items, moved 3 items to different scales, and combined the Stress and Withdrawal scales. The resulting 6 scales, containing 52 items, showed good internal consistency (alphas between 0.81 and 0.94), good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients between 0.78 and 0.86), and small standard error of measurement (between 0.28 and 0.46). Conclusions: The suggested revisions of the Dutch CPHI scales will increase their interpretability. Further research is needed to evaluate their usefulness for monitoring patients and in longitudinal studies by determining their responsiveness and minimal important change values.

World wide, policymakers are looking for ways to use education and communication strategies to create a world that is more sustainable than the one currently in prospect. They often find themselves trapped between instrumental (behavior change) and emancipatory (human development) uses of such strategies. This study sheds light on this apparent divide by investigating four exemplary cases representing both orientations and mixes thereof. One outcome of the study is that EE policymakers but also EE professionals first need to reflect on the kind of change challenge that is at stake. Only then are they able to determine what kind of education, participation, communication, or mix thereof is most appropriate, what kinds of results can best be pursued, and what monitoring and evaluation system can best be employed. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

This article presents a new computational model for the generation of multimodal referring expressions (REs), based on observations in human communication. The algorithm is an extension of the graph-based algorithm proposed by Krahmer, van Erk, and Verleg (2003) and makes use of a so-called Flashlight Model for pointing. The Flashlight Model accounts for various types of pointing gestures of different precisions. Based on a notion of effort, the algorithm produces REs combining language and pointing gestures. The algorithm is evaluated using two production experiments with which spontaneous data is gathered on controlled input. The output of the algorithm coincides to a large extent with the utterances of the participants. However, an important difference is that the participants tend to produce overspecified REs, whereas the algorithm generates minimal ones. This article briefly discusses ways to generate overspecified multimodal references. (Contains 11 figures, 5 tables and 7 footnotes.)

In the field of second language acquisition (SLA) and use, learners' gestures have mainly been regarded as a type of communication strategy produced to replace missing words. However, the results of the analyses conducted here on the way in which Dutch learners of Japanese introduce Ground reference in speech and gesture in narrative show that the two modes of expression are closely related in L1 as well as in L2. First, cross-linguistic variation is observed in both modes of expression, with a tendency for native speakers of Japanese to allocate on-line attention to Ground in both speech and gesture. Second, Dutch learners of Japanese prefer to adopt rhetorical styles more similar to their L1 than the L2 target, and the accompanying gestures are more L1-like. Transfer of L1 to L2 in narrative and the relationship between speech and gesture will be discussed.

Green gas is an attractive option for a local energy transition to combat climate change, notably in rural communities. As local initiatives require local acceptance, the study used a questionnaire methodology to capture opinions and intentions toward green gas in a panel of rural respondents (N= 403) and evaluated the green gas message framing to help improve communication strategies. This survey experiment used four frames in a 2 × 2 setup: an energy value core frame of responsibility for nature versus autonomy and a focus frame emphasizing the collective (i.e., the community) versus the individual (i.e., the household). Our findings highlight that the association with sustainability proves vital for a positive assessment of green gas, but its affordability is an issue. Moderated mediation analysis showed that subjective knowledge moderates between frames and intentions toward green gas: responsibility for nature contributes significantly, but only in the collective focus frame. These results are valuable in creating effective communication strategies about green gas adoption in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Compared to normally-hearing employees, those with hearing loss suffer from higher Need For Recovery (NFR) after work. The aims of this study are to assess the NFR of employees with hearing loss before and after aural rehabilitation and to examine to what extent change in the NFR can be explained by changes in subjective listening effort, personal adjustments, communication strategies, auditory work demands, and self-reported hearing ability. Methods: We included patients who received aural rehabilitation in two audiological centers in the Netherlands because of hearing complaints in their work situation. Outcomes were measured by questionnaires at baseline and 3 month follow-up. The NFR before and after the rehabilitation was compared with a t test. Hierarchical multiple analyses were performed. Results: In total, 60 patients (aged 22–63, working hours ≥8 per week) participated in the study, of which 50 completed the follow-up questionnaires. The NFR was significantly lower after the aural rehabilitation (M = 45.03) compared to before the aural rehabilitation (M = 51.89), t = −3.43, p < 0.01). Change in NFR could best be explained by the change in personal adjustments (R2 = 0.45, B = −1.23, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The NFR of employees with hearing loss can be improved by aural rehabilitation, but this study shows that current practices reduce the NFR only in part of the employees. Therefore, improving current practices should be considered and evaluated, for example by applying a different combination of rehabilitation components. Especially, interventions that affect personal adjustments may be promising to further reduce the NFR in employees with hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global migration has led to a sharp increase in the number of language-discordant consultations (LDCs) in healthcare. Evidence on how healthcare providers (HCPs) meet migrant patients' needs while mitigating language barriers is lacking., Design: Using purposive and snowball sampling, we recruited twenty-seven Dutch HCPs (M age  = 45.07, SD = 11.46) and conducted semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative, open-ended data for identifying the communication strategies used with migrant patients in LDCs. We analysed the transcripts using deductive and inductive approaches (e.g., constant comparative method from Grounded Theory). Final pattern codes (i.e., key themes) were discussed among the research team until mutual agreement had been achieved., Results: Five key themes emerged from the analyses: HCPs often 'got-by' with (1) instrumental and (2) affective communication strategies used in language-concordant consultations to start medical consultations. When some instrumental communication strategies were deemed ineffective (e.g., lingua franca, gesturing, etc.) to bridge language barriers, HCPs turned to (3) incorporating digital tools (e.g., Google Translate). When HCPs were unable to communicate with migrant patients at all, (4) informal, ad-hoc and professional interpreters were involved. Finally, HCPs often (5) involved additional support to engage migrant patients to engage in treatment-related behaviours., Discussion and Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of raising awareness among HCPs about using various combinations of different strategies. The development of a guideline indicating the optimal combination of communication strategies for different medical consultation goals may be useful in reshaping the current communication behaviour of HCPs in LDCs., Patient or Public Contribution: HCPs were the study population involved in this qualitative study. Refugee health advisors, general practitioners and linguistic specialists (i.e., members of the Right2Health consortium) with experience with the Dutch healthcare system were involved throughout the development of this research. This includes a review of the research question, participant information sheet and interview topic guide as well as providing interpretations of the data and feedback to this manuscript., (© 2023 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: This study explores how patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in the Netherlands communicate about online health information-seeking.Methods: We analyzed 165 consultations of patients at the start of maintenance treatment using grounded theory. Consultations in which the words; internet, website, Google, Googled, webpages, online (forum/blog/platform) or a website was mentioned, were included. Segments were identified and analyzed that represented a discussion about online health information-seeking (n = 87). We coded the initiator, initiation and reaction communication strategy.Results: Half of the sample was female, most patients were moderately to highly educated and aged on average 48 years. One third of the consultations included a discussion about online health information-seeking. Seventeen communication initiation and reactions strategies were identified. Patients and NPs were equally as likely to initiate a neutral discussion about online health information-seeking. Patients repeatedly reacted with disclosing their concerns. NPs responded by taking patients' online health information-seeking seriously or affirming patients' beliefs.Conclusion: This exploration makes a unique contribution by demonstrating that NPs particularly adopt a patient-centered communication style while communicating about patients' online health information-seeking.Practice Implications: Results of this study could guide interventions to train providers in talking about patients' online health information-seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To gain insight into how communication vulnerable people and health‐care professionals experience the communication in dialogue conversations, and how they adjust their conversation using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) or other communication strategies. Methods: Communication vulnerable clients and health‐care professionals in a long‐term care institution were observed during a dialogue conversation (n = 11) and subsequently interviewed (n = 22) about their experiences with the conversation. The clients had various communication difficulties due to different underlying aetiologies, such as acquired brain injury or learning disorder. Results from the observations and interviews were analysed using conventional content analysis. Results: Seven key themes emerged regarding the experiences of clients and professionals: clients blame themselves for miscommunications; the relevance of both parties preparing the conversation; a quiet and familiar environment benefitting communication; giving clients enough time; the importance and complexity of nonverbal communication; the need to tailor communication to the client; prejudices and inexperience regarding AAC. The observations showed that some professionals had difficulties using appropriate communication strategies and all professionals relied mostly on verbal or nonverbal communication strategies. Conclusion: Professionals were aware of the importance of preparation, sufficient time, a suitable environment and considering nonverbal communication in dialogue conversations. However, they struggled with adequate use of communication strategies, such as verbal communication and AAC. There is a lack of knowledge about AAC, and professionals and clients need to be informed about the potential of AAC and how this can help them achieve equal participation in dialogue conversations in addition to other communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet and the healthcare provider are the two main sources of information for cancer patients. Research shows that patients often go online to prepare for a consultation. Both the internet and the provider receive ample separate scientific attention. However, while cross-sectional research hinted at positive effects of integrating the internet in the consultation, no experimental research is known that tries to unravel conditions (i.e., patient's needs, the type of information encountered, and communication strategy used by the provider) underlying such effect. Therefore, in this experiment, these factors are manipulated to gain insight into the interplay between these concepts and patients' outcomes. A 2(patients' needs; cognitive vs. affective) x 2(information; cognitive vs. affective) x 2(providers' integration communication strategy; hindering vs. facilitating) experiment is proposed, a minimum of 300 (ex)cancer patients will be included. We expect that patients in a condition where the patient' need and the website they see is matched (e.g., affective need and website) show less intention to discuss the online information, because their needs are fulfilled (h1). However, if the need and content do not match, their needs are not fulfilled thus resulting in a higher intention to discuss this information. Furthermore, we expect that an integration-facilitating communication style by the provider is positively influencing patient outcomes (h2) but that this relationship is moderated by the intention to discuss the online health information (h3). Patients with high intention to discuss the online health information will react more negatively to a hindering communication style compared to patients with a lower intention to discuss. These insights can help providers decide when and using what communication strategy they can discuss patients' internet use. Discussing patients' internet use in these situations could strengthen the patient-provider relationship, patient outcomes and, in turn, health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid increase in migrants across the globe has led to serious barriers in medical encounters. Several communication strategies (i.e., using interpreters) can be employed by healthcare providers (HCPs) to mitigate language barriers and fulfil migrant patients' cognitive and affective needs in language discordant consultations (LDCs). However, there is no evidence available on what combinations of communication strategies HCPs currently use. As such, this study asked: What combinations of communication strategies do HCPs use to meet migrant patients' cognitive and affective needs in language discordant consultations? 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted (mean age = 44.93). The topic guide was based on the Six Function Model of Effective Communication (De Haes & Bensing, 2009), which entails six goals for meeting patients' cognitive and affective needs. Interviews were all transcribed verbatim and coded by two researchers using a mixed deductive and inductive approach on ATLAS.ti version 22.0.2. Data were analysed by means of the constant comparative method from Grounded Theory. Five sub-themes emerged: 1.) Getting by in dyadic LDCs by use of instrumental strategies (e.g., simplifying information), 2. Getting by in dyadic LDCs by use of affective strategies (e.g., maintaining eye contact) 3.) Overlooking migrant patients' cognitive and affective needs, 4.) Using digital tools in dyadic encounters, 5.) Interpreter use in triadic encounters, and 6.) Involving other stakeholders (e.g., psychologists) for additional support. Overall, results showed that HCPs do not use combinations of communication strategies and mostly relied on using strategies commonly used in language concordant consultations to get by. HCPs often relied on migrant patients' minimal language proficiency in Dutch or a lingua franca to get by in LDCs. Creating more awareness among HCPs in medical curricula to prioritise migrant patients' needs in LDCs by means of combinations of traditional and digital communication strategies is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Information provided on food packaging is currently the most important method enabling food allergic consumers to eliminate allergens from their diet. This study aimed to identify the preferences of food allergic consumers regarding different information provision scenarios. Respondents (N =287) filled out a web-based questionnaire on their preferences regarding a food label, an in-store booklet, and an ICT-solution. ICT methods will not replace effective food labelling, but may be used to supplement information provided by labels. Recommendations for information delivery to food allergic patients in the form of labels and booklets, as well as personalised (novel ICT) approaches, are provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Worldwide, programs to improve udder health are implemented using communication tools and methods that inform and persuade dairy farmers. This study evaluated 2 communication strategies used in a mastitis control program in the Netherlands. To improve farmers' udder health management, tools such as instruction cards, treatment plans, checklists and software were developed following an argument-based comprehensive "central route." These tools were used during on-farm study group meetings for farmers organized by veterinarians and also during individual veterinarian-farmer interactions. The second strategy aimed at adopting a single management practice to increase the use of milking gloves during milking. This approach followed a straightforward "peripheral" route that used implicit persuasion techniques. Results of an online survey of 374 Dutch dairy farmers showed that most farmers were able and willing to use the educational management tools to increase udder health on their farms. They evaluated the tools positively regardless of the mastitis problems on their farms. This seems to indicate that the central route of communication is most effective when farmers are motivated to work on udder health in general. Results of repeated random telephone surveys before, during, and after the campaign on the use of milking gloves showed that the use of gloves increased from 20.9 to 42.0% of the respondents. Respondents' opinions about milking gloves also changed favorably, indicating that a relatively short peripheral campaign on a single action can have a sustained effect on farmers' behavior. Both communication strategies seem to be potentially successful in disseminating knowledge to a specific target group of farmers and in changing that group's behavior. However, to reach as many farmers as possible, the strategies should be combined. When optimizing these strategies, both the farmers' motivation to work on udder health and the aim of the campaign should be considered. When aiming to improve general udder health management, the central route seems to be effective if farmers are already motivated to optimize their udder health management. For farmers who are less motivated to work on udder health, the peripheral route seems to be most effective when aiming to change a single management practice. The evaluated communication strategies are examples of how management practices to control mastitis can be effectively communicated to farmers. As such, this study contributes to optimizing future programs to control and prevent diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Need for recovery is a predictor of work stress and health problems, but its underlying factors are not yet well understood. We aimed to identify hearing-related, work-related, and personal factors influencing need for recovery in hearing-impaired employees., Methods: We retrospectively identified hearing-impaired employees (N = 294) that were referred to the Amsterdam University Medical Center between 2004 and 2019. Routinely obtained healthcare data were used, including a survey and hearing assessments. A directed acyclic graph was constructed, revealing the hypothesized structure of factors influencing need for recovery as well as the minimal set of factors needed for multiple regression analysis., Results: Four variables were included in the regression analysis. In total, 46.1% of the variance in need for recovery was explained by the factors feeling that something should change at work (B = 19.01, p < 0.001), self-perceived listening effort (B = 1.84, p < 0.001), personal adaptations scale score (B = - 0.34, p < .001), and having a moderate/poor general health condition (B = 20.06, p < 0.001). Although degree of hearing loss was associated with self-perceived listening effort, the direct association between degree of hearing loss and need for recovery was not significant., Conclusions: The results suggest that the way employees perceive their hearing loss and how they cope with it directly influence need for recovery, rather than their measured degree of hearing loss. Additionally, general health condition was found to be an independent factor for need for recovery. The results should be confirmed by future, longitudinal research.

Amongst numerous natural hazards, flooding annually causes the highest economic and societal losses in Europe. A reason for these losses are rising number of exposed assets in risk prone areas. Additionally, changes in extreme hydro-meteorological events impact the flood-resilience of such cities. Complementing government led protection and adaptation measures, private measures (dry- and wet-flood proofing, barrier systems, deflection of flood discharge, etc.) have been seen to decrease potential damages by flood events. Nevertheless, private protection and adaptation measures are not always adequately implemented, which is amongst others, the result of insufficient communication pathways between flood authorities and homeowners. The aim of the FLOODLABEL project is to increase the resilience and the adaptive capacity of cities in a smart manner. The FLOODLABEL is a prototype tool which aims at informing homeowners about their individual flood risks and to support the planning and decision-making of experts and local governments in risk management processes. By developing the FLOODLABEL tool both private stakeholders and homeowners can be involved in decision-making processes to enhance the resilience of communities. Hence, this study focuses on how homeowners in flood prone areas can be motivated to realise private measures by considering their knowledge about hazards, their risk behaviour and individual communication strategies wanted. The case study areas are sites in neighbourhoods that are prone to different types of flooding in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria. In these areas, the FLOODLABEL is explored and tested in terms of its social and technical functionality as well as its ability to improve risk communication. Preliminary results give insight into current protection and adaptation strategies realised by inhabitants and the different needs of risk communication depending on their risk behaviour. Further expected results are to integrate insights to improve communication strategies to provide tailored information. This can additionally be applied to advance planning support systems in risk management strategies in order to move towards more flood resilient communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RiverCare is a 6 year Dutch research program that improves our fundamental understanding of river behavior for integrated flood risk management and collaborative maintenance. During-mid 2014 and December 2019, over 20 researchers from 5 universities have studied the hydro-morphological and ecological consequences of multiple river interventions that aim at reducing flood water levels and improving the spatial quality in Dutch rivers. As part of RiverCare, a multimedia strategy was developed to increase the accessibility of contributions and to get feedback from practitioners about the potential use of RiverCare (scientific) products in the Netherlands and abroad.The communication strategy is a joint effort between the RiverCare program (https://kbase.ncr-web.org/rivercare/) and the Netherlands Centre for River studies (NCR) (https://ncr-web.org/) to further discuss our work with the scientific and practical community and extend communication efforts after the program ends. The strategy includes an online knowledge-base that gives an overview about how methods and tools contribute towards more sustainable management. We use participatory methods for a user-centered design and carry out systematic evaluation to identify needs for improvement. Usability tests over the iterative design process were carried out with input of students and representatives of the intended audience who helped to improve the navigation and tailor content. The design aims to help users find out the most interesting project for their needs by means of an infographic, videos and an interactive map. For each project, researchers give an overview of their project outputs, innovative aspects and status for day-to-day practice while providing links to the storylines for practice, research outputs details including the supporting datasets. To increase the reach, RiverCare newsletters, blogs and news articles are being distributed through the NCR mailing list and other water platforms, both in the Netherlands as abroad.Systematic evaluation has been useful to tailor communication efforts and to give advice for other research programs in the field of environmental and risk management. Challenges are to reach a larger but interested audience to prove the effectiveness of our approach, to draw recommendations for improving current practices per main research themes and to explore the possibilities to further apply our results in other locations. Therefore, to hear and discuss the program's outcome, its implications and relevance, we will be inviting interested practitioners to explore our site, give feedback about their interests and register to the final RiverCare symposium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]