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Social Media is pervasive, and today it is transforming how individuals communicate with each other and also how people now discover and share information. Regardless of genre, social media, today equate to a powerful, influential, and revolutionary model for exposing and diffusing public opinion. The Web and social media sites in particular, are an increasingly important component of crisis and emergency communication. For crisis communication practitioners to act effectively on behalf of organisations, they must monitor and track both traditional and new media sources for information and issues, and respond accordingly. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study into the use of social media during recent natural disasters in Australia, Japan and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Australian Government implemented a range of public health response strategies and communication approaches to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, concerns have been raised around a failure to sufficiently consider culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities in these processes. This research aimed to understand the factors that have impacted COVID-19 communication and engagement efforts during the pandemic from the perspective of key CaLD community and faith-based leaders. A further aim was to understand the processes that could be adopted to support future communication strategies, including promoting pandemic-related vaccines. Approach: This study included 29 key informant interviews with community and faith-based leaders in New South Wales, Australia. Results: The overwhelming message from community leaders was a sense of shared responsibility between their organisations and governments in communicating pertinent and accurate COVID-19 related information to CaLD communities. They expressed a sense of duty to keep their community members safe. However, community leaders and others shouldered significant costs related to resources and time that need to be acknowledged by governments in preparing for future disease outbreaks. They felt that governments should consider: 1) improving communication between governments and CaLD organisations; 2) responding to the specific CaLD needs with greater agility; 3) foregrounding social media in their communication strategy; 4) reinvesting in local public health units to know their population; 5) developing a health ambassadors model program; 6) preparing a hybrid model of translators/interpreters to fill the gap; and, 7) reimagining vaccine information campaigns to target CaLD communities better. Conclusion: Given the technical details about the COVID-19 virus conveyed in government information campaigns and the media, ensuring the most vulnerable populations, including people from CaLD backgrounds, access clear, concise and timely public health messaging from governments and community organisations requires further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is a public health issue that can be experienced across the life course. Public transport is a key site of sexual violence and harassment experienced by women and gender-diverse people in Australia, although victim-survivor voices have rarely been sought in addressing this issue. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 41 diverse female and gender-diverse victim-survivors who were staff or students at two Australian universities, we sought to understand their experiences of sexual violence and harassment on public transport. We found that women and gender-diverse people, while often reporting on a significant experience of sexual violence or harassment on public transport, also had other, "everyday" experiences across their life course that impacted how they traveled and their confidence in the world. Overall, we argue that the significant impact of sexual violence and harassment on public transport should be addressed through targeting public transport as a key site for primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the height of the pandemic influenza H1N1/09 outbreak in Australia in 2009. The objectives of the study were to evaluate public perceptions about transmission and prevention of the disease, to understand their concerns and preparedness to cope with the disease, and to investigate drivers influencing their behaviour. A questionnaire was designed and administered to 510 customers visiting 15 butcher shops in the Greater Sydney region between 26th June and 2nd August 2009. Data were analysed to estimate the proportion of people with certain perceptions and to evaluate the influence of these perceptions on two binary outcome variables: (1) whether or not people believed that avoiding pork would protect them from contracting H1N1/09, and (2) whether or not they actually made some changes to pork consumption after the outbreak. A majority of the respondents had perceptions based on fact about transmission and prevention of H1N1/09. As many as 96.8% of the respondents believed that washing their hands frequently was likely to protect them from contracting H1N1/09. Similarly, most believed that they could contract H1N1/09 by travelling on public transport with a sick person present (94.1%), by shaking hands with a sick person (89.2%), or by attending a community gathering (73.7%). Women were more likely than men to have factual perceptions about protective behaviours. Misconceptions regarding transmission of the disease were evident, with 21.7% believing that avoiding eating pork could protect them against H1N1/09, 11.1% believing that they could contract H1N1/09 by drinking tap water, 22.8% by handling uncooked pork meat and 15.6% by eating cooked pork. Approximately one third of respondents believed that working in a pig farm or an abattoir increased their likelihood of contracting H1N1/09 (36.9% and 32.3%, respectively). Younger people (<35 years old) were more likely to have these misconceptions than older people. Reduction in consumption of pork, ham or bacon was significantly associated with misconceptions regarding the risk of contracting H1N1/09 from eating pig meat products. It is recommended that in the event of a future disease emergency, communication activities providing factual information and targeting younger people should be used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To describe and analyse the linguistic structure of audiological diagnoses for infants, to determine ways to optimise the delivery of diagnostic information to parents during this typically emotive time. This study analysed the linguistic structure of audio-recorded infant diagnostic appointments. Nine appointments conducted by four experienced paediatric audiologists were analysed. Diagnoses of normal hearing were delivered explicitly and in a straightforward manner. Positive aspects of this outcome were highlighted, and audiologists used the pronoun "we," conveying a feeling of teamwork. In contrast, when a hearing loss was diagnosed, the diagnosis included disfluencies and the use of hedging, although positive aspects were also emphasised. In these cases, audiologists used the pronoun "I," thereby taking ownership of the results. Differences in the topics raised by audiologists and parents highlighted a mis-match between the information provided and the information requested. Topics addressed by audiologists were primarily medical and procedural, whereas parents were concerned with causes, treatments and experiential information. The use of the above linguistic strategies may serve to minimise the significance and impact of the diagnosis. Whilst the data are unable to be generalised to other contexts, the study has generated in-depth and nuanced information about diagnosis delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reflect on the process of re-operationalising transcript data generated in an ethnographic study for the purposes of corpus analysis. We present a corpus of patient–provider interactions in the context of Emergency Departments in hospitals in Australia, to discuss the process through which ethnographic transcripts were manipulated to generate a searchable corpus. We refer to the types of corpus analysis that this conversion enables, facilitated by the rich metadata collected alongside the transcribed audio recordings, augmenting the findings of prior qualitative analyses. Subsequently, we offer guidance for spoken data transcription, intended to 'future proof' such data for subsequent reformatting for corpus linguistic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview and the results of the Australia-Japan 2020 Quasi Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) Emergency Warning System trial project. The project aimed to evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility of utilising the QZSS system to support emergency warning and response in Australia. The trial has focussed on bushfire and tsunami warnings with an emphasis on the message structure and standards for incorporation on the available signal bandwidth, and the spatial coverage extent of the messages. It also aimed to address the need for a space-based communication capability in Australia, which could potentially facilitate effective emergency warning system unconstrained by the limitations of terrestrial telecommunications.A newly dedicated MobileApp was developed to decode the warning message and visualise relevant information on a map. Two messages for bushfire and tsunami warnings were generated in Australia and sent to the QZSS ground station for satellite transmission. The developed application was tested in Victoria and New South Wales. The trial was successful in the sense that the emergency warning message could be received and decoded using the QZSS enabled receivers and the dedicated MobileApp. The field tests showed that the systems are capable of delivering the required information to users with the required timeliness and completeness. Several technical issues encountered during testing can be primarily attributed to the alpha state of the app, and the specific receiver used for testing. Neither of which are considered to be significant barriers to the on-going development of an operational satellite EWS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid industrialization in recent decades has enormously increased demands for energy and mineral resources. At the same time, economically viable resources near the surface have been nearly depleted, and the mining industry is facing new challenges of processing low-grade ore, increasing depth, climate changes, and rigorous social and environmental constraints. Furthermore, accountability for major social and sustainable development problems in the mining sector has imposed a further economic burden on mining companies. These challenges in the mining industry can be solved through technical improvements and the optimization of the entire mining value chain using advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) and automation techniques. This paper presents future prospects of the mining industry by reviewing the sustainable development in mining, the global trend of mining innovations and initiatives of major mining companies, and some new mining technologies in Australia. Furthermore, future prospects and blueprints of the mining industry are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations are becoming increasingly reliant on social media for realising effective public engagement strategies, as well as managing branding and reputation. Nonetheless, traditional organisational external communications strategies have often proven to be unwieldy in developing and managing social media content. Instead, the development of organisational use of social media has often been reliant on the expertise of social media managers. This article explores some emergent characteristics of social media management in negotiating organisational reputation and management of employee use of social media for both external and internal communication. While substantial research exists about social media in organisations, there has been less focus on the pivotal role played by human 'intermediaries', such as social media managers, to negotiate the fraught ecology of online communication on behalf of organisations. The article utilises interviews with Australia social media managers to discuss their role in negotiating and legitimising new communication practices using social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Death after surgery is infrequent but can be devastating for the surgeon. Surgeons may experience intense emotional reactions after a patient's death, reflecting on their part in the death and the patient's loss of life. Excessive rumination or feelings of regret may have lasting negative consequences, but these reactions may also facilitate learning for future decision‐making. This qualitative study analysed surgeons' reflections on what might have been done differently before a patient's death and explored non‐technical (cognitive and interpersonal) aspects of care as potential targets for improvement. Methods: In Australia's Queensland Audit of Surgical Mortality, surgeons reflect on factors surrounding the death of patients in their care and respond to the open‐ended question: in retrospect, would you have done anything differently? Framework analysis was applied to surgeons' responses to identify themes relating to non‐technical aspects of care. Results: Responses from 1214 surgeons were analysed. Two main themes were identified. Dilemmas and difficult decisions confirmed the uncertainty, complexity and situational pressures that often precede a surgical death; regret and empathy for patients featured in some responses. In the second main theme, communication matters, surgeons cited better communication, with patients, families, colleagues and at handover, as a source of reflective change to improve decision‐making and reduce regret. Conclusion: Surgical decision‐making involves uncertainty, and regret may occur after a patient's death. Enhancing the quality of communication with patients and peers in comprehensive assessment of the surgical patient may mitigate postdecision regret among surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community engagement programs in Australia are widely adopted by emergency management organisations as one way to get communities to recognise hazards and risks and prepare for emergency events. However, evaluation of these programs remains a challenge. A study with 30 community engagement practitioners and managers from Australian emergency management organisations, councils and not-for-profit organisations was undertaken to examine how they use measurement and evaluation of community engagement for preparedness. The findings suggest that while community engagement teams understand the importance of measuring the effects of engagement efforts and preparedness activities, most still do not link engagement activities with higher-level engagement outcomes that influence communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to extreme weather in unique ways. The entrenched inequalities that underpin disaster vulnerability are compounded by extreme isolation and the stress of transient living on mental and physical health. However, the impacts of extreme weather on the homeless in Australia are largely undocumented and rarely incorporated in emergency planning. Interviews with and surveys of emergency and homeless services and service users revealed that the primary ramifications of losing shelter and worsening mental health deepen the cycle of homelessness and trauma. Consequently, homeless shelter losses, such as tents, should be included in pre‐ and post‐event impact statistics and subsequent recovery support. Extreme weather response plans should include early triggers and strategies for 'non‐severe' weather events, as the homeless community is affected earlier and by a wider range of meteorological conditions. Moreover, this study also explores the benefits of a trauma‐informed response to extreme weather when working with the homeless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural hazards pose significant threats to different communities and various places around the world. Failing to identify and support the most vulnerable communities is a recipe for disaster. Many studies have proposed social vulnerability indices for measuring both the sensitivity of a population to natural hazards and its ability to respond and recover from them. Existing techniques, however, have not accounted for the unique strengths that exist within different communities to help minimize disaster loss. This study proposes a more balanced approach referred to as the strength-based social vulnerability index (SSVI). The proposed SSVI technique, which is built on sound sociopsychological theories of how people act during disasters and emergencies, is applied to assess comparatively the social vulnerability of different suburbs in the Wollongong area of New South Wales, Australia. The results highlight suburbs that are highly vulnerable, and demonstrates the usefulness of the technique in improving understanding of hotspots where limited resources should be judiciously allocated to help communities improve preparedness, response, and recovery from natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As societies become more connected and digitalised, evidence shows that differences in infrastructure quality are growing between urban and rural areas. The constant catch-up of infrastructure and existing social exclusion factors create a double jeopardy in rural areas. Furthermore, as digital technologies are increasingly embedded into economic, political, social, and personal lives, the disadvantages that occur from disconnection manifest differently depending on the social context of an individual, organisation or community. There is a need to improve our understanding of specific contexts of digitally excluded groups and develop targeted policies and programmes. Drawing from fieldwork in rural communities in Australia, this article examines the relationship between limited connectivity, the local context and socio-economic outcomes in rural areas. We suggest a customised policy framework that is responsive to the diversity and uniqueness of local contexts in connectivity and digital inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The research explores (a) nurses' views of the change to mandatory bedside handovers, and (b) these nurses' perceptions of their skills in managing this new practice in an Australian hospital. Background: In Australia, nursing bedside handovers are now considered essential in many hospitals, although most nurses received minimal training at the time this policy was instituted. This research establishes a unique quantitative tool to investigate nurses' views of, and self‐reported actions related to, bedside handovers. Method: Prior to the implementation of mandatory bedside handovers in a hospital in Canberra, Australia, nurses in two wards (n = 66) were recruited to complete the new Bedside Handover Attitudes and Behaviours (BHAB) questionnaire. Results: Most nurses strongly value bedside handovers and have confidence in their ability to lead this clinical practice. Conclusions: Researchers identified a high level of alignment between the nurses' acceptance of bedside handovers and nurses' self‐reported actions in conducting this communication process. Implications for Nursing Management: Future research should explore the links between nurses' views of, and skills in, the management of bedside handovers, as well as the effects of professional training for this practice. Furthermore, the BHAB questionnaire may be employed in different nursing contexts in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of communication training on nurses' ability to conduct bedside handovers in hospital. Method: Of the 26 participating nurses, 13 had recently completed specialized training in bedside handovers using the Connect, Ask, Respond, and Empathize (CARE) and Past, Present, and Future (PPF) of the patient journey and condition protocols for health care communication. The other 13 nurses did not participate in this training. Researchers videotaped and evaluated these nurses' handover practices using the Bedside Handover Evaluation Form. Results: Nurses who had received the specific training in bedside handovers interacted with their patients to a far greater extent, asked more questions, and stated more complete information about their patient's medical journey. Conclusion: Nurses who participate in health care communication training on bedside handovers subsequently demonstrate a significantly better ability to lead these clinical interactions. This is evidenced by their articulation of more detailed medical information, their more respectful and multifaceted interactions with patients, and their more inclusive approach to all participants in the handover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During and after a disaster, affected communities grapple with how to respond and make sense of the experience. The physical and mental health of individuals is often adversely affected, as is the wellbeing of the community. In early 2014, a fire in the Morwell opencut coalmine adjacent to the Hazelwood power station in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria burned for approximately 45 days, shrouding surrounding communities in smoke. As authorities struggled to put out the fire, the nearby communities became increasingly concerned about the perceived health risks of exposure to the smoke, particulate matter and gas emissions from the burning coal. The Hazelwood mine fire, initially treated as a fire emergency, 'evolved into a chronic technological disaster ... and a significant and lengthy environmental and health crisis' (Government of Victoria 2014, p. 28). In response to the crisis, people turned to social media as an alternative space in which to share information, tell their stories and organise for the purpose of activism. This paper takes the Hazelwood mine fire as a case study to examine how a community used social media (specifically Facebook) during a complex technological crisis involving health effects. It examines the issues facing emergency organisations and communities in relation to information and trust, and identifies the strengths and pitfalls of social media use in relation to community empowerment and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Regulatory frameworks around the world mandate that health and social care professional education programs graduate practitioners who have the competence and capability to practice effectively in interprofessional collaborative teams. Academic institutions are responding by offering interprofessional education (IPE); however, there is as yet no consensus regarding optimal strategies for the assessment of interprofessional learning (IPL). The Program Committee for the 17th Ottawa Conference in Perth, Australia in March, 2016, invited IPE champions to debate and discuss the current status of the assessment of IPL. A draft statement from this workshop was further discussed at the global All Together Better Health VIII conference in Oxford, UK in September, 2016. The outcomes of these deliberations and a final round of electronic consultation informed the work of a core group of international IPE leaders to develop this document. The consensus statement we present here is the result of the synthesized views of experts and global colleagues. It outlines the challenges and difficulties but endorses a set of desired learning outcome categories and methods of assessment that can be adapted to individual contexts and resources. The points of consensus focus on pre-qualification (pre-licensure) health professional students but may be transferable into post-qualification arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Australia has experienced a number of significant natural disasters during the past few years with politicians increasingly involved in the provision of information to publics before, during and after disasters. Drawing on data from interviews with senior executives of Australian emergency management agencies we explore how these organisations manage the involvement of political actors in the public communication of disasters. We also investigate how emergency agencies manage their relationships with their political leaders in the recovery phase. We identify that improvements can be made to the ways politicians communicate with publics about disasters and we outline a preliminary best practice model for the involvement of politicians in delivering disaster warnings and information in the lead up to and during a disaster, and in the recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased vulnerability to natural disasters has been associated with particular groups in the community. This includes those who are considered de facto vulnerable (children, older people, those with disabilities etc.) and those who own pets (not to mention pets themselves). The potential for reconfiguring pet ownership from a risk factor to a protective factor for natural disaster survival has been recently proposed. But how might this resilience-building proposition apply to vulnerable members of the community who own pets or other animals? This article addresses this important question by synthesizing information about what makes particular groups vulnerable, the challenges to increasing their resilience and how animals figure in their lives. Despite different vulnerabilities, animals were found to be important to the disaster resilience of seven vulnerable groups in Australia. Animal attachment and animal-related activities and networks are identified as underexplored devices for disseminating or 'piggybacking' disaster-related information and engaging vulnerable people in resilience building behaviors (in addition to including animals in disaster planning initiatives in general). Animals may provide the kind of innovative approach required to overcome the challenges in accessing and engaging vulnerable groups. As the survival of humans and animals are so often intertwined, the benefits of increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities through animal attachment is twofold: human and animal lives can be saved together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts which were presented at the 28th annual scientific meeting of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, which was held on November 20-24, 2011 in Sydney, Australia, including one on the commissioning of emergency departments, one on emergency department physicians and one on intravenous paracetamol.

Social media networks have emerged as a powerful tool in allowing collaboration and sharing of information during times of crisis (Axel Bruns, The Centre for Creative Industries Blog, comment posted January 19, 2011). The 2011 Queensland floods provided a unique opportunity to explore social media use during an emergency. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study that explored the information experiences of people using social media during the flooding of the Brisbane River. Analysis of data from four interviews supported the emergence of four categories of information experience. Examination of the categories revealed the way in which individuals experienced social media and the point of the flooding at which each category of experience occurred. Information regarding individuals' use of social media has the potential to inform the development of social media platforms that can provide relevant and accessible information for the general public in the event of a natural disaster. Category 1: Monitoring information Category 2: Community and communication Category 3: Affirmation Category 4: Awareness [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dangerous marine stingers (jellyfish) are an emotive issue in tropical Australia, where they are widely regarded as the number one marine health threat. However, numerous severe and fatal stings have been reported throughout the tropical and temperate seas of the world, indicating that marine stingers are a global health problem. Further, life-threatening jellyfish stings are more frequently reported globally now compared to earlier decades, possibly as a result of improved recognition and reporting, or increased spatial and/or temporal distribution or densities. As stinging incidents may also have significant financial implications (lost tourism revenues and liability settlements), and the treatment of envenomed patients comes at high cost to the taxpayer, this issue is also a management challenge. This article outlines suggested approaches, based largely on Australian experience, for dealing with this under-recognized global coastal management issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health and medical professionals are expected to be well-prepared for emergencies since they assume an integral role in any response. They need to be aware of planning issues, be able to identify their roles in emergency situations, and show functional competence. However, media perceptions and non-empirical publications often lack an evidence base when addressing this topic. This study attempted to assess the competencies of various health professionals by obtaining quantitative data on the state of bioterrorism preparedness and response competencies in Australia using an extensive set of competencies developed by Kristine Gebbie from the Columbia University School of Nursing Center for Health Policy with funding from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. These competencies reflect the knowledge, capabilities and skills that are necessary for the here and now in public health. Sufficient data were collected to enable comparison between public health leaders, communicable disease specialists, clinicians (with and without medical degrees) and environmental health professionals. All health professionals performed well. However, the primary finding of this study was that clinicians consistently self-assessed themselves as lower in competence and clinicians with medical degrees self-assessed themselves as the lowest in bioterrorism competence. This has important implications for health professional training, national benchmarks, standards and competencies for the public health workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose New public management (NPM) techniques have been widely adopted in Australian public sector organisations. NPM stresses the concept of accountability, and the importance of reporting mechanisms. Government and semi-government authorities provide annual reports, but the usefulness of these annual reports in assessing operational in addition to financial performance is open to question. This paper aims to ask what performance measures are important in the context of the provision of fire services. Design/methodology/approach - Using content analysis, this study analyses and evaluates publicly available annual reports of fire services to determine operational and financial performance in the Australian state of Victoria, which has three different fire service organisations. Findings - The study finds that annual reports are based on financial results, some basic performance measures and narrative describing some operational results. Stakeholders are well served by financial reports, but find difficulty in assessing operational performance trends and comparative operational performance of the three different organisations. Few operational indicators are published, despite prior problems in fire services that have lead to parliamentary enquiries. The lack of publicly available performance measures results in reduced levels of accountability to external stakeholders. Practical implications - The study indicates that the lack of useful performance measures impacts negatively on the demonstration of accountability to external stakeholders. Fire services management can use this information to improve their reporting and demonstration of accountability to external shareholders such as government and the community. Originality/value - The study extends the work of Carvalho et al. on the reporting practices and performance measures of Portuguese and British fire services and suggests a range of performance indicators that may be appropriate for fire services to enhance their accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on the current state of crisis management in Australia, one on stakeholder-related concepts of management, and another on the use of social media during natural disasters in Australia, Japan and New Zealand.