Places for People

Data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly important across all sectors of society, and healthcare is no exception. This growing emphasis has given rise to a new research field, data science, a crossdisciplinary domain that integrates computer science, statistics, and domain-specific knowledge. These fields are essential for bridging the gap between groundbreaking ideas and clinical implementation. However, achieving significant progress in this area requires critical mass, talent attraction and education, extensive external collaboration, and effective fundraising. Recognizing this need, Aalborg University (AAU) and Aalborg University Hospital (Aalborg UH) established the Center for Clinical Data Science (CLINDA). The Center has been operational since November 1, 2022, and over the past two and a half years, we have embarked on a highly successful journey. We have secured funding, attracted skilled employees, developed teaching programs, initiated exciting external collaborations, and made a meaningful impact on clinical practice. None of this would have been possible without our fantastic team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their tireless dedication and curiosity, which have fostered a collaborative work environment where knowledge is freely shared across all groups. Special thanks also go to our external collaborators, with whom we engage in joint projects and fundraising efforts. This status report provides an overview of CLINDA’s profile, activities, and achievements from its inception on November 1, 2022, to May 1, 2025.

ABSTRACT Background Peer support workers (PSWs) are essential to the substance use treatment and recovery system, though they often lack access to professional development that accounts for the personal recovery experiences PSWs utilize in their work. Methods This study is an evaluation of a series of five training modules for PSWs designed in collaboration with PSW consultants. Evaluation consisted of pre-/posttest knowledge questions and qualitative feedback from individuals who completed all five modules. Results Knowledge scores increased for all five modules. Qualitative feedback was largely positive, with participants suggesting that integrating PSWs into the module development team made the finished product more relevant to PSWs. Conclusions Findings affirmed the importance of providing training designed by and for PSWs working with people with substance use disorders and suggested that PSW confidence can be improved through targeted training. This training development model demonstrates promise for future substance use training programs for PSWs.

Introduction Occupational therapy (OT) has a rich history of integrating physical and mental health care services, however, there is a limited evidence base regarding the effectiveness of OT interventions for mental health disorders in primary care. Methods A comprehensive systematic review was conducted from database inception through 31 January 2021. Eligible studies had to include: (1) an intervention that involved an occupational therapist in design and/or implementation; (2) a quantitative outcome assessing symptoms related to a mental health disorder; (3) a comparison group; and (4) primary care or community dwelling patients and/or primary care clinical settings. Results The researchers identified five studies and there was heterogeneity in the OT interventions. There were no significant differences between intervention and control groups in depression symptoms at different time intervals. Several trials employed interventions that involved interprofessional team members, including OTs, to provide training in specific strategies that promoted functioning. Other studies utilized only OTs within the intervention arm. OT interventions demonstrated no significant difference in anxiety in one study, however, another indicated a reduction in symptoms. The overall risk of bias was considered low in three studies and unclear in two studies. Conclusion There is limited evidence demonstrating the impact of OT interventions in primary care settings on quantitative outcomes measuring symptoms related to a mental health disorder. Given the heterogeneity of interventions and variation in reported findings, there is need for further pragmatic trials in this area.

This article deals with theoretical and practical aspects of judgements within Roman civil law. Its fundamental aim is to analyse: (1) theoretical characteristics of judgements made within Roman republican civil procedure; (2) the concept of judgements from both static and dynamic perspective; (3) the limits of private judges´ actions; and (4) the Roman civil procedure as such and compare it to current realities. The main idea of this paper is that the scholars shall pay attention to the fact that within the Roman civil law the private judges delivered their decisions under the authority of Roman republic.

This paper studies the performance of a feedback control loop closed via an error-free digital communication channel with transmission delay. The system comprises a discrete-time noisy linear time-invariant (LTI) plant whose single measurement output is mapped into its single control input by a causal, but otherwise arbitrary, coding and control scheme. We consider a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) channel between the encoder-controller and the decoder-controller which is lossless and imposes random time delay. We derive a lower bound on the minimum average feedback data rate that guarantees achieving a certain level of average quadratic performance over all possible realizations of the random delay. For the special case of a constant channel delay, we obtain an upper bound by proposing linear source-coding schemes that attain desired performance levels with rates that are at most 1.254 bits per sample greater than the lower bound. We give a numerical example demonstrating that bounds and operational rates are increasing functions of the constant delay. In other words, to achieve a specific performance level, greater channel delay necessitates spending higher data rate.

The need for capacity building in public health in developing countries is well recognised. The People's Open Access Education Initiative (Peoples-uni – http: //peoples-uni.org) was registered as a charity in 2007 to provide a low cost, masters-level educational programme aimed at health professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

ABSTRACT The social work literature recently has supported greater use of the harm reduction approach in professional practice. Implementing this approach, however, presents its challenges. We explore how practitioners in a housing program for people with histories of psychiatric disabilities, substance use disorders, and homelessness perceived the harm reduction approach. Prior to the opening of this new program, agency staff completed a questionnaire and participated in focus groups designed to explore their perceptions and level of support of the harm reduction approach used in the program. The goal of this evaluation was to understand the challenges of implementing a harm reduction approach in programs serving people with dual diagnosis and the implications this has for program administrators, staff, and clients. We found that practitioners, overall, favored the approach's pragmatism and its focus on client engagement, but many were frustrated by its perceived ambiguity regarding long-term outcomes and client expectations. We conclude with recommendations for how program administrators can facilitate the effective implementation of the harm reduction approach.