WorldWideScience

Sample records for case management services

  1. Consumer and case manager perspectives of service empowerment: relationship to mental health recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crane-Ross, Dushka; Lutz, Wilma J; Roth, Dee

    2006-04-01

    This study examines the relationship between service empowerment and recovery. Service empowerment is defined as the extent to which consumers participate in service decisions and the level of reciprocity and respect within the relationship with their case managers. Assessments were made from two perspectives: consumers and their case managers. Structural equation models were developed to examine the direct and indirect effects of service empowerment on four recovery outcomes: Quality of Life, Level of Functioning, Consumer-Reported Symptomatology, and Case Manager-Reported Symptomatology. Consumers' perceptions of service empowerment were the most powerful predictor of recovery outcomes across the four models. Consumers' and case managers' perceptions were related but the magnitude of the relationship was small, indicating that considerable differences exist between their perceptions of service empowerment.

  2. Improving adolescent pregnancy outcomes and maternal health:a case study of comprehensive case managed services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Elizabeth K; Palley, Howard A

    2003-01-01

    Our findings indicate how health outcomes regarding adolescent pregnancy and maternal and infant health care are intertwined with a case management process that fosters measures that are social in nature-the provision of direct services, as well as the encouragement of informal social supports systems. They also show how case managed services in a small, nongovernmental organization (NGO) with a strong commitment to its clients may provide the spontaneity and caring which results in a "match" between client needs and the delivery of services-and positive outcomes for pregnant women, early maternal health and infant health. The delivery of such case managed services in a manner which is intensive, comprehensive, flexible and integrated contributes significantly to such improved health outcomes.

  3. Service platforms management strategy: case study of an interior design firm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonel Del Rey de Melo Filho

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Platform management is a strategic tool for firms of various sizes, although it demands studies in the service sector. The aim of this paper is to investigate a use of platform management, designed to reach flexibility and operational dynamics in service projects. The studied platform is evaluated as a strategic resource in a particular case. The contributions of the service platform were explored from Resource-Based View (RBV and Service Marketing (SM perspectives, to study their effects on firms’ performance. The research strategy used was an exploratory case study in an interior design firm. The data collection techniques included a participant observation, document analysis and a focus group with firm managers. The research demonstrated that platform management is a strategic resource that assists with the planning of internal capabilities, market positioning, and provides better customer service.

  4. Recovery-oriented services for individuals with mental illness and case managers' experience of professional burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraus, Shane W; Stein, Catherine H

    2013-02-01

    Present cross-sectional study examined perceptions of recovery-oriented services and reports of professional burnout and job satisfaction in a sample of 114 case managers working in community mental health centers across Ohio. The research examined the relative contribution of demographic characteristics, the structure of case management services, and case managers' beliefs about recovery-oriented services in describing their reports of professional burnout and job satisfaction. Regardless of individual characteristics of case managers and reports of the structure of their jobs, case managers who perceived their agency to offer higher levels of recovery-oriented services also reported lower levels of depersonalization and emotional exhaustion at work, and higher levels of professional accomplishment and job satisfaction. Directions for future research in the area are discussed.

  5. 25 CFR 20.318 - What case management responsibilities does the social services worker have?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What case management responsibilities does the social... HUMAN SERVICES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS Direct Assistance Employment Requirements § 20.318 What case management responsibilities does the social services worker have? In working...

  6. Quality improvement initiatives in a case management service: case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Deborah J

    2015-01-01

    This article explores the importance of quality practices in underpinning the person-centred approach at a Community Options Program (COP) case management service in northern NSW. The NSW community care sector does not have a statutory excellence body to identify, promote and support improved practices and quality and safety across community services, and therefore the COP provider decided to establish a dedicated role to focus on the quality improvement of its service. The subsequent quality improvement initiatives have included mapping the clients' journey through the service, identifying areas to standardise practice, and creating service pathways. The clients' journey was used as the framework to identify where standardised practice was required, and a robust process was implemented to develop over 25 good practice guidelines and tools that addressed the variations in practice and enabled the service pathways to be developed. Prior to trialling the guidelines and tools, staff received education sessions on the anticipated changes to practice, and the practicality and applicability of the guidelines were evaluated at the end of the trials. This information was reviewed and the guidelines were amended accordingly before being rolled out. The guidelines have been in use for over 12 months and have provided the benchmark against which to audit practice, and have resulted in key performance improvements such as an increase in client review rates and a rise in the feedback response rate from clients, with a noticeable shift in the comments about the brokered support worker to acknowledging the role of their case manager. Formalising informal supports for those clients that lived alone also increased, which means these people are less reliant on services and there is a reduced risk of social isolation.

  7. A case management agency and bank create a service innovation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, K S; Stowe, A W

    1992-01-01

    Connecticut Community Care, Inc. (CCCI), a statewide, nonprofit case management agency, in collaboration with Connecticut National Bank (CNB), developed a unique model of delivering case management services to bank trust clients. No reports of such a collaborative model have been found in the published literature in the United States. The article presents a historical overview of this innovative initiative; the identification of the target population; the delivery of the assessment, coordination, and monitoring services; and the marketing techniques. Utilization statistics, a synopsis of the model outcomes as viewed by the trust officers, and suggestions for replication are also presented.

  8. Caseload management, work-related stress and case manager self-efficacy among Victorian mental health case managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Robert

    2009-05-01

    In Australia and comparable countries, case management has become the dominant process by which public mental health services provide outpatient clinical services to people with severe mental illness. There is recognition that caseload size impacts on service provision and that management of caseloads is an important dimension of overall service management. There has been little empirical investigation, however, of caseload and its management. The present study was undertaken in the context of an industrial agreement in Victoria, Australia that required services to introduce standardized approaches to caseload management. The aims of the present study were therefore to (i) investigate caseload size and approaches to caseload management in Victoria's mental health services; and (ii) determine whether caseload size and/or approach to caseload management is associated with work-related stress or case manager self-efficacy among community mental health professionals employed in Victoria's mental health services. A total of 188 case managers responded to an online cross-sectional survey with both purpose-developed items investigating methods of case allocation and caseload monitoring, and standard measures of work-related stress and case manager personal efficacy. The mean caseload size was 20 per full-time case manager. Both work-related stress scores and case manager personal efficacy scores were broadly comparable with those reported in previous studies. Higher caseloads were associated with higher levels of work-related stress and lower levels of case manager personal efficacy. Active monitoring of caseload was associated with lower scores for work-related stress and higher scores for case manager personal efficacy, regardless of size of caseload. Although caseloads were most frequently monitored by the case manager, there was evidence that monitoring by a supervisor was more beneficial than self-monitoring. Routine monitoring of caseload, especially by a workplace

  9. Case manager satisfaction in public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schutt, Russell K; Fawcett, Jacqueline; Gall, Gail B; Harrow, Brooke; Woodford, Mary Lou

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine correlates of case managers' satisfaction with their work, services, and service network and to identify connections to service performance and service costs. A decentralized public health program that exemplifies the trend toward more diverse clients and networked services. A mixed method design with 34 case managers. As hypothesized, the case managers' experiences with clients and the service network, and their service effectiveness, were associated with their satisfaction with their jobs and the services they provide. Satisfaction was also positively associated with more timely service delivery. These associations were explained in part by case managers' education and training. Case managers can achieve high levels of job and service satisfaction in outreach programs serving a diverse client population in a decentralized service network. Case managers' job and service satisfaction improves with reduced service problems and service delays and when case managers can devise work-arounds for persistent service problems. Using advanced practice nurses (APN) and providing more on-the-job training may increase case manager satisfaction with their jobs and the services they provide. Special efforts may be needed to prevent a decline in job satisfaction with years of experience.

  10. Current advance care planning practice in the Australian community: an online survey of home care package case managers and service managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellars, Marcus; Detering, Karen M; Silvester, William

    2015-04-23

    Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of planning for future healthcare that is facilitated by a trained healthcare professional, whereby a person's values, beliefs and treatment preferences are made known to guide clinical decision-making at a future time when they cannot communicate their decisions. Despite the potential benefits of ACP for community aged care clients the availability of ACP is unknown, but likely to be low. In Australia many of these clients receive services through Home Care Package (HCP) programs. This study aimed to explore current attitudes, knowledge and practice of advance care planning among HCP service managers and case managers. An invitation to take part in a cross-sectional online survey was distributed by email to all HCP services across Australia in November 2012. Descriptive analyses were used to examine overall patterns of responses to each survey item in the full sample. 120 (response rate 25%) service managers and 178 (response rate 18%) case managers completed the survey. Only 34% of services had written ACP policies and procedures in place and 48% of case managers had previously completed any ACP training. In addition, although most case managers (70%) had initiated an ACP discussion in the past 12 months and viewed ACP as part of their role, the majority of the conversations (80%) did not result in documentation of the client's wishes and most (85%) of the case managers who responded did not believe ACP was done well within their service. This survey shows low organisational ACP systems and support for case managers and a lack of a normative approach to ACP across Australian HCP services. As HCPs become more prevalent it is essential that a model of ACP is developed and evaluated in this setting, so that clients have the opportunity to discuss and document their future healthcare wishes if they choose to.

  11. Insights to Building a Succesful E-filing Case Management Service: U.S. Federal Court Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Michael Greenwood

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The U.S. Federal Courts Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF service is a very successful court automation system deployed throughout the country that integrated case management, electronic court case records and documents, and the electronic transmission and service of court records via the Internet. The authors briefly explain the history of automation development and indicators of success in these courts. The primary focus of the article is (a on what capabilities and functions should be integrated into any modern court electronic filing and case management service; and (b on insights as to key technical components, fundamental project guidelines, technical objectives, and non-technical principles and implementation techniques that were critical to achieving success. The ultimate CM/ECF goals that have been achieved are (1 that the entire U.S. federal court community (court, lawyers, government, public are comfortable in totally relying on this service, and (2 that CM/ECF is the official record eliminating the traditional paper record.

  12. Longitudinal associations between case management and supportive services use among black and Latina HIV-positive women in New York City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halkitis, Perry N; Kupprat, Sandra A; Mukherjee, Preetika Pandey

    2010-01-01

    The literature analyzing the relationship between case management and supportive service use longitudinally among African American and Latina HIV-positive women is limited. This retrospective analysis of participant case management, supportive service, and medical charts sought to examine both descriptive and relational data on use of case management and supportive services over a 2-year period from 2002 to 2005 and to analyze moderating person- level or institution-level factors. The analyzed case management, supportive service, and medical charts revealed that participants interacted with their case manager four times and received 3.6 supportive services per month. Transportation, primary healthcare/medical specialists, and support groups were the services most used, with rates ranging from 70% to 80%. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), the unconditional growth models showed that case management and supportive service use patterns remained constant over the 24-month period. Additionally, the multivariate unconditional model suggests a significant positive relationship between case management and supportive services. No moderation was indicated in the association between case management and supportive service use by person-level (e.g., mental illness, substance use) and institution-level (i.e., service delivery model) factors. Participants use supportive and case management services in a similar manner based on individual need. This synergistic relationship suggests that increases in either may result in retaining women in care. Implications for service delivery point to the need for skills building training for case managers, outreach workers, or system navigators to assist with short-term goals of establishing rapport and maintaining the client relationship, as this may lead to HIV-positive women accessing services. Additionally, outreach and engagement strategies need to be developed for those who typically underuse these services.

  13. Health Services for Management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in Kuwait: A Case Study Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakha, S Fatima; Pennefather, Peter; Badr, Hanan E; Mailis-Gagnon, Angela

    2016-01-01

    The experience of chronic pain is universal, yet pain management services delivered by health professionals vary substantially, depending on the context and patient. This review is a part of a series that has examined the issue of chronic non-cancer pain services and management in different global cities. The review is structured as a case study of the availability of management services for people living with chronic non-cancer pain within the context of the Kuwaiti health systems, and the cases are built from evidence in the published literature identified through a comprehensive review process. The evolution of the organizational structure of the public and private health systems in Kuwait is described. These are discussed in terms of their impact on the delivery of comprehensive chronic pain management service by health professionals in Kuwait. This review also includes a description of chronic pain patient personas to highlight expected barriers as well as compliance issues with services likely to be encountered in Kuwait. The case study analysis and persona descriptions illustrate a need to move beyond pain symptom management towards considering the entire person and his/her individual experience of pain such that health care success is judged by enhancement of patient well-being rather than access to services. A road map for improving integrative chronic pain management in Kuwait is discussed. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Perceived Case Management Needs and Service Preferences of Frequent Emergency Department Users: Lessons Learned in a Large Urban Centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahan, Deborah; Poremski, Daniel; Wise-Harris, Deborah; Pauly, Daniel; Leszcz, Molyn; Wasylenki, Donald; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to explore the service needs and preferences of frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions concerns who participated in a brief intensive case management intervention. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 20 frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions challenges, 13 service providers involved in the delivery of a brief case management intervention, and a focus group with intervention case managers. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceived service user profiles, service needs and preferences of care. Service users experienced complex health and social needs and social isolation, while exhibiting resilience and the desire to contribute. They described multiple instances of stigmatization in interactions with healthcare professionals. Components of the brief intensive case management intervention perceived to be helpful included system navigation, advocacy, intermediation, and practical needs assistance. Frequent service users valued relational responsiveness, a non-judgmental stance, and a recovery orientation in case managers. Interventions for frequent service users in mental health may be enhanced by focusing on the engagement of formal and informal social supports, practical needs assistance, system navigation, advocacy and intermediation, and attention to the recovery goals of service users.

  15. Perceived Case Management Needs and Service Preferences of Frequent Emergency Department Users: Lessons Learned in a Large Urban Centre.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deborah Kahan

    Full Text Available This study aimed to explore the service needs and preferences of frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions concerns who participated in a brief intensive case management intervention.We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 20 frequent emergency department users with mental health and addictions challenges, 13 service providers involved in the delivery of a brief case management intervention, and a focus group with intervention case managers. Thematic analysis was used to explore perceived service user profiles, service needs and preferences of care.Service users experienced complex health and social needs and social isolation, while exhibiting resilience and the desire to contribute. They described multiple instances of stigmatization in interactions with healthcare professionals. Components of the brief intensive case management intervention perceived to be helpful included system navigation, advocacy, intermediation, and practical needs assistance. Frequent service users valued relational responsiveness, a non-judgmental stance, and a recovery orientation in case managers.Interventions for frequent service users in mental health may be enhanced by focusing on the engagement of formal and informal social supports, practical needs assistance, system navigation, advocacy and intermediation, and attention to the recovery goals of service users.

  16. Intensive case management for high-risk patients with first-episode psychosis: service model and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Warrick J; Lambert, Timothy J; Witt, Katrina; Dileo, John; Duff, Cameron; Crlenjak, Carol; McGorry, Patrick D; Murphy, Brendan P

    2015-01-01

    The first episode of psychosis is a crucial period when early intervention can alter the trajectory of the young person's ongoing mental health and general functioning. After an investigation into completed suicides in the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) programme, the intensive case management subprogramme was developed in 2003 to provide assertive outreach to young people having a first episode of psychosis who are at high risk owing to risk to self or others, disengagement, or suboptimal recovery. We report intensive case management model development, characterise the target cohort, and report on outcomes compared with EPPIC treatment as usual. Inclusion criteria, staff support, referral pathways, clinical review processes, models of engagement and care, and risk management protocols are described. We compared 120 consecutive referrals with 50 EPPIC treatment as usual patients (age 15-24 years) in a naturalistic stratified quasi-experimental real-world design. Key performance indicators of service use plus engagement and suicide attempts were compared between EPPIC treatment as usual and intensive case management, and psychosocial and clinical measures were compared between intensive case management referral and discharge. Referrals were predominately unemployed males with low levels of functioning and educational attainment. They were characterised by a family history of mental illness, migration and early separation, with substantial trauma, history of violence, and forensic attention. Intensive case management improved psychopathology and psychosocial outcomes in high-risk patients and reduced risk ratings, admissions, bed days, and crisis contacts. Characterisation of intensive case management patients validated the clinical research focus and identified a first episode of psychosis high-risk subgroup. In a real-world study, implementation of an intensive case management stream within a well-established first episode of psychosis

  17. Improving Parolees' Participation in Drug Treatment and Other Services through Strengths Case Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prendergast, Michael; Cartier, Jerome J

    2008-01-01

    In an effort to increase participation in community aftercare treatment for substance-abusing parolees, an intervention based on a transitional case management (TCM) model that focuses mainly on offenders' strengths has been developed and is under testing. This model consists of completion, by the inmate, of a self-assessment of strengths that informs the development of the continuing care plan, a case conference call shortly before release, and strengths case management for three months post-release to promote retention in substance abuse treatment and support the participant's access to designated services in the community. The post-release component consists of a minimum of one weekly client/case manager meeting (in person or by telephone) for 12 weeks. The intervention is intended to improve the transition process from prison to community at both the individual and systems level. Specifically, the intervention is designed to improve outcomes in parolee admission to, and retention in, community-based substance-abuse treatment, parolee access to other needed services, and recidivism rates during the first year of parole. On the systems level, the intervention is intended to improve the communication and collaboration between criminal justice agencies, community-based treatment organizations, and other social and governmental service providers. The TCM model is being tested in a multisite study through the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) research cooperative funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

  18. Case management for high-intensity service users: towards a relational approach to care co-ordination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEvoy, Phil; Escott, Diane; Bee, Penny

    2011-01-01

    This study is based on a formative evaluation of a case management service for high-intensity service users in Northern England. The evaluation had three main purposes: (i) to assess the quality of the organisational infrastructure; (ii) to obtain a better understanding of the key influences that played a role in shaping the development of the service; and (iii) to identify potential changes in practice that may help to improve the quality of service provision. The evaluation was informed by Gittell's relational co-ordination theory, which focuses upon cross-boundary working practices that facilitate task integration. The Assessment of Chronic Illness Care Survey was used to assess the organisational infrastructure and qualitative interviews with front line staff were conducted to explore the key influences that shaped the development of the service. A high level of strategic commitment and political support for integrated working was identified. However, the quality of care co-ordination was variable. The most prominent operational factor that appeared to influence the scope and quality of care co-ordination was the pattern of interaction between the case managers and their co-workers. The co-ordination of patient care was much more effective in integrated co-ordination networks. Key features included clearly defined, task focussed, relational workspaces with interactive forums where case managers could engage with co-workers in discussions about the management of interdependent care activities. In dispersed co-ordination networks with fewer relational workspaces, the case managers struggled to work as effectively. The evaluation concluded that the creation of flexible and efficient task focused relational workspaces that are systemically managed and adequately resourced could help to improve the quality of care co-ordination, particularly in dispersed networks. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Health service providers in Somalia: their readiness to provide malaria case-management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, Abdisalan M; Rage, Ismail A; Moonen, Bruno; Snow, Robert W

    2009-05-13

    Studies have highlighted the inadequacies of the public health sector in sub-Saharan African countries in providing appropriate malaria case management. The readiness of the public health sector to provide malaria case-management in Somalia, a country where there has been no functioning central government for almost two decades, was investigated. Three districts were purposively sampled in each of the two self-declared states of Puntland and Somaliland and the south-central region of Somalia, in April-November 2007. A survey and mapping of all public and private health service providers was undertaken. Information was recorded on services provided, types of anti-malarial drugs used and stock, numbers and qualifications of staff, sources of financial support and presence of malaria diagnostic services, new treatment guidelines and job aides for malaria case-management. All settlements were mapped and a semi-quantitative approach was used to estimate their population size. Distances from settlements to public health services were computed. There were 45 public health facilities, 227 public health professionals, and 194 private pharmacies for approximately 0.6 million people in the three districts. The median distance to public health facilities was 6 km. 62.3% of public health facilities prescribed the nationally recommended anti-malarial drug and 37.7% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 66.7% of public facilities did not have in stock the recommended first-line malaria therapy. Diagnosis of malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) or microscopy was performed routinely in over 90% of the recommended public facilities but only 50% of these had RDT in stock at the time of survey. National treatment guidelines were available in 31.3% of public health facilities recommended by the national strategy. Only 8.8% of the private pharmacies prescribed artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, while 53.1% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 31.4% of

  20. Health service providers in Somalia: their readiness to provide malaria case-management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moonen Bruno

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies have highlighted the inadequacies of the public health sector in sub-Saharan African countries in providing appropriate malaria case management. The readiness of the public health sector to provide malaria case-management in Somalia, a country where there has been no functioning central government for almost two decades, was investigated. Methods Three districts were purposively sampled in each of the two self-declared states of Puntland and Somaliland and the south-central region of Somalia, in April-November 2007. A survey and mapping of all public and private health service providers was undertaken. Information was recorded on services provided, types of anti-malarial drugs used and stock, numbers and qualifications of staff, sources of financial support and presence of malaria diagnostic services, new treatment guidelines and job aides for malaria case-management. All settlements were mapped and a semi-quantitative approach was used to estimate their population size. Distances from settlements to public health services were computed. Results There were 45 public health facilities, 227 public health professionals, and 194 private pharmacies for approximately 0.6 million people in the three districts. The median distance to public health facilities was 6 km. 62.3% of public health facilities prescribed the nationally recommended anti-malarial drug and 37.7% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 66.7% of public facilities did not have in stock the recommended first-line malaria therapy. Diagnosis of malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT or microscopy was performed routinely in over 90% of the recommended public facilities but only 50% of these had RDT in stock at the time of survey. National treatment guidelines were available in 31.3% of public health facilities recommended by the national strategy. Only 8.8% of the private pharmacies prescribed artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, while 53

  1. Ecosystem Services Insights into Water Resources Management in China: A Case of Xi'an City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingya; Li, Jing; Gao, Ziyi; Yang, Min; Qin, Keyu; Yang, Xiaonan

    2016-11-24

    Global climate and environmental changes are endangering global water resources; and several approaches have been tested to manage and reduce the pressure on these decreasing resources. This study uses the case study of Xi'an City in China to test reasonable and effective methods to address water resource shortages. The study generated a framework combining ecosystem services and water resource management. Seven ecosystem indicators were classified as supply services, regulating services, or cultural services. Index values for each indicator were calculated, and based on questionnaire results, each index's weight was calculated. Using the Likert method, we calculated ecosystem service supplies in every region of the city. We found that the ecosystem's service capability is closely related to water resources, providing a method for managing water resources. Using Xi'an City as an example, we apply the ecosystem services concept to water resources management, providing a method for decision makers.

  2. Ecosystem Services Insights into Water Resources Management in China: A Case of Xi’an City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingya; Li, Jing; Gao, Ziyi; Yang, Min; Qin, Keyu; Yang, Xiaonan

    2016-01-01

    Global climate and environmental changes are endangering global water resources; and several approaches have been tested to manage and reduce the pressure on these decreasing resources. This study uses the case study of Xi’an City in China to test reasonable and effective methods to address water resource shortages. The study generated a framework combining ecosystem services and water resource management. Seven ecosystem indicators were classified as supply services, regulating services, or cultural services. Index values for each indicator were calculated, and based on questionnaire results, each index’s weight was calculated. Using the Likert method, we calculated ecosystem service supplies in every region of the city. We found that the ecosystem’s service capability is closely related to water resources, providing a method for managing water resources. Using Xi’an City as an example, we apply the ecosystem services concept to water resources management, providing a method for decision makers. PMID:27886137

  3. Task shifting of HIV/AIDS case management to Community Health Service Centers in urban China: a qualitative policy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Fuchang; Lv, Fan; Xu, Peng; Zhang, Dapeng; Meng, Sining; Ju, Lahong; Jiang, Huihui; Ma, Liping; Sun, Jiangping; Wu, Zunyou

    2015-07-02

    The growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in China points to an increased need for case management services of HIV/AIDS. This study sought to explore the challenges and enablers in shifting the HIV/AIDS case management services from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) to Community Health Service Centers (CHSCs) in urban China. A qualitative method based on the Health Policy Triangle (HPT) framework was employed to gain in-depth insights into four elements of the task shifting strategy. This included a review on published literature and health policy documents, 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 30 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with four types of key actors from three cities in China. A total of 78 studies and 17 policy files at the national, municipal and local levels were obtained and reviewed comprehensively. Three semi-structured interview guides were used to explore key actors' views on shifting the HIV/AIDS case management services to CHSCs. It is necessary and feasible for CHSCs to engage in case management services for PLWHA in local communities. The increasing number of PLWHA and shortage of qualified health professionals in CDCs made shifting case management services downwards to CHSCs an urgent agenda. CHSCs' wide distribution, technical capacity, accessibility and current practice enabled them to carry out case management services for PLWHA. However our findings indicated several challenges in this task shifting process. Those challenges included lack of specific policy and stable financial support for CHSCs, inadequate manpower, relatively low capacity for health service delivery, lack of coordination among sectors, PLWHA's fear for discrimination and privacy disclosure in local communities, which may compromise the effectiveness and sustainability of those services. Shifting the HIV/AIDS case management services from CDCs to CHSCs is a new approach to cope with the rising number of PLWHA in China, but it should be

  4. E-Filing Case Management Services in the US Federal Courts: The Next Generation: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.Michael Greenwood

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The U.S. Federal Courts Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC was responsible for developing the Case Management/Electronic Case File system (legacy CM/ECF originally implemented in 1996 to service the federal courts. The AOUSC is presently developing its 2nd generation service (NextGen. The IJCA carried an earlier narrative of CM/ECF’s evolution.  This second IJCA article describes the approach taken to define and develop that 2nd generation CM/ECF system. This article reviews the methodology used for determining requirements; the new software tools and hardware technologies used; and the expanded functions and enhanced services being incorporated into the new product. Also included is an exploration of the various obstacles, problems, and organizational issues which occur when transitioning from a legacy system to one that is more modern and complex.

  5. Improving Internal Communication Management in SMEs: Two Case Studies in Service Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuomo Eskelinen

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Effective information management is a success factor for business growth, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs face challenges in transferring knowledge and information from one organizational unit to another. In this study of two case companies, participative business model development processes were designed to identify challenges and solutions in internal communication management. A service design approach based on CIMO logic (context, intervention, mechanism, and output showed that the participative business model technique and process can identify problems and challenges in internal communication management, as well as in the prioritization of actions. The process is a creative service design process including both divergent and convergent phases. The process increased motivation among personnel to find solutions, encouraged communication, and created joint understanding on how to solve problems. The technique helped to bring tacit information into use.

  6. Records management and service delivery: the case of Department ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ngulup

    The principal records management unit within the Department of Corporate Services ... ies services (15), Finance and Accounting (3); however, only 59 participated in it. Data col- ...... records and public-sector financial management.

  7. An Acuity Tool for Heart Failure Case Management: Quantifying Workload, Service Utilization, and Disease Severity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilgore, Matthew D

    The cardiology service line director at a health maintenance organization (HMO) in Washington State required a valid, reliable, and practical means for measuring workloads and other productivity factors for six heart failure (HF) registered nurse case managers located across three geographical regions. The Kilgore Heart Failure Case Management (KHFCM) Acuity Tool was systematically designed, developed, and validated to measure workload as a dependent function of the number of heart failure case management (HFCM) services rendered and the duration of times spent on various care duties. Research and development occurred at various HMO-affiliated internal medicine and cardiology offices throughout Western Washington. The concepts, methods, and principles used to develop the KHFCM Acuity Tool are applicable for any type of health care professional aiming to quantify workload using a high-quality objective tool. The content matter, scaling, and language on the KHFCM Acuity Tool are specific to HFCM settings. The content matter and numeric scales for the KHFCM Acuity Tool were developed and validated using a mixed-method participant action research method applied to a group of six outpatient HF case managers and their respective caseloads. The participant action research method was selected, because the application of this method requires research participants to become directly involved in the diagnosis of research problems, the planning and execution of actions taken to address those problems, and the implementation of progressive strategies throughout the course of the study, as necessary, to produce the most credible and practical practice improvements (; ; ; ). Heart failure case managers served clients with New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV HF (), and encounters were conducted primarily by telephone or in-office consultation. A mix of qualitative and quantitative results demonstrated a variety of quality improvement outcomes achieved by the design

  8. Key factors of case management interventions for frequent users of healthcare services: a thematic analysis review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudon, Catherine; Chouinard, Maud-Christine; Lambert, Mireille; Diadiou, Fatoumata; Bouliane, Danielle; Beaudin, Jérémie

    2017-10-22

    The aim of this paper was to identify the key factors of case management (CM) interventions among frequent users of healthcare services found in empirical studies of effectiveness. Thematic analysis review of CM studies. We built on a previously published review that aimed to report the effectiveness of CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services, using the Medline, Scopus and CINAHL databases covering the January 2004-December 2015 period, then updated to July 2017, with the keywords 'CM' and 'frequent use'. We extracted factors of successful (n=7) and unsuccessful (n=6) CM interventions and conducted a mixed thematic analysis to synthesise findings. Chaudoir's implementation of health innovations framework was used to organise results into four broad levels of factors: (1) ,environmental/organisational level, (2) practitioner level, (3) patient level and (4) programme level. Access to, and close partnerships with, healthcare providers and community services resources were key factors of successful CM interventions that should target patients with the greatest needs and promote frequent contacts with the healthcare team. The selection and training of the case manager was also an important factor to foster patient engagement in CM. Coordination of care, self-management support and assistance with care navigation were key CM activities. The main issues reported by unsuccessful CM interventions were problems with case finding or lack of care integration. CM interventions for frequent users of healthcare services should ensure adequate case finding processes, rigorous selection and training of the case manager, sufficient intensity of the intervention, as well as good care integration among all partners. Other studies could further evaluate the influence of contextual factors on intervention impacts. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted

  9. Challenge of improving postoperative pain management: case studies of three acute pain services in the UK National Health Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, A E; Davies, H T O; Bannister, J; Macrae, W A

    2009-06-01

    Previous national survey research has shown significant deficits in routine postoperative pain management in the UK. This study used an organizational change perspective to explore in detail the organizational challenges faced by three acute pain services in improving postoperative pain management. Case studies were conducted comprising documentary review and semi-structured interviews (71) with anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses, other health professionals, and managers working in and around three broadly typical acute pain services. Although the precise details differed to some degree, the three acute pain services all faced the same broad range of inter-related challenges identified in the organizational change literature (i.e. structural, political, cultural, educational, emotional, and physical/technological challenges). The services were largely isolated from wider organizational objectives and activities and struggled to engage other health professionals in improving postoperative pain management against a background of limited resources, turbulent organizational change, and inter- and intra-professional politics. Despite considerable efforts they struggled to address these challenges effectively. The literature on organizational change and quality improvement in health care suggests that it is only by addressing the multiple challenges in a comprehensive way across all levels of the organization and health-care system that sustained improvements in patient care can be secured. This helps to explain why the hard work and commitment of acute pain services over the years have not always resulted in significant improvements in routine postoperative pain management for all surgical patients. Using this literature and adopting a whole-organization quality improvement approach tailored to local circumstances may produce a step-change in the quality of routine postoperative pain management.

  10. Making the case for a fracture liaison service: a qualitative study of the experiences of clinicians and service managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drew, Sarah; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael; Farmer, Andrew; Graham, Laura; Javaid, M Kassim; Cooper, Cyrus; Judge, Andrew

    2015-10-01

    To develop services, healthcare professionals must make business cases to managerial bodies within Hospital Trusts and if approved, to commissioning bodies. Patients with hip fracture are at high risk of subsequent fracture. To prevent this, guidance recommends structuring fracture prevention services around coordinator based models. These are known as Fracture Liaison Services (FLS). 33 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals with experience of making business cases for FLS. Data was analysed thematically. Challenges in the development of business cases included collecting all the relevant data and negotiating compartmentalised budgets that impeded service development. Participants described communication and cooperation between providers and commissioners as variable. They felt financial considerations were the most important factor in funding decisions, while improved quality of care was less influential. Other factors included national guidelines and political priorities. The personalities of clinicians championing services, and the clinical interests of commissioners were seen to influence the decision-making process, suggesting that participants felt that decisions were not always made on the basis of evidence-based care. Effective strategies included ways of providing support, demonstrating potential cost effectiveness and improved quality of care. Using a range of sources including audit data collected on the successful Glasgow FLS, and improving cooperation between stakeholders was advocated. Participants felt that the work of commissioners and providers should be better integrated and suggested strategies for doing this. This study provides information to healthcare professionals about how best to develop business cases for FLS. We conclude with recommendations on how to develop effective cases. These include using guidance such as toolkits, aligning the aims of FLS with national priorities and benchmarking

  11. Nurturing a service orientated paradigm of management within a traditionally manufacturing enterprise: A South African case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Weeks

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse and draw a correlation between service science theory and practice as it relates to the complexity of engendering a services orientated paradigm of management within a traditionally manufacturing enterprise. It is suggested that the traditional manufacturing paradigm is founded on scientific management principles whereas that of service science is far more multidisciplinary and complex in nature. It would seem that the service science paradigm is directed at co-creational value in contrast to a transactional paradigm of management that form the foundation of the manufacturing era. Problem investigated: With the emergence of an essentially services orientated global economy, manufacturing enterprises are increasing adding a range of services to the value offerings they make available to clients. The first part of this paper constitutes a literature study directed at gaining a theoretical understanding and insight into the underlying principles of management involved in moving from an essentially manufacturing management setting to one that incorporates services and in some instances where services assume the dominant paradigm of management. The second part of the paper attempts to correlate the theoretical insights gain from the literature study with relation to that of practice by means of a case study undertaken at a South African manufacturing enterprise that has implemented a servitization strategy. Methodology: A multidisciplinary literature review and analysis is undertaken to gain an insight of contemporary management theory and practice, as it relates to servitization or the transition from an essentially manufacturing to a services inclusive operational setting. With the insights gained from the literature research serving as a source of information and reference a case study was undertaken at a South African enterprise to determine if a correlation exists between theory as expressed in

  12. HIV Case Management Support Service Is Associated with Improved CD4 Counts of Patients Receiving Care at the Antiretroviral Clinic of Pantang Hospital, Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bismark Sarfo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Factors associated with individual patient-level management of HIV have received minimal attention in sub-Saharan Africa. This study determined the association between support services and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4 counts among HIV patients attending ART clinic in Ghana. Methodology. This was a cross-sectional study involving adults with HIV recruited between 1 August 2014 and 31 January 2015. Data on support services were obtained through a closed-ended personal interview while the CD4 counts data were collected from their medical records. Data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using Stata software. Results. Of the 201 patients who participated in the study, 67% (129/191 received case management support service. Counseling about how to prevent the spread of HIV (crude odds ratio (cOR (95% confidence interval (CI (2.79 (1.17–6.68, mental health services (0.2 (0.04–1.00, and case management support service (2.80 (1.34–5.82 was associated with improved CD4 counts of 350 cells/mm3 or more. After adjusting for counseling about how to prevent the spread of HIV and mental health services, case management support service was significantly associated with CD4 counts of 350 cells/mm3 or more (aOR = 2.36 (CI = 1.01–5.49. Conclusion. Case management support service for HIV patients receiving ART improves their CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3. Incorporating HIV case management services in ART regimen should be a priority in sub-Saharan Africa.

  13. [The case manager--from words to deeds?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindegaard, Birthe Rosenkrantz; Qvist, Peter

    2010-04-19

    Allocation of a case manager is now mandatory for both in- and outpatients in Denmark. Case manager allocation is reported quarterly to the regions and results are generally satisfying. Knowledge about fulfillment of the case manager role is, however, sparse. This study aims to examine the degree of fulfillment of the case manager role for a sample of inpatients. Two medical and two surgical wards participated. Patients were interviewed in relation to discharge while staff assigned as case managers completed a survey. Both patients and case managers answered questions regarding the defined roles as case managers: Planning/coordination, continuous information and discharge planning. 107 of 125 eligible patients were interviewed. Only 25 declared themselves informed about the allocation of a case manager. The patients' assessment of the service provided by the staff in relation to case manager tasks was generally good, but the services were seldom provided by the named case manager. 22% of patients did not experience continuous information, while only 13% did not experience a generally coherent stay in hospital. 110 case managers completed the survey. Less than half felt themselves well informed about the case manager role. Only a few case managers feel that they succeed in fulfilling the role, particularly regarding the participation in discharge planning. There seems to be a need for a targeted effort to improve the conditions for case managers in Danish hospitals in order to meet the intentions of this initiative.

  14. Records management and service delivery: the case of Department ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article explores the role of records management in the delivery of public service in ... to the Corporate Services Division at the Ministry of Health headquarters. ... delays in access and use of records; lack of a elaborate electronic records ...

  15. Driving up Standards: Civil Service Management and Decentralization: Case Study of Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lazarus Nabaho

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available There is a consensus that decentralization by devolution leads to improved service delivery, but debate on the appropriate type of personnel arrangements for delivering decentralized services is far from over. Put differently, the discourse on whether civil service management should be decentralized or devolved still rages on. Little wonder that countries which started off with decentralized civil service management models in the 1990s are currently centralizing some aspects of personnel management while others are having centralized and decentralized personnel arrangements operating side by side in sub-national governments. The paper argues that civil service management should be decentralized whenever a country chooses the path of decentralization by devolution. Using Uganda’s example, the paper highlights two major challenges of managing the civil service under separate personnel arrangements: civil service appointments devoid of merit, and the perennial failure to attract and retain qualified human resource. The paper presents proposals on how to ensure meritocracy in appointments and how to bolster attraction and retention of human capital in local governments.

  16. [Case management process identified from experience of nurse case managers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eun-Jun; Kim, Chunmi

    2008-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory of case management (CM) practice by investigating the experience of nurse case managers caring for Medical Aid enrollees in Korea. A total of 12 nurses were interviewed regarding their own experience in CM practice. Data were recorded and analyzed using grounded theory. Empowerment was the core category of CM for Medical Aid enrollees. The case managers engaged in five phases as follows, phase of inquiring in advance, building a relationship with the client, giving the client critical mind, facilitating positive changes in the client's use of healthcare services, and maintaining relationship bonds. These phases moved gradually and were circular if necessary. Also, they were accelerated or slowed depending on factors including clients' characteristics, case managers' competency level, families' support level, and availability of community resources. This study helps understand what CM practice is and how nurses are performing this innovative CM role. It is recommended that nurse leaders and policy makers integrate empowerment as a core category and the five critical CM phases into future CM programs.

  17. STATE AND EFFICIENCY OF MANAGEMENT OF AGROECOSYSTEM SERVICES – THE CASE OF BULGARIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    HRABRIN BACHEV

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper incorporates New Institutional Economics and analyzes the state and efficiency of management of agro-ecosystem services in Bulgaria. Firstly, it presents framework of analyses of management of agro-ecosystem services including: definition of agroecosystem services and its management; specification of management needs and spectrum of governing modes (institutions, market, private, public, hybrid; assessment of efficiency of different form of management in terms of potential to protect eco-rights and investments, assure socially desirable level of agro-ecosystem services, minimize costs, coordinate and stimulate eco-activities, meet preferences and reconcile conflicts of related agents. Secondly, it identifies and assesses the management of agro-ecosystem services in Bulgaria. Transition and EU integration have brought about significant changes in the state and management of agroecosystems services in the country. Newly evolved market, private and public governance have led to a significant improvement of a part of agro-ecosystems services introducing modern ecostandards and public support, enhancing environmental stewardship, disintensifyingproduction, recovering landscape and traditional productions, diversifying quality, products,and services. At the same time, the novel eco-management is associated with new challenges such as unsustainable exploitation, lost biodiversity, land degradation, water and air contamination. Moreover, implementation of EU common policies would have no desired impact on agro-ecosystem services unless special measures are taken to improve management of public programs, and extend public support to dominating small-scale and subsistence farms.

  18. Case Management for Individuals with Mental Retardation. ARC Facts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Association for Retarded Citizens, Arlington, TX.

    A question-and-answer format is used in this fact sheet to provide information on case management for individuals with mental retardation. The fact sheet describes the major components of a case management system, the role of the case manager, the individual's or family's role in case management, providers of case management services and systems…

  19. Management services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adkins, S.K.; Alford, D.R.; Barnette, A.B.

    1979-01-01

    The Management Services Section provides coordinated professional administrative services to the Fusion Energy Division (FED), allowing the work of technical professionals to be more fully concentrated in their areas of specialty. Services are provided in general administration, personnel, financial management, communications (including text and graphics generation), management information, library, safety, quality assurance, and nonprogrammatic engineering services. Highlights of the past year included adoption of the Procurement Module in the FED Management Information System (MIS) for use by the entire Laboratory, completion of the Personnel Module of the MIS, greatly increased personnel recruiting activity, and increased industrial subcontracting activity

  20. Case management redesign in an urban facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almaden, Stefany; Freshman, Brenda; Quaye, Beverly

    2011-01-01

    To explore strategies for improving patient throughput and to redesign case management processes to facilitate level of care transitions and safe discharges. Large Urban Medical Center in South Los Angeles County, with 384 licensed beds that services poor, underserved communities. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. Combined theoretical frameworks were used for needs assessment, intervention strategies, and change management. Observations, interviews, surveys, and database extraction methods were used. The sample consisted of case management staff members and several other staff from nursing, social work, and emergency department staff. Postintervention measures indicated improvement in reimbursements for services, reduction in length of stay, increased productivity, improved patients' access to care, and avoiding unnecessary readmission or emergency department visits. Effective change management strategies must consider multiple factors that influence daily operations and service delivery. Creating accountability by using performance measures associated with patient transitions is highlighted by the case study results. The authors developed a process model to assist in identifying and tracking outcome measures related to patient throughput, front-end assessments, and effective patient care transitions. This model can be used in future research to further investigate best case management practices.

  1. Presence Management and Merging Presence Information for NGN Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumann, Sebastian; Mikoczy, Eugen; Podhradsky, Pavol; Muruchi, Feliciano; Maruschke, Michael

    This paper describes an approach for interworking scenarios between Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based and non SIP based frameworks (e.g. web services) in case of the presence management service. The characteristics of the concept of a centralized presence management will be introduced.

  2. MAP SERVICES FOR MANAGEMENT OF HUNTING ORGANIZATIONS (THE CASE OF HUNTING ORGANIZATION “MEDVEDICA”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. A. Zaichenko

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The current state map support of the system of hunting management requires updating an information database and the creation of new schemes of hunting organization. In this case the beneficial is using of satellite imagery data for the mapping and also for important environmental research. Presentation of the results in the form of Internet web services provides broad benefits to the paper version of the maps.

  3. IMPROVING LOGISTICS SERVICES THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY USED IN FLEET MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Vivaldini

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Outsourcing logistics has established itself in the area of the LSP (Logistics Service Provider, which offers a range of services to its customers. In this line, transportation is characterized as one of the most important services, and therefore efficient fleet management is essential for establishing a high level of customer service. With advances in technology and vehicle tracking systems, this approach of management has gained new possibilities for the improvement of logistics services. By studying the specific case of an LSP, this paper investigates the use of these technologies in the management of their business and services. The results indicate that the LSP seeks to increase its services and to streamline information in order to respond to customer needs in real time. It is also evident in this case under study that the combination of the technology available together with the fleet management system has become a distinguishing feature for this LSP, one which increases their skills and important information for both customers and business.

  4. Management Practice of Supply Chain Quality Management in Service-oriented Manufacturing Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gu Ping

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Supply chain quality management (SCQM in service-oriented manufacturing industries is needed in delivering value to customers in all process of supply chain management based on total quality management (TQM. In the paper, we identify the latest themes through reviewing prior quality management and supply chain management(SCM literature. In particular, we find manufacturing firms transform from providing products towards providing services, which means they need to go through fundamental changes especially in supply chains. We use a case study of Heilan Home to illustrate the SCQM themes and their ways in industrial practice. Based on our research, the case study, the experience of working with this firm, we propose a SCQM performance evaluation framework, as well as four strategies for other industries to improve customer satisfaction and added value. In this way can promote the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry in the perspective of quality.

  5. Case management for the elderly with complex needs: cross-linking the views of their role held by elderly people, their informal caregivers and the case managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balard, Frédéric; Gely-Nargeot, Marie-Christine; Corvol, Aline; Saint-Jean, Olivier; Somme, Dominique

    2016-11-08

    In 2009, case management interventions were a new social service in France implemented within the framework of the PRISMA-France program (2006-2010). People who had benefitted from case management intervention were individuals, over 60 years old living at home in situations deemed complex by professionals. Their informal caregivers were also considered as users of the service. This research accompanied the interventions during the implementation of PRISMA-France attempting to explore the users' (old people and their informal caregivers) and case managers' first experiences of case management. Its aim is to provide a thorough knowledge of the dispositive in order to reveal any initial failings and to ensure optimum conditions for the onset of full implementation. The study had a qualitative explorative design. Cross-linked representations of case-management were obtained through opened-ended and guided interviews with three types of informants: old people (19), their informal caregivers (11) and the case managers (5) who participated in the program during the first 6 months. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out. The analysis revealed that each group of people generated its own representations of the case manager's role, even though the three groups of informants shared the idea that the case manager is first and foremost a helper. The case managers insisted on their proximity to the old people and their role as coordinators. The informal caregivers saw the professional as a partner and potential provider of assistance in accompanying old people. The old people focused on the personal connections established with the case manager. The innovative and experimental dimension of case management in France and the flexible nature of the role generated a broad spectrum of representations by those involved. These different representations are, in part, the fruit of each individual's projected expectations of this social service. Analyzing the first representations

  6. The development of safety cases for healthcare services: Practical experiences, opportunities and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sujan, Mark; Spurgeon, Peter; Cooke, Matthew; Weale, Andy; Debenham, Philip; Cross, Steve

    2015-01-01

    There has been growing interest in the concept of safety cases for medical devices and health information technology, but questions remain about how safety cases can be developed and used meaningfully in the safety management of healthcare services and processes. The paper presents two examples of the development and use of safety cases at a service level in healthcare. These first practical experiences at the service level suggest that safety cases might be a useful tool to support service improvement and communication of safety in healthcare. The paper argues that safety cases might be helpful in supporting healthcare organisations with the adoption of proactive and rigorous safety management practices. However, it is also important to consider the different level of maturity of safety management and regulatory oversight in healthcare. Adaptations to the purpose and use of safety cases might be required, complemented by the provision of education to both practitioners and regulators. - Highlights: • Empirical description of safety case development at service level in healthcare. • Safety cases can support adoption of proactive and rigorous safety management. • Adaptation to purpose and use of safety cases might be required in healthcare. • Education should be provided to practitioners and regulators

  7. An ecosystem service approach to support integrated pond management: a case study using Bayesian belief networks--highlighting opportunities and risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landuyt, Dries; Lemmens, Pieter; D'hondt, Rob; Broekx, Steven; Liekens, Inge; De Bie, Tom; Declerck, Steven A J; De Meester, Luc; Goethals, Peter L M

    2014-12-01

    Freshwater ponds deliver a broad range of ecosystem services (ESS). Taking into account this broad range of services to attain cost-effective ESS delivery is an important challenge facing integrated pond management. To assess the strengths and weaknesses of an ESS approach to support decisions in integrated pond management, we applied it on a small case study in Flanders, Belgium. A Bayesian belief network model was developed to assess ESS delivery under three alternative pond management scenarios: intensive fish farming (IFF), extensive fish farming (EFF) and nature conservation management (NCM). A probabilistic cost-benefit analysis was performed that includes both costs associated with pond management practices and benefits associated with ESS delivery. Whether or not a particular ESS is included in the analysis affects the identification of the most preferable management scenario by the model. Assessing the delivery of a more complete set of ecosystem services tends to shift the results away from intensive management to more biodiversity-oriented management scenarios. The proposed methodology illustrates the potential of Bayesian belief networks. BBNs facilitate knowledge integration and their modular nature encourages future model expansion to more encompassing sets of services. Yet, we also illustrate the key weaknesses of such exercises, being that the choice whether or not to include a particular ecosystem service may determine the suggested optimal management practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Is Case Management Effective for Long-Lasting Suicide Prevention?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liang-Jen; Wu, Ya-Wen; Chen, Chih-Ken

    2015-01-01

    Case management services have been implemented in suicide prevention programs. To investigate whether case management is an effective strategy for reducing the risks of repeated suicide attempts and completed suicides in a city with high suicide rates in northern Taiwan. The Suicide Prevention Center of Keelung City (KSPC) was established in April 2005. Subjects included a consecutive sample of individuals (N = 2,496) registered in KSPC databases between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2011, with at least one episode of nonfatal self-harm. Subjects were tracked for the duration of the study. Of all the subjects, 1,013 (40.6%) received case management services; 416 (16.7%) had at least one other deliberate self-harm episode and 52 (2.1%) eventually died by suicide. No significant differences were found in the risks of repeated self-harm and completed suicides between suicide survivors who received case management and those who refused the services. However, a significant reduction in suicide rates was found after KSPC was established. Findings suggest that case management services might not reduce the risks of suicide repetition among suicide survivors during long-term follow-up. Future investigation is warranted to determine factors impacting the downward trend of suicide rates.

  9. Service guidelines based on Resource Utilization Groups Version III for Home Care provide decision-making support for case managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collister, Barbara; Stein, Glenda; Katz, Deborah; DeBruyn, Joan; Andrusiw, Linda; Cloutier, Sheila

    2012-01-01

    Increasing costs and budget reductions combined with increasing demand from our growing, aging population support the need to ensure that the scarce resources allocated to home care clients match client needs. This article details how Integrated Home Care for the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services considered ethical and economic principles and used data from the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC) and case mix indices from the Resource Utilization Groups Version III for Home Care (RUG-III/HC) to formulate service guidelines. These explicit service guidelines formalize and support individual resource allocation decisions made by case managers and provide a consistent and transparent method of allocating limited resources.

  10. Diversity in case management modalities: the Summit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, G A; Drone, I D; Munetz, M R

    1997-06-01

    Though ubiquitous in community mental health agencies, case management suffers from a lack of consensus regarding its definition, essential components, and appropriate application. Meaningful comparisons of various case management models await such a consensus. Global assessments of case management must be replaced by empirical studies of specific interventions with respect to the needs of specific populations. The authors describe a highly differentiated and prescriptive system of case management involving the application of more than one model of service delivery. Such a diversified and targeted system offers an opportunity to study the technology of case management in a more meaningful manner.

  11. Case management for the elderly with complex needs: cross-linking the views of their role held by elderly people, their informal caregivers and the case managers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédéric Balard

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In 2009, case management interventions were a new social service in France implemented within the framework of the PRISMA-France program (2006–2010. People who had benefitted from case management intervention were individuals, over 60 years old living at home in situations deemed complex by professionals. Their informal caregivers were also considered as users of the service. This research accompanied the interventions during the implementation of PRISMA-France attempting to explore the users’ (old people and their informal caregivers and case managers’ first experiences of case management. Its aim is to provide a thorough knowledge of the dispositive in order to reveal any initial failings and to ensure optimum conditions for the onset of full implementation. Methods The study had a qualitative explorative design. Cross-linked representations of case-management were obtained through opened-ended and guided interviews with three types of informants: old people (19, their informal caregivers (11 and the case managers (5 who participated in the program during the first 6 months. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out. Results The analysis revealed that each group of people generated its own representations of the case manager’s role, even though the three groups of informants shared the idea that the case manager is first and foremost a helper. The case managers insisted on their proximity to the old people and their role as coordinators. The informal caregivers saw the professional as a partner and potential provider of assistance in accompanying old people. The old people focused on the personal connections established with the case manager. Conclusion The innovative and experimental dimension of case management in France and the flexible nature of the role generated a broad spectrum of representations by those involved. These different representations are, in part, the fruit of each individual’s projected

  12. Innovation in Services and Stakeholder Interactions: Cases from Facilities Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nardelli, Giulia

    Services are increasingly becoming a crucial driver of the economies of developed countries. At the same time, innovation is not only recommended, but also required, to ensure survival and growth of organisations, within the manufacturing as well as the service sectors. Given globalisation...... and the development of information and communication technologies, more and more heterogeneous parties are and might be involved in innovation processes; meaning that both manufacturers and service providers shall take into consideration a more diverse set of needs and expectations when developing new offerings....... Within the service context, specifically, empirical evidence and existing research suggest that interactions between stakeholders are an important element of innovation processes. Therefore, when managing and studying innovation in the service context, interactions between stakeholders should be taken...

  13. Finance and Management Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention Finance & Management Services Health Care Services Juvenile health care provider about vitamin D and the risks and benefits of supplementation. Finance and Management Services The Division of Finance and Management Services (FMS) provides financial, administrative

  14. The influence of flexible management practices on the sharing of experiential knowledge in the workplace: a case study of food service helpers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledoux, Elise; Cloutier, Esther; Fournier, Pierre-Sébastien

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that the job knowledge and prudent knowledge of experienced workers constitute a wealth that needs to be shared in workplaces to promote worker integration, job retention and occupational health and safety. It appears, however, that certain management practices undermine this knowledge sharing process. This case study of food service helpers in institutional food service departments is part of a research project aimed at comparing the impact of different work organization methods on knowledge sharing in the workplace on the basis of case studies carried out in several organizations. The results of this case study reveal that by destabilizing and weakening the work teams, flexible management practices create an environment that is not conducive to experiential knowledge sharing.

  15. Trust management support for context-aware service platforms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Neisse, R.; Wegdam, M.; van Sinderen, Marten J.; Aldini, A.; Bogliolo, A.

    High quality context information retrieved from trustworthy context providers allows a more reliable context-aware service adaption but also implies a higher risk for the service users in case of privacy violations. In this chapter we present a trust management model that support users and providers

  16. Unmet service needs evaluated by case managers among disabled patients on hemodialysis in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sugisawa H

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Hidehiro Sugisawa,1 Toshio Shinoda,2 Yumiko Shimizu,3 Tamaki Kumagai,4 Hiroaki Sugisaki,5 Seiji Ohira6,† 1Department of Gerontology, Graduate School of Gerontology, J. F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, 2Department of Medical Care Technology, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Tsukuba International University, Tsuchiura, 3Department of Community Health Nursing, The Jikei University School of Nursing, Chofu, 4Department of Fundamental Nursing, Graduate School of Nursing, Osaka City University, Osaka, 5Hachioji Azumacho Clinic, Hachioji, Tokyo, 6Sapporo Kita Clinic, Sapporo, Hokkai-do, Japan †Professor Dr. Seiji Ohira passed away on September 5, 2017 Background: This study aimed to investigate the levels of unmet needs for home and ­community-based services (HCBS evaluated by case managers (CMs among disabled patients on hemodialysis (DPHD and to examine factors related to unmet needs. Unmet needs for HCBS were defined as situations in which patients do not use or underuse HCBS despite needing them. Candidates for the factors relating to unmet needs for HCBS included three dimensions: predisposing, enabling, and need factors.Methods: Self-administrated questionnaires were collected from 391 CMs of DPHD certified with long-term care insurance. These were introduced by the dialysis facilities that a member of the Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians belonged to. CMs were asked questions about their management of each individual case. HCBS included home help, visiting nursing, daycare, and short stay.Results: The prevalence of unmet needs for each HCBS ranged from 32% for home help to 48% for short stay. Barriers to service usage in the patients were associated with unmet needs for all four services. The patients with more severe cognitive malfunction were more likely to have unmet needs for visiting nursing and short stay. Heavier burden with caregiving was associated with more likelihood of unmet needs for home help and short stay

  17. Evaluation of Probation Case Management (PCM) for Drug-Involved Women Offenders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Monica; Guydish, Joseph; Prem, Rosemary; Jessup, Martha A.; Cervantes, Armando; Bostrom, Alan

    2005-01-01

    Based on availability of case management services, drug-involved women offenders entered either a probation case management (PCM) intervention(n = 65) or standard probation(n = 44). Participants were placed in the case management condition until all slots were filled, then placed in standard probation until case management slots opened.…

  18. Development of a nurse case management service: a proposed business plan for rural hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Marsha Howell; Crow, Carolyn S

    2005-01-01

    The nurse case management service (NCMS) for rural hospitals is an entrepreneurial endeavor designed to provide rural patients with quality, cost-effective healthcare. This article describes the development of an NCMS. A detailed marketing and financial plan, a review of industry trends, and the legal structure and risks associated with the development of the venture are presented. The financial plan projects a minimum savings of 223,200 dollars for rural institutions annually. To improve quality and reduce cost for rural hospitals, the authors recommend implementation of an NCMS.

  19. Manager Information Management and Innovation Services | IDRC ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Manager Information Management and Innovation Services ... manages research services for end users, ensures that internal clients know how to access ... in order to ensure that services provided meet a high level of quality and client needs ...

  20. Quality Management of Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuriy I. Dreizis

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available It is shown that services take the leading place in modern, post-industrial society. The world economy has passed the period of deindustrialization and became service economy. Fundamentals of service economy are not physical goods, but service. The special nature of service and its property demands the mechanism of management, other than physical goods. Ensuring necessary quality of the provided service is one of the main problems, which is put before the organization by peculiar properties of service. Therefore, quality management of service is the most important branch of management of the modern organization.

  1. Public services management and co-production: a necessity, a fashion or a new public service ethos?

    OpenAIRE

    M. Andreani; E. Guarini; R. Ruffini; A. Sancino; M. Sicilia

    2013-01-01

    This paper aims at investigating the drivers of user/citizen involvement in the public service provision, the formal and informal co-production structures, the roles played by public managers in order to support co-production. We study the case of Lombardy Region (Italy) that is experiencing co-production of services for autistic people. This case allows us to analyze co-production across all the stages of the service cycle. Indeed, both users and public and third sector organizations are...

  2. Data collection automation and total quality management: case studies in the health-service industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Alan D; Offodile, O Felix

    2008-01-01

    The limitations, immeasurable, and seemly unquantifiable aspects of the healthcare service industry, make it imperative that quality assurance programs include total quality management (TQM) and automatic identification and data capture (AIDC)-related technologies. Most of standards used in TQM and AIDC require data, to measure improvement and achieve standardization. Major difference between managing a service firm and managing a product-manufacturing firm is the difficulty of achieving consistently high quality. Examination of two different healthcare service providers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area offers different views as to the implementation and practice of total quality management techniques and AIDC integration. Since the healthcare service industry must take into account its high customization needs, there are positive steps to make the hospital structure itself more patient friendly and quality related; hence improving its heath-marketing strategies to the general public.

  3. Project management in practice : Evaluating a case project through project management theories

    OpenAIRE

    Uusitalo, Jenni

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate a case project and to study whether it was carried out in a correct manner; meaning that did the case project follow the project management models. In addition, part of the study was to determine what could have been improved in the management of the case project. The case project was about creating and launching a communication channel based on a social media service, on a blog platform called Tumblr, for Team Finland in Spain network. The network p...

  4. What is case management in palliative care? An expert panel study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van der Plas Annicka G M

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Case management is a heterogeneous concept of care that consists of assessment, planning, implementing, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the options and services required to meet the client's health and service needs. This paper describes the result of an expert panel procedure to gain insight into the aims and characteristics of case management in palliative care in the Netherlands. Methods A modified version of the RAND®/University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA appropriateness method was used to formulate and rate a list of aims and characteristics of case management in palliative care. A total of 76 health care professionals, researchers and policy makers were invited to join the expert panel, of which 61% participated in at least one round. Results Nine out of ten aims of case management were met with agreement. The most important areas of disagreement with regard to characteristics of case management were hands-on nursing care by the case manager, target group of case management, performance of other tasks besides case management and accessibility of the case manager. Conclusions Although aims are agreed upon, case management in palliative care shows a high level of variability in implementation choices. Case management should aim at maintaining continuity of care to ensure that patients and those close to them experience care as personalised, coherent and consistent.

  5. Integrating ecosystem services into risk management decisions: case study with Spanish citrus and the insecticide chlorpyrifos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deacon, Samantha; Norman, Steve; Nicolette, Joseph; Reub, Gregory; Greene, Gretchen; Osborn, Rachel; Andrews, Paul

    2015-02-01

    The European regulatory system for the approval of pesticides includes a thorough evaluation of risks to the environment and is designed to be protective of ecosystems. However, a decision to ban an agrochemical could also potentially have a negative impact on the value of ecosystem services, if resulting changes in crop management are damaging to ecosystems or result in negative socio-economic impacts. To support regulatory decision-making, consideration of ecosystem services to identify best environmental management options could be a way forward. There is generally a growing trend for the consideration of ecosystem services in decision making. Ecosystems provide the conditions for growing food, regulate water and provide wildlife habitats; these, amongst others, are known as ecosystem services. The objectives of this case study were to bring a holistic approach to decision making by valuing the environmental, social and economic benefits derived from the use of chlorpyrifos in Valencian citrus production. Spanish growers harvest between 5 and 6 milliont of citrus annually, worth an estimated €5 to 7 billion in food markets throughout Europe. The approach highlighted the potential for unintended negative consequences of regulatory decisions if the full context is not considered. In this study, rather than a regulatory restriction, the best option was the continued use of chlorpyrifos together with vegetated conservation patches as refuges for non-target insects. The conservation patches offset potential insecticidal impacts to insects whilst maintaining citrus production, farm income and the amenity value of the citrus landscape of Valencia. This was an initial proof-of-concept study and illustrates the importance of a wider perspective; other cases may have different outcomes depending on policies, the pesticide, crop scenarios, farm economics and the region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Manager personality, manager service quality orientation, and service climate: test of a model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvaggio, Amy Nicole; Schneider, Benjamin; Nishii, Lisa H; Mayer, David M; Ramesh, Anuradha; Lyon, Julie S

    2007-11-01

    This article conceptually and empirically explores the relationships among manager personality, manager service quality orientation, and climate for customer service. Data were collected from 1,486 employees and 145 managers in grocery store departments (N = 145) to test the authors' theoretical model. Largely consistent with hypotheses, results revealed that core self-evaluations were positively related to managers' service quality orientation, even after dimensions of the Big Five model of personality were controlled, and that service quality orientation fully mediated the relationship between personality and global service climate. Implications for personality and organizational climate research are discussed. (c) 2007 APA

  7. Two-year outcome of team-based intensive case management for patients with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aberg-Wistedt, A; Cressell, T; Lidberg, Y; Liljenberg, B; Osby, U

    1995-12-01

    Two-year outcomes of patients with schizophrenic disorders who were assigned to an intensive, team-based case management program and patients who received standard psychiatric services were assessed. The case management model featured increased staff contact time with patients, rehabilitation plans based on patients' expressed needs, and patients' attendance at team meetings where their rehabilitation plan was discussed. Forty patients were randomly assigned to either the case management group or the control group that received standard services. Patients' use of emergency and inpatient services, their quality of life, the size of their social networks, and their relatives' burden of care were assessed at assignment to the study groups and at two-year follow-up. Patients in the case management group had significantly fewer emergency visits compared with the two years before the study, and their relatives reported significantly reduced burden of care associated with relationships with psychiatric services over the two-year period. The size of patients' social networks increased for the case management group and decreased for the control group. A team-based intensive case management model is an effective intervention in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic schizophrenia.

  8. Managing innovation processes through value co-creation: a process case from business-to-business service practise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nardelli, Giulia; Broumels, Marcel

    2018-01-01

    Value co-creation is a specific type of collaboration that is considered to be an innovative and interactive process between end users and organisations; it aims to increase the value of a product or service. This study investigates how a network of stakeholders collaborating to manage innovation...... openly co-creates value over time; it contributes to the existing literature on value co-creation by taking the perspective of the network as a whole. The study follows a case in which value co-creation unfolds over time across a network of stakeholders within the business-to-business facility service...... context. The in-depth longitudinal investigation of a network composed of a corporate customer and its external facility service providers revealed that a network of stakeholders co-creates value over time by 1) offering an adaptable structure for the network to organise innovation activities...

  9. Delivering research data management services fundamentals of good practice

    CERN Document Server

    Jones, Sarah; Whyte, Angus

    2014-01-01

    The research landscape is changing, with key global research funders now requiring institutions to demonstrate how they will preserve and share research data. However, the practice of structured research data management is very new, and the construction of services remains experimental and in need of models and standards of approach. This groundbreaking guide will lead researchers, institutions and policy makers through the processes needed to set up and run effective institutional research data management services. This book will provide a step-by-step explanation of the components for an institutional service - effectively a 'how to guide'. Case studies from the newly emerging service infrastructures in the UK, USA and Australia will draw out the lessons learnt from working (or near to delivery) exemplars. Different approaches are highlighted and compared, for example, a case study of a researcher-focused strategy from Australia contrasted with a national, top-down approach. A chapter on the redeveloped UK ...

  10. ServiceBlueprinting as a service management tool in radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurer, Martin H.; Hamm, Bernd; Teichgraeber, Ulf

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To describe the ServiceBlueprint model as a suitable method of service management in clinical medicine using the example of the routine clinical setting of a radiological department. Materials and methods: ServiceBlueprinting is a concept for the analysis, visualization, and optimization of service processes. To investigate whether the model will also provide a suitable representation of medical services, particularly the provision of radiological services, ServiceBlueprints were created for the modality computed tomography (CT). To this end, an independent observer analyzed the workflow of 40 consecutive CT examinations. Results: The ServiceBlueprint provided an analysis of the status quo of the service processes in CT imaging modality. Weak points in the processes thus became immediately apparent. The model could also be used for personnel management in that it helped to define the roles of staff members from different categories in the value-added process. It served as a basis for the implementation of quality management systems according to Total Quality Management (TQM) and DIN-EN-ISO-9001:2000. Conclusions: The ServiceBlueprint model is a service management concept that is also suitable to visualize medical service processes in routine clinical settings like in a radiology department and has a multifarious potential in process optimization, implementation of quality management systems, and human resources management.

  11. Change management in an environment of ongoing primary health care system reform: A case study of Australian primary health care services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javanparast, Sara; Maddern, Janny; Baum, Fran; Freeman, Toby; Lawless, Angela; Labonté, Ronald; Sanders, David

    2018-01-01

    Globally, health reforms continue to be high on the health policy agenda to respond to the increasing health care costs and managing the emerging complex health conditions. Many countries have emphasised PHC to prevent high cost of hospital care and improve population health and equity. The existing tension in PHC philosophies and complexity of PHC setting make the implementation and management of these changes more difficult. This paper presents an Australian case study of PHC restructuring and how these changes have been managed from the viewpoint of practitioners and middle managers. As part of a 5-year project, we interviewed PHC practitioners and managers of services in 7 Australian PHC services. Our findings revealed a policy shift away from the principles of comprehensive PHC including health promotion and action on social determinants of health to one-to-one disease management during the course of study. Analysis of the process of change shows that overall, rapid, and top-down radical reforms of policies and directions were the main characteristic of changes with minimal communication with practitioners and service managers. The study showed that services with community-controlled model of governance had more autonomy to use an emergent model of change and to maintain their comprehensive PHC services. Change is an inevitable feature of PHC systems continually trying to respond to health care demand and cost pressures. The implementation of change in complex settings such as PHC requires appropriate change management strategies to ensure that the proposed reforms are understood, accepted, and implemented successfully. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Teaching Sport Management Through Service-Learning: An Undergraduate Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackowski, Mick; Gullion, Laurie

    1998-01-01

    Students in an undergraduate sport management writing course experienced a service learning component via outreach with local sport organizations. Class instructors supported students and evaluated student logs, class presentations, student memorandums, product review, and interviews with agency personnel and students. Results indicated that…

  13. Managing Database Services: An Approach Based in Information Technology Services Availabilty and Continuity Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Bastos Pontes

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is held in the information technology services management environment, with a few ideas of information technology governance, and purposes to implement a hybrid model to manage the services of a database, based on the principles of information technology services management in a supplementary health operator. This approach utilizes fundamental nuances of services management guides, such as CMMI for Services, COBIT, ISO 20000, ITIL and MPS.BR for Services; it studies harmonically Availability and Continuity Management, as most part of the guides also do. This work has its importance because it keeps a good flow in the database and improves the agility of the systems in the accredited clinics in the health plan.

  14. Service management at CERN with Service-Now

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toteva, Z; Fedorko, I; Hefferman, J; Lemaitre, S; Mira, O Pera; Alonso, R Alvarez; Cheimariou, M-E; Clavo, D Martin; Granda, E Alvarez; Pedreira, P Martinez

    2012-01-01

    The Information Technology (IT) and the General Services (GS) departments at CERN have decided to combine their extensive experience in support for IT and non-IT services towards a common goal – to bring the services closer to the end user based on Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practice. The collaborative efforts have so far produced definitions for the incident and the request fulfilment processes which are based on a unique two-dimensional service catalogue that combines both the user and the support team views of all services. After an extensive evaluation of the available industrial solutions, Service-now was selected as the tool to implement the CERN Service-Management processes. The initial release of the tool provided an attractive web portal for the users and successfully implemented two basic ITIL processes; the incident management and the request fulfilment processes. It also integrated with the CERN personnel databases and the LHC GRID ticketing system. Subsequent releases continued to integrate with other third-party tools like the facility management systems of CERN as well as to implement new processes such as change management. Independently from those new development activities it was decided to simplify the request fulfilment process in order to achieve easier acceptance by the CERN user community. We believe that due to the high modularity of the Service-now tool, the parallel design of ITIL processes e.g., event management and non-ITIL processes, e.g., computer centre hardware management, will be easily achieved. This presentation will describe the experience that we have acquired and the techniques that were followed to achieve the CERN customization of the Service-Now tool.

  15. Managing customer service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paget, Zoe

    2015-02-28

    Zoe Paget is the customer services manager at YourVets. Her role includes managing the company's call centre, social media marketing, working with the marketing department to develop customer care initiatives and reporting service levels to the company's directors. British Veterinary Association.

  16. 30 CFR 250.518 - What are the requirements for casing pressure management?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Operations Casing Pressure Management § 250.518 What are the requirements for casing pressure management... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the requirements for casing pressure management? 250.518 Section 250.518 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR...

  17. Pro-ACT II: integrating utilization management, discharge planning, and nursing case management into the outcomes manager role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brett, J L; Bueno, M; Royal, N; Kendall-Sengin, K

    1997-02-01

    Building on redesign efforts that created case management, clinical care technicians, support service hosts, and pharmacy technician roles, this redesign focused on integrating case management, utilization management, and discharge planning functions into a new outcomes manager role. The authors describe the process of developing and implementing the new role and outline specific actions that eliminated redundancy and inefficiency. Results of the evaluation of the project are reviewed, including full-time equivalent and salary savings and employee and physician satisfaction improvements.

  18. From demand side management (DSM) to energy efficiency services: A Finnish case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apajalahti, Eeva-Lotta; Lovio, Raimo; Heiskanen, Eva

    2015-01-01

    Energy conservation is expected to contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and energy security. Traditionally, energy companies have had strong role in providing Demand Side Management (DSM) measures. However, after energy market liberalization in Europe, energy companies' DSM activities declined. In response, the EU issued Directive (2006/32/EC) on energy end-use efficiency and energy services (ESD) to motivate energy companies to promote energy efficiency and conservation, closely followed by Directive (2012/27/EU) on energy efficiency (EED), requiring the setting up energy efficiency obligation schemes. Despite strong political and economic motivation, energy companies struggle to develop energy efficiency services in liberalised energy markets due to conflicting institutional demands, which arise from contradicting policy requirements and customer relations. The main challenges in developing new innovative energy efficiency services, evidenced by an in-depth case study, were (1) the unbundling of energy company operations, which makes it difficult to develop services when the contribution of several business units is required and (2) the distrust among energy end-users, which renders the business logic of energy saving contract models self-contradictory. On the basis of the research, avenues out of these dilemmas are suggested. -- Highlights: •Energy companies struggle to become energy service provides •We explore the development of new energy saving business solutions •Dispersed organisational structure leaves energy saving business as isolated function •Strong consumer scepticism towards energy companies as providers of energy saving •More emphasis on the changing company-customer relationship is needed

  19. From public to private and back again: sustaining a high service-delivery level during transition of management authority: a Cambodia case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Bart; Thomé, Jean-Marc; Overtoom, Rob; Sam, Sam Oeun; Indermühle, Lorenz; Price, Neil

    2010-05-01

    Contracting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been shown to increase health service delivery output considerably over relatively short time frames in low-income countries, especially when applying performance-related pay as a stimulus. A key concern is how to manage the transition back to government-operated systems while maintaining health service delivery output levels. In this paper we describe and analyse the transition from NGO-managed to government-managed health services over a 3-year period in a health district in Cambodia with a focus on the level of health service delivery. Data are derived from four sources, including cross-sectional surveys and health management and financial information systems. The transition was achieved by focusing on all the building blocks of the health care system and ensuring an acceptable financial remuneration for the staff members of contracted health facilities. The latter was attained through performance subsidies derived from financial commitment by the central government, and revenue from user fees. Performance management had a crucial role in the gradual handover of responsibilities. Not all responsibilities were handed back to government over the case study period-notably the development of performance indicators and targets and the performance monitoring.

  20. Implementation of the affordable care act: a case study of a service line co-management company.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanese, Bethany

    2016-09-19

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test and measure the outcome of a community hospital in implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through a co-management arrangement. RQ1: do the benefits of a co-management arrangement outweigh the costs? RQ2: does physician alignment aid in the effective implementation of the ACA directives set for hospitals? Design/methodology/approach A case study of a 350-bed non-profit community hospital co-management company. The quantitative data are eight quarters of quality metrics prior and eight quarters post establishment of the co-management company. The quality metrics are all based on standardized national requirements from the Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines. These measures directly impact the quality initiatives under the ACA that are applicable to all healthcare facilities. Qualitative data include survey results from hospital employees of the perceived effectiveness of the co-management company. A paired samples difference of means t-test was conducted to compare the timeframe before co-management and post co-management. Findings The findings indicate that the benefits of a co-management arrangement do outweigh the costs for both the physicians and the hospital ( RQ1). The physicians benefit through actual dollar payout, but also with improved communication and greater input in running the service line. The hospital benefits from reduced cost - or reduced penalties under the ACA - as well as better communication and greater physician involvement in administration of the service line. RQ2: does physician alignment aid in the effective implementation of the ACA directives set for hospitals? The hospital improved in every quality metric under the co-management company. A paired sample difference of means t-test showed a statistically significant improvement in five of the six quality metrics in the study. Originality/value Previous research indicates the potential effectiveness of

  1. The work of nurse case managers in a cancer and cardiovascular disease risk screening program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawcett, Jacqueline; Schutt, Russell K; Gall, Gail B; Cruz, Elizabeth Riley; Woodford, Mary Lou

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this conceptual model of nursing and health policy-based study was to identify the frequency and correlates of activities performed by nurse case managers. Massachusetts Women's Health Network (WHN) contracting organization sites for breast and cervical cancer and cardiovascular disease risk screening. Twenty nurse case managers were interviewed. More time was spent performing client service activities than bureaucratic activities. Frequently performed client service activities were tracking test results, finding/connecting with clients, assessing client needs, and educating clients. The most frequently performed activity was documenting services; the least, discharging clients. Client service activity frequency was correlated with client caseload size, social barriers, overall workload, satisfaction with the way activities are carried out in the WHN, special training in WHN policies and procedures, and contracting organization service delivery arrangements. Bureaucratic activity frequency was correlated with caseload size, workload, months as a WHN case manager, system barriers, satisfaction with the way activities were carried out in the WHN, and special training. Documentation requires a great deal of WHN nurse case managers' time, which perhaps could be more productively spent with clients. Thus, more efficient ways to document services need to be identified. Additional research is needed to determine similarities and differences in activities performed by WHN nurse case managers and other case managers working in cancer and cardiovascular disease screening programs. Strategies need to be identified to remove all barriers that interfere with performance of case manager practice activities. Strategies are needed to reduce client fear of bills, overcome scheduling constraints, and improve translation services to lessen language barriers to effective communication.

  2. Case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodward, Judy; Rice, Eve

    2015-03-01

    Health care in the United States is changing rapidly under pressure from both political and professional stakeholders, and one area on the front line of required change is the discipline of case management. Historically, case management has worked to defragment the health care delivery system for clients and increase access to health care. Case management will have an expanded role resulting from Affordable Care Act initiatives to improve health care. This article includes definitions of case management, current issues related to case management, case management standards of practice, and a case study of the management of pediatric chronic disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Managing Conflicting Goals in the Social Services in Danish Municipalities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svanholt, Anne Kirstine

    This paper explores how middle managers in public sector organisations within the social services use management control systems (MCS) in order to create balance between potentially conflicting goals. By employing a case study setting, the paper investigates the tension between the necessity...

  4. Case manager-reported utilization of support group, substance use and mental health services among HIV-positive women in New York City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kupprat, Sandra A; Dayton, Alex; Guschlbauer, Andrea; Halkitis, Perry N

    2009-07-01

    A retrospective, longitudinal analysis of case management and medical charts was used to evaluate utilization of support group, mental health, and substance abuse treatment services among HIV-positive women in New York City. Analyses of 4134 case management and supportive service transactions revealed that 70% utilized support groups over the two-year study period. In contrast, only 35% utilized mental health services (therapy) and of those identified as using substances, only 48% utilized substance abuse treatment services. Considering the high prevalence of mental illness (63%, n=29) and substance use (54%, n=25) in the sample, the low utilization rates highlight unmet needs for service. Significant differences were found in utilization of mental health and substance abuse treatment services, with those who received services at a medical model agency (integrated care) being more likely to receive both types of treatment. In contrast, participants attending support groups in non-medical model agencies (77.8%, n=7) were significantly more likely to be retained in group (i.e., attend 11 or more sessions) than those at medical model agencies (39.1%, n=9). Based on the higher utilization rates of support groups among seropositive women, perhaps these groups could be a vehicle for establishing rapport between mental health professionals and group members to bridge the utilization gap and reduce the stigma associated with therapy and substance abuse treatment services. These findings both taut the success and highlight weaknesses regarding accessing mental health and substance abuse care, and support group retention. Sharing of information regarding recruitment and retention efforts between agencies of different modalities would be beneficial and also could identify service niches that capitalize on their subsequent strengths.

  5. Managing the impact of growing low-acuity demand on ambulance services

    OpenAIRE

    KATHRYN JEAN EASTWOOD

    2018-01-01

    Increasing demand for emergency ambulances places a substantial burden on ambulance services. Many cases are low-acuity, having no urgent clinical need for paramedic treatment. Ambulance Victoria implemented a secondary telephone triage services to divert low-acuity cases away from emergency ambulances to more appropriate care. This research found this ‘Referral Service’ has had a substantial impact upon emergency operations, referring over 70% of the cases it managed away from emergency am...

  6. Facing uncertainty in ecosystem services-based resource management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grêt-Regamey, Adrienne; Brunner, Sibyl H; Altwegg, Jürg; Bebi, Peter

    2013-09-01

    The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly used as a support for natural resource management decisions. While the science for assessing ecosystem services is improving, appropriate methods to address uncertainties in a quantitative manner are missing. Ignoring parameter uncertainties, modeling uncertainties and uncertainties related to human-environment interactions can modify decisions and lead to overlooking important management possibilities. In this contribution, we present a new approach for mapping the uncertainties in the assessment of multiple ecosystem services. The spatially explicit risk approach links Bayesian networks to a Geographic Information System for forecasting the value of a bundle of ecosystem services and quantifies the uncertainties related to the outcomes in a spatially explicit manner. We demonstrate that mapping uncertainties in ecosystem services assessments provides key information for decision-makers seeking critical areas in the delivery of ecosystem services in a case study in the Swiss Alps. The results suggest that not only the total value of the bundle of ecosystem services is highly dependent on uncertainties, but the spatial pattern of the ecosystem services values changes substantially when considering uncertainties. This is particularly important for the long-term management of mountain forest ecosystems, which have long rotation stands and are highly sensitive to pressing climate and socio-economic changes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Implementation of nutrition care service development plan at Banning Memorial Hospital: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Oumlil, A; Rao, C P

    1992-01-01

    Health care service markets in general and hospital care service markets in particular are characterized by many competitive developments. Hence, hospital marketing managers are forced to respond to these emerging competitive pressures. However, in formulating appropriate marketing management strategies, hospital managers need to have detailed knowledge about consumers and their behaviors in the marketplace. This paper focuses on the Nutrition Care division of the Department of Nutrition Service at a hospital and its venture into new service development. This case study is intended to emphasize the significance of acquiring adequate knowledge of customers in the health care services industry. It particularly emphasizes the critical role that this type of information concerning customer behavior plays in the development and implementation of an appropriate business expansion strategy. Furthermore, the aim of this case study is to help the reader to relate the acquired marketing information to the problem at hand, and make the appropriate marketing management decision.

  8. Climate Regulation Services of Natural and Managed Ecosystems of the Americas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson-Teixeira, K. J.; Snyder, P. K.; Twine, T. E.; Costa, M. H.; Cuadra, S.; DeLucia, E. H.

    2011-12-01

    Terrestrial ecosystems regulate climate through both biogeochemical mechanisms (greenhouse gas regulation) and biophysical mechanisms (regulation of water and energy). Land management therefore provides some of the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. However, most policies aimed at climate protection through land management, including UNFCCC mechanisms and bioenergy sustainability standards, account only for biogeochemical climate services. By ignoring biophysical climate regulation services that in some cases offset the biogeochemical regulation services, these policies run the risk of failing to advance the best climate solutions. Quantifying the combined value of biogeochemical and biophysical climate regulation services remains an important challenge. Here, we use a combination of data synthesis and modeling to quantify how biogeochemical and biophysical effects combine to shape the climate regulation value (CRV) of 18 natural and managed ecosystem types across the Western Hemisphere. Natural ecosystems generally had higher CRVs than agroecosystems, largely driven by differences in biogeochemical services. Biophysical contributions ranged from minimal to dominant. They were highly variable in space and across ecosystem types, and their relative importance varied strongly with the spatio-temporal scale of analysis. Our findings pertain to current efforts to protect climate through land management. Specifically, they reinforce the importance of protecting tropical forests and recent findings that the climatic effects of bioenergy production may be somewhat more positive than previously estimated. Given that biophysical effects in some cases dominate, ensuring effective climate protection through land management requires consideration of combined biogeochemical and biophysical climate regulation services. While quantification of ecosystem climate services is necessarily complex, our CRV index serves as one potential approach to measure the

  9. Meeting the challenges of case management with remote patient monitoring technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherry, J C; Colliflower, S J; Tsiperfal, A

    2000-01-01

    The article presents an overview of some of the current trends in health care and the challenges faced by nurse case managers who are providing disease management services. It discusses some of the emerging technologies available today for innovative case management. In particular, this article describes a program run by a healthcare system in Sacramento, California that uses an Internet-based technology to enhance their nurse case management model. The article demonstrates how the Health Hero platform enables interactive communication between nurse case managers and their patients, thereby meeting some of the challenges the nurse case managers are faced with in the modern disease-management world.

  10. ASSESSMENT OF LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT IN GHANA HEALTH SERVICE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    john frimpong manso

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Ghana Public Health Sector runs a three-tier system of managing health commodities. Suppliers, the Central Medical Store, The Regional Medical Store, Service Delivery Points and the transportation system form the supply chain.  Ghana Health Service logistics system is centralized and the health care delivery system is decentralized. Logistics management in the health system is crucial. This is because there are instances where medicines and health commodities are not available at the Central Medical Stores and the Regional Medical Stores. Consequently, there is no commodity security at the service delivery points. Upon this backdrop the study seeks to assess the logistics management system in order to bring efficiency in the system. The study adopts a multi-case study approach to assess the practices of logistics management, the causes of inadequacy of logistics and the strengths and weaknesses in Ghana Health Service logistics system.  Two categories of participants that is, the key players of health logistics management and end-users were involved in the study.  Four variables; finance for procurement of health commodities, evenly distribution of health commodities, effective supervision and constant monitoring and evaluation were found crucial in effective and efficient logistics management. Moreover, it was found that poor procurement planning and budgeting, lack of financial resources for procurement, poor quantification and forecasting, delay in procurement process and order processing, and delay in receiving insurance claims are some of the causes of inadequacy of logistics in the health systems. It is recommended that Ghana Health Service logistics or supply system must receive constant monitoring and evaluation. Further, Ghana Health Service must ensure that there is effective top-down supervision in the system to bring up efficiency. Again, Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Health must ensure enough funds are secured from the

  11. Managing service excellence. Internal customer service training

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAnulty, P.C.

    1991-01-01

    WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS? Electric Users, regulators, vendors, suppliers, or our own employees? The answer is ALL exclamation point They are all customers. Regardless if they are external or internal customers, one must focus on quality of service delivery in order to maintain customer satisfaction. The most successful companies are quickly realizing that managing SERVICE EX NCE is our only future. For the next decade, the issue of service quality will exceed the issue of productivity. It is very easy to see that the business behind a utility is serving our electric consumers. However, internal customer service - service excellence to employees inside a company is the foundation for success. This paper describes a training program that is being implemented across Duke Power for employees on internal customer service. How we provide service to each other within a company impacts service quality to our external customers. This training refocuses behaviors and perceptions so to concentrate on quality service delivery to our internal customers - our employees. We all have positive and negative experiences with obtaining quality service by either external organizations or internal employees. Therefore, we start with a common foundation. Whether it be a supplier, vendor, or a station administrative group, we have experienced either excellent or poor customer service. All of us have potential in managing the delivery of excellent customer service. However, many of us may need new perspectives so to add depth with which we view and manage service excellence to our internal customers

  12. Cable networks, services, and management

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    Cable Networks, Services, and Management is the first book to cover cable networks, services, and their management, in-depth, for network operators, engineers, researchers, and students. Thirteen experts in various fields have contributed their knowledge of network architectures and services, Operations, Administration, Maintenance, Provisioning, Troubleshooting (OAMPT) for residential and business services, cloud, Software Defined Networks (SDN), as well as virtualization concepts and their applications as part of the future directions of cable networks. The book begins by introducing architecture and services for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.0/ 3.1, Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP), Content Distribution Networks (CDN, IP TV, and Packet Cable and Wi-Fi for Residential Services. Topics that are discussed in proceeding chapters include: operational systems and management architectures, service orders, provisioning, fault manageme t, performance management, billing systems a...

  13. Safety Case for Service Contracts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, Israel L.

    2014-07-01

    Safety cases developed for the Facilities Management and Operations Center (FMOC) are based on the requirements in MN471021, Work Planning and Control Criteria for Safe Design and Operations. The FMOC performs maintenance activities in various locations at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). SNL/NM consists of more than 6,000,000 square feet of buildings, structures, and site infrastructure on approximately 13,000 acres of land. The FMOC performs approximately 7500 service contract work orders a year to assist with operations and maintenance at the SNL/NM site and facilities. As part of the continual improvement process, this Safety Case will be reviewed and updated, as needed, or at a minimum every three years.

  14. Schizophrenia, violence, and case management: being supportive and overwhelmed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Elizabeth I

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of case managers as they delivered care to women who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and live with histories of violence. Interpretive phenomenology. Providers valued their relationships with women, yet felt overwhelmed and frustrated with aspects of the case management role. Case managers at times blamed women for the violence in their lives and lacked clarity with regard to their role assisting women in recovery. The violence and poverty that is common for these women is a key factor that increased providers' alienation and confusion as to their role in the provision of care. The educational and supportive needs of case managers must be addressed to uphold recovery-oriented services.

  15. Change management for semantic web services

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Xumin; Bouguettaya, Athman

    2011-01-01

    Change Management for Semantic Web Services provides a thorough analysis of change management in the lifecycle of services for databases and workflows, including changes that occur at the individual service level or at the aggregate composed service level. This book describes taxonomy of changes that are expected in semantic service oriented environments. The process of change management consists of detecting, propagating, and reacting to changes. Change Management for Semantic Web Services is one of the first books that discuss the development of a theoretical foundation for managing changes

  16. Building Perinatal Case Manager Capacity Using Quality Improvement

    OpenAIRE

    Fitzgerald, Elaine

    2015-01-01

    Improving breastfeeding rates among Black women is a potential strategy to address disparities in health outcomes that disproportionately impact Black women and children. This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to improve perinatal case manager knowledge and self-efficacy to promote breastfeeding among Black, low-income women who use services through Boston Healthy Start Initiative. QI methodology was used to develop and test a two-part strategy for perinatal case managers to promote a...

  17. Facilities Management Service Delivery in Public and Private High Rise Residential Buildings in Nigeria: A case study of Eko Court Complex and Niger Towers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olanrele O. O.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study assessed and compared the delivery of Facilities Management (FM services in public and private high rise residential buildings in Lagos, Nigeria. While some facilities or services may not be available in some public estates, the efficiency of the available ones is inadequate in comparison with the adequacy and efficiency of services provided in private estates. The objectives set for the study include identification of services that are provided in the case studies, service delivery method, and an assessment of the residents’ satisfaction of the services. This study adopted questionnaire survey for collection of data. 127 questionnaires were distributed to the residents of the case studies and 93 were returned. Three of which were discarded for incompleteness, thus 90 were analysed. The study found that most but not all of the facilities services expected in high rise buildings are available in the case studies and the services are outsourced under a standard Service Level Agreement. The service delivery in private high rise residential building is better than the public residential high rise buildings as revealed by the study. The study recommends improved standardization of services, customized services and meeting customer’s expectation for improved service delivery.

  18. Electronic resource management practical perspectives in a new technical services model

    CERN Document Server

    Elguindi, Anne

    2012-01-01

    A significant shift is taking place in libraries, with the purchase of e-resources accounting for the bulk of materials spending. Electronic Resource Management makes the case that technical services workflows need to make a corresponding shift toward e-centric models and highlights the increasing variety of e-formats that are forcing new developments in the field.Six chapters cover key topics, including: technical services models, both past and emerging; staffing and workflow in electronic resource management; implementation and transformation of electronic resource management systems; the ro

  19. A ten-step process to develop case management plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahan, Hussein A

    2002-01-01

    The use of case management plans has contained cost and improved quality of care successfully. However, the process of developing these plans remains a great challenge for healthcare executives, in this article, the author presents the answer to this challenge by discussing a 10-step formal process that administrators of patient care services and case managers can adapt to their institutions. It also can be used by interdisciplinary team members as a practical guide to develop a specific case management plan. This process is applicable to any care setting (acute, ambulatory, long term, and home care), diagnosis, or procedure. It is particularly important for those organizations that currently do not have a deliberate and systematic process to develop case management plans and are struggling with how to improve the efficiency and productivity of interdisciplinary teams charged with developing case management plans.

  20. 25 CFR 20.515 - What is required for case management?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....515 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS Child Assistance Foster Care § 20.515 What is required for case management? Social services workers must document regular contact with children and families in accordance...

  1. Challenges of monitoring reproductive health services: a case study ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Challenges of monitoring reproductive health services: a case study of antenatal clinics in Kinondoni municipality, Dar Es Salaam. ... was descriptive cross sectional employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The sample population included nurse-midwives who manage ANC clinics in Kinondoni Municipality.

  2. Healthcare Services Managers: What Information do They Need and Use?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Booth

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives – The purpose of this research project was to gain insight into the information behaviour of healthcare services managers as they use information while engaged in decision-making unrelated to individual patient care. Methods – This small-scale, exploratory, multiple case study used the critical incident technique in nineteen semi-structured interviews. Responses were analyzed using ‘Framework,’ a matrix-based content analysis system. Results – This paper presents findings related to the internal information that healthcare services managers need and use. Their decisions are influenced by a wide variety of factors. They must often make decisions without all of the information they would prefer to have. Internal information and practical experience set the context for new research-based information, so they are generally considered first.Conclusions – Healthcare services managers support decisions with both facts and value-based information. These results may inform both delivery of health library services delivery and strategic health information management planning. They may also support librarians who extend their skills beyond managing library collections and teaching published information retrieval skills, to managing internal and external information, teaching information literacy, and supporting information sharing.

  3. Service management: New Zealand's model of resource management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malcolm, L

    1990-12-01

    The health system in New Zealand, which in many respects is similar to that of the United Kingdom NHS, is currently undergoing massive change. In 1989 fourteen area health boards were formed, each board being accountable to the minister of health for achieving health goals and providing comprehensive health services for its defined population. This process has been assisted by the promulgation of a set of national health goals and a national health charter. Within area health boards the principle of general management is being implemented. Organisational structures are moving away from hospitals to services in a process which is being called service management which may be defined as the decentralisation of general management to the clinical workface. Similar in many respects to the resource management initiatives in the NHS it brings together medical, nursing and business management at the operational level with one person being accountable for the achievement of quality of care objectives within a budgetary framework. Budgetary restraints in excess of 10% have been achieved in the last 12 months partly through the service management process. Service management is seen to be a major paradigm shift in health services organisation and could be of international significance in its potential for achieving medical accountability for cost containment and quality assurance, and for coordinating care across agency and disciplinary boundaries.

  4. NPP service life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elagin, Yu.P.

    2001-01-01

    Problems of NPP service life management and service life prolongation are reviewed. Methods for the prolongation of the French NPP service life are discussed, priority directions of nuclear block service life management in regard to aging in the context of the European program of investigation into the materials aging are identified. Questions of the provision of the 60 years service life of the Mihama 1 block (Japan) and decision of the problem of the control equipment aging in Great Britain are discussed. Situation with the prolongation of licenses on the NPP operation in the USA and Spain is considered [ru

  5. Strategic Management for IT Services on Outsourcing Security Company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lydia Wijaya

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Information Technology (IT is used by many organizations to enhance competitive advantage, but many outsource security firms have not used IT in their business processes. In this research, we will design Strategic Management for IT Services for outsourcing security company. We use an outsourcing security company as a case study of IT Strategy Management for IT Services development. The purpose of this study is to create an IT services strategy for security outsourcing companies. The framework used is the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library framework service strategy in strategy management for IT services process. There are several steps taken in the making of the strategy: (a Strategic assessment stage to analyzed internal and external factors of the company. (b Strategy generation by creating the strategic plan. (c Strategy execution to determine the tactical plan. And (d strategy measurement and evaluation. This study produced the proposed IT service system that suits the needs of the company in the form of strategic, tactical plans and strategy measurement. This result can be used as the foundations of IT service development in outsourcing security company. In the process of this study, we work closely with stakeholders; every work product has been verified and validated by stakeholders.

  6. Ecosystem services as a common language for coastal ecosystem-based management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granek, Elise F; Polasky, Stephen; Kappel, Carrie V; Reed, Denise J; Stoms, David M; Koch, Evamaria W; Kennedy, Chris J; Cramer, Lori A; Hacker, Sally D; Barbier, Edward B; Aswani, Shankar; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Perillo, Gerardo M E; Silliman, Brian R; Muthiga, Nyawira; Bael, David; Wolanski, Eric

    2010-02-01

    Ecosystem-based management is logistically and politically challenging because ecosystems are inherently complex and management decisions affect a multitude of groups. Coastal ecosystems, which lie at the interface between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and provide an array of ecosystem services to different groups, aptly illustrate these challenges. Successful ecosystem-based management of coastal ecosystems requires incorporating scientific information and the knowledge and views of interested parties into the decision-making process. Estimating the provision of ecosystem services under alternative management schemes offers a systematic way to incorporate biogeophysical and socioeconomic information and the views of individuals and groups in the policy and management process. Employing ecosystem services as a common language to improve the process of ecosystem-based management presents both benefits and difficulties. Benefits include a transparent method for assessing trade-offs associated with management alternatives, a common set of facts and common currency on which to base negotiations, and improved communication among groups with competing interests or differing worldviews. Yet challenges to this approach remain, including predicting how human interventions will affect ecosystems, how such changes will affect the provision of ecosystem services, and how changes in service provision will affect the welfare of different groups in society. In a case study from Puget Sound, Washington, we illustrate the potential of applying ecosystem services as a common language for ecosystem-based management.

  7. Closing unprofitable services: ethical issues and management responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summers, James W

    1985-01-01

    Closing unprofitable services often requires as much analysis, public relations, marketing, and planning as any expansion. Further, issues about ethics, indigents, and the hospital mission force the consideration of values explicitly if a marketing fiasco is to be avoided. By integrating values analysis with more traditional management tasks, the challenges of service closure can be converted into opportunities to demonstrate how your institution has met or exceeded its ethical obligations. A case involving OB is developed to show how ethical and management issues blend into one another. Specific strategies for consensus building and marketing of the legitimacy of the hospital's position are given. Institutional ethics committees are one primary mechanism for developing a plan to benefit from unpleasant decisions.

  8. Service management process maps your route to service excellence

    CERN Document Server

    Associates, Computer

    2007-01-01

    ITIL® has become the de facto standard in Service Management best practice processes and the lens through which the value of IT services is viewed and measured. ITIL, with its emphasis on standardizing IT processes and building a common language, helps you better manage and optimize the cost and quality of IT services.As organizations look to implement quality Service Management processes, the same questions repeatedly arise: How do all these processes interface with each other? How do the processes work within a culture of change and evolution? How can we easily communicate

  9. Real-world use of the risk-need-responsivity model and the level of service/case management inventory with community-supervised offenders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyck, Heather L; Campbell, Mary Ann; Wershler, Julie L

    2018-06-01

    The risk-need-responsivity model (RNR; Bonta & Andrews, 2017) has become a leading approach for effective offender case management, but field tests of this model are still required. The present study first assessed the predictive validity of the RNR-informed Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI; Andrews, Bonta, & Wormith, 2004) with a sample of Atlantic Canadian male and female community-supervised provincial offenders (N = 136). Next, the case management plans prepared from these LS/CMI results were analyzed for adherence to the principles of risk, need, and responsivity. As expected, the LS/CMI was a strong predictor of general recidivism for both males (area under the curve = .75, 95% confidence interval [.66, .85]), and especially females (area under the curve = .94, 95% confidence interval [.84, 1.00]), over an average 3.42-year follow-up period. The LS/CMI was predictive of time to recidivism, with lower risk cases taking longer to reoffend than higher risk cases. Despite the robust predictive validity of the LS/CMI, case management plans developed by probation officers generally reflected poor adherence to the RNR principles. These findings highlight the need for better training on how to transfer risk appraisal information from valid risk tools to case plans to better meet the best-practice principles of risk, need, and responsivity for criminal behavior risk reduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Adaptive management for soil ecosystem services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birge, Hannah E.; Bevans, Rebecca A.; Allen, Craig R.; Angeler, David G.; Baer, Sara G.; Wall, Diana H.

    2016-01-01

    Ecosystem services provided by soil include regulation of the atmosphere and climate, primary (including agricultural) production, waste processing, decomposition, nutrient conservation, water purification, erosion control, medical resources, pest control, and disease mitigation. The simultaneous production of these multiple services arises from complex interactions among diverse aboveground and belowground communities across multiple scales. When a system is mismanaged, non-linear and persistent losses in ecosystem services can arise. Adaptive management is an approach to management designed to reduce uncertainty as management proceeds. By developing alternative hypotheses, testing these hypotheses and adjusting management in response to outcomes, managers can probe dynamic mechanistic relationships among aboveground and belowground soil system components. In doing so, soil ecosystem services can be preserved and critical ecological thresholds avoided. Here, we present an adaptive management framework designed to reduce uncertainty surrounding the soil system, even when soil ecosystem services production is not the explicit management objective, so that managers can reach their management goals without undermining soil multifunctionality or contributing to an irreversible loss of soil ecosystem services.

  11. Case management services for work related upper extremity disorders. Integrating workplace accommodation and problem solving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, W S; Feuerstein, M; Lincoln, A E; Miller, V I; Wood, P M

    2001-08-01

    A case manager's ability to obtain worksite accommodations and engage workers in active problem solving may improve health and return to work outcomes for clients with work related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs). This study examines the feasibility of a 2 day training seminar to help nurse case managers identify ergonomic risk factors, provide accommodation, and conduct problem solving skills training with workers' compensation claimants recovering from WRUEDs. Eight procedural steps to this case management approach were identified, translated into a training workshop format, and conveyed to 65 randomly selected case managers. Results indicate moderate to high self ratings of confidence to perform ergonomic assessments (mean = 7.5 of 10) and to provide problem solving skills training (mean = 7.2 of 10) after the seminar. This training format was suitable to experienced case managers and generated a moderate to high level of confidence to use this case management approach.

  12. New Public Management or Mismanagement? The Case of Public Service Agency of Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JIN-WOOK CHOI

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In line with the new public management (NPM, a public service agency (PSA is considered as an alternative to replace the government-led public service delivery in a more efficient and effective way. At the same time, a PSA mechanism can deliver public service with better quality. To meet these ends, a PSA is granted with operational flexibility and autonomy particularly in managing finance and personnel. However, the PSA system has not yielded the expected benefits in Indonesia. On the contrary, PSAs have been regarded to cause financial burdens to the Government of Indonesia. This paper explores the current conditions of three key institutional bases of PSAs in Indonesia including PSA governance, financial management and performance management. The notable challenges related to the three dimensions in the Indonesia’s PSAs include the weak PSA governance structure, and an inappropriate balance between flexibility and autonomy on the one hand and accountability and performance on the other in managing a PSA. Focusing on these challenges, this paper draws the following policy suggestions for Indonesia to improve the efficient operation of the PSA system: rebuild the PSA governance on a firm and clear legal base, absorb diverse stakeholders and outside experts in the PSA governance decision-making; monitor and evaluate the PSA’s financial flexibility and autonomy through vigilant internal and external monitoring mechanisms; redesign performance appraisal to set up right appraisal structure, process, and performance criteria; and link the results of performance appraisal to relevant rewards and punishment.

  13. Improving Parolees' Participation in Drug Treatment and Other Services through Strengths Case Management

    OpenAIRE

    Prendergast, Michael; Cartier, Jerome J.

    2008-01-01

    In an effort to increase participation in community aftercare treatment for substance-abusing parolees, an intervention based on a transitional case management (TCM) model that focuses mainly on offenders' strengths has been developed and is under testing. This model consists of completion, by the inmate, of a self-assessment of strengths that informs the development of the continuing care plan, a case conference call shortly before release, and strengths case management for three months post...

  14. Public-private implementation of integrated emergency response services: Case study of GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute in Karnataka, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sriram, Veena M; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Hyder, Adnan A

    2017-12-01

    Emergency medical services are important to the functioning of health systems, but these services tend to be neglected in low- and middle-income countries, such as India. In recent years, several models of pre-hospital emergency medical services have emerged in India. Research on these models holds important lessons for existing and future emergency medical service programs in low- and middle-income countries. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive description of the organizational structure and service delivery model of a public-private partnership in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute, with a particular focus on its operations in Bengaluru. A case study methodology was used to explore systematically the organizational model of GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute in Karnataka. Qualitative data were collected through an in-person site visit to GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute headquarters in Bengaluru in July 2013. Three sources were used: in-depth, semistructured interviews, document review, and nonparticipant observation. Data were analyzed according to the health system "building blocks" proposed by the World Health Organization. The organization follows a standardized model across the states and union territories where they have contractual arrangements, including Karnataka. Processes for fleet maintenance, information systems/information technology and training, and deployment were well structured at the organizational level. The public-private partnership appears pro-poor in orientation; however, further demand-side research is required on the perspective of patients. Our study reveals a functional structure at the organizational level, which provides a key service at no cost to users. Detailed analyses of this nature can help inform global efforts for the development and strengthening of emergency medical services systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. After-sales service of engineering industrial assets a reference framework for warranty management

    CERN Document Server

    González-Prida Díaz, Vicente

    2014-01-01

    This book explores the practical implementation of an advanced after-sales management framework devoted to warranty management. The framework is intended for companies producing either standardized or customized products, and such a management tool will facilitate organizational improvement and support innovative decision making processes for technical assistance in after-sales services.  “After–sales Service of Engineering Industrial Assets” comprises a proposal for a warranty management framework, with an account of the different methods that can be used to improve decision making in the different stages of the after-sales service management process, and strategies for strengthening the structure and foundations of the framework. A review of the fundamental issues and current research topics in warranty management and after sales services is also provided, which is exemplified by a case study. This book is intended for postgraduates, researchers and engineers who are interested in aftersales manageme...

  16. Organizing and delivering case management services: lessons from the National Long Term Care Channeling Demonstration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christianson, J B; Applebaum, R; Carcagno, G; Phillips, B

    1988-01-01

    This article discusses issues relating to the design and internal administration of a case-management agency for community based home care for the elderly. Included in the article are issues relating to screening procedures, assessment and case management activities, cost controls, automated management information systems, and personnel matters. The analysis is based on the experience of the National Long Term Care Demonstration ("Channeling") which established and evaluated ten case management projects nationwide under federal funding.

  17. Service Integration to Enhance Research Data Management: RSpace Electronic Laboratory Notebook Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stuart Macdonald

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Research Data Management (RDM provides a framework that supports researchers and their data throughout the course of their research and is increasingly regarded as one of the essential areas of responsible conduct of research. New tools and infrastructures make possible the generation of large volumes of digital research data in a myriad of formats. This facilitates new ways to analyse, share and reuse these outputs, with libraries, IT services and other service units within academic institutions working together with the research community to develop RDM infrastructures to curate and preserve this type of research output and make them re-usable for future generations. Working on the principle that a rationalised and continuous flow of data between systems and across institutional boundaries is one of the core goals of information management, this paper will highlight service integration via Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN, which streamline research data workflows, result in efficiency gains for researchers, research administrators and other stakeholders, and ultimately enhance the RDM process.

  18. Hospital‑based case management for migrant patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ølholm, Anne Mette; Christensen, Janne B; Kamionka, Stine Lundstrøm

    2016-01-01

    management programme might include reducing inequality and improving clinical outcomes. No studies supporting the argument that specialized hospital care is stigmatizing or reduces quality of care were identified. Conclusion: The review highlights a fundamental lack of evidence against specialized care...... to patients with a refugee or immigrant background. Provision of specialized services for migrant patients, including case management with multidisciplinary physical, cognitive and social interventions, has been suggested as a way to tackle inequalities in response to a growing recognition of the complexity...... - b ased case management for ethnic minority patients. Methods: This review used a health technology assessment model, including a systematic search of literature in the PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Sociological Abstracts, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases...

  19. Bank service management in Ghana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kuada, John; Narteh, Bedman

    2011-01-01

    This article reports a study of the determinants of effective management of of retail banking services in Ghana......This article reports a study of the determinants of effective management of of retail banking services in Ghana...

  20. Identifying patients suitable for palliative care - a descriptive analysis of enquiries using a Case Management Process Model approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuhn Ulrike

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Germany, case management in a palliative care unit was first implemented in 2005 at the Department of Palliative Medicine at the University Hospital Cologne. One of the purposes of this case management is to deal with enquiries from patients and their relatives as well as medical professionals. Using the Case Management Process Model of the Case Management Society of America as a reference, this study analysed (a how this case management was used by different enquiring groups and (b how patients were identified for case management and for palliative care services. The first thousand enquiries were analysed considering patient variables, properties of the enquiring persons and the content of the consultations. Results Most enquiries to the case management were made by telephone. The majority of requests regarded patients with oncological disease (84.3 %. The largest enquiring group was composed of patients and relatives (40.8 %, followed by internal professionals of the hospital (36.1 %. Most of the enquiring persons asked for a patient’s admission to the palliative care ward (46.4 %. The second most frequent request was for consultation and advice (30.9 %, followed by requests for the palliative home care service (13.3 %. Frequent reasons for actual admissions were the need for the treatment of pain, the presence of symptoms and the need for nursing care. More than half of the enquiries concerning admission to the palliative care ward were followed by an admission. Conclusions Case management has been made public among the relevant target groups. Case management as described by the Case Management Process Model helps to identify patients likely to benefit from case management and palliative care services. In addition, with the help of case management palliative patients may be allocated to particular health care services.

  1. 75 FR 54445 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-07

    ..., Management (Chief Financial Officer). Alfred J. Kopec, Assistant Commissioner, Business Architecture. Sheryl... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice...

  2. Interregional flows of ecosystem services: Concepts, typology and four cases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schröter, Matthias; Koellner, Thomas; Alkemade, Rob; Arnhold, Sebastian; Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Frank, Karin; Erb, Karl-Heinz; Kastner, Thomas; Kissinger, Meidad; Liu, Jianguo; López-Hoffman, Laura; Maes, Joachim; Marques, Alexandra; Martín-López, Berta; Meyer, Carsten; Schulp, Catharina J. E.; Thober, Jule; Wolff, Sarah; Bonn, Aletta

    2018-01-01

    Conserving and managing global natural capital requires an understanding of the complexity of flows of ecosystem services across geographic boundaries. Failing to understand and to incorporate these flows into national and international ecosystem assessments leads to incomplete and potentially skewed conclusions, impairing society’s ability to identify sustainable management and policy choices. In this paper, we synthesise existing knowledge and develop a conceptual framework for analysing interregional ecosystem service flows. We synthesise the types of such flows, the characteristics of sending and receiving socio-ecological systems, and the impacts of ecosystem service flows on interregional sustainability. Using four cases (trade of certified coffee, migration of northern pintails, flood protection in the Danube watershed, and information on giant pandas), we test the conceptual framework and show how an enhanced understanding of interregional telecouplings in socio-ecological systems can inform ecosystem service-based decision making and governance with respect to sustainability goals.

  3. Indigenous Practices of Water Management for Sustainable Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beshah M. Behailu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the possibility of incorporating traditional water management experiences into modern water management. After the literature review, two case studies are presented from Borana and Konso communities in southern Ethiopia. The study was conducted through interviews, discussions, and observations. The two cases were selected due to their long existence. Both communities have their own water source types, depending on local hydrogeological conditions. Borana is known for the so-called Ella (wells and Konso for Harta (ponds, which have been managed for more than five centuries. All government and development partners strive to achieve sustainable services in water supply and sanitation. Therefore, they design various management packages to engage the communities and keep the systems sustainable. However, the management components are often designed with little attention to local customs and traditions. The cases in the two communities show that traditional knowledge is largely ignored when replaced by modern one. However, the concepts of cost recovery, ownership experience, equity, enforcement, integrity, and unity, which are highly pronounced in modern systems, can also be found in the traditional water managements of Borana and Konso. Naturally, one shoe never fits all. Borana and Konso experiences are working for their own community. This research implies that when we plan a project or a program for a particular community, the starting point should be the indigenous practices and thoughts on life.

  4. 42 CFR 441.484 - Financial management services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Financial management services. 441.484 Section 441... Optional Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services Program § 441.484 Financial management services. (a) States may choose to provide financial management services to participants, or their representatives, as...

  5. Cloud services, networking, and management

    CERN Document Server

    da Fonseca, Nelson L S

    2015-01-01

    Cloud Services, Networking and Management provides a comprehensive overview of the cloud infrastructure and services, as well as their underlying management mechanisms, including data center virtualization and networking, cloud security and reliability, big data analytics, scientific and commercial applications. Special features of the book include: State-of-the-art content. Self-contained chapters for readers with specific interests. Includes commercial applications on Cloud (video services and games).

  6. Effectiveness of Case Management for Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vet, Renée; van Luijtelaar, Maurice J. A.; Brilleslijper-Kater, Sonja N.; Vanderplasschen, Wouter; Beijersbergen, Mariëlle D.

    2013-01-01

    We reviewed the literature on standard case management (SCM), intensive case management (ICM), assertive community treatment (ACT), and critical time intervention (CTI) for homeless adults. We searched databases for peer-reviewed English articles published from 1985 to 2011 and found 21 randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies comparing case management to other services. We found little evidence for the effectiveness of ICM. SCM improved housing stability, reduced substance use, and removed employment barriers for substance users. ACT improved housing stability and was cost-effective for mentally ill and dually diagnosed persons. CTI showed promise for housing, psychopathology, and substance use and was cost-effective for mentally ill persons. More research is needed on how case management can most effectively support rapid-rehousing approaches to homelessness. PMID:23947309

  7. MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BARBU MARIA-MAGDALENA

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The offer of medical services depends on medical personnel and more than this, on the management in the medical field since any resource not managed well or not managed at all is only a lost one, regardless its value. Management is therefore the key, the

  8. Managing bay and estuarine ecosystems for multiple services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Needles, Lisa A.; Lester, Sarah E.; Ambrose, Richard; Andren, Anders; Beyeler, Marc; Connor, Michael S.; Eckman, James E.; Costa-Pierce, Barry A.; Gaines, Steven D.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Lenihan, Junter S.; Parrish, Julia; Peterson, Mark S.; Scaroni, Amy E.; Weis, Judith S.; Wendt, Dean E.

    2013-01-01

    Managers are moving from a model of managing individual sectors, human activities, or ecosystem services to an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach which attempts to balance the range of services provided by ecosystems. Applying EBM is often difficult due to inherent tradeoffs in managing for different services. This challenge particularly holds for estuarine systems, which have been heavily altered in most regions and are often subject to intense management interventions. Estuarine managers can often choose among a range of management tactics to enhance a particular service; although some management actions will result in strong tradeoffs, others may enhance multiple services simultaneously. Management of estuarine ecosystems could be improved by distinguishing between optimal management actions for enhancing multiple services and those that have severe tradeoffs. This requires a framework that evaluates tradeoff scenarios and identifies management actions likely to benefit multiple services. We created a management action-services matrix as a first step towards assessing tradeoffs and providing managers with a decision support tool. We found that management actions that restored or enhanced natural vegetation (e.g., salt marsh and mangroves) and some shellfish (particularly oysters and oyster reef habitat) benefited multiple services. In contrast, management actions such as desalination, salt pond creation, sand mining, and large container shipping had large net negative effects on several of the other services considered in the matrix. Our framework provides resource managers a simple way to inform EBM decisions and can also be used as a first step in more sophisticated approaches that model service delivery.

  9. Organisation of services for managing ADHD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coghill, D R

    2017-10-01

    There is considerable variation in practice, both between and with different countries in the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whilst there is no one optimal model of service organisation there are general principles of care that can be introduced to reduce this variability. There are frequent debates and discussions about which professional group is best placed to manage ADHD at different points in the life cycle. Who delivers care is however less important than ensuring that training schemes provide adequate exposure, training and experience to both the core and non-core skills required to provide a comprehensive package of care. Most evidence-based guidelines recommend a multi-modal, multi-professional and multi-agency approach. Many also promote the use of both stepped care and shared care approaches for the management of ADHD. As most of those with ADHD continue to have ADHD-related problems into adulthood, it is important to consider how best to transition care into adulthood and think about who should deliver care to adults with ADHD. Young people with ADHD should generally be transferred to adult mental health services if they continue to have significant symptoms of ADHD or other coexisting conditions that require treatment. Unfortunately services for adults with ADHD remain relatively scarce across much of the world and some adult psychiatrists remain unsure of the diagnosis and uncertain about the appropriate use of ADHD medications in adults, but there is a strong case for increased services for adults. ADHD is on the one hand easy to treat; it is much more difficult to treat well. Although optimised care for ADHD requires routine measurement of outcomes, this often does not happen in routine clinical practice. Focusing on optimising symptoms and minimising adverse effects can significantly improve both short- and long-term outcomes.

  10. Waste management: products and services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    A number of products and services related to radioactive waste management are described. These include: a portable cement solidification system for waste immobilization; spent fuel storage racks; storage and transport flasks; an on-site low-level waste storage facility; supercompactors; a mobile waste retrieval and encapsulation plant; underwater crushers; fuel assembly disposal; gaseous waste management; environmental restoration and waste management services; a waste treatment consultancy. (UK)

  11. Case management after long-term absence from work in China: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Dan; Yu, Ignatius Tak Sun; Luo, Xiaoyuan; Liang, Youxin; He, Yonghua

    2011-03-01

    Return-to-work (RTW) after occupational injuries is an important and challenging issue. Case managers are expected to play a vital role in successful RTW. In China, RTW intervention is in its early phase and requires further research and practice. This case report describes Mr. H's RTW process for illustrating the work of a case management team in China. Suggestions on developing and optimizing the process in China are given. After 9 years of absence from work due to severe burn injuries at work, Mr. H was referred for RTW interventions. Mr. H received social and occupational rehabilitation services of 3 months, and the following workplace visits and work trials. After the job placement, the case manager continued the liaison with the worker and employer. Mr. H showed positive changes in occupational and social adjustment after the case management interventions. This was reflected from the shift from the contemplation to action stage on the Lam Assessment of Stages of Employment Readiness. Despite he did not show significant changes on functional capacity and fear avoidance beliefs, Mr. H passed the job credential test and was offered a maintenance technician position at a new company. Both the worker and the employer were satisfied with the outcome of the case management. The RTW interventions carried out by the case managers appeared to be effective within the Chinese system. The results suggested that professional training of case managers, RTW-related policies and technological standards, early integrated interventions should be further developed in China. Disability Adjustment Group Therapy and RTW Support Groups perhaps are useful approaches in workers' returning to work.

  12. 76 FR 63351 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the appointment of members to the Financial Management Service (FMS) Performance Review Board (PRB...

  13. 77 FR 60177 - Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Senior Executive Service; Financial Management Service Performance Review Board (PRB) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the appointment of members to the Financial Management Service (FMS) Performance Review Board (PRB...

  14. Gamification in personnel management of sport – recreation service companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Widawska-Stanisz

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this article was the presentation of the essence of gamification and focusing on the potential which is in this management tool. The special attention was paid to the possibility of creation gamification program proper for using in the case of service personnel management of sport – recreation companies, used for building the personnel engagement and motivating to more effective and productive work.

  15. INCREASING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE : Case Service Desk

    OpenAIRE

    Åhlgren, Niklas

    2014-01-01

    The topic of this thesis was to study how service quality is formed and to use this outcome to improve the quality of an IT service desk. The goal was to bring value to the customers and to the company by orienting the service desk personnel towards better service quality. By giving the service desk personnel a better understanding of the business process, customer relationship management and service quality the employees would gain more insight in to their own importance when it comes to imp...

  16. Predominantly Electronic or Personal Service Delivery? A Case in the Wealth Management Context

    OpenAIRE

    Sunikka, Anne

    2009-01-01

    Financial services have been a recurrent subject of a multichannel inquiry but investigation into the wealth management area is scarce. This paper intends to fill the gap and presents the results of a questionnaire directed at customers of a financial conglomerate. The objective of this research is to examine which variables influence consumers’ channel preferences in the wealth management context,and to find out possible differences between the customers who prefer predominantly electronic s...

  17. Forging New Service Paths: Institutional Approaches to Providing Research Data Management Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina Raboin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This paper describes three different institutional experiences in developing research data management programs and services, challenges/opportunities and lessons learned.Overview: This paper is based on the Librarian Panel Discussion during the 4th Annual University of Massachusetts and New England Region e-Science Symposium. Librarians representing large public and private research universities presented an overview of service models developed at their respective organizations to bring support for data management and eScience to their communities. The approaches described include two library-based, integrated service models and one collaboratively-staffed, center-based service model.Results: Three institutions describe their experiences in creating the organizational capacity for research data management support services. Although each institutional approach is unique, common challenges include garnering administrative support, managing the integration of services with new or existing staff structures, and continuing to meet researchers needs as they evolve.Conclusions: There is no one way to provide research data management services, but any staff position, committee, or formalized center reflects an overarching organizational commitment to data management support.

  18. Understanding the co-production of public services: the case of asylum seekers in Glasgow

    OpenAIRE

    Strokosch, Kirsty

    2013-01-01

    This thesis explores the co-production of public services in the case of asylum seekers in Glasgow. It makes contributions on the theoretical and empirical levels. First, it integrates two theoretical standpoints on co-production from the public administration/management and services management literatures. This integration forms the basis for the development of an original conceptual framework which differentiates three modes of co-production at the level of the individual ser...

  19. Towards Alliance Performance Management in Service Logistics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Keers

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the management of stakeholder values for alliance success. A multiple-case study method is used to analyze – within six organizations attempting to form alliances – how the management of inter-organizational dimensions of stakeholder value adds to the success of an alliance business strategy. Our study focuses on the establishment of vertical service alliances within the Dutch maritime sector, including private-private as well as public-private initiatives. The findings point toward the usefulness of developing an inter-organizational success map. Because of its comprehensive multi-stakeholder orientation, a success map can be used by alliance managers to understand management’s considerations, including the trade-offs among an alliance’s various performance drivers. This new conceptual thinking can enhance research and best practices on inter-organizational design.

  20. 7 CFR 226.21 - Food service management companies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Food service management companies. 226.21 Section 226... § 226.21 Food service management companies. (a) Any institution may contract with a food service management company. An institution which contracts with a food service management company shall remain...

  1. Case management information systems: how to put the pieces together now and beyond year 2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, Pamela

    2002-01-01

    The case management process is a critical management and operational component in the delivery of customer services across the patient care continuum. Case management has transcended time and will continue to be a viable infrastructure process for successful organizations in the future. A key component of the case management infrastructure is information systems and technology support. Case management challenges include effective deployment and use of systems and technology. As more sophisticated, integrated systems are made available, case managers can use these tools to continue to expand effectively beyond the patient's episodic event to provide greater levels of cradle-to-grave management of healthcare. This article explores methods for defining case management system needs and identifying automation options available to the case manager.

  2. The impact of staff case manager-case management supervisor relationship on job satisfaction and retention of RN case managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogan, Tierney D

    2005-01-01

    A positive relationship between staff RN case managers and their case management supervisor significantly impacts job satisfaction and retention in case managers. Literature review supports the premise that staff need to trust their supervisor and that there is a connection between this trust and job satisfaction. Staff case managers need to have a voice at work and feel empowered, and a supervisor's leadership style can influence job satisfaction and retention in their staff.

  3. Protease inhibitors: changing the way AIDS case management does business.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merithew, M A; Davis-Satterla, L

    2000-09-01

    The purpose of the qualitative evaluation study discussed in this article was to examine the AIDS case management model under which five nonprofit AIDS service organizations (ASOs) in Midcity were operating. The study was organized around 40 qualitative interviews with executive directors, directors, and case managers. The finding was that AIDS case management is evolving to accommodate the changing environmental/contextual conditions that have resulted from combination drug therapies (protease inhibitors) introduced in 1996. The agencies are responding to the changes individually rather than as a network, and responses vary among the agencies. Institutional theory, an examination of the interconnectedness of clients, the ASOs, and their environmental context guided the analysis of the findings.

  4. The role of interagency collaboration in "joined-up" case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grace, Marty; Coventry, Louise; Batterham, Deb

    2012-03-01

    This article reports on research into the relationships that a group of case managers formed with local service providers in order to deliver integrated, "joined-up" services to young people experiencing homelessness and unemployment in the state of Victoria, Australia. Using a two-part customized survey tool, we explored the number and nature of relationships with other agencies. Two focus group discussions contributed to the interpretation of the survey findings. We found that these case managers maintained many relationships, mostly with housing and employment service providers. These relationships were predominantly cooperative in nature, and most could not easily be characterized as collaborative. Our research supports the view that, in an increasingly complex social service system, other forms of cooperation are usually appropriate for achieving the types of interorganizational relationships that are important to assist shared clients. Furthermore, this research supports the notion of a relationship continuum, finding that ratings of relationship elements were positively correlated with relationship type. This research indicates the importance of considering the pragmatic, contextual and situated practices that comprise interagency relationships, their fitness for purpose and the importance of cooperation for effective service provision.

  5. Manager, Technology Services | IDRC - International Development ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    The Manager, Technology Services (TS) manages IT operations and technical support. ... while ensuring high levels of customer service quality and availability. .... Represents the division and Centre during internal and external meetings, ...

  6. Social Customer Relationship Management: Proposal for SCRM for an IT Services Company

    OpenAIRE

    Das, Malay

    2012-01-01

    This research paper explores the advances in the area of Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) and selectively applies the best practices to the case company, an IT services company based in Finland. An IT services company, being B2B by nature, has its unique needs and constraints as far as CRM is concerned and distinctly different require-ments when Social aspects are involved. The paper attempts to propose a workable oper-ating model to the case company, which already has a CRM sys...

  7. Quality Management and Innovation in Information Services - The case study of the Documentation Services of the University of Minho

    OpenAIRE

    Guedes, Susana

    2008-01-01

    [The present paper is based on a curricular traineeship, part of the Degree in Information Science, under the theme of the implementation of Quality Management Systems, occurred at the Documentation Services of the University of Minho (SDUM).] The SDUM have their main purpose in providing the best resources, services and easy access to all the community of the University of Minho (formed by students of several areas, teachers, collaborators and investigators). In or...

  8. Project management case studies

    CERN Document Server

    Kerzner, Harold R

    2013-01-01

    A new edition of the most popular book of project management case studies, expanded to include more than 100 cases plus a ""super case"" on the Iridium Project Case studies are an important part of project management education and training. This Fourth Edition of Harold Kerzner''s Project Management Case Studies features a number of new cases covering value measurement in project management. Also included is the well-received ""super case,"" which covers all aspects of project management and may be used as a capstone for a course. This new edition:Contains 100-plus case studies drawn from re

  9. Understanding case mix across three paediatric services: could integration of primary and secondary general paediatrics alter walk-in emergency attendances?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, Lloyd; Coote, Nicky; Klaber, Robert; Watson, Mando; Coren, Michael

    2018-05-04

    To understand the case mix of three different paediatric services, reasons for using an acute paediatric service in a region of developing integrated care and where acute attendances could alternatively have been managed. Mixed methods service evaluation, including retrospective review of referrals to general paediatric outpatients (n=534) and a virtual integrated service (email advice line) (n=474), as well as a prospective survey of paediatric ambulatory unit (PAU) attendees (n=95) and review by a paediatric consultant/registrar to decide where these cases could alternatively have been managed. The case mix of outpatient referrals and the email advice line was similar, but the case mix for PAU was more acute.The most common parental reasons for attending PAU were referral by a community health professional (27.2%), not being able to get a general practitioner (GP) appointment when desired (21.7%), wanting to avoid accident and emergency (17.4%) and wanting specialist paediatric input (14.1%). More than half of PAU presentations were deemed most appropriate for community management by a GP or midwife. The proportion of cases suitable for community management varied by the reason for attendance, with it highestl for parents reporting not being able to get a GP appointment (85%), and lowest for those referred by community health professionals (29%). One in two attendances to acute paediatric services could have been managed in the community. Integration of paediatric services could help address parental reasons for attending acute services, as well as facilitating the community management of chronic conditions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  10. The Finnish healthcare services lean management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hihnala, Susanna; Kettunen, Lilja; Suhonen, Marjo; Tiirinki, Hanna

    2018-02-05

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss health services managers' experiences of management in a special health-care unit and development efforts from the point of view of the Lean method. Additionally, the aim is to deepen the knowledge of the managers' work and nature of the Lean method development processes in the workplace. The research focuses on those aspects and results of Lean method that are currently being used in health-care environments. Design/methodology/approach These data were collected through a number of thematic interviews. The participants were nurse managers ( n = 7) and medical managers ( n = 7) who applied Lean management in their work at the University Hospital in the Northern Ostrobothnia Health Care District. The data were analysed with a qualitative content analysis. Findings A common set of values in specialized health-care services, development of activities and challenges for management in the use of the Lean manager development model to improve personal management skills. Practical implications Managers in specialized health-care services can develop and systematically manage with the help of the Lean method. This emphasizes assumptions, from the point of view of management, about systems development when the organization uses the Lean method. The research outcomes originate from specialized health-care settings in Finland in which the Lean method and its associated management principles have been implemented and applied to the delivery of health care. Originality/value The study shows that the research results and in-depth knowledge on Lean method principles can be applied to health-care management and development processes. The research also describes health services managers' experiences of using the Lean method. In the future, these results can be used to improve Lean management skills, identify personal professional competencies and develop skills required in development processes. Also, the research findings can be used

  11. Real-time GIS data model and sensor web service platform for environmental data management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Jianya; Geng, Jing; Chen, Zeqiang

    2015-01-09

    Effective environmental data management is meaningful for human health. In the past, environmental data management involved developing a specific environmental data management system, but this method often lacks real-time data retrieving and sharing/interoperating capability. With the development of information technology, a Geospatial Service Web method is proposed that can be employed for environmental data management. The purpose of this study is to determine a method to realize environmental data management under the Geospatial Service Web framework. A real-time GIS (Geographic Information System) data model and a Sensor Web service platform to realize environmental data management under the Geospatial Service Web framework are proposed in this study. The real-time GIS data model manages real-time data. The Sensor Web service platform is applied to support the realization of the real-time GIS data model based on the Sensor Web technologies. To support the realization of the proposed real-time GIS data model, a Sensor Web service platform is implemented. Real-time environmental data, such as meteorological data, air quality data, soil moisture data, soil temperature data, and landslide data, are managed in the Sensor Web service platform. In addition, two use cases of real-time air quality monitoring and real-time soil moisture monitoring based on the real-time GIS data model in the Sensor Web service platform are realized and demonstrated. The total time efficiency of the two experiments is 3.7 s and 9.2 s. The experimental results show that the method integrating real-time GIS data model and Sensor Web Service Platform is an effective way to manage environmental data under the Geospatial Service Web framework.

  12. Integrating complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream healthcare services: the perspectives of health service managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Judy; Adams, Jon

    2014-05-22

    Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly included within mainstream integrative healthcare (IHC) services. Health service managers are key stakeholders central to ensuring effective integrative health care services. Yet, little research has specifically investigated the role or perspective of health service managers with regards to integrative health care services under their management. In response, this paper reports findings from an exploratory study focusing exclusively on the perspectives of health service managers of integrative health care services in Australia regarding the role of CAM within their service and the health service managers rational for incorporating CAM into clinical care. Health service managers from seven services were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the health service managers. The services addressed trauma and chronic conditions and comprised: five community-based programs including drug and alcohol rehabilitation, refugee mental health and women's health; and two hospital-based specialist services. The CAM practices included in the services investigated included acupuncture, naturopathy, Western herbal medicine and massage. Findings reveal that the health service managers in this study understand CAM to enhance the holistic capacity of their service by: filling therapeutic gaps in existing healthcare practices; by treating the whole person; and by increasing healthcare choices. Health service managers also identified CAM as addressing therapeutic gaps through the provision of a mind-body approach in psychological trauma and in chronic disease management treatment. Health service managers describe the addition of CAM in their service as enabling patients who would otherwise not be able to afford CAM to gain access to these treatments thereby increasing healthcare choices. Some health service managers expressly align the notion of treating the whole person

  13. Implementation of customer relationship management and its advantages : Case company Forchem Oy

    OpenAIRE

    Puiseva, Maiju

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this thesis was to bring out the key issues of the concept of customer relationship management and study its implementation and advantages in the case company. The topic of the thesis was assigned by the case company. Their objective was to understand customer relationship management better and to develop it to be one of the business processes. Theoretical part of the thesis studied customer service and customer relationship management and the importance of those. Theoretica...

  14. Storage Manager and File Transfer Web Services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    William A Watson III; Ying Chen; Jie Chen; Walt Akers

    2002-01-01

    Web services are emerging as an interesting mechanism for a wide range of grid services, particularly those focused upon information services and control. When coupled with efficient data transfer services, they provide a powerful mechanism for building a flexible, open, extensible data grid for science applications. In this paper we present our prototype work on a Java Storage Resource Manager (JSRM) web service and a Java Reliable File Transfer (JRFT) web service. A java client (Grid File Manager) on top of JSRM and is developed to demonstrate the capabilities of these web services. The purpose of this work is to show the extent to which SOAP based web services are an appropriate direction for building a grid-wide data management system, and eventually grid-based portals

  15. ITIL Based Service Level Management if SLAs Cover Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomas Feglar

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Current level of information technology creates new perspectives for more IT service oriented market. Quality of these services requires slightly different approach then was applied for products including software. No IT services are delivered and supported in risk free environment. Risks would be considered consistently with IT services quality gaps from Service Level Management (SLM perspective. SLM is one of ITIL modules that are widely used within the IT service industry. We identified some weaknesses in how SLM is developed in ITIL environment if service level agreement (SLA has cover Security. We argue that in such cases Architecture modeling and risk assessment approach let us effectively control analytical effort that relates to risks identification and understanding. Risk driven countermeasures designed in a next step (Risk treatment have significant impact to the SLM especially from responsibility perspective. To demonstrate SLM's importance in real practice we analyze SLA synthesize process in CCI (Cyber Critical Infrastructure environment.

  16. [Implementation and evaluation of case management in Catalonia: the ISP-SMD program].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balsera Gómez, J; Rodríguez Medina, C; Caba Calvet, R; Vega Prada, R; Ruiz Ureña, H; Berruezo Ortiz, L; Clusa Gironella, D; Rodríguez Montes, M J; Haro Abad, J M

    2002-01-01

    The pilot study of the Individualized Service Program for people with Severe Mental Disorders (ISP-SMD) consists of the implementation of case management services in Catalonia. The ISP-SMD has been implemented in two health care sectors and will be expanded to the rest of Catalonia in the next years. The program serves people with persistent mental disorders who have serious social or family problems and/or who have inadequate mental health service use (high use of inpatient services, no use of community services). The ISP-SMD is a community intervention program that focuses its activities on direct care and coordination between services. Thirty patients have been included in the evaluation. The results of the pilot study have shown that, compared to the year before entering the program, the patients show better clinical status, they decrease their unmet need level, they have more appropriate use of health services and have lower treatment costs. Satisfaction of the patients, family members and professionals with the program is very high. It is possible to adapt and implement case management services in Catalonia. When implemented, they improve patient quality of life.

  17. 75 FR 4451 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Final Rule-Management of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Final Rule--Management of Federal Agency Disbursements. AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management...

  18. Another look at roles and functions: has hospital case management lost its way?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, John J

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the roles, functions, and types of activities that hospital case managers engage in on a day-to-day basis and that leverage the most amounts of time. Previous studies superimpose a priori categories on research tools. Hospital case management. This study analyzes 4,064 spontaneous, unstructured list serve postings from the American Case Management Association Learning Link list serve from August 15, 2011, to August 18, 2012. The study group was a cross section of 415 case management professionals. The data suggest that hospital case managers' time is inordinately leveraged by issues related to observation status/leveling of patients and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services compliance. The data also suggest that hospital case management has taken a conceptual trajectory that has deviated significantly from what was initially conceived (quality, advocacy, and care coordination) and what is publicly purported. Case management education and practical orientation will need to be commensurate with this emerging emphasis. Case management leadership will need to be adept at mitigating the stresses of role confusion, role conflict, and role ambiguity.

  19. Case Management Directors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bankston White, Cheri; Birmingham, Jackie

    2015-01-01

    Purpose and Objectives: Case management directors are in a dynamic position to affect the transition of care of patients across the continuum, work with all levels of providers, and support the financial well-being of a hospital. Most importantly, they can drive good patient outcomes. Although the position is critical on many different levels, there is little to help guide a new director in attending to all the “moving parts” of such a complex role. This is Part 2 of a two-part article written for case management directors, particularly new ones. Part 1 covered the first 4 of 7 tracks: (1) Staffing and Human Resources, (2) Compliance and Accreditation, (3) Discharge Planning and (4) Utilization Review and Revenue Cycle. Part 2 addresses (5) Internal Departmental Relationships (Organizational), (6) External Relationships (Community Agency), and (7) Quality and Program Outcomes. This article attempts to answer the following questions: Are case management directors prepared for an expanded role that affects departments and organizations outside of their own?How does a case management director manage the transition of care of patients while managing required relationships outside the department?How does the director manage program outcomes in such a complex department? Primary Practice Setting: The information is most meaningful to those case management directors who work in either stand-alone hospitals or integrated health systems and have frontline case managers (CMs) reporting to them. Findings/Conclusions: Part 1 found that case management directors would benefit from further research and documentation of “best practices” related to their role, particularly in the areas of leadership and management. The same conclusion applies to Part 2, which addresses the director's responsibilities outside her immediate department. Leadership and management skills apply as well to building strong, productive relationships across a broad spectrum of external organizations

  20. Approaches to child protection case management for cases involving people with disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lightfoot, Elizabeth B; LaLiberte, Traci L

    2006-04-01

    This exploratory study examines the delivery of child protection services by county child protection agencies involving cases with a family member with a disability. Telephone surveys were conducted with the directors or their designees of 89% of the child protection agencies in a Midwestern state. Respondents were asked about the policies and/or procedures for approaching cases involving a person with a disability and the barriers and strengths agencies have in serving people with disabilities. Only 6.7% of respondents reported their agency had a written policy related to serving persons with a disability. There were 18 different approaches to serving clients with a disability within child protection, with the most common being informally teaming for information, dual case assignment, and teaming with an outside consultant. Five counties had specialty workers who were experts in both child protection and disability. Barriers reported varied between rural and non-rural counties, with the most important barriers being lack of resources, lack of knowledge regarding disabilities, systems conflicts, and rural issues, such as lack of providers and lack of transportation. Strengths included accessing and coordinating services, individualizing services, good collaboration and creativity. While few county agencies had any written policies, both formal and informal collaboration is happening at the individual level. The lack of standardization in providing services indicates a need for more attention to issues regarding disability within child protection, including more training for workers, the development of models of collaborative case management and the removal of systemic barriers.

  1. Nurse Case Managers' Experiences on Case Management for Long-term Hospitalization in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinjoo Oh, Ph.D., RN, GNP

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The implementation of case management for long-term hospitalization use has been approved for controlling medical cost increases in other countries. But, introduction of the case management in Korea has created issues that hinder its effective operation. This qualitative study aimed to obtain further understanding of the issues surrounding the management of Medical Aid beneficiaries' use of long-term hospitalization from the case managers' perspectives and to provide suggestions for successful case management. Methods: Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. Medical Aid case managers with 3 or more years of case management experience were recruited from urban, suburban, and rural regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews: 12 nurse case managers participated in focus group interviews and 11 participated in individual one-on-one interviews. Results: Four major themes emerged: on-site obstacles that hinder work progress; going in an opposite direction; ambiguous position of case managers; and work-related emotions. Eleven subthemes were discovered: chasing potential candidates; becoming an enemy; discharging patients who have nowhere to go; welfare-centered national policies increasing medical costs; Medical Aid Program that encourages hospitalization; misuse of hospitalization; feeling limited; working without authority; fulfilling the expected role; fretting about social criticism; and feeling neglected and unprotected. Conclusion: The findings highlight the complexity and ambiguity of the issues faced by case managers. Successful management of Medical Aid resources requires the orchestrated efforts and collaboration of multiple stakeholders. More systematized support and resources for nurse case managers are essential to fully implement this nursing innovation in Korea. Keywords: case management, focus groups, hospitalization, qualitative research, vulnerable populations

  2. [Incidence of acute agitation and variation in acute agitation management by emergency services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casado Flórez, Isabel; Sánchez Santos, Luis; Rodríguez Calzada, Rafael; Rico-Villademoros, Fernando; Roset Arissó, Pere; Corral Torres, Ervigio

    2017-07-01

    To describe the management of acute agitation by Spanish emergency medical services (EMS) and assess the incidence of acute agitation. Observational descriptive study based on aggregate data from unpublished internal EMS reports. Seven participating emergency services received 4 306 213 emergency calls in 2013; 111 599 (2.6%, or 6.2 calls per 1000 population) were categorized as psychiatric emergencies. A total of 84 933 interventions (4.2%, or 4 per 1000 population) were required; 37 951 of the calls concerned agitated patients (1.9%, or 2 cases per 1000 population). Only 3 EMS mandated a specific procedure for their responders to use in such cases. The agitated patient is a common problem for EMS responders. Few teams apply specific procedures for managing these patients.

  3. 7 CFR 210.16 - Food service management companies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Food service management companies. 210.16 Section 210... Authority Participation § 210.16 Food service management companies. (a) General. Any school food authority... management company to manage its food service operation in one or more of its schools. However, no school or...

  4. E-Service Quality Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batagan, Lorena; Pocovnicu, Adrian; Capisizu, Sergiu

    2009-01-01

    A characteristic of today's society is the increasing use of modern information and communication technologies in all areas. Computer applications, called e-services, are being developed to provide efficient access to services, electronically. Quality management systems are needed to provide a consistent way to select, evaluate, prioritize and…

  5. Nurse Case Managers' Experiences on Case Management for Long-term Hospitalization in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Jinjoo; Oh, Seieun

    2017-12-01

    The implementation of case management for long-term hospitalization use has been approved for controlling medical cost increases in other countries. But, introduction of the case management in Korea has created issues that hinder its effective operation. This qualitative study aimed to obtain further understanding of the issues surrounding the management of Medical Aid beneficiaries' use of long-term hospitalization from the case managers' perspectives and to provide suggestions for successful case management. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. Medical Aid case managers with 3 or more years of case management experience were recruited from urban, suburban, and rural regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews: 12 nurse case managers participated in focus group interviews and 11 participated in individual one-on-one interviews. Four major themes emerged: on-site obstacles that hinder work progress; going in an opposite direction; ambiguous position of case managers; and work-related emotions. Eleven subthemes were discovered: chasing potential candidates; becoming an enemy; discharging patients who have nowhere to go; welfare-centered national policies increasing medical costs; Medical Aid Program that encourages hospitalization; misuse of hospitalization; feeling limited; working without authority; fulfilling the expected role; fretting about social criticism; and feeling neglected and unprotected. The findings highlight the complexity and ambiguity of the issues faced by case managers. Successful management of Medical Aid resources requires the orchestrated efforts and collaboration of multiple stakeholders. More systematized support and resources for nurse case managers are essential to fully implement this nursing innovation in Korea. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. 38 CFR 13.55 - Veterans Service Center Manager to select and appoint or recommend for appointment the person or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Manager to select and appoint or recommend for appointment the person or legal entity to receive....55 Veterans Service Center Manager to select and appoint or recommend for appointment the person or.... The Veterans Service Center Manager is authorized to select and appoint (or in the case of a court...

  7. Managing Relationship-driven Competence Dynamics in Professional Service Organisations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skaates, Maria Anne; Seppänen, Veikko

    2002-01-01

    Client relations play a major role in the competence development of professional service providers. However mutuality and particularity are also key concerns in providers' client relationships. Therefore four inter-linked frameworks for classifying relationship-related competence dynamics...... at the levels of the organisation, relationship, and network of relationships are presented. The frameworks are illustrated in a case concerning fault diagnosis software projects undertaken by Finnish contractual R&D provider VTT Electronics. Finally, suggestions are made concerning the use of the frameworks...... by managers of professional service organisations to develop an increased understanding of their own client relationship-specific competence dynamics....

  8. Adaptive management for ecosystem services (j/a) | Science ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Management of natural resources for the production of ecosystem services, which are vital for human well-being, is necessary even when there is uncertainty regarding system response to management action. This uncertainty is the result of incomplete controllability, complex internal feedbacks, and non-linearity that often interferes with desired management outcomes, and insufficient understanding of nature and people. Adaptive management was developed to reduce such uncertainty. We present a framework for the application of adaptive management for ecosystem services that explicitly accounts for cross-scale tradeoffs in the production of ecosystem services. Our framework focuses on identifying key spatiotemporal scales (plot, patch, ecosystem, landscape, and region) that encompass dominant structures and processes in the system, and includes within- and cross-scale dynamics, ecosystem service tradeoffs, and management controllability within and across scales. Resilience theory recognizes that a limited set of ecological processes in a given system regulate ecosystem services, yet our understanding of these processes is poorly understood. If management actions erode or remove these processes, the system may shift into an alternative state unlikely to support the production of desired services. Adaptive management provides a process to assess the underlying within and cross-scale tradeoffs associated with production of ecosystem services while proceeding with manage

  9. QoS management of web services

    CERN Document Server

    Zheng, Zibin

    2013-01-01

    Quality-of-Service (QoS) is normally used to describe the non-functional characteristics of Web services and as a criterion for evaluating different Web services. QoS Management of Web Services presents an innovative QoS evaluation framework for these services. Moreover, three QoS prediction methods and two methods for creating fault-tolerant Web services are also proposed in this book. It not only provides the latest research findings, but also presents an excellent overview of the QoS management of Web services, making it a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in service computing.   Zibin Zheng is an associate research fellow at the Shenzhen Research Institute, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China. Professor Michael R. Lyu also works at the same institute.

  10. The consistency service of the ATLAS Distributed Data Management system

    CERN Document Server

    Serfon, C; The ATLAS collaboration

    2011-01-01

    With the continuously increasing volume of data produced by ATLAS and stored on the WLCG sites, the probability of data corruption or data losses, due to software and hardware failures is increasing. In order to ensure the consistency of all data produced by ATLAS a Consistency Service has been developed as part of the DQ2 Distributed Data Management system. This service is fed by the different ATLAS tools, i.e. the analysis tools, production tools, DQ2 site services or by site administrators that report corrupted or lost files. It automatically corrects the errors reported and informs the users in case of irrecoverable file loss.

  11. The Consistency Service of the ATLAS Distributed Data Management system

    CERN Document Server

    Serfon, C; The ATLAS collaboration

    2010-01-01

    With the continuously increasing volume of data produced by ATLAS and stored on the WLCG sites, the probability of data corruption or data losses, due to software and hardware failure is increasing. In order to ensure the consistency of all data produced by ATLAS a Consistency Service has been developed as part of the DQ2 Distributed Data Management system. This service is fed by the different ATLAS tools, i.e. the analysis tools, production tools, DQ2 site services or by site administrators that report corrupted or lost files. It automatically correct the errors reported and informs the users in case of irrecoverable file loss.

  12. Stormwater management and ecosystem services: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prudencio, Liana; Null, Sarah E.

    2018-03-01

    Researchers and water managers have turned to green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioswales, retention basins, wetlands, rain gardens, and urban green spaces to reduce flooding, augment surface water supplies, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality. It is increasingly clear that green stormwater infrastructure not only controls stormwater volume and timing, but also promotes ecosystem services, which are the benefits that ecosystems provide to humans. Yet there has been little synthesis focused on understanding how green stormwater management affects ecosystem services. The objectives of this paper are to review and synthesize published literature on ecosystem services and green stormwater infrastructure and identify gaps in research and understanding, establishing a foundation for research at the intersection of ecosystems services and green stormwater management. We reviewed 170 publications on stormwater management and ecosystem services, and summarized the state-of-the-science categorized by the four types of ecosystem services. Major findings show that: (1) most research was conducted at the parcel-scale and should expand to larger scales to more closely understand green stormwater infrastructure impacts, (2) nearly a third of papers developed frameworks for implementing green stormwater infrastructure and highlighted barriers, (3) papers discussed ecosystem services, but less than 40% quantified ecosystem services, (4) no geographic trends emerged, indicating interest in applying green stormwater infrastructure across different contexts, (5) studies increasingly integrate engineering, physical science, and social science approaches for holistic understanding, and (6) standardizing green stormwater infrastructure terminology would provide a more cohesive field of study than the diverse and often redundant terminology currently in use. We recommend that future research provide metrics and quantify ecosystem services, integrate disciplines to

  13. Ecosystem services in sustainable groundwater management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuinstra, Jaap; van Wensem, Joke

    2014-07-01

    The ecosystem services concept seems to get foothold in environmental policy and management in Europe and, for instance, The Netherlands. With respect to groundwater management there is a challenge to incorporate this concept in such a way that it contributes to the sustainability of decisions. Groundwater is of vital importance to societies, which is reflected in the presented overview of groundwater related ecosystem services. Classifications of these services vary depending on the purpose of the listing (valuation, protection, mapping et cetera). Though the scientific basis is developing, the knowledge-availability still can be a critical factor in decision making based upon ecosystem services. The examples in this article illustrate that awareness of the value of groundwater can result in balanced decisions with respect to the use of ecosystem services. The ecosystem services concept contributes to this awareness and enhances the visibility of the groundwater functions in the decision making process. The success of the ecosystem services concept and its contribution to sustainable groundwater management will, however, largely depend on other aspects than the concept itself. Local and actual circumstances, policy ambitions and knowledge availability will play an important role. Solutions can be considered more sustainable when more of the key elements for sustainable groundwater management, as defined in this article, are fully used and the presented guidelines for long term use of ecosystem services are respected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. [General background and practical implementation of the health management service institution in Korea].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okahara, Shintaro; Lee, Byeong-Woo; Ogasawara, Takayuki; Mori, Koji

    2014-09-01

    The Korean Occupational Safety and Health Act requires an employer with more than 50 employees to assign a health manager or an occupational physician. However, there are many cases where it is difficult for medium-scale enterprises to perform occupational health practices autonomously because their financial base is weaker than that of large-scale enterprises. The Korean Occupational Safety and Health Act was amended in 1990 so that medium-scale enterprises could entrust a health management service institution with their health management tasks. This system is similar to the outsourcing of medical examinations, occupational physicians, or the measurement of the working environment in Japan, but its legal background and actual activities are korea-specific, and it has some different points. In particular, the quality control of health management service institutions by legal and administrative regulations, and the multidisciplinary provision of services contribute to the development of occupational health in medium-scale enterprises. This will be a good reference for occupational health services in small- and medium-scale enterprises in the future in Japan.

  15. Service quality for facilities management in hospitals

    CERN Document Server

    Sui Pheng, Low

    2016-01-01

    This book examines the Facilities Management (FM) of hospitals and healthcare facilities, which are among the most complex, costly and challenging kind of buildings to manage. It presents and evaluates the FM service quality standards in Singapore’s hospitals from the patient’s perspective, and provides recommendations on how to successfully improve FM service quality and achieve higher patient satisfaction. The book also features valuable supplementary materials, including a checklist of 32 key factors for successful facilities management and another checklist of 24 service attributes for hospitals to achieve desirable service quality in connection with facilities management. The book adopts a unique approach of combining service quality and quality theory to provide a more holistic view of how FM service quality can be achieved in hospitals. It also integrates three instruments, namely the SERVQUAL model, the Kano model and the QFD model to yield empirical results from surveys for implementation in hosp...

  16. Reimbursement for pediatric diabetes intensive case management: a model for chronic diseases?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Joni K; Logan, Kathy J; Hamm, Robert M; Sproat, Scott M; Musser, Kathleen M; Everhart, Patricia D; McDermott, Harrold M; Copeland, Kenneth C

    2004-01-01

    Current reimbursement policies serve as potent disincentives for physicians who provide evaluation and management services exclusively. Such policies threaten nationwide availability of care for personnel-intensive services such as pediatric diabetes. This report describes an approach to improving reimbursement for highly specialized, comprehensive pediatric diabetes management through prospective contracting for services. The objective of this study was to determine whether pediatric diabetes intensive case management services are cost-effective to the payer, the patient, and a pediatric diabetes program. A contract with a third-party payer was created to reimburse for 3 key pediatric diabetes intensive case management components: specialty education, 24/7 telephone access to an educator (and board-certified pediatric endocrinologist as needed), and quarterly educator assessments of self-management skills. Data were collected and analyzed for 15 months after signing the contract. Within the first 15 months after the contract was signed, 22 hospital admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) occurred in 16 different patients. After hospitalizations for DKA, all 16 patients were offered participation in the program. All were followed during the subsequent 1 to 15 months of observation. Ten patients elected to participate, and 6 refused participation. Frequency of rehospitalization, emergency department visits, and costs were compared between the 2 groups. Among the 10 participating patients, there was only 1 subsequent DKA admission, whereas among the 6 who refused participation, 5 were rehospitalized for DKA on at least 1 occasion. The 10 patients who participated in the program had greater telephone contact with the team compared with those who did not (16 crisis-management calls vs 0). Costs (education, hospitalization, and emergency department visits) per participating patient were approximately 1350 dollars less than those for nonparticipating patients

  17. Using simplified Chaos Theory to manage nursing services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haigh, Carol A

    2008-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the part simplified chaos theory could play in the management of nursing services. As nursing care becomes more complex, practitioners need to become familiar with business planning and objective time management. There are many time-limited methods that facilitate this type of planning but few that can help practitioners to forecast the end-point outcome of the service they deliver. A growth model was applied to a specialist service to plot service trajectory. Components of chaos theory can play a role in forecasting service outcomes and consequently the impact upon the management of such services. The ability to (1) track the trajectory of a service and (2) manipulate that trajectory by introducing new variables can allow managers to forward plan for service development and to evaluate the effectiveness of a service by plotting its end-point state.

  18. Formal Modeling of Service Session Management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Le, V.M.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; de Goede, Leo; Almeroth, Kevin C.; Hasan, Masum

    2002-01-01

    This paper proposes a concept to apply modeling tools to Multi-Provider Telematics Service Management. The service architecture is based on the framework called “Open Service Components” which serves as building blocks to compose end-to-end telematics services in terms of service components offered

  19. Sustainable wetland management and support of ecosystem services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Loren M.; Euliss, Ned H.; Wilcox, Douglas A.; Brinson, Mark M.

    2009-01-01

    This article is a follow-up on a previous piece in the National Wetlands Newsletter in which we outlined problems associated with a static, local approach to wetland management versus an alternative that proposes a temporal and geomorphic approach (Euliss et al. 2009). We extend that concept by drawing on companion papers recently published in the journal Wetlands (Euliss et al. 2008, Smith et al. 2008). Here we highlight reasons for the failure of many managed wetlands to provide a suite of ecosystem services (e.g., carbon storage, diodiversity, ground-water recharge, contaminant filtering, floodwater storage). Our principal theme is that wetland management is best approached by giving consideration to the hydrogeomorphic processes that maintain productive ecosystems and by removing physical and social impediments to those processes. Traditional management actions are often oriented toward maintaining static conditions in wetlands without considering the temporal cycles that wetlands need to undergo or achieve productivity for specific groups of wildlife, such as waterfowl. Possibly more often, a manager's ability to influence hydrogeomorphic processes is restricted by activities in surrounding watersheds. These could be dams, for example, which do not allow management of flood-pulse processes essential to productivity of riparian systems. In most cases, sediments and nutrients associated with land use in contributing watersheds complicate management of wetlands for a suite of services, including wildlife. Economic or policy forces far-removed from a wetland often interact to prevent occurrence of basic ecosystem processes. Our message is consistent with recommendation of supply-side sustainability of Allen et al. (2002) in which ecosystems are managed "for the system that produces outputs rather than the outputs themselves."

  20. Multidisciplinary management--an opportunity for service integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, M

    1997-01-01

    The management team of the future will enter an environment requiring facilitation, participation, clinical, and empowerment skills. Those individuals who possess a clinical orientation as well as business expertise will be sought to manage multidisciplinary units. The rapid changes in the health-care environment have forced organizations to restructure their operations. To achieve quality care, customer satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency, service integration across the organization will be required. As we approach the 21st century, this standard will evolve until "all levels are managing patient care." Some of the restructuring trends occurring in the health-care industry have been collaboration service integration, management consolidation, and job elimination. The emphasis for the multidisciplinary manager of the future will include integrating the professional and clinical services, managing information, building community partnerships, promoting physician collaboration, and managing the change process. A model organization in the next century will move toward a people-oriented system with inclusion and empowerment initiatives. Service integration will affect all organizations, but the disciplines within the Clinical Support System will be the most affected. Future opportunities of leadership will exist for pathologists, nurses, or medical technologists as the professional silos of managers and clinicians continue to crumble.

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBT-p) Delivered in a Community Mental Health Setting: A Case Comparison of Clients Receiving CBT Informed Strategies by Case Managers Prior to Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivec, Harry J; Montesano, Vicki L; Skubby, David; Knepp, Kristen A; Munetz, Mark R

    2017-02-01

    This exploratory case comparison examines the influence of case management activities on engagement and progress in psychotherapy for clients with schizophrenia. Six clients were recruited to participate in ten sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBT-p). Three clients who had received Cognitive Behavioral techniques for psychosis (CBt-p, a low-intensity case management intervention) prior to receiving therapy were selected from referrals. A comparison group of three clients who had received standard case management services was selected from referrals. Cases within and across groups were compared on outcome measures and observations from case review were offered to inform future research. Delivering CBT-p services on a continuum from low- to high-intensity is discussed.

  2. The power of management in medical services. Can we manage better for higher quality and more productive medical services?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena BARBU

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Medical services are the most important services of all since we all depend on them. Their quality and productivity can assure a wealthy nation and therefore good economical results. The offer of medical services depends on medical personnel and more than this, on the management in the medical field since any resource not managed well or not managed at all is only a lost one, regardless its value. Management is therefore the key, the “how to” method of obtaining the desired result. The same approach can be applied into our study in order to reach more productive medical services which to prove high quality to all patients. We need to use and to squeeze the entire force of management tools in order to reach our goal: accessible medical services full of quality. The current worldwide crisis situation makes us think that after job and food, even medical services (also a basic thing after all can become a “luxury” although this should never happen. Therefore we must do whatever needed to improve the way medical organizations are driven so that the quality of their medical services will be better and better and the productivity will be at a higher level. Medical management should have as a goal making it possible for patients to be able to solve their health problems as soon as possible and as good as possible.

  3. A New Approach to Integrate Internet-of-Things and Software-as-a-Service Model for Logistic Systems: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shang-Liang Chen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Cloud computing is changing the ways software is developed and managed in enterprises, which is changing the way of doing business in that dynamically scalable and virtualized resources are regarded as services over the Internet. Traditional manufacturing systems such as supply chain management (SCM, customer relationship management (CRM, and enterprise resource planning (ERP are often developed case by case. However, effective collaboration between different systems, platforms, programming languages, and interfaces has been suggested by researchers. In cloud-computing-based systems, distributed resources are encapsulated into cloud services and centrally managed, which allows high automation, flexibility, fast provision, and ease of integration at low cost. The integration between physical resources and cloud services can be improved by combining Internet of things (IoT technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS technology. This study proposes a new approach for developing cloud-based manufacturing systems based on a four-layer SaaS model. There are three main contributions of this paper: (1 enterprises can develop their own cloud-based logistic management information systems based on the approach proposed in this paper; (2 a case study based on literature reviews with experimental results is proposed to verify that the system performance is remarkable; (3 challenges encountered and feedback collected from T Company in the case study are discussed in this paper for the purpose of enterprise deployment.

  4. A New Approach to Integrate Internet-of-Things and Software-as-a-Service Model for Logistic Systems: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shang-Liang; Chen, Yun-Yao; Hsu, Chiang

    2014-01-01

    Cloud computing is changing the ways software is developed and managed in enterprises, which is changing the way of doing business in that dynamically scalable and virtualized resources are regarded as services over the Internet. Traditional manufacturing systems such as supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) are often developed case by case. However, effective collaboration between different systems, platforms, programming languages, and interfaces has been suggested by researchers. In cloud-computing-based systems, distributed resources are encapsulated into cloud services and centrally managed, which allows high automation, flexibility, fast provision, and ease of integration at low cost. The integration between physical resources and cloud services can be improved by combining Internet of things (IoT) technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology. This study proposes a new approach for developing cloud-based manufacturing systems based on a four-layer SaaS model. There are three main contributions of this paper: (1) enterprises can develop their own cloud-based logistic management information systems based on the approach proposed in this paper; (2) a case study based on literature reviews with experimental results is proposed to verify that the system performance is remarkable; (3) challenges encountered and feedback collected from T Company in the case study are discussed in this paper for the purpose of enterprise deployment. PMID:24686728

  5. A new approach to integrate Internet-of-things and software-as-a-service model for logistic systems: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shang-Liang; Chen, Yun-Yao; Hsu, Chiang

    2014-03-28

    Cloud computing is changing the ways software is developed and managed in enterprises, which is changing the way of doing business in that dynamically scalable and virtualized resources are regarded as services over the Internet. Traditional manufacturing systems such as supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) are often developed case by case. However, effective collaboration between different systems, platforms, programming languages, and interfaces has been suggested by researchers. In cloud-computing-based systems, distributed resources are encapsulated into cloud services and centrally managed, which allows high automation, flexibility, fast provision, and ease of integration at low cost. The integration between physical resources and cloud services can be improved by combining Internet of things (IoT) technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology. This study proposes a new approach for developing cloud-based manufacturing systems based on a four-layer SaaS model. There are three main contributions of this paper: (1) enterprises can develop their own cloud-based logistic management information systems based on the approach proposed in this paper; (2) a case study based on literature reviews with experimental results is proposed to verify that the system performance is remarkable; (3) challenges encountered and feedback collected from T Company in the case study are discussed in this paper for the purpose of enterprise deployment.

  6. Quality Management in Project Management Consulting. A Case Study in an International Consulting Company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard-Gabriel Ceptureanu

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The present paper addresses quality management from the specific perspective of project management consulting service providers, in the framework of large infrastructure projects. Because of their supposed superiority in knowledge and experience, project management consultants have an ultimate responsibility for the proper implementing of the project. Therefore, quality management in consulting organizations should focus on critical success factors. As there is no consensus yet regarding the most important aspects of the consulting activity on which depend the achievement of the project aims, there is scope for further investigating this subject. Here, the case of a project management consulting organization involved in large infrastructure projects in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia is analyzed. Data collected through a questionnaire-based survey among international consultants and support personnel suggest that factors related to leadership style and communication skills are more closely tied to the success of the project than more technical aspects. The results constitute an empirical evidence of main success factors for specialized consulting services in project management and can be useful in improving business and project performance and achieving business excellence.

  7. Predicting use of case management support services for adolescents and adults living in community following brain injury: A longitudinal Canadian database study with implications for life care planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baptiste, B; Dawson, D R; Streiner, D

    2015-01-01

    To determine factors associated with case management (CM) service use in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), using a published model for service use. A retrospective cohort, with nested case-control design. Correlational and logistic regression analyses of questionnaires from a longitudinal community data base. Questionnaires of 203 users of CM services and 273 non-users, complete for all outcome and predictor variables. Individuals with TBI, 15 years of age and older. Out of a dataset of 1,960 questionnaires, 476 met the inclusion criteria. Eight predictor variables and one outcome variable (use or non-use of the service). Predictor variables considered the framework of the Behaviour Model of Health Service Use (BMHSU); specifically, pre-disposing, need and enabling factor groups as these relate to health service use and access. Analyses revealed significant differences between users and non-users of CM services. In particular, users were significantly younger than non-users as the older the person the less likely to use the service. Also, users had less education and more severe activity limitations and lower community integration. Persons living alone are less likely to use case management. Funding groups also significantly impact users. This study advances an empirical understanding of equity of access to health services usage in the practice of CM for persons living with TBI as a fairly new area of research, and considers direct relevance to Life Care Planning (LCP). Many life care planers are CM and the genesis of LCP is CM. The findings relate to health service use and access, rather than health outcomes. These findings may assist with development of a modified model for prediction of use to advance future cost of care predictions.

  8. Disease Management, Case Management, Care Management, and Care Coordination: A Framework and a Brief Manual for Care Programs and Staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Osman I

    2016-01-01

    With the changing landscape of health care delivery in the United States since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, health care organizations have struggled to keep pace with the evolving paradigm, particularly as it pertains to population health management. New nomenclature emerged to describe components of the new environment, and familiar words were put to use in an entirely different context. This article proposes a working framework for activities performed in case management, disease management, care management, and care coordination. The author offers standard working definitions for some of the most frequently used words in the health care industry with the goal of increasing consistency for their use, especially in the backdrop of the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services offering a "chronic case management fee" to primary care providers for managing the sickest, high-cost Medicare patients. Health care organizations performing case management, care management, disease management, and care coordination. Road map for consistency among users, in reporting, comparison, and for success of care management/coordination programs. This article offers a working framework for disease managers, case and care managers, and care coordinators. It suggests standard definitions to use for disease management, case management, care management, and care coordination. Moreover, the use of clear terminology will facilitate comparing, contrasting, and evaluating all care programs and increase consistency. The article can improve understanding of care program components and success factors, estimate program value and effectiveness, heighten awareness of consumer engagement tools, recognize current state and challenges for care programs, understand the role of health information technology solutions in care programs, and use information and knowledge gained to assess and improve care programs to design the "next generation" of programs.

  9. The impact of complaint management and service quality on organizational image: A case study at the Malaysian public university library

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Pei Kian; Mohd Suradi, Nur Riza; Saludin, Mohamad Nasir

    2013-04-01

    Service failure frequently occurs. This affects customer expectations which lead to complaint. However, not all dissatisfied customers actually complain. Without customer feedback, it would be impossible for a company to know whether they needed a change for improvement. Thus, complaint management brings a learning experience to organization in order to provide better service. Therefore, it is important to identify customer dissatisfaction through a systematic complaint handling or management. The study proposes a model of systematic complaint management which applied to academic library as a tool of service recovery. As such, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the critical success factors of complaint management towards service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and the impact to organizational image at academic library. Three academic libraries have been identified and selected for this project, the Library of Tun Sri Lanang, UKM, UTeM and UNIMAS. Using the justice theory, this study investigates the perception of customers on complaint management in terms of outcomes they receive, procedures used by organization and interpersonal treatment. In this study, there are five factors of complaint management identified, which includes speed of recovery, management system, empowerment, culture and psychology and tangible compensation. A questionnaire was designed and used as the data gathering instrument. A total of 600 respondents participated in this study. Ten hypotheses were used to test the relationships between complaint management, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and organizational image. To measure the construct relationships, Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach was used. The results show that management system (b = 0.210; p 0.05) do not influence service quality. The second part of this study uses confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to analyze and confirm the conceptual model proposed in this research

  10. Stuck in the middle: The emotional labours of case managers in the personal injury compensation system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newnam, Sharon; Petersen, Alan; Keleher, Helen; Collie, Alex; Vogel, Adam; McClure, Rod

    2016-10-17

    Case managers within injury compensation systems are confronted with various emotional demands. Employing the concept of emotional labour, this paper explores distinctive aspects of these demands. The findings are drawn from focus groups with 21 Australian case managers. Case managers work was characterised by extra-role commitments, emotional control, stress and balancing tensions arising from differing stakeholder expectations about outcomes related to compensation and return to work. By examining the experiences of case managers, the findings add to the literature on the emotional labour of front line service workers, especially with respect to the demands involved in managing the conflicting demands of work.

  11. ITIL V3 service strategy a management guide

    CERN Document Server

    Van Bon, Jan

    2008-01-01

    The Management Guides are a concise summary of the 'Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL V3'. A quick, portable reference tool to the standards used within the Service Management community. Not only includes the Lifecycle Approach but in addition covers the processes in a separate section as well. What are the key service management processes? What is the 'lifecycle' approach? English version available: June 2008 Dutch, French, Spanish, German available July 2008.

  12. Industrial Demand Management Providing Ancillary Services to the Distribution Grid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rahnama, Samira; Green, Torben; Lyhne, Casper

    2017-01-01

    A prominent feature of the future smart grid is the active participation of the consumer side in ancillary service provision. Grid operators procure ancillary services, including regulating power, voltage control, frequency control, and so on, to ensure safe, reliable, and high-quality electricity...... delivery. Consumers' involvement requires new entities and infrastructure. A so-called aggregator has been introduced as a new player to manage the services that are offered by the consumption units. This paper describes an industrial scale experimental setup for evaluating a particular type of aggregator....... The aggregator aims to provide a distribution grid service from industrial thermal loads through a direct control policy. Our specific case studies are a supermarket refrigeration system and an HVac chiller in conjunction with an ice storage, which are virtually connected to the aggregator. Practical results...

  13. Occupational therapy consultation for case managers in community mental health: exploring strategies to improve job satisfaction and self-efficacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapleau, Ann; Seroczynski, A D; Meyers, Susan; Lamb, Kristen; Haynes, Susan

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was 2-fold: (1) to examine to what extent case managers' job satisfaction and self-efficacy were impacted by the addition of an occupational therapy consultation model and (2) to identify factors that both positively and negatively impacted the occupational therapy consultation services. The study was conducted at a mental health community support program in a local homeless center. In a 2-year study, a mixed-methods design was used to study changes over time in job satisfaction and perceived self-efficacy among 14 case managers who received ongoing occupational therapy consultation. Job satisfaction and self-efficacy data were obtained using standardized questionnaires. Qualitative data related to factors impacting the consultation program were obtained using open-ended written questions, focus groups, and individual interviews. Statistically significant differences in job satisfaction and perceptions of self-efficacy were found 18 months into the study, when case managers were more actively seeking occupational therapy consultation services and were reporting improved client outcomes from occupational therapy intervention. In addition, themes related to both positive and negative factors impacting the occupational therapy consultation program were identified and provided useful data for development of future consultation services. IMPLICATION FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Results suggest that ongoing training and professional support for case managers who are paraprofessionals and/or new to mental health practice may improve job satisfaction and efficacy. Occupational therapy consultation may be helpful in developing services for health promotion, including self-care management, cognitive assessments, activity-based programming, and home safety evaluation and modification. In addition, new graduates and paraprofessional case managers working with clients who are high utilizers of services may benefit from smaller caseloads and support

  14. Assessing the whole person: case managers take a holistic approach to physical and mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Jolynne Jo; Zawalski, Sandra; Sminkey, Patrice V; Christopherson, Bruce

    2015-01-01

    Given the prevalence of mental health issues, particularly depressive disorders, in the U.S. population, professional case managers should increase their sensitivity to and awareness of mental illnesses, as well as their impact on physical health. Throughout the case management process, case managers frequently observe behaviors and symptoms such as those associated with depressive disorders. Case managers need to have, at a minimum, a working knowledge of mental and behavioral health issues and be familiar with basic screening tools. This will enable them to become more attuned to symptoms and behaviors that indicate that the individual should be further assessed and diagnosed by a physician. Across the case management spectrum, including acute care, accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes, physician practices, clinics, occupational health clinics, workers' compensation, and other settings in which case managers work with individuals (clients who receive case management services) and their families/support systems. With more than one quarter of the U.S. population affected by a depressive disorder, professional case managers who practice holistically bring together the mental and physical aspects of health. This is particularly important in a health care system and among payer sources that continue to divide the two. Case managers elevate their practice by demonstrating a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of mental and physical health and can positively influence the transdisciplinary care team to take a person-centered approach to address all health issues, in pursuit of the individual's health goals. Professional case managers must increase their understanding of mental health, becoming more aware of "red flags" that may necessitate a further evaluation and assessment by a mental health professional. They should also hone their communication skills, particularly the use of motivational interviewing techniques, to encourage

  15. Case management helps prevent criminal justice recidivism for people with serious mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leutwyler, Heather; Hubbard, Erin; Zahnd, Elaine

    2017-09-11

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how case management can decrease recidivism for people with serious mental illness (SMI) because people with SMI are at high risk for incarceration and recidivism. Design/methodology/approach Examples of successful case management models for formerly incarcerated individuals with SMI found through a secondary analysis of qualitative data and an analysis of the literature are presented. Findings Currently, no international, national, or statewide guidelines exist to ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals with SMI receive case management upon community reentry despite evidence that such services can prevent further criminal justice involvement. Recommendations include establishment of and evaluation of best practices for case management. In addition, the authors recommend additional funding for case management with the goal of greatly increasing the number of individuals with SMI leaving the criminal justice system in their ability to access adequate case management. Originality/value Providing effective case management tailored to the needs of formerly incarcerated people with SMI improves their quality of life and reduces their involvement in the criminal justice system with clear positive outcomes for public safety and public health.

  16. Management systems for service providers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolokonya, Herbert Chiwalo

    2015-02-01

    In the field of radiation safety and protection there are a number of institutions that are involved in achieving different goals and strategies. These strategies and objectives are achieved based on a number of tools and systems, one of these tools and systems is the use of a management system. This study aimed at reviewing the management system concept for Technical Service Providers in the field of radiation safety and protection. The main focus was on personal monitoring services provided by personal dosimetry laboratories. A number of key issues were found to be prominent to make the management system efficient. These are laboratory accreditation, approval; having a customer driven operating criteria; and controlling of records and good reporting. (au)

  17. Using the ecosystem services concept to analyse stakeholder involvement in wetland management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cohen-Shacham, E.; Dayan, T.; Groot, de R.S.; Beltrame, C.; Guillet, F.; Feitelson, E.

    2015-01-01

    Wetland management usually involves multiple stakeholders. This paper describes how the use of the ecosystem services (ES) concept can help to identify the main stakeholders associated with wetland conservation, using the Hula Wetland in the Sea of Galilee’s watershed as a case study. We conducted a

  18. The theoretical justification of civil service professional space management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. M. Terentiev

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The article develops the basic theoretical principles concerning the practical aspects of a civil service professional space. Development of the theoretical foundations of civil service professional space management provides for Public Administration new, more comprehensive methodological tools for adequately analysis and management of both social and professional processes in the public service, and ongoing process in the subspaces, fields and environments of all professions. Civil service professional space defines the main parameters and directions of public service, and professional environment of public authorities. As a space of common activity it requires special development and management. The author describes the content of functions for civil service professional space management, and provides appropriate practical recommendations. It is concluded that the civil service professional space should be the top point for analysis, forecasting, planning, implementation and decision-making in the civil service management in Ukraine.

  19. Operations and quality management for public service delivery improvement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulin Mbecke

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Public service management reforms have not yet contributed to poverty eradication and generally socio-economic development of many African countries. The reforms suggested and implemented to date still prove to be weak in addressing the many challenges faced by the public service in delivering goods and services to the population. The failure of the current public service management calls for a consideration of business-driven approaches and practices that facilitate effectiveness, efficiency, competitiveness and flexibility in goods and services provision. The critical social theory methodology and the literature review technique described and raised awareness on service delivery chaos in South Africa. A public service reform that focuses on operations and quality management is one of the ways of improving and sustaining service delivery in South Africa. Operations management is an essential tool for the planning, execution, control, monitoring and evaluation of production processes. Quality management, in the other hand, is essential to ensure best quality of goods and services produced by the public service within acceptable time and available resources to meet or exceed people’s expectations. The operations and quality management framework proposed in this article is a potential alternative to the current service delivery crisis in South Africa.

  20. Business Development Management and Services Area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The creation in ENSA of the new Business Development Management is meant to leverage ENSA's activities by taking advantage of the previous experience gained by the services area to have a much more active presence than before in both the national and international market for goods and services of the nuclear industry. The Management's activities go beyond the traditional, mature activity of large nuclear components manufacturing developed in ENSA since it was founded. This article details the activities of this new Management and its future projection. (Author)

  1. Nurse Case Managers' Experiences on Case Management for Long-term Hospitalization in Korea

    OpenAIRE

    Jinjoo Oh, Ph.D., RN, GNP; Seieun Oh, Ph.D., RN

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The implementation of case management for long-term hospitalization use has been approved for controlling medical cost increases in other countries. But, introduction of the case management in Korea has created issues that hinder its effective operation. This qualitative study aimed to obtain further understanding of the issues surrounding the management of Medical Aid beneficiaries' use of long-term hospitalization from the case managers' perspectives and to provide suggestions for ...

  2. The service of public services performance management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lystbæk, Christian Tang

    perspectives on the potential impact of public service performance measurement offer a range of contradictory propositions. Its alleged benefits include public assurance, better functioning of supply markets for public services, and direct improvements of public services. But the literature also demonstrates...... the existence of significant concern about the actual impact, the costs and unintended consequences associated with performance measurement.  Performance measurement and management have been part of the political agenda within the public sphere since their adoption in the post-Second World War period...... of political masters and their mistresses rather than public service. Another area of concern is the cost of performance measurement. Hood & Peters (2004:278) note that performance measurement is likely to “distract middle- and upper-level officials, create massive paperwork, and produce major unintended...

  3. Service Line Management: A New Paradigm in Health Care System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafat Rezapour Nasrabad

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Health care organizations are required to implement modern management practices and approaches due to the importance of improving quality and increasing efficiency of health care services. Service line management of healthcare services is one of the new approaches that managers of health sectors are interested in. The “service line” approach will organize the management of inpatient and outpatient in clinical services focusing on patient diagnostic clusters. Services specific in each patient diagnostic cluster will be offered by a multidisciplinary team including nurses, physicians, and so no. Accordingly, the present study aims to evaluate the features, process and benefits of service line management approach in the provision of health services. In this descriptive study, internal and external scientific database have been reviewed and the necessary data have been extracted from the latest research projects and related scientific documents. The results showed that the new management approach is based on a paradigm shift from traditional health care system management to healthcare service line management with a focus on managers’ competencies. Four specific manager’s competencies in this new management model are: conceptual, collaborative, interpersonal, and leadership competencies. Theses competencies should be developed in health system managers so as to lead to organizational excellency and improvement of health service quality. The health sector managers should strengthen these four key competencies and act on them. Then they will become effective leaders and managers in the health system.

  4. Development and validation of health service management competencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Zhanming; Howard, Peter F; Leggat, Sandra; Bartram, Timothy

    2018-04-09

    Purpose The importance of managerial competencies in monitoring and improving the performance of organisational leaders and managers is well accepted. Different processes have been used to identify and develop competency frameworks or models for healthcare managers around the world to meet different contextual needs. The purpose of the paper is to introduce a validated process in management competency identification and development applied in Australia - a process leading to a management competency framework with associated behavioural items that can be used to measure core management competencies of health service managers. Design/methodology/approach The management competency framework development study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods, implemented in four stages, including job description analysis, focus group discussions and online surveys. Findings The study confirmed that the four-stage process could identify management competencies and the framework developed is considered reliable and valid for developing a management competency assessment tool that can measure management competence amongst managers in health organisations. In addition, supervisors of health service managers could use the framework to distinguish perceived superior and average performers among managers in health organisations. Practical implications Developing the core competencies of health service managers is important for management performance improvement and talent management. The six core management competencies identified can be used to guide the design professional development activities for health service managers. Originality/value The validated management competency identification and development process can be applied in other countries and different industrial contexts to identify core management competency requirements.

  5. Attitudes to the administrative management of service patients with epilepsy and related disorders among army physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteoak, R; Findley, L J

    1986-02-01

    The case histories of ten patients suffering from epilepsy or related disorders were sent to all serving Consultant Physicians and Senior Specialists in Medicine in the Army. They were asked their opinions on the PULHEEMS Grading and restriction of duty in each case. In many cases there was a wide range of opinion on the management. Clearer guidelines concerning the diagnosis and administrative management of patients need to be drawn up to allow Service physicians to be consistent and fair to their patients.

  6. The hidden costs of self-management services in the accounting activity of a company

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Ioan TOPOR

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses relevant aspects regarding the hidden costs of self-management services in the accounting area, within the accounting department of a company. With this aim, the authors conducted a study using a questionnaire, whose results were analyzed and interpreted. The hidden costs of the self-management of business accounting services observed in the accounting department of the company have been assessed and the causes of their generating sources were identified and analyzed. The debate of these hidden costs involved the treating of notions that exist in the accounting language, but are still not sufficiently explored by the specialists in the area. We also presented and analyzed the causes of the hidden costs of self-management in the accounting activity, as well as a reporting document for failures, arising from the case study. The article ends with the authors' conclusions regarding the hidden costs of self-management services in the accounting area.

  7. Women as managers in the health services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jocelyne Kane Berman

    1989-09-01

    Full Text Available Despite their numerical superiority women do not occupy positions o f power and authority in the health services generally. This is perceived as being due to a variety of factors which prevent women from realising their ful l potential as managers. In other parts of the world, as well as in South Africa, middle class white males have dominated health services, since medicine became a form al science, usurping the traditional role of women healers. Some research indicates that women are inclined to practice “feminine " management styles. It is suggested that the femine I masculine dichotomy is artificial and that qualities which ensure effective management should not be regarded as genderlinked. Leaders in the health services should strive for interdisciplinary, mixed-gender education and training at all levels. Identification and development of management potential in women health-care professionals, role-modelling and sponsor-mentor relationships should be encouraged to allow women to acquire the full range of management skills and to achieve positions of power and authority in the health services.

  8. Developing quality indicators for community services: the case of district nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Philippa; Wye, Lesley; Horrocks, Sue; Salisbury, Chris; Sharp, Debbie

    2011-01-01

    Quality indicators exist for the acute and primary care sectors in the National Health Service (NHS), but until recently little attention has been given to measuring the quality of community services. The innovative project described in this paper attempted to address that gap. To produce a framework for developing quality indicators for Bristol Community Health services. To develop a set of initial indicators for Bristol Community Health services using the proposed framework. After familiarising ourselves with community services and NHS policy, gathering the views of stakeholders and consulting the literature on quality indicators, we designed a framework for indicator development, using the 'test' case of the district nursing service. The long list of possible indicators came from best practice guidelines for wound, diabetes and end of life care, the three conditions most commonly treated by district nurses. To narrow down this list we surveyed and held workshops with district nurses, interviewed service users by telephone and met with commissioners and senior community health managers. The final set of quality indicators for district nurses included 23 organisational and clinical process and outcome indicators and eight patient experience indicators. These indicators are now being piloted, together with two potential tools identified to capture patient reported outcomes. Developing quality indicators for community services is time consuming and resource intensive. A range of skills are needed including clinical expertise, project management and skills in evidence-based medicine. The commitment and involvement of front-line professionals is crucial.

  9. Running a postmortem service - a business case and clinical experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, Marta C.; Whitby, Elspeth; Fink, Michelle A.; Collett, Jacquelene M.; Offiah, Amaka C.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the postmortem examination is to offer answers to explain the cause and manner of death. In the case of perinatal, infant and paediatric postmortem examinations, the goal is to identify unsuspected associated features, to describe pathogenic mechanisms and new conditions, and to evaluate the clinical management and diagnosis. Additionally, the postmortem examination is useful to counsel families regarding the probability of recurrence in future pregnancies and to inform family planning. Worldwide the rate of paediatric autopsy examinations has significantly declined during the last few decades. Religious objections to postmortem dissection and organ retention scandals in the United Kingdom provided some of the impetus for a search for non-invasive alternatives to the traditional autopsy; however, until recently, imaging studies remained an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, the traditional autopsy. In 2012, Sheffield Children's Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust set up the service provision of minimally invasive fetal, perinatal and neonatal autopsy, while a postmortem imaging service has been running in Melbourne, Australia, since 2008. Here we summarise the essentials of a business case and practical British and Australian experiences in terms of the pathological and radiologic aspects of setting up a minimally invasive clinical service in the United Kingdom and of developing a clinical postmortem imaging service as a complementary tool to the traditional autopsy in Australia. (orig.)

  10. Running a postmortem service - a business case and clinical experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cohen, Marta C.; Whitby, Elspeth; Fink, Michelle A.; Collett, Jacquelene M.; Offiah, Amaka C. [Western Bank, Academic Unit of Child Health, Sheffield Children' s NHS Foundation Trust, University of Sheffield, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of the postmortem examination is to offer answers to explain the cause and manner of death. In the case of perinatal, infant and paediatric postmortem examinations, the goal is to identify unsuspected associated features, to describe pathogenic mechanisms and new conditions, and to evaluate the clinical management and diagnosis. Additionally, the postmortem examination is useful to counsel families regarding the probability of recurrence in future pregnancies and to inform family planning. Worldwide the rate of paediatric autopsy examinations has significantly declined during the last few decades. Religious objections to postmortem dissection and organ retention scandals in the United Kingdom provided some of the impetus for a search for non-invasive alternatives to the traditional autopsy; however, until recently, imaging studies remained an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, the traditional autopsy. In 2012, Sheffield Children's Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust set up the service provision of minimally invasive fetal, perinatal and neonatal autopsy, while a postmortem imaging service has been running in Melbourne, Australia, since 2008. Here we summarise the essentials of a business case and practical British and Australian experiences in terms of the pathological and radiologic aspects of setting up a minimally invasive clinical service in the United Kingdom and of developing a clinical postmortem imaging service as a complementary tool to the traditional autopsy in Australia. (orig.)

  11. A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

    OpenAIRE

    Andreea ZAMFIR

    2013-01-01

    This paper provides a knowledge-based strategic management of services model, with a view to emphasise an approach to gaining competitive advantage through knowledge, people and networking. The long-term evolution of the service organization is associated with the way in which the strategic management is practised.

  12. Knowledge Management and Reference Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gandhi, Smiti

    2004-01-01

    Many corporations are embracing knowledge management (KM) to capture the intellectual capital of their employees. This article focuses on KM applications for reference work in libraries. It defines key concepts of KM, establishes a need for KM for reference services, and reviews various KM initiatives for reference services.

  13. [Relationship Between Members Satisfaction with Service Club Management Processes and Perception of Club Management System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Frances Trigg

    A study was made to determine the relationships between (1) satisfaction of members with service club management processes and member's perception of management systems, (2) perception of service club management system to selected independent variables, and (3) satisfaction to perception of service club management systems with independent…

  14. Integrating Expert Knowledge into Mapping Ecosystem Services Trade-offs for Sustainable Forest Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrienne Grêt-Regamey

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Mountain ecosystems are highly sensitive to global change. In fact, the continued capacity of mountain regions to provide goods and services to society is threatened by the impact of environmental changes on ecosystems. Although mapping ecosystem services values is known to support sustainable resource management, the integration of spatially explicit local expert knowledge on ecosystem dynamics and social responses to global changes has not yet been integrated in the modeling process. This contribution demonstrates the importance of integrating local knowledge into the spatially explicit valuation of ecosystem services. Knowledge acquired by expert surveys flows into a GIS-based Bayesian Network for valuing forest ecosystem services under a land-use and a climate change scenario in a case study in the Swiss Alps. Results show that including expert knowledge in ecosystem services mapping not only reduces uncertainties considerably, but also has an important effect on the ecosystem services values. Particularly the iterative process between integrating expert knowledge into the modeling process and mapping ecosystem services guarantees a continuous improvement of ecosystem services values maps while opening a new way for mutual learning between scientists and stakeholders which might support adaptive resource management.

  15. SOME REFLECTIONS UPON MANAGEMENT CONSULTING AS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

    OpenAIRE

    Tomescu Ada; Botezat Elena

    2008-01-01

    Management consulting helping organizations improve their performance, primarily through the thorough analysis of existing business problems and development of plans for improvement. There is probably no activity about which the opinions are so divided as management consulting. The purpose of this paper is to make some reflections upon what role play the consulting management services as professional service to the firms and how offering these services affects the offering and delivery of oth...

  16. Pre-service and in-service capacity building: Lessons learned from the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Were, Wilson

    2014-01-01

    Background: Integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) strategy was developed by the WHO and UNICEF in the mid-1990s as a strategy to reduce under-five mortality. Aimed at countries with mortalities >40/1000 live births, it has been adopted by more than 100 countries. The strategy aims not only to improve case management skills of health workers at the primary level health facilities, but also to strengthen health systems, and to improve home and community practices to prevent common childhood illnesses. The strategy has demonstrated success in enhancing health worker performance, improved quality of clinical care for sick children and low cost care per child correctly managed, improved nutrition status among children, and reduced child mortality where fully implemented. Lessons learnt from IMCI training: IMCI capacity building in both pre-service and in-service training has often been in increasing coverage of trained health workers. In-service training. Major obstacles with in-service training include the cost of a model reliant on centralised, tutor-based training, a shortage of experienced trainers, inadequate supply of training materials, poor follow-up and support supervision, frequent attrition of trained staff, and reaching few private practitioners. Other practical difficulties include releasing essential staff for off-site training, per diem, travel and accommodation costs, and reluctance to apply locally learned skills from centralised courses. To mitigate the challenges, countries responded with a number of strategies to increase coverage. Many countries shortened the IMCI course ranging from 5 to 7 days although the content was largely not reduced, and in some cases, was even increased. A meta-analysis that examined shortened IMCI courses demonstrated that the standard course was superior in terms of health work performance. Pre-service training. This was considered as a feasible solution to increase health system coverage by IMCI trained health

  17. Factors on green service industry: Case study at AirAsia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, Muhammad-Azfar; Chew, Boon-Cheong; Hamid, Syaiful-Rizal

    2017-03-01

    Presently service organizations are challenged by fierce global competition, new technology and changing customer demands. These trends force service sectors to adapt environmental factors and places innovation at the core of their competitive strategy. On the other hand, service sectors challenge to deliver value memorable experiences and complete "service solutions" while lowering costs and keep sustainable. Despite, many studies have attempted to explore the factors that help toward environmental sustainability in the manufacturing sector, the service sector has not yet received a considerable attention in all world countries generally and in developing countries particularly. Thus, this paper aims to explore the factors that help to attain environmental sustainability in the service sector. A qualitative case study through semi-structured interview conducted with twenty managers from AirAsia to explore the factors that are related to environmental sustainability and green services. Besides, secondary data from document analysis was reviewed to gain more comprehensive understanding and triangulate the interview data. The finding of this paper emphasizes to three important factors namely institutional factors, process factors and result factors that each factor contain sustainability and innovations to promote competitive green service in the marketplace.

  18. Integrated Services Management System (ISMS): A management and decision making tool

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barber, D.S.; Brockman, D.L.; Buxton, L.D. [and others

    1995-10-01

    This document provides information concerning the Integrated Services Management System (ISMS) that was developed for the Laboratories Services Division during the period February 1994 through May 1995. ISMS was developed as a formal method for centralized management of programs within the Division. With minor modifications, this system can be adapted for management of all overhead functions at SNL or for sector level program management. Included in this document are the reasons for the creation of this system as well as the resulting benefits. The ISMS consists of six interlinked processes; Issues Management, Task/Activity Planning, Work Decision, Commitment Management, Process/Project Management, and Performance Assessment. Those processes are described in detail within this document. Additionally, lessons learned and suggestions for future improvements are indicated.

  19. Quality of care in integrated community case management services in Bugoye, Uganda: a retrospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, James S; English, Lacey; Matte, Michael; Mbusa, Rapheal; Ntaro, Moses; Bwambale, Shem; Kenney, Jessica; Siedner, Mark J; Reyes, Raquel; Lee, Patrick T; Mulogo, Edgar; Stone, Geren S

    2018-02-27

    Village health workers (VHWs) in five villages in Bugoye subcounty (Kasese District, Uganda) provide integrated community case management (iCCM) services, in which VHWs evaluate and treat malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea in children under 5 years of age. VHWs use a "Sick Child Job Aid" that guides them through the evaluation and treatment of these illnesses. A retrospective observational study was conducted to measure the quality of iCCM care provided by 23 VHWs in 5 villages in Bugoye subcounty over a 2-year period. Patient characteristics and clinical services were summarized using existing aggregate programme data. Lot quality assurance sampling of individual patient records was used to estimate adherence to the iCCM algorithm, VHW-level quality (based on adherence to the iCCM protocol), and change over time in quality of care (using generalized estimating equations regression modelling). For each of 23 VHWs, 25 patient visits were randomly selected from a 2-year period after iCCM care initiation. In these visits, 97% (150) of patients with diarrhoea were treated with oral rehydration and zinc, 95% (216) of patients with pneumonia were treated with amoxicillin, and 94% (240) of patients with malaria were treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy or rectal artesunate. However, only 44% (44) of patients with a negative rapid test for malaria were appropriately referred to a health facility. Overall, 75% (434) of patients received all the correct evaluation and management steps. Only 9 (39%) of the 23 VHWs met the pre-determined LQAS threshold for high-quality care over the 2-year observation period. Quality of care increased significantly in the first 6 months after initiation of iCCM services (p = 0.003), and then plateaued during months 7-24. Quality of care was high for uncomplicated malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Overall quality of care was lower, in part because VHWs often did not follow the guidelines to refer patients with fever who tested

  20. Description and outcomes of a Medicare case management program by nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, S A

    1999-01-01

    During the current environment of cost-cutting and restructuring, case management is viewed as a means of providing comprehensive, coordinated care while reducing costs. Studies of community-based case management have been disappointing. This study evaluates a Medicare service, Management and Evaluation of the Care Plan (MAE), as a model of nurses providing case management in the home. Three groups were compared: MAE (N = 176), non-MAE (N = 187) and newly discharged (N = 93). Utilization data was collected over one year. Overall, subjects were unmarried older women with three functional limitations, four medical diagnoses and averaged 43 home care visits and one hospitalization. MAE patients were older, had more functional and environmental limitations, less ADL independence, and a worse prognosis, yet used significantly less health care than non-MAE recipients did. Regression analysis was performed using group membership and hospital and home care utilization as dependent variables. Although the project was conducted at one site, overall the sample was similar to the national Medicare population.

  1. Operator models for delivering municipal solid waste management services in developing countries. Part A: The evidence base.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, David C; Kanjogera, Jennifer Bangirana; Soós, Reka; Briciu, Cosmin; Smith, Stephen R; Whiteman, Andrew D; Spies, Sandra; Oelz, Barbara

    2017-08-01

    This article presents the evidence base for 'operator models' - that is, how to deliver a sustainable service through the interaction of the 'client', 'revenue collector' and 'operator' functions - for municipal solid waste management in emerging and developing countries. The companion article addresses a selection of locally appropriate operator models. The evidence shows that no 'standard' operator model is effective in all developing countries and circumstances. Each city uses a mix of different operator models; 134 cases showed on average 2.5 models per city, each applying to different elements of municipal solid waste management - that is, street sweeping, primary collection, secondary collection, transfer, recycling, resource recovery and disposal or a combination. Operator models were analysed in detail for 28 case studies; the article summarises evidence across all elements and in more detail for waste collection. Operators fall into three main groups: The public sector, formal private sector, and micro-service providers including micro-, community-based and informal enterprises. Micro-service providers emerge as a common group; they are effective in expanding primary collection service coverage into poor- or peri-urban neighbourhoods and in delivering recycling. Both public and private sector operators can deliver effective services in the appropriate situation; what matters more is a strong client organisation responsible for municipal solid waste management within the municipality, with stable political and financial backing and capacity to manage service delivery. Revenue collection is also integral to operator models: Generally the municipality pays the operator from direct charges and/or indirect taxes, rather than the operator collecting fees directly from the service user.

  2. Quality management standards for facility services in the Italian health care sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cesarotti, Vittorio; Di Silvio, Bruna

    2006-01-01

    Health care, one of the most dynamic sectors in Italy, is studied with a particular focus on outsourcing non-core activities such as facility management (FM) services. The project's goals are to define national standards to balance and control facility service evolution, and to drive FM services towards organisational excellence. The authors, in cooperation with a pool of facility service providers and hospitals managers, studied cleaning services--one of the most critical areas. This article describes the research steps and findings following definition and publication of the Italian standard and its application to an international benchmarking process. The method chosen for developing the Italian standard was to merge technical, strategic and organisational aspects with the goal of standardising the contracting system, giving service providers the chance to improve efficiency and quality, while helping healthcare organisations gain from a better, more reliable and less expensive service. The Italian standard not only improved services but also provided adequate control systems for outsourcing organisations. In this win-win context, it is hoped to continually drive FM services towards organisational excellence. This study is specific to the Italian national healthcare system. However, the strategic dynamics described are common to many other contexts. A systematic method for improving hospital FM services is presented. The authors believe that lessons learned from their Italian case study can be used to better understand and drive similar services in other countries or in other FM service outsourcing sectors.

  3. Simulated annealing to handle energy and ancillary services joint management considering electric vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sousa, Tiago M; Soares, Tiago; Morais, Hugo

    2016-01-01

    The massive use of distributed generation and electric vehicles will lead to a more complex management of the power system, requiring new approaches to be used in the optimal resource scheduling field. Electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capability can be useful for the aggregator players...... in the mitigation of renewable sources intermittency and in the ancillary services procurement. In this paper, an energy and ancillary services joint management model is proposed. A simulated annealing approach is used to solve the joint management for the following day, considering the minimization...... of the aggregator total operation costs. The case study considers a distribution network with 33-bus, 66 distributed generation and 2000 electric vehicles. The proposed simulated annealing is matched with a deterministic approach allowing an effective and efficient comparison. The simulated annealing presents...

  4. Illustrating the Interaction of Nature and People in Ecosystem Services: The Case of Terroir in Wine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholas, K. A.

    2014-12-01

    The ecosystem services (ES) approach is increasingly used in research and policy, with the Common International Framework on Ecosystem Services (CICES) "cascade" gaining traction as a framework for conceptualizing the production of ecosystem services by the natural environment, and then people consuming these services and obtaining benefits depending on their values. However, uptake of the ES concept on the ground by ecosystem managers, and understanding by everyday citizens, is still limited. One barrier is the challenge of providing tangible, examples of everyday benefits and values that people can readily connect with the biophysical structures and functions that underlie their provision. Winegrowing offers one promising case to illustrate the linkages all along the chain of production and consumption of ecosystem services. The sensitive winegrape has long been known for its properties of terroir, where the taste of wine reflects the environmental conditions of the place where it is grown, a feature valued by consumers. Here the CICES framework is illustrated with the case of winegrowing, demonstrating that the current linear model of natural production and human consumption of ES needs to be modified for this case because people influence each of the five stages by shaping and responding to their environment, producing a two-way interaction between people and the environment throughout. For example, while natural drivers such as climate and soils are key to the provision of the service of winegrape yields, landowners modify the biophysical environment through site selection and growers modify plant ecophysiological function through farming practices such as pruning and irrigation in order to influence the final service. Similarly, winemakers' expertise is needed to transform the service of winegrape yields into the product of wine that can be enjoyed and valued by consumers, whose preferences shape wine styles as well. This case illustrates how incorporating

  5. Managing healthcare information using short message service (SMS) in wireless broadband networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Documet, Jorge; Tsao, Sinchai; Documet, Luis; Liu, Brent J.; Zhou, Zheng; Joseph, Anika O.

    2007-03-01

    Due to the ubiquity of cell phones, SMS (Short Message Service) has become an ideal means to wirelessly manage a Healthcare environment and in particular PACS (Picture Archival and Communications System) data. SMS is a flexible and mobile method for real-time access and control of Healthcare information systems such as HIS (Hospital Information System) or PACS. Unlike conventional wireless access methods, SMS' mobility is not limited by the presence of a WiFi network or any other localized signal. It provides a simple, reliable yet flexible method to communicate with an information system. In addition, SMS services are widely available for low costs from cellular phone service providers and allows for more mobility than other services such as wireless internet. This paper aims to describe a use case of SMS as a means of remotely communicating with a PACS server. Remote access to a PACS server and its Query-Retrieve services allows for a more convenient, flexible and streamlined radiology workflow. Wireless access methods such as SMS will increase dedicated PACS workstation availability for more specialized DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) workflow management. This implementation will address potential security, performance and cost issues of applying SMS as part of a healthcare information management system. This is in an effort to design a wireless communication system with optimal mobility and flexibility at minimum material and time costs.

  6. The process approach to service quality management

    OpenAIRE

    Kamila Kowalik; Dorota Klimecka-Tatar

    2018-01-01

    In this paper a model of service quality management based on the process approach has been presented. The first part of the article contains the theoretical framework of service quality and the process approach in management. Next, quality of service process has been presented in reference to a process-based definition in quoted literature. Finally, the outcomes of a customer questionnaire concerning the validity of particular quality attributes has been presented. The collected data in relat...

  7. Job submission and management through web services the experience with the CREAM service

    CERN Document Server

    Aiftimiei, C; Bertocco, S; Fina, S D; Ronco, S D; Dorigo, A; Gianelle, A; Marzolla, M; Mazzucato, M; Sgaravatto, M; Verlato, M; Zangrando, L; Corvo, M; Miccio, V; Sciabà, A; Cesini, D; Dongiovanni, D; Grandi, C

    2008-01-01

    Modern Grid middleware is built around components providing basic functionality, such as data storage, authentication, security, job management, resource monitoring and reservation. In this paper we describe the Computing Resource Execution and Management (CREAM) service. CREAM provides a Web service-based job execution and management capability for Grid systems; in particular, it is being used within the gLite middleware. CREAM exposes a Web service interface allowing conforming clients to submit and manage computational jobs to a Local Resource Management System. We developed a special component, called ICE (Interface to CREAM Environment) to integrate CREAM in gLite. ICE transfers job submissions and cancellations from the Workload Management System, allowing users to manage CREAM jobs from the gLite User Interface. This paper describes some recent studies aimed at assessing the performance and reliability of CREAM and ICE; those tests have been performed as part of the acceptance tests for integration of ...

  8. Case Managers on the Front Lines of Ethical Dilemmas: Advocacy, Autonomy, and Preventing Case Manager Burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sortedahl, Charlotte; Mottern, Nina; Campagna, Vivian

    The purpose of this article is to examine how case managers are routinely confronted by ethical dilemmas within a fragmented health care system and given the reality of financial pressures that influence life-changing decisions. The Code of Professional Conduct for Case Managers (Code), published by the Commission for Case Manager Certification, acknowledges "case managers may often confront ethical dilemmas" (Code 1996, Rev. 2015). The Code and expectations that professional case managers, particularly those who are board certified, will uphold ethical and legal practice apply to case managers in every practice setting across the full continuum of health care. This discussion acknowledges the ethical dilemmas that case managers routinely confront, which empowers them to seek support, guidance, and resources to support ethical practice. In addition, the article seeks to raise awareness of the effects of burnout and moral distress on case managers and others with whom they work closely on interdisciplinary teams.

  9. Best Practice No 177: Best practice guideline: writing a business case for service development in pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galloway, M J

    2004-04-01

    This guideline reviews the introduction and development of business planning in the National Health Service. A guideline for writing a business case for service development that would form part of a pathology business plan has been developed. This guideline outlines six steps that are required in the preparation of a business case. The format of the guideline has been developed largely from other national guidelines that have been published for the development of capital projects. In view of the publication of these guidelines, the scope of this guideline excludes business cases for information, management, and technology projects and large capital projects.

  10. Architectural Decision Management for Digital Transformation of Products and Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfred Zimmermann

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The digitization of our society changes the way we live, work, learn, communicate, and collaborate. The Internet of Things, Enterprise Social Networks, Adaptive Case Management, Mobility systems, Analytics for Big Data, and Cloud services environments are emerging to support smart connected products and services and the digital transformation. Biological metaphors of living and adaptable ecosystems provide the logical foundation for self-optimizing and resilient run-time environments for intelligent business services and service-oriented enterprise architectures. Our aim is to support flexibility and agile transformations for both business domains and related information technology. The present research paper investigates mechanisms for decision analytics in the context of multi-perspective explorations of enterprise services and their digital enterprise architectures by extending original architecture reference models with state of art elements for agile architectural engineering for the digitization and collaborative architectural decision support. The paper’s context focuses on digital transformations of business and IT and integrates fundamental mappings between adaptable digital enterprise architectures and service-oriented information systems. We are putting a spotlight on the example domain – Internet of Things.

  11. Effect of Managers on Public Service Performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Maria Falk

    This report provides an overview of the PhD dissertation “Effects of Managers on Public Service Performance” carried out at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University and SFI – The Danish National Centre for Social Research. The dissertation is part of the research project “School...... Management, Teaching, and Student Performance” supported by the Danish Strategic Research Council (now Innovation Fund Denmark) and headed by professor Søren Winter. The dissertation explores the effects of managers on public service performance. By combining theoretical insights and research designs from......?”, “How can we improve organizational performance?”, and “How can we measure public service performance?” The setting for the dissertation is Danish middle schools (folkeskoler). The education system is generally considered an important service area as it affects later life outcomes of individual children...

  12. IMPROVING PUBLIC SERVICES THROUGH A ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    IOANA STĂNCESCU

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Organizational management, systemic approach, is known more as a system Management, that set of factors such as organizational, methodological information, decisions and relationships between them, as outlined, that will achieve objectives. Fundamental objective of management in public organizations involved in the holders of public office positions and leadership and execution in this area an additional responsibility to manage all types of resources available to the public sector, namely human resources, information, material and financial.Summary of process management is focusing on human coordination of joint work. An important role in this process is modernizing organizational management and quality delivery of public services or the institution's activities, public services more efficient by implementing innovative tools, leading to a government driven process to a results-oriented public service.

  13. Analysis of the Service Quality of Medical Centers Using Servqual Model (Case:Shaheed Rahnemoon Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H Zare Ahmadabadi

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Many organizations, especially service oriented ones, relative to their goals and mission, have a special view towards quality phenomena and its management. Methods: This paper analyzes medical service quality in one case; The internal section of Shaheed Rahnemoon Hospital Based on the basis of gap analysis model and Servqual technique. A questionnaire was designed and applied to measure expectations and perceptions of patients and personnel of the hospital. Results: On application of non-parametric statistical tests, we propose certain recommendations. These tests drive on five conceptual dimensions of service quality including intangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy. Results show that patients in this section were satisfied from the service provider’s responsiveness, but there are significant differences between expectations and perceptions in other dimensions. Conclusion: The service quality analysis models are useful for managers of medical centers to distinguish gaps between the two sides of service representation; patients and medical centers personnel. Ultimately, they can reinforce strengths and control weaknesses.

  14. "Since I have my case manager, I am back to life" case management in Croatia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Ema N; Ivezić-Strkalj, Sladana; Agius, Mark; Martić-Biocina, Sanja

    2008-03-01

    The authors present a case report of a patient who was treated by a case manager, a member of a Croatian Community Mental Health (CMH) Team, following the recommendations of WHO 2004 as well as the IRIS guidelines and the Basic Standards for Management of Patients with Serious Mental Illness in the Community (Agius 2005) and using the elements of Clinical case management (Muser 1998), Assertive community treatment model (Burns 1995, Scott 1995, Wolfsan 1990), the personal strength model (Rapp 1988) and Rehabilitation model (Anthony 1993). In order to emphasize the importance of the therapist-patient relationship in the treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients (Ivezic 2001) and creating the group atmosphere a Croatian model of case management is created where the patient's needs and risks are assessed by a multidisciplinary team which also conducts the recommended psychosocial interventions plan. The majority of interventions are conducted in groups. The case manager develops a confident relationship with a patient, nourishes the positive transference and aids the delivery of the treatment. The main goals of the interventions are empowerment of the patient, improvement of his abilities and decreasing of disabilities. The case manager also carries out a full assessment of the needs of the patient's family so that the family or carers are also included in the treatment or support if necessary (Gruber 2006). A case report of a patient and the work of her case manager as well as the case manager's diary (Gruber 2007) and the Croatian model of case management is presented in this article.

  15. HIV/AIDS case management tasks and activities: the results of a functional analysis study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grube, B; Chernesky, R H

    2001-01-01

    Functional analysis, a variation of the time study technique, was used to examine how HIV/AIDS case managers in the tri-county region of New York State spend their time-the actual tasks and activities they choose to perform relative to the total universe of activities and tasks subsumed in the general category of case management. The picture developed was of a system operating primarily in a crisis mode, spending relatively brief amounts of time completing a range of activities and providing an extensive scope of services for or on behalf of clients. The bulk of the work was client centered, not administrative, and involved providing disease management and essential services (e.g., family and mental health). The implications of these findings are discussed, with particular attention paid to the potential influence of client profiles and worker demographics.

  16. A Multi-Usable Cloud Service Platform: A Case Study on Improved Development Pace and Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Lindström

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The case study, spanning three contexts, concerns a multi-usable cloud service platform for big data collection and analytics and how the development pace and efficiency of it has been improved by 50–75% by using the Arrowhead framework and changing development processes/practices. Furthermore, additional results captured during the case study are related to technology, competencies and skills, organization, management, infrastructure, and service and support. A conclusion is that when offering a complex offer such as an Industrial Product-Service System, comprising sensors, hardware, communications, software, cloud service platform, etc., it is necessary that the technology, business model, business setup, and organization all go hand in hand during the development and later operation, as all ‘components’ are required for a successful result.

  17. Design and application of a theory-based case/care management model for home care: advanced practice for nurses as care managers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sears, Nancy A

    2002-01-01

    Case management has developed in a variety of health care, social service, and insurance industries. Its historical pattern of development has resulted in practices that are generally administrative and technical in nature as well as being relatively generic and often undifferentiated between being a role and process. Research over the last decade has resulted in the opportunity to move case management practice for home care into a structured theory-based model and practice. Design and implementation of a specialized advanced practice care management model reflective of care management research and theory design by British researchers is beginning to show clinical and systemic results that should be replicable in other regions.

  18. QUALITY IN HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DORU CÎRNU

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The service sector plays an increasingly large modern market economies. By being unable to provide customers a tangible product in the hands of service providers makes the situation more difficult. Their success depends on customer satisfaction, which expect a certain benefit for the money paid, on quality, on mutual trust and many other attributes. What is very interesting is that they may differ from client to client, and there is no guarantee satisfaction to all customers, even if the service provided is the same. This shows the complex nature of services and efforts on service providers would have to be made permanent in order to attract more customers. This paper addresses the issues of continuous quality improvement of health services as an important part of the services sector. Until recently, these services in Romania although under strict control of the state, had a large number of patients who are given very little attention, which is why quality improvement acestoraa was compulsory. Opening and changing economic environment, increasing customer demands, forced hospitals that serve as a nodal point between these services and their applicants to adopt modern management methods and techniques to become competitive and to give patients the quality service expected. Modern society has always sought to provide the means to ensure good health closer to the needs of modern man. These have become more complex and more expensive and naturally requires financial resources increasingly mari.Este why, every time, all the failures alleging lack of money and resources in general. Is it true? Sometimes yes, often, no! The truth is that human and material resources are not used in an optimal way. The answer lies mainly in quality management. We will see what should be done in this regard.

  19. Logistics Cost Calculation of Implementation Warehouse Management System: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kučera Tomáš

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Warehouse management system can take full advantage of the resources and provide efficient warehousing services. The paper aims to show advantages and disadvantages of the warehouse management system in a chosen enterprise, which is focused on logistics services and transportation. The paper can bring new innovative approach for warehousing and presents how logistics enterprise can reduce logistics costs. This approach includes cost reduction of the establishment, operation and savings in the overall assessment of the implementation of the warehouse management system. The innovative warehouse management system will be demonstrated as the case study, which is classified as a qualitative scientific method, in the chosen logistics enterprise. The paper is based on the research of the world literature, analyses of the internal logistics processes, data and finally enterprise documents. The paper discovers costs related to personnel costs, handling equipment costs and costs for material identification. Implementation of the warehouse management system will reduce overall logistics costs of warehousing and extend the warehouse management system to other parts of the logistics chain.

  20. Enabling Healthcare IT Governance: Human Task Management Service for Administering Emergency Department's Resources for Efficient Patient Flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Salvador; Aziz, Ayesha; Chatwin, Chris

    2014-01-01

    The use of Health Information Technology (HIT) to improve healthcare service delivery is constantly increasing due to research advances in medical science and information systems. Having a fully automated process solution for a Healthcare Organization (HCO) requires a combination of organizational strategies along with a selection of technologies that facilitate the goal of improving clinical outcomes. HCOs, requires dynamic management of care capability to realize the full potential of HIT. Business Process Management (BPM) is being increasingly adopted to streamline the healthcare service delivery and management processes. Emergency Departments (EDs) provide a case in point, which require multidisciplinary resources and services to deliver effective clinical outcomes. Managed care involves the coordination of a range of services in an ED. Although fully automated processes in emergency care provide a cutting edge example of service delivery, there are many situations that require human interactions with the computerized systems; e.g. Medication Approvals, care transfer, acute patient care. This requires a coordination mechanism for all the resources, computer and human, to work side by side to provide the best care. To ensure evidence-based medical practice in ED, we have designed a Human Task Management service to model the process of coordination of ED resources based on the UK's NICE Clinical guideline for managing the care of acutely ill patients. This functionality is implemented using Java Business process Management (jBPM).

  1. The Customer Interaction Process: Managing Customer, the Service Encounter and Service Recovery

    OpenAIRE

    TANASE, George Cosmin

    2013-01-01

    Service interactions are next to customer relationships one of the primary value processes of a service provider. Due to the fact that in service situations value is created via the throughput of the customer through the service production process, and this throughput is realized in service interactions, these interactions are one of the major value drivers of a service firms value. As one of a service providers primary value processes, the interaction process aims at managing the service int...

  2. 31 CFR Appendix G to Subpart A of... - Financial Management Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Financial Management Service G...—Financial Management Service 1. In general. This appendix applies to the Financial Management Service. 2. Public reading room. The public reading room for the Financial Management Service is maintained at the...

  3. Food Production, Management and Services: Service. Teacher Edition. Second Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palan, Earl

    This food production, management, and services teacher guide contains nine units: (1) orientation; (2) types of service; (3) table settings; (4) dining room personnel; (5) dining room procedures; (6) side work; (7) guest/employee relationships; (8) sales techniques; and (9) safety and sanitation. Suggestions are included to increase reinforcement…

  4. Embedding care management in the medical home: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daaleman, Timothy P; Hay, Sherry; Prentice, Amy; Gwynne, Mark D

    2014-04-01

    Care managers are playing increasingly significant roles in the redesign of primary care and in the evolution of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), yet their adoption within day-to-day practice remains uneven and approaches for implementation have been minimally reported. We introduce a strategy for incorporating care management into the operations of a PCMH and assess the preliminary effectiveness of this approach. A case study of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Family Medicine Center used an organizational model of innovation implementation to guide the parameters of implementation and evaluation. Two sources were used to determine the effectiveness of the implementation strategy: data elements from the care management informatics system in the health record and electronic survey data from the Family Medicine Center providers and care staff. A majority of physicians (75%) and support staff (82%) reported interactions with the care manager, primarily via face-to-face, telephone, or electronic means, primarily for facilitating referrals for behavioral health services and assistance with financial and social and community-based resources. Trend line suggests an absolute decrease of 8 emergency department visits per month for recipients of care management services and an absolute decrease of 7.5 inpatient admissions per month during the initial 2-year implementation period. An organizational model of innovation implementation is a potentially effective approach to guide the process of incorporating care management services into the structure and workflows of PCMHs.

  5. Job submission and management through web services: the experience with the CREAM service

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aiftimiei, C; Andreetto, P; Bertocco, S; Fina, S D; Ronco, S D; Dorigo, A; Gianelle, A; Marzolla, M; Mazzucato, M; Sgaravatto, M; Verlato, M; Zangrando, L [INFN Sezione di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Corvo, M; Miccio, V; Sciaba, A [CERN, BAT. 28-1-019, 1211 Geneve (Switzerland); Cesini, D; Dongiovanni, D [INFN CNAF, viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna (Italy); Grandi, C [INFN Sezione di Bologna, viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna (Italy)

    2008-07-15

    Modern Grid middleware is built around components providing basic functionality, such as data storage, authentication, security, job management, resource monitoring and reservation. In this paper we describe the Computing Resource Execution and Management (CREAM) service. CREAM provides a Web service-based job execution and management capability for Grid systems; in particular, it is being used within the gLite middleware. CREAM exposes a Web service interface allowing conforming clients to submit and manage computational jobs to a Local Resource Management System. We developed a special component, called ICE (Interface to CREAM Environment) to integrate CREAM in gLite. ICE transfers job submissions and cancellations from the Workload Management System, allowing users to manage CREAM jobs from the gLite User Interface. This paper describes some recent studies aimed at assessing the performance and reliability of CREAM and ICE; those tests have been performed as part of the acceptance tests for integration of CREAM and ICE in gLite. We also discuss recent work towards enhancing CREAM with a BES and JSDL compliant interface.

  6. Job submission and management through web services: the experience with the CREAM service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aiftimiei, C; Andreetto, P; Bertocco, S; Fina, S D; Ronco, S D; Dorigo, A; Gianelle, A; Marzolla, M; Mazzucato, M; Sgaravatto, M; Verlato, M; Zangrando, L; Corvo, M; Miccio, V; Sciaba, A; Cesini, D; Dongiovanni, D; Grandi, C

    2008-01-01

    Modern Grid middleware is built around components providing basic functionality, such as data storage, authentication, security, job management, resource monitoring and reservation. In this paper we describe the Computing Resource Execution and Management (CREAM) service. CREAM provides a Web service-based job execution and management capability for Grid systems; in particular, it is being used within the gLite middleware. CREAM exposes a Web service interface allowing conforming clients to submit and manage computational jobs to a Local Resource Management System. We developed a special component, called ICE (Interface to CREAM Environment) to integrate CREAM in gLite. ICE transfers job submissions and cancellations from the Workload Management System, allowing users to manage CREAM jobs from the gLite User Interface. This paper describes some recent studies aimed at assessing the performance and reliability of CREAM and ICE; those tests have been performed as part of the acceptance tests for integration of CREAM and ICE in gLite. We also discuss recent work towards enhancing CREAM with a BES and JSDL compliant interface

  7. IT service management - key to the quality of IT service delivering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recky, M.

    2004-01-01

    Objective of the contribution is to introduce IT service management (ITSM) as an approach to services quality improvement provided by IT departments of enterprises. As a result of massive application of information technologies in the past, the enterprises have become increasingly dependent on processes within IT of which many are critical for the business operations. Therefore it appears to be inevitable for IT organizations to become customer-oriented. ITSM's objective is to implement standardized and measurable IT services in every enterprise, to enable accurate service cost allocation and increase accuracy of planning of IT budget and investments. This method is based on processes definition, necessary technologies implementation and restructuralisation of human resources in IT organisations. It requires a change of attitude towards IT users who become IT department customers as well as cost-balanced utilization of in-sourcing and out-sourcing etc. Hewlett-Packard is a global leader offering its consulting and integration services in the area of IT service management together with an extensive portfolio of related technologies based on HP OpenView software platform. (author)

  8. Integrating adaptive management and ecosystem services concepts to improve natural resource management: Challenges and opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epanchin-Niell, Rebecca S.; Boyd, James W.; Macauley, Molly K.; Scarlett, Lynn; Shapiro, Carl D.; Williams, Byron K.

    2018-05-07

    Executive Summary—OverviewNatural resource managers must make decisions that affect broad-scale ecosystem processes involving large spatial areas, complex biophysical interactions, numerous competing stakeholder interests, and highly uncertain outcomes. Natural and social science information and analyses are widely recognized as important for informing effective management. Chief among the systematic approaches for improving the integration of science into natural resource management are two emergent science concepts, adaptive management and ecosystem services. Adaptive management (also referred to as “adaptive decision making”) is a deliberate process of learning by doing that focuses on reducing uncertainties about management outcomes and system responses to improve management over time. Ecosystem services is a conceptual framework that refers to the attributes and outputs of ecosystems (and their components and functions) that have value for humans.This report explores how ecosystem services can be moved from concept into practice through connection to a decision framework—adaptive management—that accounts for inherent uncertainties. Simultaneously, the report examines the value of incorporating ecosystem services framing and concepts into adaptive management efforts.Adaptive management and ecosystem services analyses have not typically been used jointly in decision making. However, as frameworks, they have a natural—but to date underexplored—affinity. Both are policy and decision oriented in that they attempt to represent the consequences of resource management choices on outcomes of interest to stakeholders. Both adaptive management and ecosystem services analysis take an empirical approach to the analysis of ecological systems. This systems orientation is a byproduct of the fact that natural resource actions affect ecosystems—and corresponding societal outcomes—often across large geographic scales. Moreover, because both frameworks focus on

  9. Service design based on ITIL V3 a management guide

    CERN Document Server

    Bon, Jan van; Kolthof, Axel

    2010-01-01

    This Management Guide is a concise summary of the IT Service Management ? An Introduction. A quick, portable reference tool to the standards used within the Service Management community.What are the key service management processes? What is the ?lifecycle? approach?What are the elements of ISO20000? All this and descriptions of other popular frameworks are covered.

  10. Identifying hotspots and management of critical ecosystem services in rapidly urbanizing Yangtze River Delta Region, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Wenbo; Gibbs, David; Zhang, Lang; Ferrier, Graham; Cai, Yongli

    2017-04-15

    Rapid urbanization has altered many ecosystems, causing a decline in many ecosystem services, generating serious ecological crisis. To cope with these challenges, we presented a comprehensive framework comprising five core steps for identifying and managing hotspots of critical ecosystem services in a rapid urbanizing region. This framework was applied in the case study of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) Region. The study showed that there was large spatial heterogeneity in the hotspots of ecosystem services in the region, hotspots of supporting services and regulating services aggregately distributing in the southwest mountainous areas while hotspots of provisioning services mainly in the northeast plain, and hotspots of cultural services widespread in the waterbodies and southwest mountainous areas. The regionalization of the critical ecosystem services was made through the hotspot analysis. This study provided valuable information for environmental planning and management in a rapid urbanizing region and helped improve China's ecological redlines policy at regional scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Information needs of case managers caring for persons living with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnall, Rebecca; Cimino, James J; Currie, Leanne M; Bakken, Suzanne

    2011-05-01

    The goals of this study were to explore the information needs of case managers who provide services to persons living with HIV (PLWH) and to assess the applicability of the Information Needs Event Taxonomy in a new population. The study design was observational with data collection via an online survey. Responses to open-ended survey questions about the information needs of case managers (n=94) related to PLWH of three levels of care complexity were categorized using the Information Needs Event Taxonomy. The most frequently identified needs were related to patient education resources (33%), patient data (23%), and referral resources (22%) accounting for 79% of all (N=282) information needs. Study limitations include selection bias, recall bias, and a relatively narrow focus of the study on case-manager information needs in the context of caring for PLWH. The study findings contribute to the evidence base regarding information needs in the context of patient interactions by: (1) supporting the applicability of the Information Needs Event Taxonomy and extending it through addition of a new generic question; (2) providing a foundation for the addition of context-specific links to external information resources within information systems; (3) applying a new approach for elicitation of information needs; and (4) expanding the literature regarding addressing information needs in community-based settings for HIV services.

  12. Management & Communication: Project Management Case Study

    CERN Multimedia

    Nathalie Dumeaux

    2004-01-01

    We are pleased to announce the recent launch of a new workshop on Project Management. This is designed for People with budgetary, scheduling and/or organizational responsibilities in a project or a sub-project. The objectives through a management case study specially suited to CERN are: to become familiar with modern management techniques in use for structuring, planning, scheduling, costing and progress monitoring of a project or a sub-project. to understand in-depth issues associated with Deliverable-oriented Project Management, Earned Value Management, Advanced Project Cost Engineering and Project Risk Management. The full description of this workshop can be found here. The next session will be held on 8 October 2004. If you are interested in this workshop, please contact Nathalie Dumeaux, email or 78144. Programme of Seminars October to December 2004 Situation : 21.09.2004 Séminaires bilingues Dates Jours Places disponibles Project Management Case study 8 October 1 oui Intr...

  13. IT Service Departments Struggle to Adopt a Service-Oriented Philosophy

    OpenAIRE

    Aileen Cater-Steel

    2009-01-01

    Many IT service departments are adopting IT service management best practice frameworks such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to improve the quality of service to customers. This study reports on recent surveys and case studies of organizations which have embarked on IT service management improvement. It highlights specific difficulties experienced by organizations. Six factors were found to be critical in achieving an effective service-oriented philosophy. The factors are support from...

  14. 75 FR 1683 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Assignment Form

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Assignment Form AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice... Management Service, Records and Information Management Branch, Room 135, 3700 East West Highway, Hyattsville...

  15. Project Management Support and Services for the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Environmental Restoration Technical Support Office (ERTSO) contracted Project Time ampersand Cost, Inc. (PT ampersand C) on 16 November 1992 to provide support services to the US Department of Energy (DOE). ERTSO had traditionally supported the DOE Albuquerque office in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs and had also supported the Office of Waste Management (EM-30) at DOE Headquarters in Germantown, Maryland. PT ampersand C was requested to provide project management and support services for the DOE as well as liaison and coordination of responses and efforts between various agencies. The primary objective of this work was to continue LANL's technical support role to EM-30 and assist in the development of the COE Cost and Schedule Estimating (CASE) Guide for EM-30. PT ampersand C's objectives, as specified in Section B of the contract, were well met during the duration of the project through the review and comment of various draft documents, trips to DOE sites providing program management support and participating in the training for the EM-30 Cost and Schedule Estimating Guide, drafting memos and scheduling future projects, attending numerous meetings with LANL, DOE and other subcontractors, and providing written observations and recommendations.he results obtained were determined to be satisfactory by both the LANL ERTSO and DOE EM-30 organizations. The objective to further the support from LANL and their associated subcontractor (PT ampersand C) was met. The contract concluded with no outstanding issues

  16. Effects of managed care on service use and access for publicly insured children with chronic health conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidoff, Amy; Hill, Ian; Courtot, Brigette; Adams, Emerald

    2007-05-01

    Our goal was to estimate the effects of managed care program type on service use and access for publicly insured children with chronic health conditions. Data on Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program managed care programs were linked by county and year to pooled data from the 1997-2002 National Health Interview Survey. We used multivariate techniques to examine the effects of managed care program type, relative to fee-for-service, on a broad array of service use and access outcomes. Relative to fee-for-service, managed care program assignment was associated with selected reductions in service use but not with deterioration in reported access. Capitated managed care plans with mental health or specialty carve-outs were associated with a 7.4-percentage-point reduction in the probability of a specialist visit, a 6.3-percentage-point reduction in the probability of a mental health specialty visit, and a 5.9-percentage-point decrease in the probability of regular prescription drug use. Reductions in use associated with primary care case management and integrated capitated programs (without carve-outs) were more limited, and integrated capitated plans were associated with a reduction in unmet medical care need. We failed to find significant effects of special managed care programs for children with chronic health conditions. Managed care is associated with reduced service use, particularly when capitated programs carve out services. This finding is of key policy importance, as the proportion of children enrolled in plans with carve-out arrangements has been increasing over time. It is not possible to determine whether reductions in services represent better care management or skimping. However, despite the reductions in use, we did not observe a corresponding increase in perceived unmet need; thus, the net change may represent improved care management.

  17. 41 CFR 105-53.143 - Information Resources Management Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information Resources... FUNCTIONS Central Offices § 105-53.143 Information Resources Management Service. (a) Creation and authority. The Information Resources Management Service (IRMS), headed by the Commissioner, Information Resources...

  18. [Organization of health services and tuberculosis care management].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrêto, Anne Jaquelyne Roque; de Sá, Lenilde Duarte; Nogueira, Jordana de Almeida; Palha, Pedro Fredemir; Pinheiro, Patrícia Geórgia de Oliveira Diniz; de Farias, Nilma Maria Porto; Rodrigues, Débora Cezar de Souza; Villa, Tereza Cristina Scatena

    2012-07-01

    The scope of this study was to analyze the discourse of managers regarding the relationship between the organization of the health services and tuberculosis care management in a city in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa, State of Pernambuco. Using qualitative research in the analytical field of the French line of Discourse Analysis, 16 health workers who worked as members of the management teams took part in the study. The transcribed testimonials were organized using Atlas.ti version 6.0 software. After detailed reading of the empirical material, an attempt was made to identify the paraphrasic, polyssemic and metaphoric processes in the discourses, which enabled identification of the following discourse formation: Organization of the health services and the relation with TB care management: theory and practice. In the discourse of the managers the fragmentation of the actions of control of tuberculosis, the lack of articulation between the services and sectors, the compliance of the specific activities for TB, as well as the lack of strategic planning for management of care of the disease are clearly revealed. In this respect, for the organization of the health services to be effective, it is necessary that tuberculosis be considered a priority and acknowledged as a social problem in the management agenda.

  19. Implementation Of Quality Management System For Irradiation Processing Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lungu, Ion-Bogdan; Manea, Maria-Mihaela

    2015-07-01

    In today's market, due to an increasing competitiveness, quality management has set itself as an indispensable tool and a reference point for every business. It is ultimately focused on customer satisfaction which is a stringent factor for every business. Implementing and maintaining a QMS is a rather difficult, time consuming and expensive process which must be done with respect of many factors. The aim of this paper is to present a case study for implementing QMS ISO 9001 in a gamma irradiation treatment service provider. The research goals are the identification of key benefits, reasons, advantages, disadvantages, drawbacks etc for a successful QMS implementation and use. Finally, the expected results focus on creating a general framework for implementing an efficient QMS plan that can be easily adapted to other kind of services and markets.

  20. An adaptive case management system to support integrated care services: Lessons learned from the NEXES project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cano, Isaac; Alonso, Albert; Hernandez, Carme; Burgos, Felip; Barberan-Garcia, Anael; Roldan, Jim; Roca, Josep

    2015-06-01

    Extensive deployment and sustainability of integrated care services (ICS) constitute an unmet need to reduce the burden of chronic conditions. The European Union project NEXES (2008-2013) assessed the deployment of four ICS encompassing the spectrum of severity of chronic patients. The current study aims to (i) describe the open source Adaptive Case Management (ACM) system (Linkcare®) developed to support the deployment of ICS at the level of healthcare district; (ii) to evaluate its performance; and, (iii) to identify key challenges for regional deployment of ICS. We first defined a conceptual model for ICS management and execution composed of five main stages. We then specified an associated logical model considering the dynamic runtime of ACM. Finally, we implemented the four ICS as a physical model with an ICS editor to allow professionals (case managers) to play active roles in adapting the system to their needs. Instances of ICS were then run in Linkcare®. Four ICS provided a framework for evaluating the system: Wellness and Rehabilitation (W&R) (number of patients enrolled in the study (n)=173); Enhanced Care (EC) in frail chronic patients to prevent hospital admissions, (n=848); Home Hospitalization and Early Discharge (HH/ED) (n=2314); and, Support to remote diagnosis (Support) (n=7793). The method for assessment of telemedicine applications (MAST) was used for iterative evaluation. Linkcare® supports ACM with shared-care plans across healthcare tiers and offers integration with provider-specific electronic health records. Linkcare® successfully contributed to the deployment of the four ICS: W&R facilitated long-term sustainability of training effects (p<0.01) and active life style (p<0.03); EC showed significant positive outcomes (p<0.05); HH/ED reduced on average 5 in-hospital days per patient with a 30-d re-admission rate of 10%; and, Support, enhanced community-based quality forced spirometry testing (p<0.01). Key challenges for regional deployment

  1. Turnaround in an aged persons' mental health service in crisis: a case study of organisational renewal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stafrace, Simon; Lilly, Alan

    2008-08-01

    This case study demonstrates how leadership was harnessed to turn around a decline in the performance of an aged persons' mental health service - the Namarra Nursing Home at Caulfield General Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000 the nursing home faced a crisis of public confidence due to failings in the management of quality, clinical risk and human resources within the service. These problems reflected structural and operational shortcomings in the clinical directorate and wider organisation. In this article, we detail the process of turnaround from the perspective of senior executive managers with professional and operational responsibility for the service. This turnaround required attention to local clinical accountability and transformation of the mental health program from a collocated but operationally isolated service to one integrated within the governance structures of the auspicing organisation.

  2. "Tuberculosis Case Management" Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knebel, Elisa; Kolodner, Jennifer

    2001-01-01

    The need to isolated health providers with critical knowledge in tuberculosis (TB) case management prompted the development of "Tuberculosis Case Management" CD-ROM. Features include "Learning Center,""Examination Room," and "Library." The combination of audio, video, and graphics allows participants to…

  3. Trust Management System for Opportunistic Cloud Services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kuada, Eric

    2013-01-01

    We have over the past three years been working on the feasibility of Opportunistic Cloud Services (OCS) for enterprises. OCS is about enterprises strategically contributing and utilizing spare IT resources as cloud services. One of the major challenges that such a platform faces is data security...... and trust management issues. This paper presents a trust management system for OCS platforms. It models the concept of trust and applies it to OCS platforms. The trust model and the trust management system are verified through the simulation of the computation of the trust values with Infrastructure...

  4. Advances in battery manufacturing, service, and management systems

    CERN Document Server

    Zhou, Shiyu; Han, Yehui

    2016-01-01

    This book brings together experts in the field to highlight the cutting edge research advances in BM2S2 and to promote an innovative integrated research framework responding to the challenges. There are three major parts included in this book: manufacturing, service, and management. The first part focuses on battery manufacturing systems, including modeling, analysis, design and control, as well as economic and risk analyses. The second part focuses on information technology’s impact on service systems, such as data-driven reliability modeling, failure prognosis, and service decision making methodologies for battery services. The third part addresses battery management systems (BMS) for control and optimization of battery cells, opera ions, and hybrid storage systems to ensure overall performance and safety, as well as EV management.

  5. Trust management in cloud services

    CERN Document Server

    Noor, Talal H; Bouguettaya, Athman

    2014-01-01

    This book describes the design and implementation of Cloud Armor, a novel approach for credibility-based trust management and automatic discovery of cloud services in distributed and highly dynamic environments. This book also helps cloud users to understand the difficulties of establishing trust in cloud computing and the best criteria for selecting a service cloud. The techniques have been validated by a prototype system implementation and experimental studies using a collection of real world trust feedbacks on cloud services.The authors present the design and implementation of a novel pro

  6. System aspects of management technology for scientific and educational services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Zatsarinnyy

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Research purpose: to develop the technology of operational-technical management of scientific and educational services. Methods: methods of patent research and analysis of critical technologies of information and control systems; methods of system approach to organize and manage IT services to meet business needs. Topicality. The state policy in the sphere of national security and socio-economic development of the Russian Federation, carried out in the face of new threats requires correcting structural imbalances in the economy. National interests should be implemented by means of strategic priorities in the various sectors of the economy, in the financial sphere - the timely implementation of government programs. In the Message of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly on December 1, 2016 one of the priorities defined the creation of a national research infrastructure, representing the information and technology platform for the integration of the intellectual resources in the field of science, education and production with the aim of creating the conditions for qualitative changes in the field of science and technology. In this connection, scientific-methodical and systematic technical issues to systematize services of scientific and educational institutions of the country and creation of the united informational and analytical system of the management of such services seem to be topical. Within the framework of the whole complex of problems to design such a system, the development issues of technologies for the effective operational-technical management of scientific and educational services are of great interest. Results. The technology of operational-technical management of scientific and educational services was developed, which is a complex of technical solutions to provide information support for the activities of organizational systems – consumers and suppliers of scientific and educational

  7. Approaches to the quality management in tourism services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ida Vajčnerová

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper focuses on the systems of quality used in tourism services. It introduces approaches based on observing facility standards that are used in the Czech Republic in the area of accommodation and boarding services (Hotelstars, HACAP, then ISO standards of 9000 group and the systems of complex quality management. Within the frame of complex quality management it deals with the model of exceptionality EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management and the European integrated system of quality IQM (Integrated Quality Management in more detail. The necessity to support the quality of tourism services is pointed out in the paper, as well as to create a national system of quality or possibly using already existing European systems of international character.

  8. Service Innovation In Academic Libraries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada; Nicolajsen, Hanne Westh

    2010-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate whether management and employees in academic libraries involve users in library service innovations and what these user roles are. Design/methodology/approach – The article first reviews the literature focusing on innovation, new product...... development, new service development and library science with specific focus on users and management. Subsequently the research uses a case study approach to investigate management and customer involvement in a Danish academic library. Findings – Results from the case study show that academic libraries...... in academic library service innovations on the basis of an in-depth case study of a Danish academic library....

  9. In the Belly of the Beast: A Case Study of Social Work in a Managed Care Organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa S. Patchner

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available The employment of social workers within managed care organizations is a new phenomenon. As such, this case study utilized an exploratory-descriptive design that assessed social workers as case managers within a Medicaid HMO. The semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation suggested that the use of case management services, delivered primarily by social workers,was effective in addressing the bio-psychosocial needs of Medicaid consumers within a provider-driven HMO. Study findings recommend specific knowledge and skills that social workers need in order to prepare for practice within managed care environments.

  10. The management of deshopping and its effects on services: a mass market case study

    OpenAIRE

    King, T; Dennis, C; McHendry, J

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Deshopping is the return of products, after they have fulfilled the purpose for which they were borrowed. Previous research indicates that deshopping is a prevalent and growing consumer behaviour. This paper examines deshopping from a retail perspective. It is a case study of interviews conducted with a mass-market retailer, to investigate their awareness and management of this behaviour. Methodology: This paper is a case study of nine interviews conducted with differe...

  11. Applying the ecosystem service concept to air quality management in the UK: a case study for ammonia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smart, James Christopher Rudd; Hicks, Kevin; Morrissey, Tim

    2011-01-01

    in magnitude to those for human health impacts. The ecosystem service approach thus offers the potential to provide a holistic appraisal of the effects of emission reductions, and could therefore make a valuable contribution to future air quality management. However, improvements in data collection...... feasibility of using an ecosystem services approach to appraise alternative scenarios for controlling agricultural ammonia emissions in the UK. The effect of ammonia emission reductions on ecosystems service delivery was assessed using an impact pathway approach. A ‘weakest link’ analysis identified...... that economic valuation of impacts on many key ecosystem services was constrained by inadequate dose–response relationships to predict physical changes in service flows and/or by an inability to produce economic valuations of the predicted physical changes. For effects on biodiversity, both the timescale...

  12. Case management: a randomized controlled study comparing a neighborhood team and a centralized individual model.

    OpenAIRE

    Eggert, G M; Zimmer, J G; Hall, W J; Friedman, B

    1991-01-01

    This randomized controlled study compared two types of case management for skilled nursing level patients living at home: the centralized individual model and the neighborhood team model. The team model differed from the individual model in that team case managers performed client assessments, care planning, some direct services, and reassessments; they also had much smaller caseloads and were assigned a specific catchment area. While patients in both groups incurred very high estimated healt...

  13. Collaborative Customer Management in Financial Services Alliances

    OpenAIRE

    Geib, Malte; Kolbe, Lutz; Brenner, Walter

    2004-01-01

    The integration of the financial services industry and many financial services companies' focus on core competencies have led to the emergence of financial services alliances. These alliances face a variety of challenges regarding an integrated approach to customer relationship management (CRM) by the partner companies.In this paper we describe the challenges derived from an analysis of five financial services companies that formed different financial services alliances. The main inhibitors o...

  14. Solutions in radiology services management: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Aline Garcia; Vergara, Lizandra Garcia Lupi; Merino, Eugenio Andrés Díaz; Wagner, Adriano

    2015-01-01

    The present study was aimed at reviewing the literature to identify solutions for problems observed in radiology services. Basic, qualitative, exploratory literature review at Scopus and SciELO databases, utilizing the Mendeley and Illustrator CC Adobe softwares. In the databases, 565 papers - 120 out of them, pdf free - were identified. Problems observed in the radiology sector are related to procedures scheduling, humanization, lack of training, poor knowledge and use of management techniques, and interaction with users. The design management provides the services with interesting solutions such as Benchmarking, CRM, Lean Approach, ServiceBlueprinting, continued education, among others. Literature review is an important tool to identify problems and respective solutions. However, considering the small number of studies approaching management of radiology services, this is a great field of research for the development of deeper studies.

  15. Efek Management Commitment Terhadap Service on Employee Service Behaviors : Peranan Mediasi Dari Job Satisfaction

    OpenAIRE

    Agustina, Nina; Diangtyas

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of management commitment to service on employee service behaviors and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of job satisfaction in the hospitality industry. The conceptual framework consists of the following constructs: management support, reward, empowerment, training, job satisfaction, extra role customer service behavior and cooperation. Moreover, six hypotheses were developed and tested. Instrument ...

  16. The intersection of software and strengths: Using internet technology and case management software to assist Strength-Based Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Michael D; Brien, Dale W

    2016-01-01

    The focus of this investigation is the helping professionals working within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This article looks at how innovative technology-in the form of automated case management software and Internet connectivity-can assist effective implementation of Strength-based Practice and agency services within tribal courts and the many other helping agencies that serve AI/AN populations. We seek to expand practice knowledge by reviewing the benefits that this software and Internet connectivity can offer to agency operations and exploring how they can assist case management services.

  17. On Quality of Service Management

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lee, Chen

    1999-01-01

    A quality of service (QoS) management framework for systems is presented that satisfies application needs along multiple dimensions such as timeliness, reliability, cryptographic security and other application specific quality requirements...

  18. A CASE-BASED ROADMAP FOR LATERAL TRANSSHIPMENT IN SUPPLY CHAIN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry Lau

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Manufacturers and wholesalers are increasingly cost conscious in response to today’s hyper-competitive environment. Lateral transshipment (LT has been proposed as a viable solution to drive total inventory costs down whilst increasing customer service level. Our study proposes five LT decision rules with a case-based roadmap to guide professional inventory management. Results of this large fast moving consumer goods case study company demonstrate superior inventory management performance with implementing a combined reactive and proactive LT strategy to determine whether to transship emergency stock from other warehouse or to backorder from suppliers, size of transshipment, favorite wholesaler, preferred supplier, and extra quantity for preventive LT, which are the key LT decision points among the professional supply chain management practitioners.

  19. Traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: case management and insurance-related issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pressman, Helaine Tobey

    2007-02-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases are medically complex, involving the physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional aspects of the survivor. Often catastrophic, these cases require substantial financial resources not only for the patient's survival but to achieve the optimal outcome of a functional life with return to family and work responsibilities for the long term. TBI cases involve the injured person, the family, medical professionals such as treating physicians, therapists, attorneys, the employer, community resources, and the funding source, usually an insurance company. Case management is required to facilitate achievement of an optimal result by collaborating with all parties involved, assessing priorities and options, coordinating services, and educating and communicating with all concerned.

  20. Good to Great in IT Service Management: A Case Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gilbert Gilbert Silvius; Eric Brugh, van der

    2009-01-01

    For IT services companies, delivering high quality IT services is of eminent importance. IT service quality drives customer satisfaction, which in its turn drives firm performance. It is this link that is addressed in this paper: How can the performance of customer service delivery teams be

  1. 31 CFR Appendix G to Subpart C of... - Financial Management Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Financial Management Service G... Management Service 1. In general. This appendix applies to the Financial Management Service. It sets forth... requests for notification and access to records and accountings of disclosures for the Financial Management...

  2. Women's experiences of nurse case management on a gynaecological oncology unit in a Swiss tertiary hospital. A thematic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grob, Silvia; Bläuer, Cornelia; Frei, Irena Anna

    2017-12-01

    Women with gynaecological cancer face various physical, social and emotional challenges concerning their health. Existing research shows that case management can improve patient satisfaction and reduce readmission rates. Although nurse case management was introduced on a gynaecological oncology unit in a Swiss university hospital in 2013, little is known about the experiences of female patients on a unit that uses this model of care. The aims were to explore women's experiences and to gain deeper understanding about hospital-based nurse case management on a gynaecological oncology unit and to qualitatively evaluate the concept of nurse case management. Sound research knowledge suggests that experiences are best explored with a qualitative research design. Ten participant interviews were conducted and inductively analysed between September 2014 and May 2015 as described by the thematic analysis method. Ethical approval was obtained, and the women signed a consent form. The first theme was named continuous relationship, with the nurse case manager as contact person and trusted partner. Study participants explained that friendliness and being present were essential qualities of nurse case management. Secondly, an essential support for women dealing with the situation of gynaecological cancer was described in the theme sharing information. The organisation of rehabilitation and other services by the nurse case management defined the third theme coordinating care. Trust was seen as the basis of the continuous relationship, marked by friendliness and presence of the nurse case manager. The helpful approach of persons practicing nurse case management made dealing with the situation of illness easier for women with gynaecological cancer. Coordination of information between the nurse case management and other healthcare services could be improved. Further evaluation is suggested to explore effects of the concept on family members. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  3. 78 FR 15123 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Accountable Official...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of...) Program AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork...

  4. The importance of work or productive activity in life care planning and case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Christine; Riddick-Grisham, Susan

    2015-01-01

    The importance of work or productive activity for the well-being, community integration, and quality of life of people living with disabilities is addressed, with implications for life care planning and case management. The role of work or productive activity in our society, and consequences of deprivation if rehabilitation services do not address vocational effects of disabilities, is explored. A continuum of productivity options is introduced; types of vocational rehabilitation assessment processes and interventions are described. The role of vocational rehabilitation services in life care planning and case management is discussed, focusing on quality of life for people living with disabilities. Rehabilitation and health care professionals should understand the importance of work or other productive activity, and support the development of appropriate plans to address those needs among people who have disabilities.

  5. Customer Satisfaction in Internal Customer Service : Case: Abloy Oy Internal Customer Service

    OpenAIRE

    Turunen, Susanna

    2011-01-01

    ABSTRACT Turunen, Susanna Marita 2011. Customer Satisfaction in Internal Customer Service. Case: Abloy Oy Internal Customer Service. Master’s thesis. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Business and Culture. Pages 73. Appendix 1. This thesis discusses and studies service quality and customer satisfaction in internal customer service. The main objective is to find out what the service quality level in the internal customer service at Abloy Oy is and whether there exists a diffe...

  6. A Customer Service Management Architecture for the Internet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sprenkels, Ron; Pras, Aiko; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; de Goede, Leo; Ambler, Anthony; Calo, Seraphin B.; Kar, Gautam

    2000-01-01

    Managing services on the Internet is becoming more and more complex and time consuming for service providers since services are increasing both in number and complexity. Also the number of users per service is going up. A solution to this problem is to allow the service users themselves to partly

  7. Service Interaction Flow Analysis Technique for Service Personalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korhonen, Olli; Kinnula, Marianne; Syrjanen, Anna-Liisa

    2017-01-01

    Service interaction flows are difficult to capture, analyze, outline, and represent for research and design purposes. We examine how variation of personalized service flows in technology-mediated service interaction can be modeled and analyzed to provide information on how service personalization...... could support interaction. We have analyzed service interaction cases in a context of technology-mediated car rental service. With the analysis technique we propose, inspired by Interaction Analysis method, we were able to capture and model the situational service interaction. Our contribution regarding...... technology-mediated service interaction design is twofold: First, with the increased understanding on the role of personalization in managing variation in technology-mediated service interaction, our study contributes to designing service management information systems and human-computer interfaces...

  8. Navigating the Road to Recovery: Assessment of the Coordination, Communication, and Financing of the Disaster Case Management Pilot in Louisiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acosta, Joie; Chandra, Anita; Feeney, Kevin Carter

    2011-01-01

    In 2009, individuals heavily affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were still in need of social services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided funding to the Louisiana Recovery Authority to implement the Disaster Case Management Pilot (DCMP) in order to help people still living in FEMA temporary housing units in April 2009 move to permanent and secure housing and access services. Despite concerted effort by participating agencies, the implementation of the DCMP was fraught with challenges. As a result, the pilot could not be implemented as intended, leaving the needs of many clients not fully met. This article shares details of a study that documents some of the key challenges in coordination, communication, and financing of the program and offers recommendations for future state and FEMA implementation of disaster case management. In light of these challenges, the authors recommend that federal and state governments review the systems used to identify and locate residents in need of disaster case management; these systems performed poorly in the DCMP, making it difficult to appropriately plan services. The stop and start of recovery initiatives led to serious discontinuities in client recovery, so the authors also recommend that federal and state governments consider a single, longer-term recovery initiative that seamlessly acknowledges the stages of human recovery. Improvements in how federal and state governments identify and locate affected residents, consider needs and vulnerabilities in planning, and ensure continuity of services are critical to ensure high-quality disaster case management.

  9. A Case Study for Business Integration as a Service

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Victor

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents Business Integration as a Service (BIaaS) to allow two services to work together in the Cloud to achieve a streamline process. We illustrate this integration using two services; Return on Investment (ROI) Measurement as a Service (RMaaS) and Risk Analysis as a Service (RAaaS) in the case study at the University of Southampton. The case study demonstrates the cost-savings and the risk analysis achieved, so two services can work as a single service. Advanced techniques are u...

  10. Developing a Customer Relationship Management Model for Better Health Examination Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyu Jr-Jung

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available People emphasize on their own health and wish to know more about their conditions. Chronic diseases now take up to 50 percent of top 10 causes of death. As a result, the health-care industry has emerged and kept thriving. This work adopts a customer-oriented business model since most clients are proactive and spontaneous in taking the “distinguished” health examination programs. We adopt the soft system dynamics methodology (SSDM to develop and to evaluate the steps of introducing customer relationship management model into a case health examination organization. Quantitative results are also presented for a case physical examination center and to assess the improved efficiency. The case study shows that the procedures developed here could provide a better service.

  11. Reorienting land degradation towards sustainable land management: linking sustainable livelihoods with ecosystem services in rangeland systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, M S; Stringer, L C; Dougill, A J; Perkins, J S; Atlhopheng, J R; Mulale, K; Favretto, N

    2015-03-15

    This paper identifies new ways of moving from land degradation towards sustainable land management through the development of economic mechanisms. It identifies new mechanisms to tackle land degradation based on retaining critical levels of natural capital whilst basing livelihoods on a wider range of ecosystem services. This is achieved through a case study analysis of the Kalahari rangelands in southwest Botswana. The paper first describes the socio-economic and ecological characteristics of the Kalahari rangelands and the types of land degradation taking place. It then focuses on bush encroachment as a way of exploring new economic instruments (e.g. Payments for Ecosystem Services) designed to enhance the flow of ecosystem services that support livelihoods in rangeland systems. It does this by evaluating the likely impacts of bush encroachment, one of the key forms of rangeland degradation, on a range of ecosystem services in three land tenure types (private fenced ranches, communal grazing areas and Wildlife Management Areas), before considering options for more sustainable land management in these systems. We argue that with adequate policy support, economic mechanisms could help reorient degraded rangelands towards more sustainable land management. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  12. E-service learning: A pedagogic innovation for healthcare management education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malvey, Donna M; Hamby, Eileen F; Fottler, Myron D

    2006-01-01

    This paper proposes an innovation in service learning that we identify as e-service learning. By adding the "e" to service learning, we create a service learning model that is dynamic, mediated by technology, and delivered online. This paper begins by examining service learning, which is a distinct learning concept. Service learning furnishes students with opportunities for applied learning through participation in projects and activities in community organizations. The authors then define and conceptualize e-service learning, including the anticipated outcomes of implementation such as enhanced access, quality, and cost effectiveness of healthcare management education. Because e-service learning is mediated by technology, we identify state of the art technologies that support e-service learning activities. In addition, possible e-service learning projects and activities that may be included in healthcare management courses such as finance, human resources, quality, service management/marketing and strategy are identified. Finally, opportunities for future research are suggested.

  13. Development of the Andalusian Registry of Patients Receiving Community Case Management, for the follow-up of people with complex chronic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales-Asencio, Jose M; Kaknani-Uttumchandani, Shakira; Cuevas-Fernández-Gallego, Magdalena; Palacios-Gómez, Leopoldo; Gutiérrez-Sequera, José L; Silvano-Arranz, Agustina; Batres-Sicilia, Juan Pedro; Delgado-Romero, Ascensión; Cejudo-Lopez, Ángela; Trabado-Herrera, Manuel; García-Lara, Esteban L; Martin-Santos, Francisco J; Morilla-Herrera, Juan C

    2015-10-01

    Complex chronic diseases are a challenge for the current configuration of health services. Case management is a service frequently provided for people with chronic conditions, and despite its effectiveness in many outcomes, such as mortality or readmissions, uncertainty remains about the most effective form of team organization, structures and the nature of the interventions. Many processes and outcomes of case management for people with complex chronic conditions cannot be addressed with the information provided by electronic clinical records. Registries are frequently used to deal with this weakness. The aim of this study was to generate a registry-based information system of patients receiving case management to identify their clinical characteristics, their context of care, events identified during their follow-up, interventions developed by case managers and services used. The study was divided into three phases, covering the detection of information needs, the design and its implementation in the health care system, using literature review and expert consensus methods to select variables that would be included in the registry. A total of 102 variables representing structure, processes and outcomes of case management were selected for their inclusion in the registry after the consensus phase. A web-based registry with modular and layered architecture was designed. The framework follows a pattern based on the model-view-controller approach. In its first 6 months after the implementation, 102 case managers have introduced an average number of 6.49 patients each one. The registry permits a complete and in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the patients who receive case management, the interventions delivered and some major outcomes as mortality, readmissions or adverse events. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Memory Management of Multimedia Services in Smart Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamel, Ibrahim; Muhaureq, Sanaa A.

    Nowadays there is a wide spectrum of applications that run in smart home environments. Consequently, home gateway, which is a central component in the smart home, must manage many applications despite limited memory resources. OSGi is a middleware standard for home gateways. OSGi models services as dependent components. Moreover, these applications might differ in their importance. Services collaborate and complement each other to achieve the required results. This paper addresses the following problem: given a home gateway that hosts several applications with different priorities and arbitrary dependencies among them. When the gateway runs out of memory, which application or service will be stopped or kicked out of memory to start a new service. Note that stopping a given service means that all the services that depend on it will be stopped too. Because of the service dependencies, traditional memory management techniques, in the operating system literatures might not be efficient. Our goal is to stop the least important and the least number of services. The paper presents a novel algorithm for home gateway memory management. The proposed algorithm takes into consideration the priority of the application and dependencies between different services, in addition to the amount of memory occupied by each service. We implement the proposed algorithm and performed many experiments to evaluate its performance and execution time. The proposed algorithm is implemented as a part of the OSGi framework (Open Service Gateway initiative). We used best fit and worst fit as yardstick to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

  15. Exploring representations and experiences of case-management users: towards difficulties and solutions to leading qualitative interviews with older people with complex living conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balard, Frédéric; Corre, Stéphanie Pin Le; Trouvé, Hélène; Saint-Jean, Olivier; Somme, Dominique

    2013-01-01

    By matching needs to resource services, case management could be a useful tool for improving the care of older people with complex living conditions. Collecting and analysing the users' experiences represents a good way to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a case-management service. However, in the literature, fieldwork is very rarely considered and the users included in qualitative research seem to be the most accessible. This study was undertaken to describe the challenges of conducting qualitative research with older people with complex living conditions in order to understand their experiences with case-management services. Reflective analysis was applied to describe the process of recruiting and interviewing older people with complex living conditions in private homes, describing the protocol with respect to fieldwork chronology. The practical difficulties inherent in this type of study are addressed, particularly in terms of defining a sample, the procedure for contacting the users and conducting the interview. The users are people who suffer from a loss of autonomy because of cognitive impairment, severe disease and/or psychiatric or social problems. Notably, most of them refuse care and assistance. Reflective analysis of our protocol showed that the methodology and difficulties encountered constituted the first phase of data analysis. Understanding the experience of users of case management to analyse the outcomes of case-management services requires a clear methodology for the fieldwork.

  16. Case management: evolution of the concept in the 80's and 90's

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Casarin Santina Nunes Alves

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Case Management is a term that is present in almost every American health care situation. It is mostly used to coordinate community services with satisfactory results for the patient within a certain period of time, with limited resources. Through time, it has been used for different purposes. The goal of this study was to show the historical evolution of case management as expressed by the American nursing literature, in the 80's and 90's, according to its use, meaning, and application, and following a theoretical framework for concept analysis. The data was extracted from two journals: "Nursing Management" and "Journal of Nursing Administration". The publications showed case management portrayed as a process that serves a common goal; where quality and cost of care were the prevalent and influential elements along time, and its practice focusing in a given population defined as of high risk and high cost for health care.

  17. Components of Managing the Quality of Customer Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vovk Viktoriia M.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the article is to clarify the essence of the concept “service quality”, identify the key criteria affecting the assessment of service quality, and find the points of intersection between the capabilities of the manufacturer and the preferences of the consumer in the process of improving the service quality. In the article the author’s interpretation of the category of service quality is proposed. The carried out research allowed to identify the stages of the service process and offer the criteria for assessing the quality of customer service. Studying the possibilities of enterprises in terms of customer service quality and the preferences of customers themselves allowed to create a model for managing the quality of customer service, which enables taking into account the interaction of the producer and the customer in the process of improving the service quality. Prospects for further research in this area are the testing of the theoretical model for managing the quality of customer service on practical material in a particular industry.

  18. Critical to quality in telemedicine service management: application of DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) and SERVQUAL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Eun Kyoung; Chun, Kee Moon

    2008-01-01

    Telemedicine generally refers to the use of communications and information technologies for the delivery of health care. owever, telemedicine is not merely a simple combination of health care and technology. The researchers propose a systematic approach for assessing needs of telemedicine customers, called critical-to-quality (CTQ) in Six Sigma, with a purpose of continuous quality improvement. The combination approach using DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) and SERVQUAL (Service Quality Framework) was applied to define the critical quality attributes of telemedicine service management and to match them with the current telemedicine process. With a step-by-step procedure, telemedicine service process was reviewed and all the important CTQ candidates identified via a case study. The findings suggest that nurses need further understanding and research methods that will improve and manage the quality of health care service in various medical fields.

  19. Methods and Algorythms of Alternatives Ranging in Managing the Telecommunication Services Guality.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pham Quang Hiep

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with methods of solving the problem of ranging of alternatives in information-analytical system of managing the quality of telecommunication services rendering process. Tasks of choice are determined, in which the alternatives are as follows: states of quality of different objects in the structure of telecommunication company management. An algorithm of ranging of objects is elaborated for the case of using unstructured set of indices. The algorithm enables to determine the objects priorities and to select the best ones among them. The suggested methods may be used while elaborating the programs of improvement of telecommunication companies competitiveness.

  20. Let's Make a Movie: Investigating Pre-Service Teachers' Reflections on Using Video Recorded Role Playing Cases in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koc, Mustafa

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the potential consequences of using student-filmed video cases in the study of classroom management in teacher education. Pre-service teachers in groups were engaged in video-recorded role playing to simulate classroom memoirs. Each group shared their video cases and interpretations in a class presentation. Qualitative data…

  1. Project management in interior design services

    OpenAIRE

    Şahinoglu, Alp

    1997-01-01

    Ankara : Bilkent University, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design and Institute of Fine Arts, 1997. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 1997. Includes bibliographical references. In this study, the concept of project management is analyzed within the framework of interior design services. Project management has been defined as the managing and coordination of all human and physical resources, in order to accomplish the predetermined goals (aim of the proj...

  2. Management of health care services for flood victims: the case of the shelter at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University Central Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buajaroen, Hathaichanok

    2013-08-01

    In Central Thailand basic health care services were affected by a natural disaster in the form of a flood situation. Flood Relief Operations Centers were established from the crisis. Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University and including the faculty of nursing volunteered to care for those affected and assist in re-establishing a functioning health care system. The aim of this study was to make explicit knowledge of concept, lesson learned, and the process of management for re-establishing a health care service system at a flood victims at Relief Operations Center, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University. We used a qualitative design with mixed methods. This involved in-depth interviews, focus group, observational participation and non-observational participation. Key informants included university administrators, instructors, leaders of flood victims and the flood victims. Data was collected during October-December, 2010. Data were analysed using content analysis and compared matrix. We found that the concept and principle of health care services management were community based and involved home care and field hospital services. We had prepared a management system that placed emphasise on a community based approach and holistic caring such as 24h Nursing Clinic Home, visits with family, a referral system, field hospital. The core of management was to achieve integrated instruction started from nursing students were practiced skills as Health promotion and nursing techniques practicum. Rules were established regarding the health care service system. The outcomes of Health Care Service at the Flood Relief Operations Center were direct and sincere help without conditions, administrations concerned and volunteer nursing students instructors, University Officer have sympathetic and charitable with flood victims and environment. Copyright © 2013 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Contingency management: perspectives of Australian service providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Jacqui; Ritter, Alison

    2007-03-01

    Given the very positive and extensive research evidence demonstrating efficacy and effectiveness of contingency management, it is important that Australia explore whether contingency management has a role to play in our own treatment context. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 experienced alcohol and drug practitioners, service managers and policy-makers in Victoria. Interviewees were selected to represent the range of drug treatment services types and included rural representation. A semi-structured interview schedule, covering their perceptions and practices of contingency management was used. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using N2 qualitative data analysis program. The majority of key informants were positively inclined toward contingency management, notwithstanding some concerns about the philosophical underpinnings. Concerns were raised in relation to the use of monetary rewards. Examples of the use of contingency management provided by key informants demonstrated an over-inclusive definition: all the examples did not adhere to the key principles of contingency management. This may create problems if a structured contingency management were to be introduced in Australia. Contingency management is an important adjunctive treatment intervention and its use in Australia has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes. No unmanageable barriers were identified in this study.

  4. Solutions in radiology services management: a literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Garcia Pereira

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available AbstractObjective:The present study was aimed at reviewing the literature to identify solutions for problems observed in radiology services.Materials and Methods:Basic, qualitative, exploratory literature review at Scopus and SciELO databases, utilizing the Mendeley and Illustrator CC Adobe softwares.Results:In the databases, 565 papers – 120 out of them, pdf free – were identified. Problems observed in the radiology sector are related to procedures scheduling, humanization, lack of training, poor knowledge and use of management techniques, and interaction with users. The design management provides the services with interesting solutions such as Benchmarking, CRM, Lean Approach, ServiceBlueprinting, continued education, among others.Conclusion:Literature review is an important tool to identify problems and respective solutions. However, considering the small number of studies approaching management of radiology services, this is a great field of research for the development of deeper studies.

  5. Solutions in radiology services management: a literature review*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Aline Garcia; Vergara, Lizandra Garcia Lupi; Merino, Eugenio Andrés Díaz; Wagner, Adriano

    2015-01-01

    Objective The present study was aimed at reviewing the literature to identify solutions for problems observed in radiology services. Materials and Methods Basic, qualitative, exploratory literature review at Scopus and SciELO databases, utilizing the Mendeley and Illustrator CC Adobe softwares. Results In the databases, 565 papers – 120 out of them, pdf free – were identified. Problems observed in the radiology sector are related to procedures scheduling, humanization, lack of training, poor knowledge and use of management techniques, and interaction with users. The design management provides the services with interesting solutions such as Benchmarking, CRM, Lean Approach, ServiceBlueprinting, continued education, among others. Conclusion Literature review is an important tool to identify problems and respective solutions. However, considering the small number of studies approaching management of radiology services, this is a great field of research for the development of deeper studies. PMID:26543281

  6. Applying the Ecosystem Services Concept to Public Land Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    We examine the challenges opportunities involved in applying ecosystem services to public lands management, with an emphasis on the work of the USDA Forest Service. We review the history of economics approaches to landscape management, outline a conceptual framework defining the ...

  7. A Randomized Trial of Probation Case Management for Drug-Involved Women Offenders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guydish, Joseph; Chan, Monica; Bostrom, Alan; Jessup, Martha A.; Davis, Thomas B.; Marsh, Cheryl

    2011-01-01

    This article reports findings from a clinical trial of a probation case management (PCM) intervention for drug-involved women offenders. Participants were randomly assigned to PCM (n = 92) or standard probation (n = 91) and followed for 12 months using measures of substance abuse, psychiatric symptoms, social support, and service utilization.…

  8. External laundry service. A tool for fleet management and flexible decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brueckner, Guenter; Schmitt, Burkhard; Micklinghoff, Michael

    2014-01-01

    While it is common in other countries such as the USA or Sweden to send out contaminated garments to an external laundering facility, this is not the case in Germany, where the preferred tendency in the nuclear industry is to remain independent from an external service provider. After the US based company 'UniTech' built a laundering facility for controlled area garment in Coevorden, Netherlands, in 1996, German operators began testing this service for decommissioning work. At the time, their justification for this choice was based on the following: - In case of a disrupted delivery the consequences would not be as severe for a nuclear power plant in the process of decommissioning. - Additional investments (evaporators) would have been necessary to install in the laundries of the individual nuclear power plants. - The existing on-site laundries and waste treatment equipment were often not suited to deal with nuclides, specific to decommissioning. It quickly became evident that a specialized service provider could conduct the necessary tasks more effectively, more flexibly, and with higher quality than an ancillary on-site facility. In addition, it became evident that central fleet management tasks are facilitated by contracting an external service provider. Business and technical processes, and requirements agreed upon in a framework agreement, supported the introduction of unified standards. The road map for future decommissioning projects in Germany is impacted by many uncertainties. Therefore, planning requires a great deal of flexibility. Here, as with other related operations, it is critical that enough protective garments are in the right place at the right time. If this does not happen, delays, additional costs and changes to process planning result. For these reasons, an external laundering and garment management service is the most reliable solution. Industry experience shows that even very short-term requests for large quantities of protective garments

  9. Room for action? How service managers in three Scandinavian cities experience their possibilities to develop their services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Næss Ole

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND - The study is based on the ongoing public debate concerning a limited scope for local service development in alcohol and drug treatment-related services - and that the main cause of local “paralysis” is to be found in health policy micromanagement of these services. It is argued that business management models place too much emphasis on financial control and performance measurement and that this leads to less interest in quality improvement in the provision of services. DESIGN - 23 interviews with service managers in three Nordic urban municipalities, Stavanger, Umeå and Aarhus. RESULTS - The article documents comprehensive local service development, demonstrating that the main conditions for innovation are management commitment and interdisciplinary co-operation in the practice field. CONCLUSIONS - In all three municipalities the services develop in a hybrid innovation model that combines New Public Management-inspired solutions with technical co-operation in horizontal networks. Results show that NPM-inspired solutions to alcohol and drug treatment services do not necessarily hinder the consideration of local professionalism and flexibility in the development.

  10. The importance of work or productive activity in life care planning and case management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Christine; Riddick-Grisham, Susan

    2015-01-01

    Abstract INTRODUCTION: The importance of work or productive activity for the well-being, community integration, and quality of life of people living with disabilities is addressed, with implications for life care planning and case management. BACKGROUND: The role of work or productive activity in our society, and consequences of deprivation if rehabilitation services do not address vocational effects of disabilities, is explored. A continuum of productivity options is introduced; types of vocational rehabilitation assessment processes and interventions are described. PURPOSE: The role of vocational rehabilitation services in life care planning and case management is discussed, focusing on quality of life for people living with disabilities. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation and health care professionals should understand the importance of work or other productive activity, and support the development of appropriate plans to address those needs among people who have disabilities. PMID:26409330

  11. Advances in service and operations for ATLAS data management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stewart, Graeme A; Garonne, Vincent; Lassnig, Mario; Molfetas, Angelos; Barisits, Martin; Calvet, Ivan; Beermann, Thomas; Megino, Fernando Barreiro; Campana, Simone; Zhang, Donal; Tykhonov, Andrii; Serfon, Cedric; Oleynik, Danila; Petrosyan, Artem

    2012-01-01

    ATLAS has recorded almost 5PB of RAW data since the LHC started running at the end of 2009. Many more derived data products and complimentary simulation data have also been produced by the collaboration and, in total, 70PB is currently stored in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid by ATLAS. All of this data is managed by the ATLAS Distributed Data Management system, called Don Quixote 2 (DQ2). DQ2 has evolved rapidly to help ATLAS Computing operations manage these large quantities of data across the many grid sites at which ATLAS runs and to help ATLAS physicists get access to this data. In this paper we describe new and improved DQ2 services: popularity; space monitoring and accounting; exclusion service; cleaning agents; deletion agents. We describe the experience of data management operation in ATLAS computing, showing how these services enable management of petabyte scale computing operations. We illustrate the coupling of data management services to other parts of the ATLAS computing infrastructure, in particular showing how feedback from the distributed analysis system in ATLAS has enabled dynamic placement of the most popular data, helping users and groups to analyse the increasing data volumes on the grid.

  12. Advances in service and operations for ATLAS data management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Graeme A.; Garonne, Vincent; Lassnig, Mario; Molfetas, Angelos; Barisits, Martin; Zhang, Donal; Calvet, Ivan; Beermann, Thomas; Barreiro Megino, Fernando; Tykhonov, Andrii; Campana, Simone; Serfon, Cedric; Oleynik, Danila; Petrosyan, Artem; ATLAS Collaboration

    2012-06-01

    ATLAS has recorded almost 5PB of RAW data since the LHC started running at the end of 2009. Many more derived data products and complimentary simulation data have also been produced by the collaboration and, in total, 70PB is currently stored in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid by ATLAS. All of this data is managed by the ATLAS Distributed Data Management system, called Don Quixote 2 (DQ2). DQ2 has evolved rapidly to help ATLAS Computing operations manage these large quantities of data across the many grid sites at which ATLAS runs and to help ATLAS physicists get access to this data. In this paper we describe new and improved DQ2 services: popularity; space monitoring and accounting; exclusion service; cleaning agents; deletion agents. We describe the experience of data management operation in ATLAS computing, showing how these services enable management of petabyte scale computing operations. We illustrate the coupling of data management services to other parts of the ATLAS computing infrastructure, in particular showing how feedback from the distributed analysis system in ATLAS has enabled dynamic placement of the most popular data, helping users and groups to analyse the increasing data volumes on the grid.

  13. Adapters, strugglers, and case managers: a typology of spouse caregivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Linda Lindsey; Chestnutt, Deborah; Molloy, Margory; Deshefy-Longhi, Tess; Shim, Bomin; Gilliss, Catherine L

    2014-11-01

    Although family home care problems are frequently described in the health care literature, the ways in which families and other informal caregivers manage those problems are not often addressed. We conducted a descriptive analysis of interviews in which spouses caring for a partner with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease were asked to describe difficult home care problems and how they managed those problems. Analysis of these interviews indicated three recurring management styles. Adapters told stories about applying pre-existing skills to manage home care problems. Strugglers told stories of reoccurring home care problems for which they had few or no management strategies. Case managers' interview stories focused on the challenges of finding and coordinating home care services. These findings suggest that caregiving burden might be influenced more by the caregiver's management style than the demands of the care situation. Suggestions for tailoring support programs for the three types of caregivers are proposed. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. Assessing The Ecosystem Service Freshwater Production From An Integrated Water Resources Management Perspective. Case Study: The Tormes Water Resources System (Spain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Momblanch, Andrea; Paredes-Arquiola, Javier; Andreu, Joaquín; Solera, Abel

    2014-05-01

    The Ecosystem Services are defined as the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfil human life. A strongly related concept is the Integrated Water Resources Management. It is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. From these definitions, it is clear that in order to cover so many water management and ecosystems related aspects the use of integrative models is increasingly necessary. In this study, we propose to link a hydrologic model and a water allocation model in order to assess the Freshwater Production as an Ecosystem Service in anthropised river basins. First, the hydrological model allows determining the volume of water generated by each sub-catchment; that is, the biophysical quantification of the service. This result shows the relevance of each sub-catchment as a source of freshwater and how this could change if the land uses are modified. On the other hand, the water management model allocates the available water resources among the different water uses. Then, it is possible to provide an economic value to the water resources through the use of demand curves, or other economic concepts. With this second model, we are able to obtain the economical quantification of the Ecosystem Service. Besides, the influence of water management and infrastructures on the service provision can be analysed. The methodology is applied to the Tormes Water Resources System, in Spain. The software used are EVALHID and SIMGES, for hydrological and management aspects, respectively. Both models are included in the Decision Support System Shell AQUATOOL for water resources planning and management. A scenario approach is presented to illustrate the potential of the methodology, including the current

  15. Capabilities for managing service innovation: towards a conceptual framework

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Hertog, P.; van der Aa, W.; de Jong, M.W.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify and reflect on a set of dynamic capabilities for managing service innovation and applies a dynamic capabilities view (DCV) of firms for managing service innovation. Design/methodology/approach - This theoretical paper offers a conceptual framework

  16. The Case of Roskilde University E-Services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heilesen, Simon

    2008-01-01

    Examining electronic services both as products and as organization, this chapter discusses the development and management of e-services at Roskilde University, Denmark. The services in question can be distinguished according to purpose into products meant for administration, communication......, education, and integration. The chapter discusses several examples of e-services from the point of view of adoption of technological innovation. Further, it is argued that participatory design and voluntary adoption are factors favourable to, but also challenging to the adoption of e-services. The technical...... and organizational integration of e-services are also touched upon, as is the importance of maintaining a creative environment for developing the services. The chapter concludes by outlining some challenges to the continued diffusion of e-services in the organization....

  17. The service of strategic consultancy in information systems management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zunilka Limonta Favier

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available We present a service that enables the design, management, innovation and implementation of information systems in academic, service, economic etc. which is intended as advice to entities that require attending to their needs whether external or internal. They offer some recommendations to improve the work in information systems and management. This paper shows how to provide differentiated services according to the characteristics of each institution.

  18. Overall comparative analysis of management and outcomes of cardiac cases reported on board merchant ships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apostolatos, Charalampos; Andria, Vivian; Licari, Julie

    Telemedical assistance has always been the cornerstone of medical care on board. Significant technological progress has provided improved scientific tools and equipment for high-quality communication and prompt management of either minor incidents or major emergencies on board. Med Solutions International is a medical management company, offering services exclusively to the maritime industry. Registered vessels contact the medical team and healthcare professionals provide immediate guidelines for onboard management as well as necessary action thereafter, i.e. examination ashore or urgent medical evacuation. Since cardiac conditions or diseases are potentially the most dangerous when traveling at sea, it is of major importance to analyse and evaluate the overall management and outcomes of cases reporting symptoms of possible heart disease so as to improve telemedical assistance services in future. The study included cases reporting cardiac symptoms from 5 major shipping companies during the year 2016. Data was collected from telecommunication, emails and seafarers' final medical reports. A descriptive analysis of overall management and outcomes was performed. The study showed that the number of confirmed cardiovascular cases on board was very low. Among 551 total cases and 44 cases with reported cardiac symptoms there was only one heart attack, one pulmonary oedema and one suspected myocarditis. In the majority of cases, chest pain was musculoskeletal or due to respiratory infection. Symptoms resulting from issues such as stress or anxiety often present as potential cardiac conditions. Stress may also amplify the severity of symptoms. Language barriers between the seafarer, the master and the doctor often make communication very difficult. According to our findings there are grounds to intensify the prevention process through more efficient pre-employment medical examinations and improve management on board through more intensive training. Communication problems

  19. Using Context Awareness for Self Management in Pervasive Service Middleware

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Weishan; Hansen, Klaus Marius

    2011-01-01

    Context-awareness is an important feature in Ambient Intelligence environments including in pervasive middleware. In addition, there is a growing trend and demand on self-management capabilities for a pervasive middleware in order to provide high-level dependability for services. In this chapter......, we propose to make use of context-awareness features to facilitate self-management. To achieve self-management, dynamic contexts for example device and service statuses, are critical to take self-management actions. Therefore, we consider dynamic contexts in context modeling, specifically as a set...... of OWL/SWRL ontologies, called the Self-Management for Pervasive Services (SeMaPS) ontologies. Self-management rules can be developed based on the SeMaPS ontologies to achieve self-management goals. Our approach is demonstrated within the LinkSmart pervasive middleware. Finally, our experiments...

  20. The Services Identity and Their Management in the Actual Economic Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bărăgan Laura Georgeta

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article is an introduction to the unique characteristics of services and to their overall management within a dynamic context. The article highlights the economic and social significance of services, the differences between services and goods and the importance of management services.

  1. Continuing Professional Education of Insurance and Risk Management Practitioners: A Comparative Case Study of Customer Service Representatives, Insurance Agents and Risk Managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krauss, George E.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to understand how selected insurance practitioners learn and developed in their practices setting. The selected insurance practitioners (collectively customer service representatives, insurance agents, and risk managers) are responsible for the counseling and placement of insurance products and the implementation of…

  2. Design of an operations manager selection system in service encounter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanawin Nunthaphanich

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to provide criteria for selecting operations managers at the ‘service encounter’ for mobile telecommunication companies, and develop a system for this multi-criteria decision-making scheme based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP. There are three main criteria for evaluating the capability of service-encounter operation managers: (1 the ability to design service process; (2 the ability to operate service process; (3 the ability to conduct improvement. The AHP operation manager selection tool was developed based on the complex problems at the service encounter. It was created as a decision support system which was used to recruit and evaluate operations managers’ capability for the purpose of career advancement.

  3. Product quality, service reliability and management of operations at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    High product quality, service reliability, and management of operations are key factors in business growth and sustainability. Analyzing “The Starbucks Experience” is a pedagogical approach to reinforcing the concepts of control and management of quality, service reliability, and efficient operations in action. The objective ...

  4. 77 FR 30050 - Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information: Resolution Authorizing Execution...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of... Depositary, Financial Agency, and Collateral Agreement AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of...

  5. Relationship between Quality of Building Maintenance Management Services for Indoor Environmental Quality and Occupant Satisfaction: Case Study of Bus Terminal Buildings in Penang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Full Chong Choon

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Maintenance is often defined as the series of activities undertaken to take care of the building structure and services to ensure the intended functions and optimal performance of a building life cycle. The management department of a building is usually responsible for the enhancement of the indoor environment quality by service delivery and for boosting occupant productivity and satisfaction. Thus, a salient point of this study is to determine the current level of the building’s maintenance management service for indoor environmental quality in Penang bus terminals, along with its occupant satisfaction with regards to the services provided in the building. The assessment of the indoor environmental quality includes the evaluation of thermal comfort, lighting condition, air quality and cleanliness. Apart from that, qualitative and quantitative methodologies were applied during the process of data collection and analysis. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 500 of the targeted population for each bus terminal, including passengers and the staff. In this study, the conclusion was drawn in which the maintenance management service level of the bus terminal was directly proportional to occupant satisfaction. However, the current quality of maintenance management services in the bus terminals are still not up to the level of the occupants’ satisfaction.

  6. [Perceptions of nursing service managers in the South African Military Health Service on their level of motivation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, A; Muller, M

    2000-12-01

    The process of transformation in the South African Military Health Services, has influenced the nursing service managers' level of motivation and the following research question is applicable: what are the perceptions of the nursing service managers within the South African Military Health Services on their level of motivation? The purpose with this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of nursing service managers on their level of motivation within these health services. A qualitative research design was utilized and four focus group interviews were conducted with 33 nursing service managers country wide. The transcribed interviews were exposed to a content analysis. The results confirm that the level of motivation amongst these nursing service managers is low. The demotivators relate mainly to the following: inadequate acknowledgement, job insecurity in relation to the future, problems with the process of integration, transformation and rationalization, problems with management, many labour related issues, poor/inadequate communication, inadequate support, increased work load, poor physical environment, negative publicity and poor self motivation. Although there were a few motivators identified, they were of less importance. These results were interpreted within Herzberg's motivation theory to identify the hygiene/maintenance factors and to assess whether the important motivators were in place. During any process of change, and/or when the level of motivation amongst employees is low, it is important to adequately manage the environment (hygiene/maintenance factors within the Herzberg theory). But it is even more important to ensure that the motivators are in place or to intensify them. It is therefore recommended that a motivation strategy, based on the Herzberg theory as well as the Hackman-Oldham job enrichment model, be developed, implemented and evaluated.

  7. Research Data Management - Building Service Infrastructure and Capacity

    KAUST Repository

    Baessa, Mohamed A.

    2018-03-07

    Research libraries support the missions of their institutions by facilitating the flow of scholarly information to and from the institutions’ researchers. As research in many disciplines becomes more data and software intensive, libraries are finding that services and infrastructure developed to preserve and provide access to textual documents are insufficient to meet their institutions’ needs. In response, libraries around the world have begun assessing the data management needs of their researchers, and expanding their capacity to meet the needs that they find. This discussion panel will discuss approaches to building research data management services and infrastructure in academic libraries. Panelists will discuss international efforts to support research data management, while highlighting the different models that universities have adopted to provide a mix of services and infrastructure tailored to their local needs.

  8. A Cloud Robotics Based Service for Managing RPAS in Emergency, Rescue and Hazardous Scenarios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvagni, Mario; Chiaberge, Marcello; Sanguedolce, Claudio; Dara, Gianluca

    2016-04-01

    Cloud robotics and cloud services are revolutionizing not only the ICT world but also the robotics industry, giving robots more computing capabilities, storage and connection bandwidth while opening new scenarios that blend the physical to the digital world. In this vision, new IT architectures are required to manage robots, retrieve data from them and create services to interact with users. Among all the robots this work is mainly focused on flying robots, better known as drones, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). The cloud robotics approach shifts the concept of having a single local "intelligence" for every single UAV, as a unique device that carries out onboard all the computation and storage processes, to a more powerful "centralized brain" located in the cloud. This breakthrough opens new scenarios where UAVs are agents, relying on remote servers for most of their computational load and data storage, creating a network of devices where they can share knowledge and information. Many applications, using UAVs, are growing as interesting and suitable devices for environment monitoring. Many services can be build fetching data from UAVs, such as telemetry, video streaming, pictures or sensors data; once. These services, part of the IT architecture, can be accessed via web by other devices or shared with other UAVs. As test cases of the proposed architecture, two examples are reported. In the first one a search and rescue or emergency management, where UAVs are required for monitoring intervention, is shown. In case of emergency or aggression, the user requests the emergency service from the IT architecture, providing GPS coordinates and an identification number. The IT architecture uses a UAV (choosing among the available one according to distance, service status, etc.) to reach him/her for monitoring and support operations. In the meantime, an officer will use the service to see the current position of the UAV, its

  9. The net effects of the Project NetWork return-to-work case management experiment on participant earnings, benefit receipt, and other outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornfeld, R; Rupp, K

    2000-01-01

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) initiated Project NetWork in 1991 to test case management as a means of promoting employment among persons with disabilities. The demonstration, which targeted Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants and recipients, offered intensive outreach, work-incentive waivers, and case management/referral services. Participation in Project NetWork was voluntary. Volunteers were randomly assigned to the "treatment" group or the "control" group. Those assigned to the treatment group met individually with a case or referral manager who arranged for rehabilitation and employment services, helped clients develop an individual employment plan, and provided direct employment counseling services. Volunteers assigned to the control group could not receive services from Project NetWork but remained eligible for any employment assistance already available in their communities. For both treatment and control groups, the demonstration waived specific DI and SSI program rules considered to be work disincentives. The experimental impact study thus measures the incremental effects of case and referral management services. The eight demonstration sites were successful in implementing the experimental design roughly as planned. Project NetWork staff were able to recruit large numbers of participants and to provide rehabilitation and employment services on a substantial scale. Most of the sites easily reached their enrollment targets and were able to attract volunteers with demographic characteristics similar to those of the entire SSI and DI caseload and a broad range of moderate and severe disabilities. However, by many measures, volunteers were generally more "work-ready" than project eligible in the demonstration areas who did not volunteer to receive NetWork services. Project NetWork case management increased average annual earnings by $220 per year over the first 2 years following

  10. Communicative Management in Ambulatory Services: Prehospital Management Communication--Limits and Possibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordby, Halvor

    2015-01-01

    Poor management communication in healthcare services affects employees' motivation, commitment, and, in the final instance, organizational performance and the quality of patient care. In any area of health management, good communication is, therefore, key to successful management. This article discusses how managers of ambulance stations should secure communication with their paramedic crews. The first part uses ethical concepts to analyze communicative disagreement in interactive dialogue between managers and paramedics. The second part outlines basic communication principles that can serve as conceptual tools for avoiding misinterpretation in prehospital manager-employee interaction.

  11. Case management in early psychosis intervention programme: Perspectives of clients and caregivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Horng Hien; Yong, Yee Huei; Shahwan, Shazana; Cetty, Laxman; Vaingankar, Janhavi; Hon, Charlene; Lee, Helen; Loh, Christopher; Abdin, Edimansyah; Subramaniam, Mythily

    2017-12-14

    This qualitative study explored the perspectives of clients and caregivers on case management provided by the Singapore Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP), with the intent to understand the salient aspects of case management from their perspective. Clients and their caregivers were recruited from the EPIP outpatient clinics. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted at a community centre outside the hospital with 47 clients and 19 caregivers. Facilitators were experienced researchers who were not involved in the care of the clients and trained in qualitative research methodologies. All FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim with all participants' identifiers omitted to protect confidentiality. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis. There were 11 themes that emerged from the FGDs: therapeutic alliance, holistic monitoring, collaborative role with other care providers, counselling and guidance, crisis management, bridging role, client-centred care, client empowerment and strength building, psychoeducation/education on illness, support and problem solving. "Problem solving" surfaced only from the client FGDs; the remaining themes were common to both groups. The voices of clients and caregivers are important to EPIP case management service. This study has provided insights into their perspectives, understandings and lived experiences of case management and its impact on clients and caregivers. © 2017 The Authors Early Intervention in Psychiatry Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  12. SERVICES MANAGEMENT IN AGRITOURISM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florentina Daniela MATEI (TITILINĂ

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available New branches of tourism continues to grow along with the globalization of environmental policy, that's exactly why agritourism promotes returning to rural areas, recreational and farm activities, through which people assured longevity. In Romania, the sector attracts more and more tourists because it keeps many rural cultural heritage elements, combined with the beauty of the landscape and the harmony that is created through inter-human relationship. However, these services require sustained investments for conservation, but also for promotion. In this paper I wish to underline the major advantages of agritourism in boosting socio-economic development of the country and to customize certain strategies to succeed in managing this type of agritourism services.

  13. 76 FR 23859 - Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information; Financial Institution Agreement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of... Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial... collection. By this notice, the Financial Management Service solicits comments concerning the FMS 458 and FMS...

  14. [Lean logistics management in healthcare: a case study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Escobar, V G; Garrido-Vega, P

    2013-01-01

    To study the applicability of the principles of Lean Production to manage the supply chain of a hospital. In particular, to determine which Lean practices and principles are applicable, the benefits obtained and the main barriers for its implementation. Managing the hospital supply chain is an important issue, both for its effect on the quality of care and its impact on costs. This study is based on a case study. 2005-10. Hospital Virgen Macarena in Seville. Process of implementing a comprehensive logistics management plan based on Lean principles and technological investments. The implementation of the comprehensive plan has reduced inventory, decreased lead times and improved service quality. Also, there have been other important improvements: enhanced employee satisfaction and increased staff productivity, both dedicated to health and the logistics. The experience analysed has shown the applicability and appropriateness of Lean principles and some of its techniques in managing the logistics of hospitals. It also identifies some of the main difficulties that may arise. Copyright © 2011 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  15. IT Service Management A guide for ITIL Foundation Exam candidates

    CERN Document Server

    Brewster, Ernest; Lawes, Aidan; Sansbury, John

    2012-01-01

    ITIL® is a framework for IT service management and provides best management practice to meet ISO/IEC 20k. This guide introduces ITIL to Foundation Exam candidates and offers a practical understanding of IT service management. The new edition is fully updated and contains several additional processes. An ITIL® licensed product.

  16. Introducing quality improvement management methods into primary health care services in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omaswa, F; Burnham, G; Baingana, G; Mwebesa, H; Morrow, R

    1996-01-01

    Uganda's National Quality Assurance Program was established in 1994 to monitor the process of decentralization of primary health care services. Guidelines were developed to address problems (e.g., in obtaining health funds channeled through local government) identified at district meetings. Bringing together District Health Teams with local administrators and political leaders to share responsibility for strengthening health services has been a significant program achievement. A smoother functioning referral system from health units to district hospitals has resulted. The response to a measles outbreak in the Arua district in 1993-94 confirmed the utility of the quality management approach. Weaknesses in the district cold chain, problems with diagnostic accuracy, and a poorly functioning information system were identified as key causative factors, and corrective action in these areas led to a subsequent decline in measles cases. Patient dissatisfaction with long waiting times at Masaka Hospital was another concern addressed through the quality assurance approach. Five salient areas were identified for action: low health worker morale, supply shortages, inadequate supervision by hospital management, poor patient flow, and inefficient drug dispensing. As a result, long delays were eliminated and utilization of hospital outpatient services increased by 28%.

  17. Quality Management of the Accounting Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baba M. C.

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Often, the accounting services are vital for the success of a business, and their quality is very important, both for the users of accounting information, as well as for the providers of services.The present paper highlights the role of the accounting services in the processes of planning, coordination and development of the management policies of the economic entities. There a re identified a series of factors which are responsible for the quality of the accounting process and for the efficiency of the activity undertaken by the accountants.

  18. Urban ecosystem services for resilience planning and management in New York City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPhearson, Timon; Hamstead, Zoé A; Kremer, Peleg

    2014-05-01

    We review the current state of knowledge about urban ecosystem services in New York City (NYC) and how these services are regulated, planned for, and managed. Focusing on ecosystem services that have presented challenges in NYC-including stormwater quality enhancement and flood control, drinking water quality, food provisioning and recreation-we find that mismatches between the scale of production and scale of management occur where service provision is insufficient. Adequate production of locally produced services and services which are more accessible when produced locally is challenging in the context of dense urban development that is characteristic of NYC. Management approaches are needed to address scale mismatches in the production and consumption of ecosystem services. By coordinating along multiple scales of management and promoting best management practices, urban leaders have an opportunity to ensure that nature and ecosystem processes are protected in cities to support the delivery of fundamental urban ecosystem services.

  19. Project management: a new service delivery paradigm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. van der Walt

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available In line with international trends in governance, the South African Government’s initial focus on the development of policy frameworks, structures and systems in order to give effect to the values and principles of the Constitution, shifted to the most critical issue, namely service delivery. The Government became increasingly aware that a significant expansion in the scope and quality of service provision was not possible with traditional delivery settings and approaches. There is growing evidence that there is a need for a significant departure from conventional approaches and that a leap into a new service delivery paradigm is necessary. Increasingly this new paradigm highlights the need to further develop the government’s project management skills and applications with a view to achieving improved delivery capability. In this article the focus will be placed on the changing service delivery paradigm – from an “old” traditional model through the transition to a “new” paradigm. This paradigm is shaped by international and national trends and events in government. The contribution and advantages of project management applications for effective governance are highlighted and the article concludes with an explanation of project management organisational arrangements necessary to support the new paradigm.

  20. Rural health service managers' perspectives on preparing rural health services for climate change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcell, Rachael; McGirr, Joe

    2018-02-01

    To determine health service managers' (HSMs) recommendations on strengthening the health service response to climate change. Self-administered survey in paper or electronic format. Rural south-west of New South Wales. Health service managers working in rural remote metropolitan areas 3-7. Proportion of respondents identifying preferred strategies for preparation of rural health services for climate change. There were 43 participants (53% response rate). Most respondents agreed that there is scepticism regarding climate change among health professionals (70%, n = 30) and community members (72%, n = 31). Over 90% thought that climate change would impact the health of rural populations in the future with regard to heat-related illnesses, mental health, skin cancer and water security. Health professionals and government were identified as having key leadership roles on climate change and health in rural communities. Over 90% of the respondents believed that staff and community in local health districts (LHDs) should be educated about the health impacts of climate change. Public health education facilitated by State or Federal Government was the preferred method of educating community members, and education facilitated by the LHD was the preferred method for educating health professionals. Health service managers hold important health leadership roles within rural communities and their health services. The study highlights the scepticism towards climate change among health professionals and community members in rural Australia. It identifies the important role of rural health services in education and advocacy on the health impacts of climate change and identifies recommended methods of public health education for community members and health professionals. © 2017 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  1. Patient-Centered Medical Home Undergraduate Internship, Benefits to a Practice Manager: Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasnett, Bonita; Harris, Susie T; White, Shelly

    Health services management interns become practice facilitators for primary care clinics interested in pursuing patient-centered recognition for their practice. This experience establishes a collaborative relationship between the university and clinic practices where students apply their academic training to a system of documentation to improve the quality of patient care delivery. The case study presents the process undertaken, benefits, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for intern, practice mangers, and educators. The practice manager benefits as interns become Patient-Centered Medical Home facilitators and assist practice managers in the recognition process.

  2. Intranets: Considerations for the Information Services Manager.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackmore, Paul

    1997-01-01

    This article identifies benefits of using Internet technologies in an organization's intranet or internal information system: ease-of-use, one interface, implementation cost, access, information services (flat content and interactive intranets), support desks (via Web services and e-mail), document management. Discusses the impact of intranets on…

  3. Effect of nurse case management on the treatment of older women with breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, James S; Satish, Shiva; Anderson, Elizabeth T; Nattinger, Ann B; Freeman, Jean L

    2003-09-01

    To evaluate the effect of nurse case management on the treatment of older women with breast cancer. Randomized prospective trial. Sixty surgeons practicing at 13 community and two public hospitals in southeast Texas. Three hundred thirty-five women (166 control and 169 intervention) aged 65 and older newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Women seeing surgeons randomized to the intervention group received the services of a nurse case manager for 12 months after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The primary outcome was the type and use of cancer-specific therapies received in the first 6 months after diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction and arm function on the affected side 2 months after diagnosis. More women in the intervention group received breast-conserving surgery (28.6% vs 18.7%; P=.031) and radiation therapy (36.0% vs 19.0%; P=.003). Of women undergoing breast-conserving surgery, greater percentages in the case management group received adjuvant radiation (78.3% vs 44.8%; P=.001) and axillary dissection (71.4% vs 44.8%; P=.057). Women in the case management group were also more likely to receive more breast reconstruction surgery (9.3% vs 2.6%, P=.054), and women in the case management group with advanced cancer were more likely to receive chemotherapy (72.7% vs 30.0%, P=.057). Two months after surgery, higher percentages of women in the case manager group had normal arm function (93% vs 84%; P=.037) and were more likely to state that they had a real choice in their treatment (82.2% vs 69.9%, P=.020). Women with indicators of poor social support were more likely to benefit from nurse case management. Nurse case management results in more appropriate management of older women with breast cancer.

  4. How Health Relationship Management Services (HRMS Benefits Corporate Wellness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nik Tehrani

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The typical worker spends about 47 hours a week commuting sitting in cars, trains, buses, or sitting at their desks. These statistics show that maintaining a healthy work and life balance has become progressively important. Workplace wellness and health promotion are of central importance for any organization in today's world. People are becoming highly conscious about their health and seek to ensure that they are provided with best medical services and facilities in case of any health issue. Organizations have switched to proactive strategies for the healthcare of their employees. Billions of dollars are spent on the workforce only after illnesses or injuries have occurred. Over the past several decades, healthcare services have drastically changed, altering the manner in which healthcare was previously managed. Technological advancements in medical systems have revolutionized the healthcare industry, and digital health tracking has been quite successful in monitoring patients’ health. Since patients are continuously monitored, no matter where they are, these systems can indicate patients’ adherence to medical protocols and act as a warning sign for such diseases as heart problems, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others. Health Relationship Management Services (HRMS is a new paradigm which defines comprehensive healthcare for an individual. HRMS is a complete health ecosystem suitable for the workplace, which enables healthcare providers to collect personal health data from various sources, analyze it for positive outcomes, and take action to preserve an employee’s good health to reduce absenteeism or turnover. HRMS can act as a preventative sentinel for corporate well-being as well.

  5. Payment schemes for hydrological ecosystem services as a political instrument for the sustainable management of natural resources and poverty reduction - a case study from Belén, Nicaragua

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hack, J.

    2010-08-01

    The importance of intact ecosystems for human-wellbeing as well as the dependence on functions and services they provide is undoubted. But still neither the costs of ecosystem degradation nor the benefits from ecosystem functions and services appear on socio-economic balance sheets when development takes place. Consequently overuse of natural resources is socio-economically promoted by conventional resource management policies and external effects (externalities), equally positives and negatives, remain unregarded. In this context the potential of payments for hydrological ecosystem services as a political instrument to foster sustainable natural resource use, and rural development shall be investigated. This paper introduces the principle concept of such payments, presents a case study from Nicaragua and highlights preliminary effects of the application of this instrument on natural resource use and development.

  6. The Role of IT Service Management in Green IT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aileen Cater-Steel

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Societies and governments are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of the expanding use of IT equipment on the environment, especially in terms of energy efficiency, emission reduction and toxic waste. The objective of this article is to explore the relationship between IT Service Management (ITSM and Green IT. To achieve this objective, results of a recent survey of IT Service Managers in Australia were analysed to gauge the extent of Green IT awareness and implementation. As well, the leading best practice framework for ITSM was evaluated to explore the depth and breadth of Green IT guidance provided in the ITIL resources. The results indicated that most of the IT Service Managers surveyed are aware of the importance of Green IT procurement, improving energy efficiency and controlling waste disposal, but not server consolidation. The extent to which Green IT policies and procedures have been implemented varied substantially across the 65 organisations surveyed. The analysis of the ITIL version 3 books clearly demonstrates that ITIL does provide guidance to support Green IT programs and confirms the view that Green IT and ITSM share common goals, such as operational efficiencies and metrics-based improvements. Recommendations are made to CIOs, IT Service Managers and ITIL authors to continue to raise awareness of how IT service management can contribute to environmental sustainability.

  7. Human Resources Management and Service Delivery in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The paper represents essentially an attempt to analyse and comprehend the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in effective service delivery in Nigeria. The paper advocates that the revamping and transformation of the Nigerian Civil Service to render effective service to the public lies not in the continuous ...

  8. Developing an Innovative Customer Relationship Management Model for Better Health Examination Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyu JrJung

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available People emphasize on their own health and wish to know more about their conditions. Chronic diseases now take up to 50 percent of top 10 causes of death. As a result, the health-care industry has emerged and kept thriving. This work adopts an innovative customer-oriented business model since most clients are proactive and spontaneous in taking the “distinguished” health examination programs. We adopt the soft system dynamics methodology (SSDM to develop and to evaluate the steps of introducing customer relationship management model into a case health examination organization. Quantitative results are also presented for a case physical examination center and to assess the improved efficiency. The case study shows that the procedures developed here could provide a better service.

  9. An Analysis of Port Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: The Case of Korean Container Ports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gi Tae Yeo

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Ports play a critical role in the economy of many countries and regions. Failure or unreliability of port services can significantly influence port customers—shipping lines and cargo owners—and result in their dissatisfaction. However, what constitutes port service quality (PSQ and its influence on the satisfaction of port customers has not been well investigated in the literature. Therefore, this study investigates the concept of PSQ and its influence on customer satisfaction in the case of Korean container ports. Following a literature review, a conceptual model of PSQ and its influence on customer satisfaction is proposed. The model was validated through a survey of 313 members of the Korean Port Logistics Association (KPLA. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM was conducted to confirm the PSQ dimensions and to examine their relationship with customer satisfaction using SmartPLS 3.2.1 software. PSQ is found to be a five-factor construct, and its management, and image and social responsibility factors have significant positive effects on customer satisfaction. In addition to its academic contribution, this study also contributes to management practices because port managers can use the PSQ scale to measure their customers’ satisfaction and justify investments in the quality management of port services.

  10. Data mining approach to model the diagnostic service management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sun-Mi; Lee, Ae-Kyung; Park, Il-Su

    2006-01-01

    Korea has National Health Insurance Program operated by the government-owned National Health Insurance Corporation, and diagnostic services are provided every two year for the insured and their family members. Developing a customer relationship management (CRM) system using data mining technology would be useful to improve the performance of diagnostic service programs. Under these circumstances, this study developed a model for diagnostic service management taking into account the characteristics of subjects using a data mining approach. This study could be further used to develop an automated CRM system contributing to the increase in the rate of receiving diagnostic services.

  11. 75 FR 42486 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Authorization Agreement for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Authorization Agreement for Preauthorized Payment (SF 5510) AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management...

  12. Managing severe behavioral symptoms of a patient with anti-NMDAR encephalitis: case report and findings in current literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanina Lima Monteiro

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Psychiatric symptoms emerge in the early stages of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR encephalitis, and patients often seek treatment in psychiatric departments before visiting any other general medical services. Numerous articles about anti-NMDAR encephalitis have been published in the scientific community worldwide, but few emphasize the role of psychiatry in symptom management.Case description: We describe the case of a patient with anti- -NMDAR encephalitis seen in our service and discuss the management of behavioral symptoms based on current scientific literature. High doses of atypical antipsychotics and benzodiazepines were used to control agitation, and trazodone was administered to treat insomnia.Comments: Consultation-liaison psychiatry may help the healthcare team adjust the management of neuropsychiatric complications that might affect inpatients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

  13. Mapping the value of ecosystem services: A case study from the Austrian Alps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Paletto

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Ecosystem services (ES are considered the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems sustain and fulfil human life. In the decision making process related to the natural resources management, two key-aspects must be taken into account: the economic value of the benefits provided by ES (provisioning, regulating and cultural services and the spatial distribution of these benefits. The purpose of the paper is to develop a method aimed to capture the economic value of the benefits provided by ES, in order to support the decision makers in the natural resources management. ES are not homogeneous across landscapes nor in space. Consequently, gaining knowledge on the spatial distribution of the economic relevance of ES is a fundamental information to target management actions. This method was tested in a case study in the Austrian Alps (Leiblachtal area in Vorarlberg region, characterized by a high importance of forests and grasslands. The results show that the highest economic values could be achieved for the provisioning services with a range between 200 €/ha year and 1,400€/ha year. The regulating services have also important economic values, but strongly localized in specific areas (i.e. protective forests against natural hazards. The economic values of the cultural services are influenced by the preferences of tourists and varies between 5 €/ha year to 60 €/ha year. The method allowed us to reveal the spatial heterogeneity of provisioning, regulating and cultural ES, depending on the ecological characteristics of the site.

  14. THE ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SERVICES: THE CASE OF EUROPEAN CRUISE INDUSTRY IN DUBAI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emanuele Pizzurno

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Firms entering new markets face a difficult challenge: how to manage the innovation process to satisfy specific clients’ requests. In view of its geographical location and business friendly policies Dubai has become the gateway between East and West. Thus, European travel & tourism industry predicts business development. Prior research suggests that managers should consider religious factors to avoid strategic drift. In this paper we explore what kind of innovations should be introduced in travel service to comply with specific clients. We argue that after a long period of strategic and market analysis, the very affected conceptual step is "service development and market testing". Our arguments are supported by empirical analysis.

  15. Managers and Information Technology: A Case Study of Organizational Change in County Government.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Howard

    1992-01-01

    Discussion of the interrelationship of information technology, managers, and users, and the structure of public sector organizations focuses on a case study that examined the organizational changes in the information services department of a large, urban county government as a result of the use of sophisticated information technologies. (11…

  16. Antecedents and consequences of the service climate in boundary-spanning self-managing service teams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jong, de A.; Ruyter, de J.C.; Lemmink, J.G.A.M.

    2004-01-01

    In this article, the authors examine antecedents and consequences of the service climate in boundary-spanning self-managing teams (SMTs) that deliver financial services. Using data from members of 61 SMTs and their customers, the authors show a differential impact of the SMT service climate on

  17. Service Degradation in Context Management Frameworks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shawky, Ahmed; Olsen, Rasmus Løvenstein; Pedersen, Jens Myrup

    2011-01-01

    information. The paper considers a developed framework from the ICT project, OPEN, and investigates the impact of applying Differentiated Services (DiffServ) Quality of Services (QoS). The paper finally provides insight in how the insight gained can be utilized to ensure reliable remote accessed context......Context aware network services are a new and inter-esting way to enhance network users experience. A context aware application/service enhances network performance in relation to dynamic context information, e.g. mobility, location and device information as it senses and reacts to environment...... changes. The reliability of the information accessed is a key factor in achieving reliable context aware application. This paper will review the service degradation in Context Management Frameworks (CMF) and the effect of high network utilization, with particular focus on the reliability of the accessed...

  18. Veterans Affairs Intensive Case Management for older veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Somaia; Neale, Michael S; Rosenheck, Robert

    2009-08-01

    There is a growing need for information on evidence-based practices that may potentially address needs of elderly people with severe mental illness (SMI), and more specifically on community-based services such as assertive community treatment (ACT). This study examines national evaluation data from fiscal year 2001-2005 from Veterans Affairs Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) program (N = 5,222), an ACT-based service model, to characterize the age distribution of participants and the distinctive needs, patterns of service delivery, and treatment outcomes for elderly veterans. Altogether, 24.8% of participants were 55-64 years; 7.4% 65-74 years; and 2.8% were older than 75. Veterans over 75 formed a distinct subgroup that had a later age of onset of primarily nonpsychotic illnesses without comorbid substance abuse and had experienced more limited lifetime hospital treatment than younger participants. Older veterans were less symptomatic and more satisfied with their social relationships than younger clients. They mostly live independently or in minimally restrictive housing, but they received less recovery-focused services and more crisis intervention and medical services. They thus do not appear to be young patients with SMI who have aged but rather constitute a distinct group with serious late-onset problems. It is possible that MHICM services keep them in the community and avoid costly nursing home placement while providing a respite service that reduces family burden. These data highlight the unique characteristics of older veterans receiving ACT-like services and the need to focus greater attention on recovery-oriented services as well as community support for this subgroup.

  19. Adaptation of intensive mental health intensive case management to rural communities in the Veterans Health Administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Somaia

    2013-03-01

    There has been increasing concern in recent years about the availability of mental health services for people with serious mental illness in rural areas. To meet these needs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Rural Access Networks for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program, in 2007, modeled on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. This study uses VA administrative data from the RANGE program (N = 343) to compare client characteristics at program entry, patterns of service delivery, and outcomes with those of Veterans who received services from the general VA ACT-like program (Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) (N = 3,077). Veterans in the rural program entered treatment with similar symptom severity, less likelihood of being diagnosed with schizophrenia and having had long-term hospitalization, but significantly higher suicidality index scores and greater likelihood of being dually diagnosed compared with those in the general program. RANGE Veterans live further away from their treatment teams but did not differ significantly in measures of face-to-face treatment intensity. Similar proportions of RANGE and MHICM Veterans were reported to have received rehabilitation services, crisis intervention and substance abuse treatment. The rural programs had higher scores on overall satisfaction with VA mental health care than general programs, slightly poorer outcomes on quality of life and on the suicidality index but no significant difference on other outcomes. These data demonstrate the clinical need, practical feasibility and potential effectiveness of providing intensive case management through small specialized case management teams in rural areas.

  20. Does human resource management improve family planning service quality? Analysis from the Kenya Service Provision Assessment 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thatte, Nandita; Choi, Yoonjoung

    2015-04-01

    Human resource (HR) management is a priority for health systems strengthening in developing countries, yet few studies have empirically examined associations with service quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between HR management and family planning (FP) service quality. Data came from the 2010 Kenya Service Provision Assessment, a nationally representative health facility assessment. In total, 912 FP consultations from 301 facilities were analysed. Four indices were created to measure quality on reproductive history taking, physical examination, sexually transmitted infections prevention and pill/injectable specific counselling. HR management variables included training in the past year, any and supportive (i.e. with feedback, technical updates and discussion) in-person supervision in the past 6 months and having a written job description. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate coefficients of HR management variables on each of the four quality indices, adjusting for background characteristics of clients, provider and facilities. The level of service quality ranged from 16 to 53 out of a maximum score of 100 across the indices. Fifty-two per cent of consultations were done by providers who received supportive in-person supervision in the previous 6 months. In 23% and 38% of consultations, the provider was trained in the past year and had a written job description, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that having a written job description was associated with higher service quality in history taking, physical examination and the pill/injectable specific counselling. Other HR management variables were not significantly associated with service quality. Having a written job description was significantly associated with higher service quality and may be a useful tool for strengthening management practices. The details of such job descriptions and the quality of other management indicators should be

  1. Government Services Information Infrastructure Management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavallini, J.S.; Aiken, R.J.

    1995-04-01

    The Government Services Information Infrastructure (GSII) is that portion of the NII used to link Government and its services, enables virtual agency concepts, protects privacy, and supports emergency preparedness needs. The GSII is comprised of the supporting telecommunications technologies, network and information services infrastructure and the applications that use these. The GSII is an enlightened attempt by the Clinton/Gore Administration to form a virtual government crossing agency boundaries to interoperate more closely with industry and with the public to greatly improve the delivery of government services. The GSII and other private sector efforts, will have a significant impact on the design, development, and deployment of the NII, even if only through the procurement of such services. The Federal Government must adopt new mechanisms and new paradigms for the management of the GSII, including improved acquisition and operation of GSII components in order to maximize benefits. Government requirements and applications will continue to evolv. The requirements from government services and users of form affinity groups that more accurately and effectively define these common requirements, that drive the adoption and use of industry standards, and that provide a significant technology marketplace.

  2. Management of Service and R&D Portfolios

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basner, Kai; Frandsen, Thomas; Raja, Jawwad

    Managing technological innovation is critical to the continued success of industrial companies, which in recent years have been observed to expand their business models by complementing their products with services. For manufacturers with a strong focus on product technology, we explore...... the challenges of introducing service innovation in R&D portfolios....

  3. GESCOM: system for commercial management of radiological protection services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso Abad, Dolores; Simon Rodriguez, Carmen; Proenza Suarez, Emma

    2008-01-01

    A wide range of Radiological protection services of national reach are offered by the Center for Radiation Protection and Hygiene (CPHR). The software developed enlarges the possibilities of the commercial management of these services. It contains all information generated in the interaction as much with the client as with the specialists during the process of realization of these services, impregnating them an added value and contributing to increase the quality and the efficiency of the commercial management of the organization. GESCOM has a wide group of reports which offer clear and precise information. It contains general modules such as entities, services request and services contract. It has specific modules for the most complex services: external dosimetry, calibration and/or verification of dose equipment, internal contamination and measurement of samples. (author)

  4. A study on important factors influencing customer relationship management: A case study of Mobile service provider

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naser Azad

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Customers are considered as essential assets in any organizations including mobile services. During the past few years, mobile industry is growing rapidly and the competitions among business owners increases steadily. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to find important factors influencing customer relationship management. The proposed study of this paper designs a questionnaire and distributes it among 253 customers in mobile industry in city of Tehran, Iran. All questions are designed in Likert scale and Cronbach alpha is calculated as 0.816, which is relatively reliable value. There were 28 questions in this survey and the proposed study extracts five important factors including economic factors, communication skills, organizational resources, service capabilities and flexible market.

  5. Use of qualitative methods in published health services and management research: a 10-year review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiner, Bryan J; Amick, Halle R; Lund, Jennifer L; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Hoff, Timothy J

    2011-02-01

    Over the past 10 years, the field of health services and management research has seen renewed interest in the use of qualitative research methods. This article examines the volume and characteristics of qualitative research articles published in nine major health services and management journals between 1998 and 2008. Qualitative research articles comprise 9% of research articles published in these journals. Although the publication rate of qualitative research articles has not kept pace with that of quantitative research articles, citation analysis suggests that qualitative research articles contribute comparably to the field's knowledge base. A wide range of policy and management topics has been examined using qualitative methods. Case study designs, interviews, and documentary sources were the most frequently used methods. Half of qualitative research articles provided little or no detail about key aspects the study's methods. Implications are discussed and recommendations are offered for promoting the publication of qualitative research.

  6. Risk Management of P2P Internet Financing Service Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalei, Li

    2017-09-01

    Since 2005, the world’s first P2P Internet financing service platform Zopa in UK was introduced, in the development of “Internet +” trend, P2P Internet financing service platform has been developed rapidly. In 2007, China’s first P2P platform “filming loan” was established, marking the P2P Internet financing service platform to enter China and the rapid development. At the same time, China’s P2P Internet financing service platform also appeared in different forms of risk. This paper focuses on the analysis of the causes of risk of P2P Internet financing service platform and the performance of risk management process. It provides a solution to the Internet risk management plan, and explains the risk management system of the whole P2P Internet financing service platform and the future development direction.

  7. [Case managers experience improved trajectories for cancer patients after implementation of the case manager function].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axelsen, Karina Rahbek; Nafei, Hanne; Jakobsen, Stine Finne; Gandrup, Per; Knudsen, Janne Lehmann

    2015-06-08

    Case managers are increasingly used to optimize trajectories for patients. This study is based on a questionnaire among case managers in cancer care, aiming at the clarification of the func­tion and its impact on especially patient safety, when handing over the responsibility. The results show a major variation in how the function is organized, the level of competence and the task to be handled. The responsibility has in general been nar­rowed to department level. Overall, the case managers believe that the function has optimized pathways for cancer patients and improved safety, but barriers persist.

  8. Service Operations Optimization: Recent Development in Supply Chain Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Shen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Services are the key of success in operation management. Designing the effective strategies by optimization techniques is the fundamental and important condition for performance increase in service operations (SOs management. In this paper, we mainly focus on investigating SOs optimization in the areas of supply chain management, which create the greatest business values. Specifically, we study the recent development of SOs optimization associated with supply chain by categorizing them into four different industries (i.e., e-commerce industry, consumer service industry, public sector, and fashion industry and four various SOs features (i.e., advertising, channel coordination, pricing, and inventory. Moreover, we conduct the technical review on the stylish industries/topics and typical optimization models. The classical optimization approaches for SOs management in supply chain are presented. The managerial implications of SOs in supply chain are discussed.

  9. HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF HOTEL SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivica Batinić

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In conditions of increasing global competition, demands and needs of consumers, quality and quality management have become fundamental strategic factors of achieving profitability and competitiveness on the relentless tourism market. Any serious "top" hotel management, with a defined mission, vision and goals, must define a "special policy" of improving the quality of hotel services through "structural programs of quality improvement," which have become an important factor in the hotel business. With the design, introduction and control of a "special program" of quality improvement of hotel services, hotel management can have a positive impact on increasing satisfaction of customers and human resources, increasing competitiveness and market power of the hotel, the rationalization of operating costs and enhance the reputation and value of the hotel on the demanding tourist market.

  10. [Relationship of the effectiveness of care management services and burdens of primary family caregivers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chia-Ling; Liu, Li-Fan; Chen, Shuh-Sin; Lin, Hsiu-Chun

    2014-02-01

    In Taiwan, long-term care management centers hold primary responsibility for administering long-term care services, assisting with long-term care placements, and sharing the care burden with family caregivers in need. Research into the effectiveness of current care management services and the effectiveness of these services in reducing care burdens remains limited. This study investigates the relationship among care management center service effectiveness, care management personnel, and burdens in relation to the provision of care services from the prospective of caregivers. A purposive sampling method and structured questionnaire survey were used to conduct telephone interviews with 154 home caregivers who had been transferred from care management centers to homecare service centers. Participants expressed overall satisfaction with care management centers and with the services provided by these centers. Satisfaction toward the care managers' professional competence was associated with lower physical burden for caregivers. Participants' psychological and social burdens were associated with overall satisfaction with the care management centers and their satisfaction with the services provided by care managers. The implementation of care management services has improved satisfaction. However, center services remain inadequate to reduce the psychological and social burdens of caregivers. Greater focus on these two aspects will be critical to the successful implementation of the proposed intensive care management model and multiple services intervention in order to meet the complex care needs of home service recipients and their primary caregivers.

  11. Effectiveness of Strengths-Based Case Management for People with Mental Health Problems in Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Y. C. Hui

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the effectiveness of a 6-month strengths-based case management intervention with 45 Chinese participants with mental health problems in Hong Kong. Social workers provided service according to the strengths-based case management (SCM model developed at the University of Kansas. Changes in participants’ recovery components (Stage of Recovery Scale, mental health symptoms (GHQ, and satisfaction with life were assessed using a single group pretest and posttest design. Results suggest that participants had some improvement in their autonomy, hope, and overall well-being as well as satisfaction with life after receiving services. No significant improvements in the other recovery components and GHQ score were found. Significantly, a number of participants progressed from stages of being overwhelmed or struggling with disability to stages of living with or beyond disability. Strengths-based practice helped participants develop a transformed self which sees hope and possibility despite the vulnerabilities caused by their illness. Though further refinement and testing are vital, adoption of SCM in Hong Kong mental health services is promising.

  12. [Psychiatric case management. Chronic Disease Management application experience in a public Mental Health Service].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pompili, Enrico; Silvestrini, Cristiana; Nicolò, Giuseppe; Pitino, Annalisa; Bernabei, Laura

    2014-01-01

    Aim of this study is to investigate the possible effectiveness of a specific program management needs of patients at high impact health care, case management (CM). The welfare impact is evaluated in terms of the severity of the presented disorder or to other characteristic factors of the individual patient, such as: adherence to the proposed treatments, possible resistance to drug treatment, cognitive structure, the presence of comorbid medical pathologies, abuse/addiction and, more generally, all bio-psycho-social functioning variables that can complicate the treatment of the patient. Twenty five outpatients with chronic schizophrenia (age mean 49,5 yrs) were evaluated through the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN20) and Life Skill Profile (LSP) before and after 1 year of CM treatment. General psychopathology was assessed by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Demographic data were collected, as well as data related to the severity of the disorder: number of hospitalizations and number of switch in drug treatment in the year before the study. Between T0 and T1 there is a significant improvement on CGI-G, BPRS (total and HOST factor), LSP and CAN TOT in patients treated with CM. Moreover, in CM treated patients a 58% reduction of hospitalizations is noted in the year of study. There is a possible effectiveness of CM in improving patient's clinical and social needs in chronic psychiatric diseases. The CM reduces the number of hospitalizations.

  13. Case management approaches to home support for people with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reilly, Siobhan; Miranda-Castillo, Claudia; Malouf, Reem; Hoe, Juanita; Toot, Sandeep; Challis, David; Orrell, Martin

    2015-01-05

    ratio (OR) with 95% CI. We assessed heterogeneity by the I² statistic. We include 13 RCTs involving 9615 participants with dementia in the review. Case management interventions in studies varied. We found low to moderate overall risk of bias; 69% of studies were at high risk for performance bias.The case management group were significantly less likely to be institutionalised (admissions to residential or nursing homes) at six months (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.98, n = 5741, 6 RCTs, I² = 0%, P = 0.02) and at 18 months (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.61, n = 363, 4 RCTs, I² = 0%, P = 0.003). However, the effects at 10 - 12 months (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.08, n = 5990, 9 RCTs, I² = 48%, P = 0.39) and 24 months (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.03, n = 201, 2 RCTs, I² = 0%, P = 0.94) were uncertain. There was evidence from one trial of a reduction in the number of days per month in a residential home or hospital unit in the case management group at six months (MD -5.80, 95% CI -7.93 to -3.67, n = 88, 1 RCT, P management was more effective at reducing behaviour disturbance at 18 months (SMD -0.35, 95% CI -0.63 to -0.07, n = 206, 2 RCTs I² = 0%, P = 0.01) but effects were uncertain at four (2 RCTs), six (4 RCTs) or 12 months (5 RCTs).The case management group showed a small significant improvement in carer depression at 18 months (SMD -0.08, 95% CI -0.16 to -0.01, n = 2888, 3 RCTs, I² = 0%, P = 0.03). Conversely, the case management group showed greater improvement in carer well-being in a single study at six months (MD -2.20 CI CI -4.14 to -0.26, n = 65, 1 RCT, P = 0.03) but the effects were uncertain at 12 or 18 months. There was some evidence that case management reduced the total cost of services at 12 months (SMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.12 to -0.02, n = 5276, 2 RCTs, P = 0.01) and incurred lower dollar expenditure for the total three years (MD= -705.00, 95% CI -1170.31 to -239.69, n = 5170, 1 RCT, P = 0.003). Data on a number of outcomes consistently indicated that the intervention

  14. Adapting cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis for case managers: increasing access to services in a community mental health agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montesano, Vicki L; Sivec, Harry J; Munetz, Mark R; Pelton, Jeremy R; Turkington, Douglas

    2014-03-01

    The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe the adaptation of an evidence-based practice and, (b) using a dissemination framework, to describe the process of implementing the practice at a community mental health agency. The authors describe the training concept and dissemination framework of implementing an emerging practice: high-yield cognitive behavioral techniques for psychosis, which is rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy. Thirteen case managers who represented teams from across the agency delivered the adapted practice at a community mental health agency. Implementation required buy in from all stakeholders, communication across disciplines, persistence, and flexibility. It appears that the use of a dissemination framework that is grounded in the literature, yet flexible, eases the process of implementing an adapted practice. Further research focusing on the effectiveness of this approach, along with the impact of implementing a full spectrum of cognitive behavioral therapy services for individuals with persistent psychotic symptoms, based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles, is indicated.

  15. Applying operations management in client-oriented and cost-efficient provision of care, welfare and housing services

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Blok, Carolien; Meijboom, Bert; Luijkx, Katrien; Schols, Jos

    2008-01-01

    Purpose In all Western countries, ageing populations cause the demand for elderly care services to increase dramatically. In addition, elderly clients are getting more demanding about the services they require to fulfil their widely varying and multiple needs. Besides, cost reductions have been the focus of governmental policies and organisational practices for many years. Health care providers increasingly see operations management as a promising approach to align both client-orientation and cost-efficiency in their day-to-day practices. Theory The paper starts from operations management literature on front office—back office design and modular production. Organisations have several options for deciding which activities need to be performed by FO, BO, or the client himself, and in deciding which employees need to perform these activities. By applying modular production, organisations can differentiate care and related services to a high degree without major cost increases. Method A literature review will be presented leading to a theoretical framework. This formed the basis for explorative case studies in the elderly care sector. Results and conclusions It will be argued how insights provided with the framework may enhance a client-orientation in integrated care delivery without major cost increases. Although case studies need to be interpreted with caution, interesting implications for organisational structures and inter-organisational cooperation can be seen. We will discuss how combined supply of care services can be made transparent to enhance choice options in service products, and what is required at the level of professionals for providing care and service packages based on client demand.

  16. The Management of Law Firms Using Business Process Management, Document Management and Web Services Integration

    OpenAIRE

    Roxana Maria Petculet

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present the technical solution implemented in the present context for the management of law firms. The informational system consists of the automation of business processes using a BPM engine and electronic archiving using a DMS. The communication between the two modules is made by invoking web services. The whole system integrates modules like: project management, contract management, invoice management, collection, CRM, reporting.

  17. Utilization Management in the Blood Transfusion Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña, Jeremy Ryan Andrew; Dzik, Walter “Sunny”

    2015-01-01

    The scope of activity of the Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) makes it unique among the clinical laboratories. The combination of therapeutic and diagnostic roles necessitates a multi-faceted approach to utilization management in the BTS. We present our experience in utilization management in large academic medical center. PMID:24080431

  18. Spectrum Management Guidelines for National and Service Test and Training Ranges

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-12

    Frequency Management Group RCC 700-17 SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL AND SERVICE TEST AND TRAINING RANGES DISTRIBUTION...left blank. DOCUMENT 700-01 SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL AND SERVICE TEST AND TRAINING RANGES July 2017...Prepared by RANGE COMMANDERS COUNCIL FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP Published by Secretariat Range Commanders Council U.S. Army White

  19. A blueprint-based case study analysis of nutrition services provided in a midterm care facility for the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paquet, Catherine; St-Arnaud-Mckenzie, Danielle; Ferland, Guylaine; Dubé, Laurette

    2003-03-01

    Ensuring nutritionally adequate food intake in institutions is a complex and important challenge for dietitians. To tackle this problem, we argue that dietitians need to adopt a systematic, integrative, and patient-centered approach to identify and manage more effectively organizational determinants of the quality of food intake under their control. In this study, we introduce such an approach, the blueprint-based case study, that we applied in the context of a midterm care facility for elderly patients. Data gathered through interviews and field observations were used to develop, from the perspective of key patient encounters, detailed representations of the food, nutrition, and nursing activities necessary to ensure adequate food intake. These service "blueprints" were developed to illustrate all activities that might potentially impact on the nutritional, sensory, functional, and social quality of patients' meals. They were also used as roadmaps to develop a case study analysis in which critical areas were identified and opportunities for improvement put forth, while considering services' resources and priorities. By providing a precise, objective, yet comprehensive mapping of the service operations and management, the blueprint-based case study approach represents a valuable tool to determine the optimal allocation of resources to insure nutritionally adequate food intake to patients.

  20. Mature data transport and command management services for the Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carper, R. D.

    1986-01-01

    The duplex space/ground/space data services for the Space Station are described. The need to separate the uplink data service functions from the command functions is discussed. Command management is a process shared by an operation control center and a command management system and consists of four functions: (1) uplink data communications, (2) management of the on-board computer, (3) flight resource allocation and management, and (4) real command management. The new data service capabilities provided by microprocessors, ground and flight nodes, and closed loop and open loop capabilities are studied. The need for and functions of a flight resource allocation management service are examined. The system is designed so only users can access the system; the problems encountered with open loop uplink access are analyzed. The procedures for delivery of operational, verification, computer, and surveillance and monitoring data directly to users are reviewed.

  1. Prioritising Mangrove Ecosystem Services Results in Spatially Variable Management Priorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Scott C; Jupiter, Stacy D; Adams, Vanessa M; Ingram, J Carter; Narayan, Siddharth; Klein, Carissa J; Possingham, Hugh P

    2016-01-01

    Incorporating the values of the services that ecosystems provide into decision making is becoming increasingly common in nature conservation and resource management policies, both locally and globally. Yet with limited funds for conservation of threatened species and ecosystems there is a desire to identify priority areas where investment efficiently conserves multiple ecosystem services. We mapped four mangrove ecosystems services (coastal protection, fisheries, biodiversity, and carbon storage) across Fiji. Using a cost-effectiveness analysis, we prioritised mangrove areas for each service, where the effectiveness was a function of the benefits provided to the local communities, and the costs were associated with restricting specific uses of mangroves. We demonstrate that, although priority mangrove areas (top 20%) for each service can be managed at relatively low opportunity costs (ranging from 4.5 to 11.3% of overall opportunity costs), prioritising for a single service yields relatively low co-benefits due to limited geographical overlap with priority areas for other services. None-the-less, prioritisation of mangrove areas provides greater overlap of benefits than if sites were selected randomly for most ecosystem services. We discuss deficiencies in the mapping of ecosystems services in data poor regions and how this may impact upon the equity of managing mangroves for particular services across the urban-rural divide in developing countries. Finally we discuss how our maps may aid decision-makers to direct funding for mangrove management from various sources to localities that best meet funding objectives, as well as how this knowledge can aid in creating a national mangrove zoning scheme.

  2. Prioritising Mangrove Ecosystem Services Results in Spatially Variable Management Priorities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott C Atkinson

    Full Text Available Incorporating the values of the services that ecosystems provide into decision making is becoming increasingly common in nature conservation and resource management policies, both locally and globally. Yet with limited funds for conservation of threatened species and ecosystems there is a desire to identify priority areas where investment efficiently conserves multiple ecosystem services. We mapped four mangrove ecosystems services (coastal protection, fisheries, biodiversity, and carbon storage across Fiji. Using a cost-effectiveness analysis, we prioritised mangrove areas for each service, where the effectiveness was a function of the benefits provided to the local communities, and the costs were associated with restricting specific uses of mangroves. We demonstrate that, although priority mangrove areas (top 20% for each service can be managed at relatively low opportunity costs (ranging from 4.5 to 11.3% of overall opportunity costs, prioritising for a single service yields relatively low co-benefits due to limited geographical overlap with priority areas for other services. None-the-less, prioritisation of mangrove areas provides greater overlap of benefits than if sites were selected randomly for most ecosystem services. We discuss deficiencies in the mapping of ecosystems services in data poor regions and how this may impact upon the equity of managing mangroves for particular services across the urban-rural divide in developing countries. Finally we discuss how our maps may aid decision-makers to direct funding for mangrove management from various sources to localities that best meet funding objectives, as well as how this knowledge can aid in creating a national mangrove zoning scheme.

  3. Editorial Special issue: Operations Management in Service Systems Downloaded from

    OpenAIRE

    Babai , Mohamed Zied; Jouini , Oualid

    2013-01-01

    International audience; The service sector is the largest sector of the economy in most industrialized nations, and is fast becoming the largest sector in developing nations as well. Driven by today's new business environment, including advanced telecommunications, accelerated business globalization, increased automation and highly on-demand and competitive innovations, the complexity of the operations management of service systems is continuously increasing. Managers of service systems are w...

  4. Environmental Impacts of the Use of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Birdwatching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kronenberg, Jakub

    2014-09-01

    The main reason for promoting the concept of ecosystem services lies in its potential to contribute to environmental conservation. Highlighting the benefits derived from ecosystems fosters an understanding of humans' dependence on nature, as users of ecosystem services. However, the act of using ecosystem services may not be environmentally neutral. As with the use of products and services generated within an economy, the use of ecosystem services may lead to unintended environmental consequences throughout the `ecosystem services supply chain.' This article puts forward a framework for analyzing environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services, indicating five categories of impact: (1) direct impacts (directly limiting the service's future availability); and four categories of indirect impacts, i.e., on broader ecosystem structures and processes, which can ultimately also affect the initial service: (2) impacts related to managing ecosystems to maximize the delivery of selected services (affecting ecosystems' capacity to provide other services); (3) impacts associated with accessing ecosystems to use their services (affecting other ecosystem components); (4) additional consumption of products, infrastructure or services required to use a selected ecosystem service, and their life-cycle environmental impacts; and (5) broader impacts on the society as a whole (environmental awareness of ecosystem service users and other stakeholders). To test the usefulness of this framework, the article uses the case study of birdwatching, which demonstrates all of the above categories of impacts. The article justifies the need for a broader consideration of environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services.

  5. Applying data distribution management and ownership management services of the HLA interface specification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuijpers, N.H.L.; Lukkien, J.J.; Brasse, M.H.H.; Huijbrechts, S.

    1999-01-01

    The HLA Interface Specification defines services for Data Distribution Management (DDM) and Ownership Management (OM). In addition to Declaration Management, DDM is introduced to provide value based filtering on the attribute values to be communicated. The main objectives of DDM are reduction of the

  6. Examination of in-service risk management at the level of the draft project for Cigeo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    This document reports the opinion of the IRSN on the issue of in-service risk management as it appears in the draft project of Cigeo. After having recalled the general context of the ASN request for this opinion, and presented the ANDRA file on in-service risk-management of the draft project for Cigeo, this report describes the underground installation and the different flows during the exploitation phase, and recalls the various evolutions of Cigeo general design from the 2009 file to the draft project. The next part reports the examination by the IRSN of the relevance of the in-service safety approach by the ANDRA. The next chapter reports the examination of the risk analysis made by the ANDRA on radioactive material dissemination, fire (protection measures, ventilation control, case of exothermal reactions), explosion, handling, co-activity, as well as ageing and maintenance of storage components, intervention in accidental and incidental situation and possibility of retrieval of waste packages

  7. Leadership development and succession planning in case management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miodonski, Kathleen; Hines, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    The director of case management is one of health care's leadership positions most frequently in demand. The lack of qualified and effective case management leaders will continue to be an issue for organizations for years to come, influenced by increasing pressures on health care reimbursement and the aging case management workforce. Organizations have an opportunity to create a program to develop future case management leaders from their internal talent. The proposed strategies are designed for the acute care hospital but also have applicability in other health care settings where there are case managers and a need for case management leadership. The business community offers leadership research and leadership development models with relevance to case management. Identifying and developing internal talent for leadership roles has been proven to be effective in preparation for advanced responsibilities, has a positive effect on staff morale, and minimizes the impact of vacant leadership positions during recruitment and onboarding activities. Creating a case management leadership development program for an organization can be an alternative to the process of external recruitment for case management department leaders. Such a program can be undertaken even in today's budget conscious environment by accessing existing resources in an organization in a creative and organized manner. The authors outline an approach for case management leaders to accept responsibility for succession planning and for case managers to accept responsibility for promoting their own career development through creation of a leadership development program.

  8. Changes in Case-Mix and Health Outcomes of Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries and Managed Care Enrollees During the Years 1992-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koroukian, Siran M; Basu, Jayasree; Schiltz, Nicholas K; Navale, Suparna; Bakaki, Paul M; Warner, David F; Dor, Avi; Given, Charles W; Stange, Kurt C

    2018-01-01

    Recent studies suggest that managed care enrollees (MCEs) and fee-for-service beneficiaries (FFSBs) have become similar in case-mix over time; but comparisons of health outcomes have yielded mixed results. To examine changes in differentials between MCEs and FFSBs both in case-mix and health outcomes over time. Temporal study of the linked Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Medicare data, comparing case-mix and health outcomes between MCEs and FFSBs across 3 time periods: 1992-1998, 1999-2004, and 2005-2011. We used multivariable analysis, stratified by, and pooled across the study periods. The unit of analysis was the person-wave (n=167,204). HRS participants who were also enrolled in Medicare. Outcome measures included self-reported fair/poor health, 2-year self-rated worse health, and 2-year mortality. Our main covariate was a composite measure of multimorbidity (MM), MM0-MM3, defined as the co-occurrence of chronic conditions, functional limitations, and/or geriatric syndromes. The case-mix differential between MCEs and FFSBs persisted over time. Results from multivariable models on the pooled data and incorporating interaction terms between managed care status and study period indicated that MCEs and FFSBs were as likely to die within 2 years from the HRS interview (P=0.073). This likelihood remained unchanged across the study periods. However, MCEs were more likely than FFSBs to report fair/poor health in the third study period (change in probability for the interaction term: 0.024, P=0.008), but less likely to rate their health worse in the last 2 years, albeit at borderline significance (change in probability: -0.021, P=0.059). Despite the persistence of selection bias, the differential in self-reported fair/poor status between MCEs and FFSBs seems to be closing over time.

  9. Case management: a randomized controlled study comparing a neighborhood team and a centralized individual model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggert, G M; Zimmer, J G; Hall, W J; Friedman, B

    1991-10-01

    This randomized controlled study compared two types of case management for skilled nursing level patients living at home: the centralized individual model and the neighborhood team model. The team model differed from the individual model in that team case managers performed client assessments, care planning, some direct services, and reassessments; they also had much smaller caseloads and were assigned a specific catchment area. While patients in both groups incurred very high estimated health services costs, the average annual cost during 1983-85 for team cases was 13.6 percent less than that of individual model cases. While the team cases were 18.3 percent less expensive among "old" patients (patients who entered the study from the existing ACCESS caseload), they were only 2.7 percent less costly among "new" cases. The lower costs were due to reductions in hospital days and home care. Team cases averaged 26 percent fewer hospital days per year and 17 percent fewer home health aide hours. Nursing home use was 48 percent higher for the team group than for the individual model group. Mortality was almost exactly the same for both groups during the first year (about 30 percent), but was lower for team patients during the second year (11 percent as compared to 16 percent). Probable mechanisms for the observed results are discussed.

  10. Methanol mass poisoning in Iran: role of case finding in outbreak management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassanian-Moghaddam, Hossein; Nikfarjam, Ali; Mirafzal, Amirhossein; Saberinia, Amin; Nasehi, Abbas Ali; Masoumi Asl, Hossein; Memaryan, Nadereh

    2015-06-01

    There are no guidelines addressing the public health aspects of methanol poisoning during larger outbreaks. The current study was done to discuss the role of active case finding and a national guideline that organizes all available resources according to a triage strategy in the successful management of a methanol mass poisoning in Rafsanjan, Iran, in May 2013. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed reviewing the outbreak Emergency Operation Center files. The objectives were to describe the characteristics, management and outcome of a methanol outbreak using Active Case Finding to trace the victims. A total of 694 patients presented to emergency departments in Rafsanjan after public announcement of the outbreak between 29th May and 3rd June 2013. The announcement was mainly performed via short message service (SMS) and local radio broadcasting. A total of 361 cases were observed and managed in Rafsanjan and 333 were transferred to other cities. Seventy-five and 100 patients underwent hemodialysis (HD), retrospectively. The main indication for HD was refractory metabolic acidosis. Eight patients expired due to the intoxication. Except for the deceased cases, no serum methanol level was available. In developing countries, where diagnostic resources are limited, use of active case finding and developing national guidelines can help in the management of large outbreaks of methanol poisonings. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Identity Management and Trust Services: Foundations for Cloud Computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suess, Jack; Morooney, Kevin

    2009-01-01

    Increasingly, IT organizations will move from providing IT services locally to becoming an integrator of IT services--some provided locally and others provided outside the institution. As a result, institutions must immediately begin to plan for shared services and must understand the essential role that identity management and trust services play…

  12. 77 FR 37959 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Pools and Associations-Annual...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Pools and Associations--Annual Letter AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of...

  13. Financing of Pharmaceutical Services in the municipal management of the Brazilian Unified Health System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faleiros, Daniel Resende; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; Álvares, Juliana; Nascimento, Renata Cristina Rezende Macedo do; Costa, Ediná Alves; Guibu, Ione Aquemi; Soeiro, Orlando Mario; Leite, Silvana Nair; Karnikowski, Margô Gomes de Oliveira; Costa, Karen Sarmento; Guerra, Augusto Afonso

    2017-11-13

    To discuss factors related to the financing of the Basic Component of Pharmaceutical Services within the municipal management of the Brazilian Unified Health System. The Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos no Brasil - Serviços (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - Services) is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and evaluative study that performed an information survey in a representative sample, stratified by Brazilian regions It considered different study populations in the sampling plan, which represent primary health care services in the cities. Data were collected in 2015 by two methods: in person, by applying direct observation scripts and interviews with users, physicians, and professionals responsible for the dispensing of medicines in primary care services; by telephone interviews with municipal health managers and municipal professionals responsible for Pharmaceutical Services. The results were extracted from the questionnaires applied by telephone. Of the sample of 600 eligible cities, we collected 369 interviews (61.5%) with secretaries and 507 (84.5%) with pharmaceutical services managers. 70.8% of the cities have a computerized management system; and 11.9% have qualification/training of professionals. More than half (51.3%) of the cities received funds for the structuring of pharmaceutical services, and almost 60% of these cities performed this type of spending. In 35.4% of cases, municipal secretaries of health said that they use resources of medicines from the Componente Básico da Assistência Farmacêutica (CBAF - Basic Component of Pharmaceutical Services) to cover demands of other medicines, but only 9.7% believed that these funds were sufficient to cover the demands. The existence of a permanent bidding committee exclusively for acquiring medicines was reported in 40.0% of the cities. We found serious deficiencies in the public financing of

  14. New Development: Managing and accounting for sustainable development across generations in public services - and call for papers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grubnic, S.; Thomson, I.; Georgakopoulos, G.

    2015-01-01

    Social and environmental justice across generations is a fundamental attribute of sustainable development. In this article, which is also a call for papers for a future theme in Public Money & Management (PMM), we develop our case for further research on how governments and public service

  15. Public service of radioactive waste management for small producers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeleznik, N.; Mele, I.

    2001-01-01

    By Governmental decree of May 1999, the Agency for radwaste management (ARAO) was authorized as a state public service for managing radioactive waste from small producers. By this decree the ARAO also became the operator of the Central Interim Storage intended for radioactive waste from industry, medicine and research, located in Brinje near Ljubljana. In this paper the current situation will be presented, together with plans for improving public service and the necessary refurbishment and modernization of the storage facility. Execution of the proposed measures, modifications and a modernization will ensure proper and safe storing of all radioactive waste from small producers produced in Slovenia, thus fulfilling the requirements for full operation of the public service of radioactive waste management.(author)

  16. An Analysis of Category Management of Service Contracts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    comprised of four steps to guide future category management teams in analyzing data and applying Category Management principles through the use of...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT AN ANALYSIS OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE CONTRACTS December 2017...Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project

  17. Ecological thresholds as a basis for defining management triggers for National Park Service vital signs: case studies for dryland ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowker, Matthew A.; Miller, Mark E.; Belote, R. Travis; Garman, Steven L.

    2013-01-01

    protection of resources within the range of desired conditions (Cook and others, 2010). The goal of conservation management for natural resources in the U.S. National Park System is to maintain native species and habitat unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Achieving this goal requires, in part, early detection of system change and timely implementation of remediation. The recent National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring program (NPS I&M) was established to provide early warning of declining ecosystem conditions relative to a desired native or reference system (Fancy and others, 2009). To be an effective tool for resource protection, monitoring must be designed to alert managers of impending thresholds so that preventive actions can be taken. This requires an understanding of the ecosystem attributes and processes associated with threshold-type behavior; how these attributes and processes become degraded; and how risks of degradation vary among ecosystems and in relation to environmental factors such as soil properties, climatic conditions, and exposure to stressors. In general, the utility of the threshold concept for long-term monitoring depends on the ability of scientists and managers to detect, predict, and prevent the occurrence of threshold crossings associated with persistent, undesirable shifts among ecosystem states (Briske and others, 2006). Because of the scientific challenges associated with understanding these factors, the application of threshold concepts to monitoring designs has been very limited to date (Groffman and others, 2006). As a case in point, the monitoring efforts across the 32 NPS I&M networks were largely designed with the knowledge that they would not be used to their full potential until the development of a systematic method for understanding threshold dynamics and methods for estimating key attributes of threshold crossings. This report describes and demonstrates a generalized approach that we implemented to formalize

  18. 77 FR 43428 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Minority Bank Deposit Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of... Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial... collection. By this notice, the Financial Management Service solicits comments concerning form FMS 3144...

  19. 76 FR 23860 - Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information: Schedule of Excess Risks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information: Schedule of Excess Risks AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of its continuing...

  20. Reductions in Transmission Risk Behaviors in HIV-Positive Clients Receiving Prevention Case Management Services: Findings from a Community Demonstration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasiorowicz, Mari; Llanas, Michelle R.; DiFranceisco, Wayne; Benotsch, Eric G.; Brondino, Michael J.; Catz, Sheryl L.; Hoxie, Neil J.; Reiser, William J.; Vergeront, James M.

    2005-01-01

    Prevention case management (PCM) for HIV-infected persons is an HIV risk reduction intervention designed to assist clients who are aware of their HIV infection and who continue to engage in risk transmission behaviors. PCM combines individual risk reduction counseling with case management to address the psychosocial factors affecting HIV…

  1. 41 CFR 105-1.101 - General Services Administration Property Management Regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...-INTRODUCTION 1.1-Regulations System § 105-1.101 General Services Administration Property Management Regulations... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General Services Administration Property Management Regulations. 105-1.101 Section 105-1.101 Public Contracts and Property...

  2. Customer service: the key to remaining competitive in managed care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, J E

    2000-01-01

    The health care industry is undergoing a rapid transformation to meet the ever-increasing needs and demands of its patient population. Employers and managed care organizations are demanding better service and higher quality care, while providers are trying to tackle reimbursement cutbacks, streamlining of services, and serving a diverse population. Providers have begun to realize that to overcome these obstacles and meet the needs of their health plans and consumers, they must focus on the demands of their customers. Health care organizations have found they can meet the demands of both the consumer and the managed care industry through initiating and maintaining a customer service program. This essay explains the importance of customer service and its link to success in the managed care environment.

  3. Home Environment Service Knowledge Management System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jiang; Rossello Busquet, Ana; Soler, José

    2011-01-01

    This paper makes three contributions to assist households to control their home devices in an easy way and to simplify the software installation and configuration processes across multi-vendor environments. First, a Home Environment Service Knowledge Management System is proposed, which is based...... on the knowledge implemented by ontology and uses the inference function of reasoner to find out available software services according to household requests. Second, this paper provides a concrete methodology to exploit and acquire conflict-free information from ontology knowledge by using a reasoner. At last......, a strategy of calculating the sequence of service dependency hierarchy is proposed by this paper....

  4. Revenue management of air cargo service in theory and practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budiarto, S.; Putro, H. P.; Pradono, P.; Yudoko, G.

    2018-05-01

    This study examines the air cargo service by comparing existing theories from previous research with the conditions on the ground. The object of the study is focused on the freight forwarder and the airport management. This study reviews the models and results of previous research that will be summarized and used to identify any issues related to the characteristics of air cargo operational services, as well as observing and monitoring literature with airlines, shipping companies, and airport management to explore and see the gap between prior research and implementation of its process in the air cargo service. The first phase in this study is to provide an overview of the air cargo industry. The second phase analyzes the characteristic differences between air cargo services and air passenger operating services. And the third phase is a literary bibliography study of air cargo operations, where the focus is on the studies using quantitative models from the perspective of the object of the study, which is the optimization of revenue management on air cargo services. From the results of the study, which is based on the gap between theory and practice, new research opportunities which are related to management of air cargo service revenue in the form of model development are found by adding booking timelines aspects of cargo that can affect the revenue of cargo airline companies and airports.

  5. An ecosystem service approach to support integrated pond management: A case study using Bayesian belief networks – Highlighting opportunities and risks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Landuyt, D.; Lemmens, P.; D'Hondt, R.; Broekx, S.; Liekens, I.; De Bie, T.; Declerck, S.A.J.; De Meester, L.; Goethals, P.

    2014-01-01

    Freshwater ponds deliver a broad range of ecosystem services (ESS). Taking into account this broad range of services to attain cost-effective ESS delivery is an important challenge facing integrated pond management. To assess the strengths and weaknesses of an ESS approach to support decisions in

  6. Translating National Level Forest Service Goals to Local Level Land Management: Carbon Sequestration

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNulty, S.; Treasure, E.

    2017-12-01

    The USDA Forest Service has many national level policies related to multiple use management. However, translating national policy to stand level forest management can be difficult. As an example of how a national policy can be put into action, we examined three case studies in which a desired future condition is evaluated at the national, region and local scale. We chose to use carbon sequestration as the desired future condition because climate change has become a major area of concern during the last decade. Several studies have determined that the 193 million acres of US national forest land currently sequester 11% to 15% of the total carbon emitted as a nation. This paper provides a framework by which national scale strategies for maintaining or enhancing forest carbon sequestration is translated through regional considerations and local constraints in adaptive management practices. Although this framework used the carbon sequestration as a case study, this framework could be used with other national level priorities such as the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) or the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

  7. INTEGRATED SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Volodymyr Kharchenko

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the analysis of the researches conducted in the field of safety management systems.Safety management system framework, methods and tools for safety analysis in Air Traffic Control have been reviewed.Principles of development of Integrated safety management system in Air Traffic Services have been proposed.

  8. Typology and indicators of ecosystem services for marine spatial planning and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhnke-Henrichs, Anne; Baulcomb, Corinne; Koss, Rebecca; Hussain, S Salman; de Groot, Rudolf S

    2013-11-30

    The ecosystem services concept provides both an analytical and communicative tool to identify and quantify the link between human welfare and the environment, and thus to evaluate the ramifications of management interventions. Marine spatial planning (MSP) and Ecosystem-based Management (EBM) are a form of management intervention that has become increasingly popular and important globally. The ecosystem service concept is rarely applied in marine planning and management to date which we argue is due to the lack of a well-structured, systematic classification and assessment of marine ecosystem services. In this paper we not only develop such a typology but also provide guidance to select appropriate indicators for all relevant ecosystem services. We apply this marine-specific ecosystem service typology to MSP and EBM. We thus provide not only a novel theoretical construct but also show how the ecosystem services concept can be used in marine planning and management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Service engineers in change: count your words : A case study into professional discourse and culture within three Dutch organizations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drs Jos Pieterse

    2014-01-01

    This doctoral thesis describes three case studies of service engineers participating in organizational change, interacting with managers and consultants. The study investigates the role of differences in professional discourse and culture when these three professional groups interact in

  10. Experimental application of Business Process Management technology to manage clinical pathways: a pediatric kidney transplantation follow up case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andellini, Martina; Fernandez Riesgo, Sandra; Morolli, Federica; Ritrovato, Matteo; Cosoli, Piero; Petruzzellis, Silverio; Rosso, Nicola

    2017-11-03

    To test the application of Business Process Management technology to manage clinical pathways, using a pediatric kidney transplantation as case study, and to identify the benefits obtained from using this technology. Using a Business Process Management platform, we implemented a specific application to manage the clinical pathway of pediatric patients, and monitored the activities of the coordinator in charge of the case management during a 6-month period (from June 2015 to November 2015) using two methodologies: the traditional procedure and the one under study. The application helped physicians and nurses to optimize the amount of time and resources devoted to management purposes. In particular, time reduction was close to 60%. In addition, the reduction of data duplication, the integrated event management and the efficient data collection improved the quality of the service. The use of Business Process Management technology, usually related to well-defined processes with high management costs, is an established procedure in multiple environments; its use in healthcare, however, is innovative. The use of already accepted clinical pathways is known to improve outcomes. The combination of these two techniques, well established in their respective areas of application, could represent a revolution in clinical pathway management. The study has demonstrated that the use of this technology in a clinical environment, using a proper architecture and identifying a well-defined process, leads to real benefits in terms of resources optimization and quality improvement.

  11. Anticipating and Managing Future Trade-offs and Complementarities between Ecosystem Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark S. Reed

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper shows how, with the aid of computer models developed in close collaboration with decision makers and other stakeholders, it is possible to quantify and map how policy decisions are likely to affect multiple ecosystem services in future. In this way, potential trade-offs and complementarities between different ecosystem services can be identified, so that policies can be designed to avoid the worst trade-offs, and where possible, enhance multiple services. The paper brings together evidence from across the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme's Sustainable Uplands project for the first time, with previously unpublished model outputs relating to runoff, agricultural suitability, biomass, heather cover, age, and utility for Red Grouse (Lagopus scotica, grass cover, and accompanying scenario narratives and video. Two contrasting scenarios, based on policies to extensify or intensify land management up to 2030, were developed through a combination of interviews and discussions during site visits with stakeholders, literature review, conceptual modeling, and process-based computer models, using the Dark Peak of the Peak District National Park in the UK as a case study. Where extensification leads to a significant reduction in managed burning and grazing or land abandonment, changes in vegetation type and structure could compromise a range of species that are important for conservation, while compromising provisioning services, amenity value, and increasing wildfire risk. However, where extensification leads to the restoration of peatlands damaged by former intensive management, there would be an increase in carbon sequestration and storage, with a number of cobenefits, which could counter the loss of habitats and species elsewhere in the landscape. In the second scenario, land use and management was significantly intensified to boost UK self-sufficiency in food. This would benefit certain provisioning services but would have negative

  12. Knowledge management: implications for human service organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Michael J; Claassen, Jennette; Vu, Catherine M; Mizrahi, Paola

    2008-01-01

    Knowledge management has recently taken a more prominent role in the management of organizations as worker knowledge and intellectual capital are recognized as critical to organizational success. This analysis explores the literature of knowledge management including the individual level of tacit and explicit knowledge, the networks and social interactions utilized by workers to create and share new knowledge, and the multiple organizational and managerial factors associated with effective knowledge management systems. Based on the role of organizational culture, structure, leadership, and reward systems, six strategies are identified to assist human service organizations with implementing new knowledge management systems.

  13. Excel 2016 for health services management statistics a guide to solving problems

    CERN Document Server

    Quirk, Thomas J

    2016-01-01

    This book shows the capabilities of Microsoft Excel in teaching health services management statistics effectively. Similar to the previously published Excel 2013 for Health Services Management Statistics, this book is a step-by-step exercise-driven guide for students and practitioners who need to master Excel to solve practical health service management problems. If understanding statistics isn’t your strongest suit, you are not especially mathematically-inclined, or if you are wary of computers, this is the right book for you. Excel, a widely available computer program for students and managers, is also an effective teaching and learning tool for quantitative analyses in health service courses. Its powerful computational ability and graphical functions make learning statistics much easier than in years past. However, Excel 2016 for Health Services Management Statistics: A Guide to Solving Practical Problems is the first book to capitalize on these improvements by teaching students and managers how to apply...

  14. Rancang Bangun Sistem Informasi Pelayanan Kesehatan Berbasis Customer Relationship Management Menggunakan Teknologi Short Message Service (SMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trismianto Asmo Sutrisno Sutrisno

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Recently, there are many hospitals as the health-care services choose to use the concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM to build the trust bridges between the hospitals and their patients. The implementation of CRM in health caring, especially for pregnant women needs to do; such as the delivery of information related to the pregnant women to get antenatal care as the scheduled or pregnant women desire to obtain information dealing with their pregnancy. The irrelevant, slow and inaccurate information can cause the health care services given to the patients are not optimal, so that they can reduce patients’ loyalty toward the health-care services. This research resulted health care information system based on Customer Relationship Management using Short Message Service (SMS technology with case study of health care for pregnant women. The resulted information system is produced by the System Development Life Cycle methodology using the Waterfall model. One of the features produced is the pregnant women will receive a confirmation SMS to obtain antenatal care with a schedule until 28 weeks of their pregnancy check up every four weeks, 28-36 weeks of their pregnancy check up every two weeks, and 36-40 weeks of their pregnancy check up once a week.   Keywords: Pregnant Women, Antenatal Care, Customer Relationship Management, Short Message Service

  15. Foreign practice shaping the style of personnel management in the public service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. M. Letuchyi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The experience of forming sheets of personnel management in the public service of foreign countries, especially European Union Member States. Particular attention was paid to countries with a mixed career and public service models, in particular France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Latvia. Based on the analysis above all laws lit personnel management in the public service, showing the trend towards democratization by forming on an equal footing advisory authorities, on the example of France given their characteristics. Considerable space is devoted analysis of American, Japanese and European models of management staffing and their influence on the particular style of personnel management of public service. Disclosed approaches to personnel management at the level of public authority. Characterized the role of strategy use and development of “human resources” to improve the efficiency of public service.

  16. Book of Abstracts - Managing Forests to Promote Environmental Services

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This book includes the abstracts of the oral and poster presentation of the conference ‘Managing Forests to Promote Environmental Services’, 3-5 November 2015, Copenhagen. The conference is arranged by the Centre of Advanced Research on Environmental Services from Nordic Forest Ecosystems (CAR-ES...... forest management and environmental ecosystem services in a broader perspective, and overviews of ten years of CAR-ES integrated research on carbon sequestration, water protection, biodiversity, and soil quality in the Nordic – Baltic are presented. Frederiksberg, October 2015 Inge Stupak, Lars Högbom...... II), funded by Nordic Forest Research (SNS) 2011-2015. This is an open network that brings together Nordic and Baltic forest researchers in order to provide scientific knowledge on the impacts of forest management on major environmental services for decision making within the forestry sector...

  17. 77 FR 71035 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Market Research Study AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management...

  18. Management and Quality of Services in Pristina’s Hotelier Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrit Hasanaj

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Management of tourism hotel industry and especially the quality of services in hotel industry are important and successful factors of business. The concept of quality of service is essential if we wish to understand the genesis of service quality and potential gaps in quality. The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of service quality in the hotel industry from the standpoint of conceptual and description attributes influencing this quality. Today to manage the industry of tourism and hotelier in a more efficient and effective way means to take a step towards the country's economic growth, boost employment at satisfactory levels and welfare of the population. This management is a positive publicity for the country and attracting tourists who bring more income and new social and cultural cooperation.

  19. 75 FR 22680 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Annual Financial Statement of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Annual Financial Statement of Surety Companies--Schedule F AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management...

  20. Extent and types of management consulting services to SMEs in Vojvodina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragan Dukić

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Growth and development of small and medium enterprises depends on many external and internal factors, as well as the volume, type and quality of support available to them. This paper highlights the importance of management knowledge and skills in small business, and the importance of management consulting in their acquisition and development. We have researched and analyzed the extent to management consulting (MC services, separately in the micro, small and medium enterprises. In addition, we learn which types of MC services are most commonly used by companies of different sizes. In that way, we provided qualitative and quantitative data for each group of enterprises, both in the type and volume of services used. It is observed that micro-enterprises use a small amount  MC services, and those of more general type. With the growth of the enterprises, comes an increase in scope, and sophistication of services used. The results may be useful both for small and medium enterprises, as well as for institutional and private providers of management consulting services.

  1. Mobilizing First-Line Managers as Organizational Strategy Makers: The Case of Environmentally Sustainable Operations

    OpenAIRE

    Gjøsæter, Åge

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the paper is to investigate how first-line managers are mobilized as organizational strategy makers. The research case is a campaign launched by a Norwegian shipping company servicing the petroleum industry. The strategic idea on which the campaign was based was to operate the company`s fleet of offshore service vessels in an environmentally sustainable way, to be realized by carrying out fuel-saving operations on board the vessels. A strategic idea is supposed to set out a vie...

  2. Choice of the marketing concept of management of housing-and-communal services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skripnik, Oksana

    2017-10-01

    According to the author, housing-and-communal services comprise the basis of regional infrastructure forming quality and the standard of living of the population, being one of the most important prerequisites of development of social and economic capacity of the region. Some marketing concepts of management of housing-and-communal services are considered in the article, the problems, interfering the use of marketing technologies in management of housing-and-communal services are revealed. The need of use of marketing management for effective activity of housing-and-communal services is also reasoned. The author proves that the introduction of housing-and-communal services in practice as the marketing concept of management allows to solve the whole complex of issues, which are studied in the article.

  3. Examining End-of-Life Case Management: Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger E. Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Case management was initiated in the 1970s to reduce care discontinuity. A literature review focused on end-of-life (EOL case management identified 17 research articles, with content analysis revealing two themes: (a seeking to determine or establish the value of EOL case management and (b identifying ways to improve EOL case management. The evidence, although limited, suggests that EOL case management is helpful to dying individuals and their families. Research is needed to more clearly illustrate its usefulness or outcomes and the extent of need for it and actual availability. Among other benefits, EOL case management may help reduce hospital utilization, a major concern with the high cost of hospital-based care and the increased desire for home-based EOL care.

  4. Identifying ecosystem service hotspots for environmental management in Durban, South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rashieda Davids

    2016-12-01

    Conclusion: The results indicated that substantial portions of hotspot areas lie outside of formally regulated and managed conservation areas and remain vulnerable to human impact and habitat degradation. The study identified management areas and options that could yield maximum benefits; including the need for the development of an ecosystem services management and protection strategy, the selection of areas for co-management of ecosystem service hotspots and CBAs and the need for collaborative management.

  5. The benefits of Outsourcing facility services when selecting right service provider for a hotel:Case Kämp Group Oy

    OpenAIRE

    Paudyal, Manoj; Acharya, Saroj

    2015-01-01

    This research paper examines about the outsourcing of facility services in the Kämp group of hotels. The scope of the study includes Facility Management, outsourcing facilities services, and the selection process of the service providers for a hotel. The research was carried at the hotels of Kämp group Oy in the Metropolitan Area of Helsinki. Facility management includes wide ranges of non-core functions such as Property management, real estates, design and technology. Activities such as secu...

  6. Application opportunities of agile methodology in service company management

    OpenAIRE

    Barauskienė, Diana

    2017-01-01

    Application Opportunities of Agile Methodology in Service Company Management. The main purpose of this master thesis is to identify which methods (or their modified versions) of Agile methodology can be applied in service company management. This master thesis consists of these parts – literature scientific analysis, author’s research methodology (research methods, authors’ research model, essential elements used in the research of application of Agile methodology), research itself (prelimina...

  7. Application of a Multimedia Service and Resource Management Architecture for Fault Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Alfonso; Sedano, Andrés A; García, Fco Javier; Villoslada, Eduardo; Villagrá, Víctor A

    2017-12-28

    Nowadays, the complexity of global video products has substantially increased. They are composed of several associated services whose functionalities need to adapt across heterogeneous networks with different technologies and administrative domains. Each of these domains has different operational procedures; therefore, the comprehensive management of multi-domain services presents serious challenges. This paper discusses an approach to service management linking fault diagnosis system and Business Processes for Telefónica's global video service. The main contribution of this paper is the proposal of an extended service management architecture based on Multi Agent Systems able to integrate the fault diagnosis with other different service management functionalities. This architecture includes a distributed set of agents able to coordinate their actions under the umbrella of a Shared Knowledge Plane, inferring and sharing their knowledge with semantic techniques and three types of automatic reasoning: heterogeneous, ontology-based and Bayesian reasoning. This proposal has been deployed and validated in a real scenario in the video service offered by Telefónica Latam.

  8. Evaluation of Service Level Agreement Approaches for Portfolio Management in the Financial Industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontz, Tobias; Grauer, Manfred; Kuebert, Roland; Tenschert, Axel; Koller, Bastian

    The idea of service-oriented Grid computing seems to have the potential for fundamental paradigm change and a new architectural alignment concerning the design of IT infrastructures. There is a wide range of technical approaches from scientific communities which describe basic infrastructures and middlewares for integrating Grid resources in order that by now Grid applications are technically realizable. Hence, Grid computing needs viable business models and enhanced infrastructures to move from academic application right up to commercial application. For a commercial usage of these evolutions service level agreements are needed. The developed approaches are primary of academic interest and mostly have not been put into practice. Based on a business use case of the financial industry, five service level agreement approaches have been evaluated in this paper. Based on the evaluation, a management architecture has been designed and implemented as a prototype.

  9. The Students Satisfaction Oriented: Academic Service Improvement Strategy, Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widaryanti; Daryanto, Arief; Fauzi, Anas Miftah

    2016-01-01

    Higher education institutions must have a strategy change management in the increasingly competitive business environment. A continous performance improvement should be made accordingly. This study was conducted with the case of MSP-IPB, to analyze the priority of academic services improvement which were oriented in student satisfaction. This…

  10. Towards an integrated flood management approach to address trade-offs between ecosystem services: Insights from the Dutch and German Rhine, Hungarian Tisza, and Chinese Yangtze basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halbe, Johannes; Knüppe, Kathrin; Knieper, Christian; Pahl-Wostl, Claudia

    2018-04-01

    The utilization of ecosystem services in flood management is challenged by the complexity of human-nature interactions and practical implementation barriers towards more ecosystem-based solutions, such as riverine urban areas or technical infrastructure. This paper analyses how flood management has dealt with trade-offs between ecosystem services and practical constrains towards more ecosystem-based solutions. To this end, we study the evolution of flood management in four case studies in the Dutch and German Rhine, the Hungarian Tisza, and the Chinese Yangtze basins during the last decades, focusing on the development and implementation of institutions and their link to ecosystem services. The complexity of human-nature interactions is addressed by exploring the impacts on ecosystem services through the lens of three management paradigms: (1) the control paradigm, (2) the ecosystem-based paradigm, and (3) the stakeholder involvement paradigm. Case study data from expert interviews and a literature search were structured using a database approach prior to qualitative interpretation. Results show the growing importance of the ecosystem-based and stakeholder involvement paradigms which has led to the consideration of a range of regulating and cultural ecosystem services that had previously been neglected. We detected a trend in flood management practice towards the combination of the different paradigms under the umbrella of integrated flood management, which aims at finding the most suitable solution depending on the respective regional conditions.

  11. Software Process Improvement Journey: IBM Australia Application Management Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-03-01

    See Section 5.1.2) - Client Relationship Management ( CRM ) processes-specifically, Solution Design and Solution Delivery - Worldwide Project Management ...plex systems life-cycle management , rapid solutions development, custom development, package selection and implementation, maintenance, minor...CarnegieMellon ___ Software Engineering Institute Software Process Improvement Journey: IBM Australia Application Management Services Robyn Nichols

  12. The land management tool: Developing a climate service in Southwest UK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pete Falloon

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs have significant potential to support shorter-term agricultural decisions and longer-term climate adaptation plans, but uptake in Europe has to date been low. Under the European Union funded project, European Provision Of Regional Impacts Assessments on Seasonal and Decadal Timescales (EUPORIAS we have developed the Land Management Tool (LMTool, a prototype seasonal climate service for land managers, working closely in collaboration with two stakeholder organizations, Clinton Devon Estates (CDE and the National Farmers Union (NFU. LMTool was one of several prototype climate services selected for development within EUPORIAS, including those for the UK transport network, food security in Ethiopia, renewable energy production, hydroelectric energy production in Sweden, and river management in two French basins. The LMTool provides SCFs (1–3 months ahead to farmers in the Southwest UK, alongside 14-day site specific weather forecasts during the winter months when the skill of seasonal forecasts is greatest.We describe the processes through which the LMTool was co-designed and developed with the farmers, its technical development and key features; critically examine the lessons learned and their implications for providing future climate services for land managers; and finally assess the feasibility of delivering an operational winter seasonal climate service for UK land managers.A number of key learning points from developing the prototype may benefit future work in climate services for the land management and agriculture sector; many of these points are also valid for climate services in other sectors. Prototype development strongly benefitted from; working with intermediaries to identify representative, engaged land managers; an iterative and flexible process of co-design with the farmer group; and from an interdisciplinary project team. Further work is needed to develop a better understanding of the role of

  13. Use of the ecosystem services concept in landscape management in the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wensem, Joke

    2013-04-01

    Increasing reference to the ecosystem services (ES) concept is made in publications on the need to use natural resources sustainably, to protect and enhance biodiversity, and to alleviate poverty in developing countries. To examine the significance of the concept in densely populated industrialized countries, this case study investigates its use in several sustainable landscape management projects in the Netherlands. Guidance by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project (TEEB) for local and regional policy and management serves as a reference. The projects studied show that the ES concept is seen as a tool for enhancing biodiversity, creating more sustainable regional development plans, supporting better spatial-planning decisions on soil sealing, and, most importantly, for getting the involvement of much broader stakeholder groups--not just to make better decisions, but also to attract more funding for the plans. Not only does the Netherlands have a high demand for various ecosystem services and a desire for multifunctional land use, it also has a long tradition of consensus-seeking. As a result, "Dutch practice" is complex and involves many different stakeholders. Because of increasing recognition of the role ecosystem services play in enhancing the visibility of natural resources in decision making, the ES concept seems to be gaining a foothold. However, the number of projects is still limited, and neither the use of the methods nor the results are monitored. So far, this has made it impossible to say whether the approach leads to more sustainable decisions-in other words, to the better protection and management of natural resources. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

  14. 45 CFR 400.155 - Other services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... connection with employment or participation in an employability service. (g) Case management services, when...: Assessment and short-term counseling to persons or families in a perceived crisis; referral to appropriate... mental health needs and maintain or improve their physical and mental health. (3) Home management...

  15. Human Resources Management within Civil Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Teodor Alistar

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this article is to examine the notion of management, as an area of study which analyses, regulates and renders the theoretical and technical support in order to provide rationality within the processes that unfold in the civil service. In order to accomplish this task, human resources management will be analyzed as a process which relies in exerting four main functions: ensuring, developing, motivating and maintaining the human resources, which are conditioned by external factors that must be taken into consideration, such as: legislative framework, labor force, unions, cultural context (here one includes management practices and philosophy, and economic circumstances. All these factors are considered to have a significant impact on the management of human resources.

  16. Health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management in cancer survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Ya-Hui; Chai, Hsiu-Ying; Lin, Yu-Fen; Wang, Chao-Hui; Chen, Shu-Ching

    2017-12-01

    To (i) investigate the characteristics of health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management and (ii) to identify factors associated with health-related quality of life in cancer survivors. The level of health-related quality of life can reflect treatment efficacy and satisfaction with cancer care. A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Subjects from the outpatient setting of a cancer centre in northern Taiwan were recruited by consecutive sampling. A set of questionnaires were employed, including a background information form, case management service satisfaction survey (CMSS) and The European Quality of Life Scale (EQ-5D). Descriptive statistics were used to examine levels of health-related quality of life and satisfaction with case management. Pearson's correlation was used to identify relationships between treatment characteristics, satisfaction with case management and health-related quality of life. Multiple stepwise regression was used to identify factors associated with health-related quality of life. A total of 252 cancer patients were recruited. The three lowest scores for items of health-related quality of life were mobility, self-care and usual activities. Cancer survivors with higher mobility, less pain and discomfort, and lower anxiety and depression were more likely to have better health-related quality of life. Mobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important predictive factors of high health-related quality of life in cancer survivors. In clinical care, patients' physical mobility, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression are important indicators of health-related quality of life. Case managers should include self-care and symptom management into survivorship care plans to improve health-related quality of life during survival after treatment concludes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Navigating the Road to Recovery: Assessment of the Coordination, Communication, and Financing of the Disaster Case Management Pilot in Louisiana

    OpenAIRE

    Acosta, Joie; Chandra, Anita; Feeney, Kevin Carter

    2011-01-01

    In 2009, individuals heavily affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were still in need of social services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided funding to the Louisiana Recovery Authority to implement the Disaster Case Management Pilot (DCMP) in order to help people still living in FEMA temporary housing units in April 2009 move to permanent and secure housing and access services. Despite concerted effort by participating agencies, the implementation of the DCMP was fraugh...

  18. THE PROCESS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT IN POST-CONSUMER PACKAGING: CASE STUDY MCDONALD'S

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robson dos Santos

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This research considers the increasing concern of society in general environmental issues, shows the importance of an Environmental Management System to improve the image of a company towards society in which it is embedded. Shows that proper waste management can result in financial and environmental benefits for companies that practice. To address the practical issues of the theme, was chosen the company McDonald's, as a service company fast food, that have a quantity of waste, and creates conditions for application of the techniques of environmental management in this sector. Thus, this article aims to demonstrate through case study and descriptive research, the commitment that this large network of fast-food has with the preservation of the environment through its waste management and investments in economic, social and environmental the country.

  19. Case management: developing practice through action research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Annetta; Mackay, Seonaid; McCulloch, Kathleen

    2013-09-01

    This article is a report of an action research study carried out with community nurses to help develop case management within their practice. Using action research principles, nurses reviewed and analysed their current practice and developed recommendations for further embedding case management as a means of supporting patients with complex care needs in their own homes. Findings indicate that a number of factors can influence the community nurse's ability to implement case management. These factors include approaches to case finding, availability of resources and interprofessional working. Important considerations for nurses were the influence of the context of care, the geographical location and the health needs of the local patient population, which meant that case management may need to be adapted to meet local circumstances.

  20. Performance in Service Marketing from Philosophy to Customer Relationship Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Danciu

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available The contribution of services to the development of every national economy is in the progress,they becoming the major contributor to the gross national product of most countries. In their turn, thecustomers become more demanding and powerful in their relationship with service providers. They askfor more and new relationship. The appropriate new marketing, known as Relationship Marketing, looksto engage the customer interactively in the many steps of creating value which is later shared betweenservice provider and customer. This requires to focus on long-term customer relationship. In order toestablish and maintain long-term relationship, the relationship marketing should understand customerexpectations, know the customers, evaluate services process, obtain a proper service quality and adequatelymanage customers’ relationships. The service customer’s is placed on an expectation range to afive dimension scale and have two levels which may be analyzed into a model of service. A stimulus forrelationship marketing performance may be the quality of service. The objective and subjective quality ofservice is essential for the service customer relationship management. In order to reach the goal ofretaining actual customers, service companies should be prepared to spot customers who leave and thenanalyze and act on information they provide. Managers should make sure the entire organization understandthe importance of keeping customers and encourage employees to pursue zero defections by tryingincentives, planning, and budgeting to defections targets. Most important, managers use defections as avehicle for continuously improving the quality and value of the service they provide to customer.

  1. Managing Technological Change in Libraries and Information Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klobas, Jane E.

    1990-01-01

    Examines factors to be considered in the management of technological change in libraries and information services. The organizational climate for change is discussed, and factors to consider when developing a strategy for introducing a new product, service, or system are described, including leadership, goals, political processes, marketing, and…

  2. Case Management Promotion of Social Media for the Elderly Who Live Alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashi, Ilham

    2016-01-01

    Professional case managers advocate patient access to necessary and appropriate services, while educating the patient and family and/or caregiver about resource availability within practice settings. The purpose of this article is to explain the role case managers can have to promote the use of social media by the elderly, as a means to decrease their loneliness and isolation. The promotion of the use of social media will take place in the community setting, involving willing and competent elderly patients who live alone. It is framed as one strategy to help combat loneliness. The primary target audiences for this initiative are case managers who work in the community, as they are the ones who have contact with this population. However, hospital case managers could also benefit, as they need to be aware of ways to help discharged elderly patients feel more connected to their community; the use of social media is one way to achieve this outcome. The elderly population experience changes brought on by their longer life. One of those changes or undesirable effects is an increase in social isolation and experiencing loneliness. There are many factors that contribute to loneliness and social isolation in the elderly such as a change in financial situations, death, divorce, or migration. Utilizing the capabilities of the internet, coupled with the use of social media (e.g., Facebook), can facilitate opening up a virtual world where the elderly can communicate with family and friends, make new friends, or occupy their time with the many interactive games that are available online. Case managers should increase their awareness to identify patients who are socially isolated; the outcome is to decrease the risk of developing a major depressive disorder. Community case managers might at times be the only professional health care givers who are visiting patients in their home; therefore, they should also be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression so they can encourage

  3. Management system of organizational and economic changes in health services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalya Vasilyevna Krivenko

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In the article, the definitions of the concept organizational and economic changes in institution problems of changes in public health service, the purpose and issues of the management system of organizational and economic changes in the field are considered. The combined strategy of development and innovative changes in management is offered. The need of resource-saving technologies implementation is shown. Expediency of use of marketing tools in a management system of organizational and economic changes is considered the mechanism of improvement of planning and pricing in public health service is offered. The author’s model of management of organizational and economic changes in health services supporting achievement of medical, social, economic efficiency in Yekaterinburg's trauma care is presented. Strategy of traumatism prevention is determined on the basis of interdepartmental approach and territorial segmentation of health care market

  4. Systematic management of sealed source and nucleonic counting system in field service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahadi Mustapha; Mohd Fitri Abdul Rahman; Jaafar Abdullah

    2005-01-01

    PAT group have received a lot of service from the oil and gas plant. All the services use sealed source and nucleonic counting system. This paper described the detail of management before going to the field service. This management is important to make sure the job is smoothly done and safe to the radiation worker and public. Furthermore this management in line with the regulation from LPTA. (Author)

  5. Reflective practice: a framework for case manager development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brubakken, Karen; Grant, Sara; Johnson, Mary K; Kollauf, Cynthia

    2011-01-01

    The role of a nurse case manager (NCM) incorporates practice that is built upon knowledge gained in other roles as well as components unique to case management. The concept of reflective practice was used in creating a framework to recognize the developmental stages that occur within community based case management practice. The formation of this framework and its uses are described in this article. The practice setting is a community based case management department in a large midwestern metropolitan health care system with Magnet recognition. Advanced practice nurses provide care for clients with chronic health conditions. Twenty-four narratives were used to identify behaviors of community based case managers and to distinguish stages of practice. The behaviors of advanced practice found within the narratives were labeled and analyzed for similarities. Related behaviors were grouped and descriptor statements were written. These statements grouped into 3 domains of practice: relationship/partnership, coordination/collaboration, and clinical knowledge/decision making. The statements in each domain showed practice variations from competent to expert, and 3 stages were determined. Reliability and validity of the framework involved analysis of additional narratives. The reflective practice process, used for monthly case review presentations, provides opportunity for professional development and group learning focused on improving case manager practice. The framework is also being used in orientation as new case managers acclimate to the role. Reflective writing has unveiled the richness and depth of nurse case manager practice. The depth of knowledge and skills involved in community-based case management is captured within this reflective practice framework. This framework provides a format for describing community based case manager practice development over the course of time and has been used as a tool for orientation and peer review.

  6. A Mathematical Model of the Hotel Service Oligopoly Market and a Conflict-Optimal Management Method of the Hotel Complex Competitiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Soro

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to enhance competitiveness of hotel complex management in the hotel service market of the state of Côte d'Ivoire.The objectives of this study are:1 producing a model of oligopoly market of hotel services based on marketing research;2 synthesis of the conflict-optimum management method of a hotel complex using the model of oligopoly market of hotel services;3 study of issues on competitiveness enhancement of running hotel complex in the market of oligopoly under counter-conditions of other hotel complexes.To obtain the result the paper offers to use techniques of classical and modern theory of management, namely methods of the theory of optimal management of multi-object multicriteria systems, methods of game theory, methods of system analysis, operations research and decision-making.The paper proposes a model of the oligopoly market for interaction of hotels in the hospitality services in Stackelberg’s form in which, as the "governing" parameters, a hotel complex has the accommodation cost in the selected category and the advertising cost. Monthly income of the hotel complex is proposed as an indicator of the efficiency. Evaluation of success in the market is based on the indicator of competitiveness.To solve the problem of multi-criteria optimization the paper offers a method of conflictoptimum competitiveness management of hotel complexes. It considers a model example of the interaction between two complexes in the market of duopoly.It is concluded that in the case of a saturated demand for the services of hotel complexes, there is a guaranteed Nash solution, which ensures a certain profit regardless of the actions of another hotel complex. In the case of unsaturated demand (lack of customers in the market there is no guaranteed solution, which is a prerequisite for entry into agreement between the market players.The model obtained can be useful for observing trends in the market of hotel services.

  7. Improved waste management services – Will the Act make a difference?

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Oelofse, Suzanna HH

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available This document focuses on the improved waste management services and the Waste Act 59 of 2008. It provide in formation on the Integrated Waste Management Plans, technical capacity – infrastructure, the backlog in adequate service provision, the facts...

  8. COST OF TAX COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN PROJECTS: THE CASE STUDY OF A SMALL ENTERPRISE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Manzini Cianfanelli

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available This study uses a risk management perspective to analyze compliance costs arising from overlapping service tax (ST jurisdictions. We study the case of an engineering company providing services to the Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo [São Paulo State Sanitation Company] – SABESP, a public entity. The engineering company was contracted under public law 8.666/93, to provide engineering service in several townships in São Paulo’s metropolitan area. Because the laws governing bidding do not permit later modification in price or provider, subsequent double taxation by one municipality cut into the firm’s margins, and should other local governments follow suit, multiple taxation would render the contract untenable for the provider. Our paper models the impact of conflicting jurisdictions on administrative burden, psychological costs and profit constriction and discusses project management techniques for decision making and management in similar situations.

  9. Excel 2013 for health services management statistics a guide to solving practical problems

    CERN Document Server

    Quirk, Thomas J

    2016-01-01

    This book shows the capabilities of Microsoft Excel to teach health services management statistics effectively. Similar to the previously published Excel 2010 for Health Services Management Statistics, this book is a step-by-step exercise-driven guide for students and practitioners who need to master Excel to solve practical health services management problems. If understanding statistics isn’t your strongest suit, you are not especially mathematically-inclined, or if you are wary of computers, this is the right book for you. Excel, a widely available computer program for students and managers, is also an effective teaching and learning tool for quantitative analyses in health services management courses. Its powerful computational ability and graphical functions make learning statistics much easier than in years past. However, Excel 2013 for Health Services Management Statistics: A Guide to Solving Practical Problems is the first book to capitalize on these improvements by teaching students and managers ho...

  10. A 12-Year Retrospective Study of Avulsion Cases in a Public Brazilian Dental Trauma Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesquita, Gabriela Campos; Soares, Priscilla Barbosa Ferreira; Moura, Camilla Christian Gomes; Roscoe, Marina Guimarães; Paiva, Saul Martins; Soares, Carlos José

    2017-01-01

    This study assessed the epidemiological characteristics and management of the permanent teeth avulsion cases attended in a Brazilian dental trauma service from December 2005 to August 2016. A retrospective study was conducted of case records of 93 patients involving 139 avulsed teeth. Data included sex, age, trauma etiology, location of the accident, number and position of avulsed teeth, and presence and type of associated traumatic lesions. Management of the avulsed teeth was addressed as: time elapsed until teeth were retrieved from the accident's location; teeth's cleaning method and storage media; time elapsed until seeking treatment and replantation. The majority of the patients were children from 6-10 (31.2%) and 11-15 years old (26.9%). Male patients were more affected than female. Bicycle accident was the main etiological factor (31.2%). In 56 (60.2%) cases, traumatic lesions to neighboring teeth were present. In 55 (59.1%) cases, lesions to adjacent soft tissues were reported. In 82 (88.2%) cases, patients requested treatment at the same day of the accident. Sixty-four teeth (46.0%) were immediately retrieved and 28 (20.1%) were not found. Forty-two teeth (30.2%) were kept dry. Only one tooth (0.7%) was immediately replanted at the accident's site, while 51 teeth (36.7%) were not replanted. Numerous avulsed teeth were inappropriately managed and immediate replantation was not frequent. Public policies must be created to raise awareness towards the particularities of avulsion cases.

  11. 75 FR 4450 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of its...

  12. 75 FR 5849 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Claim Against the United States...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of... Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and Request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial... collection. By this notice, the Financial Management Service solicits comments concerning the Form FMS-1133...

  13. 76 FR 23859 - Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information: CMIA Annual Report and Direct...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service Proposed Collection of Information: CMIA Annual Report and Direct Cost Claims AGENCY: Financial Management Service, Fiscal Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Financial Management Service, as part of...

  14. Decentralized Fault Management for Service Dependability in Ubiquitous Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønbæk, Lars Jesper

    2010-01-01

    ) unobservable and incomplete network state information, ii) unreliable observations, and iii) dynamic environments calling for adaptation in the fault management process. In the study, focus is on potential gains in the interaction between the components of Observation, Diagnosis, Decision and Remediation...... insights on the impact of unavoidable diagnosis imperfections on service reliability. Also, it is studied to what extent good remediation decisions may be applied to mitigate such imperfections. For this purpose a light-weight decision policy evaluation model is proposed and verified in a system level...... simulation model. Some of the main findings are: i) certain imperfection trade-off settings of the Diagnosis component lead to worse end-user service reliability than if no fault management is conducted, ii) using end-user service state information in the decision process can help improve service reliability...

  15. Ecosystem services valuation to support decisionmaking on public lands—A case study of the San Pedro River watershed, Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Semmens, Darius; Winthrop, Rob; Jaworksi, Delilah; Larson, Joel

    2012-01-01

    -profile cases for which additional resources are available for tool application or in case-study regions where place-specific models have already been developed. To improve the value of these tools in decisionmaking, we suggest scientific needs that agencies such as U.S. Geological Survey can help meet—for instance, development and support of data archives. Such archives could greatly reduce resource needs and improve the reliability and consistency of results. Given the rapid state of evolution in the field, periodic follow-up studies on ecosystem services tools would help to ensure that the Bureau of Land Management and other public land management agencies are kept up to date on new tools and features that bring ecosystem services closer to readiness for use in regular decisionmaking.

  16. 25 CFR 900.118 - Do these “construction contract” regulations apply to construction management services?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... construction management services? 900.118 Section 900.118 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE...” regulations apply to construction management services? No. Construction management services may be contracted separately under section 108 of the Act. Construction management services consultants and/or Indian tribe or...

  17. Strategic cost management, contingent factors and performance in services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odysseas Pavlatos

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between contextual factors identified from contingency-based research, the extent of the use of strategic cost management (SCM techniques and business performance in services. An empirical survey was conducted on a sample of 88 services in Greece. The analysis of the survey data indicates that the use of strategic cost management techniques in services can be considered quite satisfactory. By drawing on the grounds of contingency theory, five factors were identified as potentially exhibiting an emergent relationship with strategic cost management. The five factors are; (1 Perceived environmental uncertainty, (2 Structure, (3 Organizational life cycle stage, (4 Strategy and (5 Size. The survey revealed that SCM usage is positively affected by these five contingent factors, while SCM usage, in turn, positively affects performance. A significant mediating effect of SCM usage on performance is evident.

  18. Teaching Cases in Management: Ivia: Crescimento e Internacionalização

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ângela da Rocha

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available This teaching case presents the internationalization process of a firm that distinguishes itself in three aspects: it is part of the services industry, sells software (an atypical product in Brazilian exports, and has its headquarters in the Northeast of Brazil. Founded in 1996 in the city of Fortaleza, Ivia was the first company to launch an Internet Banking service in the Northeast of Brazil and the first Internet access provider targeting the corporate market of Fortaleza. Ten years later, the company had developed business tools for web applications, aiming to optimize management processes based on Internet technology. It had customers in Brazil and Portugal. The case describes Ivia’s trajectory in its first decade, as well as the beginning of the firm’s internationalization process. The central issue to be discussed is how the firm can keep up with its internationalization process and at the same time broaden its scope of activities in the domestic market. In addition, the case offers the opportunity to debate how government agencies can support the international development of small software firms, a priority of the current national industrial policy.

  19. A Soil Service Index: Peatland soils as a case study for quantifying the value, vulnerability, and status of soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loisel, J.; Harden, J. W.; Hugelius, G.

    2017-12-01

    What are the most important soil services valued by land stewards and planners? Which soil-data metrics can be used to quantify each soil service? What are the steps required to quantitatively index the baseline value of soil services and their vulnerability under different land-use and climate change scenarios? How do we simulate future soil service pathways (or trajectories) under changing management regimes using process-based ecosystem models? What is the potential cost (economic, social, and other) of soil degradation under these scenarios? How sensitive or resilient are soil services to prescribed management practices, and how does sensitivity vary over space and time? We are bringing together a group of scientists and conservation organizations to answer these questions by launching Soil Banker, an open and flexible tool to quantify soil services that can be used at any scale, and by any stakeholder. Our overarching goals are to develop metrics and indices to quantify peatland soil ecosystem services, monitor change of these services, and guide management. This paper describes our methodology applied to peatlands and presents two case studies (Indonesia and Patagonia) demonstrating how Peatland Soil Banker can be deployed as an accounting tool of peatland stocks, a quantitative measure of peatland health, and as a projection of peatland degradation or enhancement under different land-use cases. Why peatlands? They store about 600 billion tons of carbon that account for ⅓ of the world's soil carbon. Peatlands have dynamic GHG exchanges of CO2, CH4, and NOx with the atmosphere, which plays a role in regulating global climate; studies indicate that peatland degradation releases about 2-3 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually. These ecosystems also provide local and regional ecosystem services: they constitute important components of the N and P cycles, store about 10% of the world's freshwater and buffer large fluxes of freshwater on an annual basis

  20. Linking ecosystem services with state-and-transition models to evaluate rangeland management decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohani, S.; Heilman, P.; deSteiguer, J. E.; Guertin, D. P.; Wissler, C.; McClaran, M. P.

    2014-12-01

    Quantifying ecosystem services is a crucial topic for land management decision making. However, market prices are usually not able to capture all the ecosystem services and disservices. Ecosystem services from rangelands, that cover 70% of the world's land area, are even less well-understood since knowledge of rangelands is limited. This study generated a management framework for rangelands that uses remote sensing to generate state and transition models (STMs) for a large area and a linear programming (LP) model that uses ecosystem services to evaluate natural and/or management induced transitions as described in the STM. The LP optimization model determines the best management plan for a plot of semi-arid land in the Empire Ranch in southeastern Arizona. The model allocated land among management activities (do nothing, grazing, fire, and brush removal) to optimize net benefits and determined the impact of monetizing environmental services and disservices on net benefits, acreage allocation and production output. The ecosystem services under study were forage production (AUM/ac/yr), sediment (lbs/ac/yr), water runoff (inches/yr), soil loss (lbs/ac/yr) and recreation (thousands of number of visitors/ac/yr). The optimization model was run for three different scenarios - private rancher, public rancher including environmental services and excluding disservices, and public rancher including both services and disservices. The net benefit was the highest for the public rancher excluding the disservices. A result from the study is a constrained optimization model that incorporates ecosystem services to analyze investments on conservation and management activities. Rangeland managers can use this model to understand and explain, not prescribe, the tradeoffs of management investments.

  1. [Quality management is associated with high quality services in health care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Tenna Hassert; Riis, Allan; Mainz, Jan; Jensen, Anne-Louise Degn

    2013-12-09

    In these years, quality management has been the focus in order to meet high quality services for the patients in Danish health care. This article provides information on quality management and quality improvement and it evaluates its effectiveness in achieving better organizational structures, processes and results in Danish health-care organizations. Our findings generally support that quality management is associated with high quality services in health care.

  2. Managing Risk in Information Resources and Services Provision in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Risk management forms an integral part of the Library's planning and monitoring process and its internal control framework. It is therefore a vital element of good governance and management. This paper discusses the strategies for managing risks in the provision of information services in University Libraries. The concept ...

  3. Operational, quality, and risk management in the transfusion service: lessons learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodnough, Lawrence Tim

    2012-07-01

    For general health care, the difference between quality and safety has been unclear for measurable patient outcomes. In contrast, in the transfusion service (TS), the relationship between quality and safety has been direct and demonstrable. Case studies are summarized to illustrate the relationship between operations, quality management, and risk management in the TS. In blood availability for elective surgery over 3 audited intervals, the incidence of patients undergoing elective surgery without available crossmatched blood that had been requested was 1:333, 1:328, and 1:225 for pre-quality improvement, post-quality improvement, and subsequent postintervention audit assessment, respectively. In event discovery reports (EDRs) over 2 years, incidence of biologic product deviation reports (Food and Drug Administration reportable) was successfully reduced from 60 biologic product deviation reports (12%) of 507 EDRs in 2009 to 42 (12%) of 336 EDRs in 2010. In wrong blood in tube, 102 specimens were identified (by a change in patient's ABO/Rh) from 176,711 type and screen/cross-match specimens received over a 5-year interval, detected either by previous patient record of ABO/Rh or by a second specimen for blood type confirmation implemented in our TS for the last 3 years. No known cases of "mismatched" red blood cell transfusion have occurred during this interval. There is an inverse relationship between resources/time expended on quality and risk management relative to volumes of operations in the TS. Laboratory-based initiatives that improve patient safety and clinical outcomes need to have resources aligned with the personnel and time required for quality management and risk management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 76 FR 66327 - Iron Mountain Information Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-26

    ... Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT) Division, Including On-Site Leased... Information Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT) Division, including on-site... location of Iron Mountain Information Management, Inc., Corporate Service Group, Information Technology (IT...

  5. Quality of uncomplicated malaria case management in Ghana among insured and uninsured patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fenny, Ama P; Hansen, Kristian S; Enemark, Ulrika

    2014-01-01

    of health insurance on the quality of case management for patients with uncomplicated malaria, ascertaining any significant differences in treatment between insured and non-insured patients. METHOD: A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 523 respondents diagnosed with malaria....... This is especially the case for parasitological confirmation of all suspected malaria patients before treatment with an antimalarial as currently recommended for the effective management of malaria in the country. The results show that about 16 percent of total sample were parasitologically tested. Effective......INTRODUCTION: The National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) established the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana with the aim of increasing access to health care and improving the quality of basic health care services for all citizens. The main objective is to assess the effect...

  6. Supply chain management of laboratory supportive services and its ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Supply chain management of laboratory supportive services and its potential implications on the quality of HIV diagnostic services in Tanzania. ... Results: A total of 39 health facilities (HF) were included in the study. This included 23 public ...

  7. The clinical psychologist and the management of inpatient pain: a small case series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Childs SR

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Susan R Childs,1,* Emma M Casely,2,* Bianca M Kuehler,1 Stephen Ward,1 Charlotte L Halmshaw,1 Sarah E Thomas,1 Ian D Goodall,1 Carsten Bantel1,3 1Pain Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, 2Anaesthetic Department, Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge, 3Section of Anaesthetics, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, London, UK *These authors contributed equally to this manuscript Abstract: Recent research has confirmed that between 25% and 33% of all hospitalized patients experience unacceptable levels of pain. Studies further indicate that this reduces patient satisfaction levels, lengthens hospital stays, and increases cost. Hospitals are aiming to discharge patients earlier, and this can interfere with adequate pain management. Therefore, the pain service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has adapted to this changing model of care. An increasing body of evidence demonstrates that psychological factors are key components of patients’ pain experiences in both acute and chronic pain. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest a clinical psychologist should be involved in inpatient pain management. This small study discusses three cases that highlight how patient care could be improved by including a clinical psychologist as part of the inpatient pain team. Two cases particularly highlight the active role of the psychologist in the diagnosis and management of common conditions such as fear and anxiety, along with other psychiatric comorbidities. The management therefore employed an eclectic approach adapted from chronic pain and comprising of behavioral, cognitive behavioral, and dialectical behavioral therapeutic techniques blended with brief counseling. The third case exemplifies the importance of nurse-patient interactions and the quality of nurse-patient relationships on patient outcomes. Here, the psychologist helped to optimize

  8. Managing service quality: Human resource management strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. K. Govender

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available This article reports the results of an empirical evaluation of a conceptual service encounter management model (Govender, 1999. The various hypotheses proposed to show a relationship between formal and informal socialisation strategies, and the bank employees' perception of the organisational climate and their role are empirically evaluated. Furthermore, the mediated effects of these socialization tactics on the bank customers perception of the service quality was also ascertained by matching a random sample of 210 bank employees with 1050 customers. Opsomming Hierdie artikel rapporteer die resultate van n empiriese evaluering van n konseptuele dienservaringsbestuursmodel (Govender, 1999. Verskeie hipoteses word voorgehou om n verband tussen formele en informele sosialise- ringstrategiee aan te toon, en die bankwerkers se persepsie van die organisatoriese klimaat en hulle rolle word empirics geevalueer.Verder word die modererende effek van hierdie sosialiseringstrategie op die bankkliente se persepsie van dienskwaliteit bepaal deur 'n ewekansige steekproefvan 210 bankwerkers met 1050 kliente af te paar.

  9. Variables contributing to an excellent customer service management profile within the regulated electric utility industry: A comparison of self-concept with customer satisfaction for customer service management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, L.E.

    1991-01-01

    This research sought to address the relationship between self-concept and customer satisfaction: can customer satisfaction with a major electric utility be explained in terms of the self-reported, self-concept of the utility's managers The population to which the results of this study were generalized consisted of customer service managers in public electric utilities across the United States. In order to represent this population, a sample was selected consisting of customer service managers at a midwestern electric utility based in a large metropolitan area. Participants in this study were managers of four direct customer contact service organizations within six geographic division organizations. The methodology included comparisons of these four customer contact service organizations on twelve independent, self-concept variables and six customer satisfaction dependent variables using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Scheffe' tests, Chi-Square, and Stepwise multiple regression. The groups were found not to be significantly different and knowledge of the self-concept scores for managers will not increase the ability to predict customer satisfaction over no knowledge of self-concept scores.

  10. Case mix management education in a Canadian hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moffat, M; Prociw, M

    1992-01-01

    The Sunnybrook Health Science Centre's matrix organization model includes a traditional departmental structure, a strategic program-based structure and a case management-based structure--the Clinical Unit structure. The Clinical Unit structure allows the centre to give responsibility for the management of case mix and volume to decentralized Clinical Unit teams, each of which manages its own budget. To train physicians and nurses in their respective roles of Medical Unit directors and Nursing Unit directors, Sunnybrook designed unique short courses on financial management and budgeting, and case-costing and case mix management. This paper discusses how these courses were organized, details their contents and explains how they fit into Sunnybrook's program of decentralized management.

  11. 17 CFR 204.55 - Change in notification to Financial Management Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Change in notification to Financial Management Service. 204.55 Section 204.55 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND... Financial Management Service. After the Commission sends FMS notification of an individual's liability for a...

  12. The Distribution of Health Services in Iran Health Care System: A Case Study at East Azerbaijan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Almaspoor-khangah

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: It is necessary that various aspects of health information and statistics are identified and measured since health problems are getting more complex day by day. Objective: This study is aimed to investigate the distribution of health services in the health care system in Iran and the case of study is East Azerbaijan province. Methods: This research was a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The statistical population included all health service providers in East Azerbaijan Province in the public, private, charity, military, social security, and NGO sectors. In this study, the data from all functional health sectors, including hospitals, health centers, and clinical, rehabilitation centers and all clinics and private offices were studied during 2014. The data relevant to performance were collected according to a pre-determined format (researcher- built checklist which was approved by five professionals and experts Health Services Management (content validity. Results: The study findings showed that the public sector by 45.28% accounted for the highest share of provided services and the private sector, social security, military institutions, charities and NGOs institutions by 25.47%, 18.92%, 4.37%, 3.3%, and 2.66% next rank in providing health services in East Azerbaijan province have been allocated. Conclusion: The results show that most of the health services in East Azerbaijan Province belongs to the public sector and the private sector has managed to develop its services in some parts surpassed the public sector. According to the study findings, Policies should be aimed to create balance and harmony in the provision of services among all service providers.

  13. Applying the ecosystem services concept to public land management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffrey D. Kline; Marisa J. Mazzota; Thomas A. Spies; Mark E. Harmon

    2013-01-01

    We examine challenges and opportunities involved in applying ecosystem services to public land management with an emphasis on national forests in the United States. We review historical forest management paradigms and related economic approaches, outline a conceptual framework defining the informational needs of forest managers, and consider the feasibility of its...

  14. Robo advisor, your reliable partner? Building a trustworthy digital investment management service

    OpenAIRE

    Salo, Anni

    2017-01-01

    Investment management services have strongly relied on traditional face-to-face business models, causing the services being highly expensive and therefore available only for the wealthiest population. Recently a new digital business model, robo advisors, entered the market and are predicted to democratise the entire industry by bringing investment management services available to a wider public than ever before. Although the business models in financial services are changing, customer tr...

  15. Fit between Conservation Instruments and Local Social Systems: Cases of Co-management and Payments for Ecosystem Services

    OpenAIRE

    Sarkki Simo; Rantala Lauri; Karjalainen Timo P.

    2015-01-01

    We draw on the concept of ‘fit’ to understand how co-management and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as governance instruments could better acknowledge local social complexities. Achieving ‘participatory fit’ requires well-designed and fair processes, which enhance local acceptance towards the implemented rules. Thus, such fit can contribute to establishing new institutions in conservation governance. However, previous literature on participation has had strong focus on properties of dec...

  16. What Case Managers Should Know About Their Roles and Functions: A National Study From the Commission for Case Manager Certification: Part 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahan, Hussein M; Watson, Annette C; Sminkey, Patrice V

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this national role and function study was to identify the essential activities and necessary knowledge areas for effective case manager practice from the perspective of those currently functioning in various care settings and across diverse professional disciplines. The national study covered all case management practices and/or work settings across the full continuum of health care. This cross-sectional descriptive study used the practice analysis method and online survey research design. It employed a purposive sample of case managers, in which 52,370 individuals received an invitation to participate. Data collection completed over a 4-week period, resulting in 7,668 useable survey responses (nearly a 15% response rate). The study identified the common activities and knowledge areas necessary for competent and effective performance of case managers, as is highlighted in this article, which is the first of a 2-part series on the role and function study. The results informed the needed update of the test specifications for the Certified Case Manager (CCM) certification examination, as will be delineated in Part 2 of the article series, to ensure that it continues to be substantiated in current practice. Of special note are the emergence of specific activity and knowledge domains in the area of case management ethical, legal, and practice standards, and an increase in the number of employers requiring certified case managers to fill vacant positions and compensating them financially for such qualifications. This study helps keep the CCM credentialing examination evidence-based and maintain its validity for evaluating competency of case managers. Specifically, the study identified essential activities and knowledge domains that define competent case management practice. Findings can be used for developing programs and curricula for the training and development of case managers. The study instrument also can be used for further research of case

  17. Factor selection for service quality evaluation: a hospital case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ameryoun, Ahmad; Najafi, Seyedvahid; Nejati-Zarnaqi, Bayram; Khalilifar, Seyed Omid; Ajam, Mahdi; Ansarimoghadam, Ahmad

    2017-02-13

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to predict service quality dimension's influence on service quality using a novel analysis based on data envelopment and SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach To assess hospital service quality in Tehran, expectation and perception of those who received the services were evaluated using SERVQUAL. The hospital service quality dimensions were found by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To compare customer expectation and perception, perceived service quality index (PSQI) was measured using a new method based on common weights. A novel sensitivity approach was used to test the service quality factor's impact on the PSQI. Findings A new service quality dimension named "trust in services" was found using EFA, which is not an original SERVQUAL factor. The approach was applied to assess the hospital's service quality. Since the PSQI value was 0.76 it showed that improvements are needed to meet customer expectations. The results showed the factor order that affect PSQI. "Trust in services" has the strongest influence on PSQI followed by "tangibles," "assurance," "empathy," and "responsiveness," respectively. Practical implications This work gives managers insight into service quality by following a systematic method; i.e., measuring perceived service quality from the customer viewpoint and service factors' impact on customer perception. Originality/value The procedure helps managers to select the required service quality dimensions which need improvement and predict their effects on customer perception.

  18. Pan-London tuberculosis services: a service evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belling Ruth

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background London has the largest proportion of tuberculosis (TB cases of any western European capital, with almost half of new cases drug-resistant. Prevalence varies considerably between and within boroughs with research suggesting inadequate control of TB transmission in London. Economic pressures may exacerbate the already considerable challenges for service organisation and delivery within this context. This paper presents selected findings from an evaluation of London’s TB services’ organisation, delivery, professional workforce and skill mix, intended to support development of a strategic framework for a pan-London TB service. These may also interest health service professionals and managers in TB services in the UK, other European cities and countries and in services currently delivered by multiple providers operating independently. Methods Objectives were: 1 To establish how London’s TB services are structured and delivered in relation to leadership, management, organisation and delivery, coordination, staffing and support; 2 To identify tools/models for calculating skill mix as a basis for identifying skill mix requirements in delivering TB services across London; 3 To inform a strategic framework for the delivery of a pan-London TB service, which may be applicable to other European cities. The multi-method service audit evaluation comprised documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with TB service users (n = 10, lead TB health professionals and managers (n = 13 representing London’s five sectors and focus groups with TB nurses (n = 8 and non-London network professionals (n = 2. Results Findings showed TB services to be mainly hospital-based, with fewer community-based services. Documentary analysis and professionals’ interviews suggested difficulties with early access to services, low suspicion index amongst some GPs and restricted referral routes. Interviews indicated lack of managed

  19. Management of pharmaceutical services in the Brazilian primary health care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerlack, Letícia Farias; Karnikowski, Margô Gomes de Oliveira; Areda, Camila Alves; Galato, Dayani; Oliveira, Aline Gomes de; Álvares, Juliana; Leite, Silvana Nair; Costa, Ediná Alves; Guibu, Ione Aquemi; Soeiro, Orlando Mario; Costa, Karen Sarmento; Guerra, Augusto Afonso; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis

    2017-11-13

    To identify limiting factors in the management of pharmaceutical services in the primary health care provided by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). This study was based on the data from the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos no Brasil (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), and it was conducted by interviews with professionals responsible for pharmaceutical services in Brazilian cities, in 2015. To identify the management limiting factors, we considered the organizational, operational, and sustainability indicators of the management. For the analyses, we included the weights and structure of analysis plan for complex samples. The results were expressed by frequencies and measures of central tendency with 95% confidence interval, considering the Brazilian geographic regions. We identified the following limiting factors: lack of pharmaceutical services in the Municipal Health Secretariat organization chart (24%) and in the health plan (18%); lack of participation of managers in the Health Board and the absence of reference to this topic in the agenda of meetings (58.4%); lack of financial autonomy (61.5%) and lack of knowledge on the available values (81.7%); lack of adoption of operational procedures (about 50%) for selection, scheduling, and acquisition; and the fact that most professionals evaluate the organization of pharmaceutical services as good and great (58.8%), despite the worrisome indicators. Pharmaceutical services management is currently supported by a legal and political framework that should guide and contribute to improve the pharmaceutical services in the Brazilian Unified Health System primary health care. However, there is a mismatch between the goals established by these guidelines and what is actually happening.

  20. Optimizing Bus Passenger Complaint Service through Big Data Analysis: Systematized Analysis for Improved Public Sector Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weng-Kun Liu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available With the advances in industry and commerce, passengers have become more accepting of environmental sustainability issues; thus, more people now choose to travel by bus. Government administration constitutes an important part of bus transportation services as the government gives the right-of-way to transportation companies allowing them to provide services. When these services are of poor quality, passengers may lodge complaints. The increase in consumer awareness and developments in wireless communication technologies have made it possible for passengers to easily and immediately submit complaints about transportation companies to government institutions, which has brought drastic changes to the supply–demand chain comprised of the public sector, transportation companies, and passengers. This study proposed the use of big data analysis technology including systematized case assignment and data visualization to improve management processes in the public sector and optimize customer complaint services. Taichung City, Taiwan, was selected as the research area. There, the customer complaint management process in public sector was improved, effectively solving such issues as station-skipping, allowing the public sector to fully grasp the service level of transportation companies, improving the sustainability of bus operations, and supporting the sustainable development of the public sector–transportation company–passenger supply chain.

  1. South African managers in public service: On being authentic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoni Barnard

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available South African managers in public service consistently face challenges related to managing a well-adjusted and productive diverse workforce. Following the notion that leadership authenticity fosters positive psychological employee capacity, the aim of this study was to explore the meaning essence of authenticity as lived in the work–life experiences of senior managers in public service. Five senior managers in public service were purposefully selected based on their articulated challenges with being authentic at work, whilst attending a diversity sensitivity workshop. From a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective, in-depth interviews were used, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis yielded two predominant themes offering a description of what it means to be authentic. Authenticity is experienced as an affective state that results from a continuous self-appraisal of the extent to which expression of self is congruent with a subjective and socially constructed expectation of self in relation to others. Authenticity seems to develop through a continuous process of internal and external adaptation, and it leads to ultimately building a differentiated yet integrated identity of self. A reciprocal dynamic between feeling authentic and self-confidence alludes to the potential importance of authenticity dynamics in identity work.

  2. South African managers in public service: on being authentic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard, Antoni; Simbhoo, Nirvana

    2014-01-01

    South African managers in public service consistently face challenges related to managing a well-adjusted and productive diverse workforce. Following the notion that leadership authenticity fosters positive psychological employee capacity, the aim of this study was to explore the meaning essence of authenticity as lived in the work-life experiences of senior managers in public service. Five senior managers in public service were purposefully selected based on their articulated challenges with being authentic at work, whilst attending a diversity sensitivity workshop. From a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective, in-depth interviews were used, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis yielded two predominant themes offering a description of what it means to be authentic. Authenticity is experienced as an affective state that results from a continuous self-appraisal of the extent to which expression of self is congruent with a subjective and socially constructed expectation of self in relation to others. Authenticity seems to develop through a continuous process of internal and external adaptation, and it leads to ultimately building a differentiated yet integrated identity of self. A reciprocal dynamic between feeling authentic and self-confidence alludes to the potential importance of authenticity dynamics in identity work.

  3. 76 FR 77590 - Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Request for Payment of Federal...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Fiscal Service Financial Management Service; Proposed Collection of Information: Request for Payment of Federal Benefit by Check, EFT Waiver Form AGENCY: Financial Management... to Financial Management Service, 3700 East West Highway, Records and Information Management Branch...

  4. Debugging and Logging Services for Defence Service Oriented Architectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-01

    Service A software component and callable end point that provides a logically related set of operations, each of which perform a logical step in a...important to note that in some cases when the fault is identified to lie in uneditable code such as program libraries, or outsourced software services ...debugging is limited to characterisation of the fault, reporting it to the software or service provider and development of work-arounds and management

  5. MaROS: Information Management Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allard, Daniel A.; Gladden, Roy E.; Wright, Jesse J.; Hy, Franklin H.; Rabideau, Gregg R.; Wallick, Michael N.

    2011-01-01

    This software is provided by the Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) task to a variety of Mars projects for the purpose of coordinating communications sessions between landed spacecraft assets and orbiting spacecraft assets at Mars. The Information Management Service centralizes a set of functions previously distributed across multiple spacecraft operations teams, and as such, greatly improves visibility into the end-to-end strategic coordination process. Most of the process revolves around the scheduling of communications sessions between the spacecraft during periods of time when a landed asset on Mars is geometrically visible by an orbiting spacecraft. These relay sessions are used to transfer data both to and from the landed asset via the orbiting asset on behalf of Earth-based spacecraft operators. This software component is an application process running as a Java virtual machine. The component provides all service interfaces via a Representational State Transfer (REST) protocol over https to external clients. There are two general interaction modes with the service: upload and download of data. For data upload, the service must execute logic specific to the upload data type and trigger any applicable calculations including pass delivery latencies and overflight conflicts. For data download, the software must retrieve and correlate requested information and deliver to the requesting client. The provision of this service enables several key advancements over legacy processes and systems. For one, this service represents the first time that end-to-end relay information is correlated into a single shared repository. The software also provides the first multimission latency calculator; previous latency calculations had been performed on a mission-by-mission basis.

  6. Optimization of landscape services under uncoordinated management by multiple landowners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porto, Miguel; Correia, Otília; Beja, Pedro

    2014-01-01

    Landscapes are often patchworks of private properties, where composition and configuration patterns result from cumulative effects of the actions of multiple landowners. Securing the delivery of services in such multi-ownership landscapes is challenging, because it is difficult to assure tight compliance to spatially explicit management rules at the level of individual properties, which may hinder the conservation of critical landscape features. To deal with these constraints, a multi-objective simulation-optimization procedure was developed to select non-spatial management regimes that best meet landscape-level objectives, while accounting for uncoordinated and uncertain response of individual landowners to management rules. Optimization approximates the non-dominated Pareto frontier, combining a multi-objective genetic algorithm and a simulator that forecasts trends in landscape pattern as a function of management rules implemented annually by individual landowners. The procedure was demonstrated with a case study for the optimum scheduling of fuel treatments in cork oak forest landscapes, involving six objectives related to reducing management costs (1), reducing fire risk (3), and protecting biodiversity associated with mid- and late-successional understories (2). There was a trade-off between cost, fire risk and biodiversity objectives, that could be minimized by selecting management regimes involving ca. 60% of landowners clearing the understory at short intervals (around 5 years), and the remaining managing at long intervals (ca. 75 years) or not managing. The optimal management regimes produces a mosaic landscape dominated by stands with herbaceous and low shrub understories, but also with a satisfactory representation of old understories, that was favorable in terms of both fire risk and biodiversity. The simulation-optimization procedure presented can be extended to incorporate a wide range of landscape dynamic processes, management rules and quantifiable

  7. Spatial service delivery system for smart licensing & enforcement management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahap, N. A.; Ismail, N. M.; Nor, N. M.; Ahmad, N.; Omar, M. F.; Termizi, A. A. A.; Zainal, D.; Noordin, N. M.; Mansor, S.

    2016-06-01

    Spatial information has introduced a new sense of urgency for a better understanding of the public needs in term of what, when and where they need services and through which devices, platform or physical locations they need them. The objective of this project is to value- add existing license management process for business premises which comes under the responsibility of Local Authority (PBT). Manipulation of geospatial and tracing technology via mobile platform allows enforcement officers to work in real-time, use a standardized system, improve service delivery, and optimize operation management. This paper will augment the scope and capabilities of proposed concept namely, Smart Licensing/Enforcement Management (SLEm). It will review the current licensing and enforcement practice of selected PBT in comparison to the enhanced method. As a result, the new enhanced system is expected to offer a total solution for licensing/enforcement management whilst increasing efficiency and transparency for smart city management and governance.

  8. Study on Case Teaching of Financial Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Che, Zhenghong; Che, Zhengmei

    2011-01-01

    Case teaching is an efficient teaching method of management. It plays an important role to enhance the students' ability to practice the theory. However, case teaching of financial management has not achieved the expected results. The paper aims to study the importance, characteristics and corresponding methods of case teaching method of financial…

  9. IT Service Management Foundation Practice Questions For ITIL Foundation Exam candidates

    CERN Document Server

    Mann, Steve; Mann, Steve; Mear, Nigel

    2012-01-01

    The most authoritative guide to preparing for the ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management. This new edition is compatible with the 2011 update to ITIL®. It includes an extensive range of practice questions and utilises the experience of three independent service management consultants and lecturers. An ITIL® licensed product.

  10. Quality of service management framework for dynamic chaining of geographic information services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onchaga, Richard

    2006-06-01

    Dynamic chaining of geographic information services (geo-services) is gaining popularity as a new paradigm for evolving flexible geo-information systems and for providing on-demand access to geo-information. In dynamic chaining, disparate geo-services are discovered and composed at run time to yield more elaborate functionality and create value-added geo-information. Common approaches to service chaining discover and compose disparate geo-services based on the functional capability of individual geo-services. The primary concern of common approaches is thus the emergent behavior of the resulting composite geo-service. However, as geo-services become mundane and take on a greater and more strategic role in mission critical processes, deliverable quality of service (QoS) becomes an important concern. QoS concerns operational characteristics of a service that determine its utility in an application context. To address pertinent QoS requirements, a new approach to service chaining becomes necessary. In this paper we propose a QoS-aware chaining approach in which geo-services are discovered, composed and executed considering both functional and QoS requirements. We prescribe a QoS management framework that defines fundamental principles, concepts and mechanisms which can be applied to evolve an effective distributed computing platform for QoS-aware chaining of geo-services - the so-called geo-service infrastructure. The paper also defines an extensible QoS model for services delivered by dynamic compositions of geo-services. The process of orthophoto generation is used to demonstrate the applicability of the prescribed framework to service-oriented geographic information processing.

  11. 75 FR 45600 - Information Collection; Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-03

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Farm Service Agency Information Collection; Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) Record Changes AGENCY: Farm Service... Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) that contains the...

  12. Total Quality Management and Media Services: The Deming Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richie, Mark L.

    1992-01-01

    W. Edwards Deming built a 40-year record of quality management in Japan known as Total Quality Management (TQM). His 14 points require a change in the belief system of managers and media directors, but their implementation in government agencies and schools will produce increased time for better services, better communications, and new programs.…

  13. Multidisciplinary Management: Model of Excellence in the Management Applied to Products and Services

    OpenAIRE

    Guerreiro , Evandro ,; Costa Neto , Pedro ,; Moreira Filho , Ulysses ,

    2014-01-01

    Part 1: Knowledge-Based Performance Improvement; International audience; The Multidisciplinary Management is the guiding vision of modern organizations and the systems thinking which requires new approaches to organizational excellence and quality management process. The objective of this article is to present a model for multidisciplinary management of quality applied to products and services based on American, Japanese, and Brazilian National Quality Awards. The methodology used to build th...

  14. Health information management using optical storage technology: case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohn, D

    1992-05-01

    All the health care facilities examined in the case studies addressed several important organizational issues before and during the installation of their systems. All the facilities examined employee commitment. The prudent managers considered how easily their employees adapt to changes in their jobs and work environment. They considered how enthusiastic cooperation can be fostered in the creation of a liberated and reengineered office. This was determined not only by each individual's reaction to change, but also by the health care facility's track record with other system installations. For example, document image, diagnostic image, and coded data processing systems allow the integration of divergent health care information systems within complex institutions. Unfortunately, many institutions are currently struggling with how to create an information management architecture that will integrate their mature systems, such as their patient care and financial systems. Information managers must realize that if optical storage technology-based systems are used in a strategic and planned fashion, these systems can act as focal points for systems integration, not as promises to further confuse the issue. Another issue that needed attention in all the examples was the work environment. The managers considered how the work environment was going to affect the ability to integrate optical image and data systems into the institution. For example, many of these medical centers have created alliances with clinics, HMOs, and large corporate users of medical services. This created a demand for all or part of the health information outside the confines of the original institution. Since the work environment is composed of a handful of factors such as merged medical services, as many work environment factors as possible were addressed before application of the optical storage technology solution in the institutions. And finally, the third critical issue was the organization of work

  15. Technology usage, quality management system, and service quality in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivabrovornvatana, Nilubon; Siengthai, Sununta; Krairit, Donyaprueth; Paul, Himangshu

    2005-01-01

    This article aims to explore the relationship between technology and quality management for enhancing Thai hospital service quality. The paper presents the findings of an exploratory study that investigates service quality from the customer and service provider perception. In-depth interviews were conducted with respondents in Thai hospitals. The interviews explored service-related factors that patients and service providers perceive to be important for hospital services. The first interview group consisted of professionals as internal customers in direct contact with external customers, while the second group consisted of external customers of the same hospitals. The study's outcomes clearly suggest factors that make significant contribution to service quality. These factors can be categorized according to five SERVQUAL dimensions (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibility), although some factors required slightly different interpretation. The findings suggest that hospitals can develop an appropriate approach to their advantage, which can yield sustainable improvement in service quality as perceived by patients and professionals. Hospitals can make better quality decisions based on structured measurement and knowledge. It is recommended that managers apply this knowledge for successful implementation of activities related to service quality in their organizations.

  16. Beyond Civil Service: The Changing Face of Public Personnel Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klingner, Donald E.; Lynn, Dahlia Bradshaw

    1997-01-01

    Today, public services are often delivered by purchase-of-service agreements, privatization, franchising, vouchers, or other alternatives to civil service. Public personnel managers must now deal with broader policy issues, relationships with external organizations, and tighter focus on cost control, requiring new knowledge, skills, and abilities.…

  17. [Refusal of care faced by case manager from elderly persons in complex situation: cross perspectives].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corvol, A; Balard, F; Moutel, G; Somme, D

    2014-01-01

    Case management is a new professional field in France. It is addressed to elderly persons living in community whose situation is regarded as particularly complex. Case managers have to assess needs and coordinate necessary services. One common criteria of complexity is refusal of care. The objective of this study is to compare the words of users with those of case managers about refusal of care, in order to understand its meaning, professionals' attitudes and ethical challenges. Two researchers have cooperated on this qualitative research: the first one, anthropologist, interviewed 19 individuals, and 11 of their caregivers. The second one, geriatrician and researcher in medical ethics, lead four focus groups gathering a total of 18 case managers. Refusal of care often is the result of the will of preserving one's identity, compromised by illness. Individuals seek control on their life. Facing this behaviour, case managers try to secure the individual, by establishing a personal relationship that respects their choices, even if care has to be delayed. Refusal of care may sometimes disclose a desire to vanish, in front of which professionals meet their own limits. To recognise an elderly person that refuses care as a unique individual who can make choices secure his identity, and allow him to change. Copyright © 2013 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Service workload patterns for QoS-driven cloud resource management

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Li; Zhang, Yichuan; Jamshidi, Pooyan; Xu, Lei; Pahl, Claus

    2015-01-01

    Cloud service providers negotiate SLAs for customer services they offer based on the reliability of performance and availability of their lower-level platform infrastructure. While availability management is more mature, performance management is less reliable. In order to support a continuous approach that supports the initial static infrastructure configuration as well as dynamic reconfiguration and auto-scaling, an accurate and efficient solution is required. We propose a prediction techni...

  19. The Impact of Comprehensive Case Management on HIV Client Outcomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Brennan-Ing

    Full Text Available In 1990, New York State instituted Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management, also known as Target Case Management (TCM, for people dealing with multiple comorbid conditions, including HIV. The goal of TCM is to assist clients in navigating the health care system to increase care engagement and treatment adherence for individuals with complex needs. HIV-positive individuals engaged in care are more likely to be virally suppressed, improving clinical outcomes and decreasing chances of HIV transmission. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of TCM management on outcomes for people with HIV. Data were obtained from Amida Care, which operates not-for-profit managed care Medicaid and Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs for HIV clients. Changes in clinical, cost, as well as medical and pharmacy utilization data among TCM clients were examined between January 2011 through September 2012 from the start of case management enrollment through the end of the study period (i.e., up to 6 months after disenrollment. Additionally, CD4 counts were compared between Amida Care TCM clients and non-TCM clients. Notable findings include increased CD4 counts for TCM clients over the one-year study period, achieving parity with non-TCM clients (i.e., Mean CD4 count > 500. When looking exclusively at TCM clients, there were increases in medication costs over time, which were concomitant with increased care engagement. Current findings demonstrate that TCM is able to achieve its goals of improving care engagement and treatment adherence. Subsequent policy changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act and the New York State Medicaid Redesign have made the Health Home the administrator of TCM services. Government entities charged with securing and managing TCM and care coordination for people with HIV should provide thoughtful and reasonable guidance and oversight in order to maintain optimal clinical outcomes for TCM clients and reduce the transmission of

  20. OPTIMIZING PUBLIC SERVICE THROUGH E-GOV SERVICES (THE CASE OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN SOUTH JAKARTA MUNICIPALITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florentina Ratih Wulandari

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The development of information technology and public administration paradigms that emphasize services for the benefit of society has affected the strategic efforts of e-Gov in Indonesia. For that, there is a need to create qualified, competitive, effective and efficient of the public services. Indonesia’s E-Gov Policy has been applying principles of good governance and information technology to serve and interact with the community. Some local governments, including South Jakarta Municipality has been implementing e-Gov to optimize public service. e-Gov in South Jakarta Municipality is reflected on the implementation of a management information technology to improve services to the community by creating a web site, namely http://selatan.jakarta.go.id/. The information presented in South Jakarta Municipality website includes tourism, local regulations, and other information of Municipality of South Jakarta.