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Sample records for consumer complaint system

  1. BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrie Prasetyo

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Complaining is one form of communication for consumers to express their dissatisfaction. Understanding the consumer complaint behavior is an important thing for businesses; however, it is not easy to do. The initial step in understanding this behavior of consumer complaints is to map consumers based on their behavior of complaints and analyze the factors that influence this. This study examines the complaint behavior of consumers in Cibubur who have experienced dissatisfaction with a product.  The objectives of this study are to map the consumer complaint behavior and identify its relationship with various factors such as consumer demographics, personality, attitude to businesses, attribution of the causes of dissatisfaction, and product attributes. A crosstab descriptive analysis method was used to map the consumers, while the Pearson correlation analysis methods was used to analyze consumer complaint behavioral relationships with various factors. The results of this study indicated that consumers in Cibubur based on their complaint behavior are classified into four groups: passive, voicers, irates and activist. The passive consumers dominate the category with a percentage of 49%.  The voicers, irates, and activist belong to the complaining type and are dominated by young women, with high levels of education and income. Keywords: consumer complaint behavior, product, crosstab, pearson correlation

  2. CGB - Consumer Complaints Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Communications Commission — Individual informal consumer complaint data detailing complaints filed with the Consumer Help Center beginning October 31, 2014. This data represents information...

  3. 12 CFR 227.2 - Consumer complaint procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... convenience of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 227.2 Consumer-complaint procedure. (a... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Consumer complaint procedure. 227.2 Section 227... SYSTEM UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES (REGULATION AA) General Provisions § 227.2 Consumer...

  4. Consumer Complaints and Company Market Value

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danny Pimentel Claro

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Consumer complaints affect company market value and common sense suggests that a negative impact is expected. However, do complaints always negatively impact company market value? We hypothesize in this study that complaints may have a non-linear effect on market value. Positive (e.g. avoiding high costs to solve complaints and negative (e.g. speedy and intense diffusion tradeoffs may occur given the level of complaints. To test our non-linear hypothesis, a panel data was collected from cell phone service providers from 2005 to 2013. The results supported our tradeoff rationale. Low levels of complaints allow for companies to increase market value, while high levels of complaints cause increasing harm to market value. The sample, model and period considered in this study, indicates a level of 0.49 complaints per thousand consumers as the threshold for a shift in tradeoffs. The effects on market value become increasingly negative when trying to make reductions to move below this level, due to negative tradeoffs.

  5. 77 FR 37616 - Disclosure of Consumer Complaint Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-22

    ... Protection Bureau, at (202) 435-7700. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background A. Credit Card Policy... disclosure of data from consumer complaints about financial products and services other than credit cards... Statement'') describing its plans to disclose consumer credit card complaint data. The present notice (the...

  6. 78 FR 21218 - Disclosure of Consumer Complaint Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-10

    ... companies, consumer groups, and trade associations to obtain feedback prior to beginning to accept new types... industry group suggesting distinguishing company response categories according to the type of company and... contains certain fields for each unique \\3\\ complaint \\4\\--complaints about other types of consumer...

  7. The network organisation of consumer complaints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, L. E. C.; Holme, P.

    2010-07-01

    Interaction between consumers and companies can create conflict. When a consensus is unreachable there are legal authorities to resolve the case. This letter is a study of data from the Brazilian Department of Justice from which we build a bipartite network of categories of complaints linked to the companies receiving those complaints. We find the complaint categories organised in an hierarchical way where companies only get complaints of lower degree if they already got complaints of higher degree. The fraction of resolved complaints for a company appears to be nearly independent of the equity of the company but is positively correlated with the total number of complaints received. We construct feature vectors based on the edge-weight —the weight of an edge represents the times complaints of a category have been filed against that company— and use these vectors to study the similarity between the categories of complaints. From this analysis, we obtain trees mapping the hierarchical organisation of the complaints. We also apply principal component analysis to the set of feature vectors concluding that a reduction of the dimensionality of these from 8827 to 27 gives an optimal hierarchical representation.

  8. Consumer evaluation of complaint handling in the Dutch health insurance market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendel, Sonja; de Jong, Judith D; Curfs, Emile C

    2011-11-15

    How companies deal with complaints is a particularly challenging aspect in managing the quality of their service. In this study we test the direct and relative effects of service quality dimensions on consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in a company in the Dutch health insurance market. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Survey data of 150 members of a Dutch insurance panel who lodged a complaint at their healthcare insurer within the past 12 months were surveyed. The data were collected using a questionnaire containing validated multi-item measures. These measures assess the service quality dimensions consisting of functional quality and technical quality and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations consisting of complaint satisfaction and overall satisfaction with the company after complaint handling. Respondents' trust in a company after complaint handling was also measured. Using factor analysis, reliability and validity of the measures were assessed. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between these variables. Overall, results confirm the hypothesized direct and relative effects between the service quality dimensions and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in the company. No support was found for the effect of technical quality on overall satisfaction with the company. This outcome might be driven by the context of our study; namely, consumers get in touch with a company to resolve a specific problem and therefore might focus more on complaint satisfaction and less on overall satisfaction with the company. Overall, the model we present is valid in the context of the Dutch health insurance market. Management is able to increase consumers' complaint satisfaction, overall satisfaction with the company, and trust in the company by improving elements of functional and technical quality. Furthermore, we show that functional and technical quality do not influence consumer satisfaction evaluations and

  9. Consumer evaluation of complaint handling in the Dutch health insurance market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wendel Sonja

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background How companies deal with complaints is a particularly challenging aspect in managing the quality of their service. In this study we test the direct and relative effects of service quality dimensions on consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in a company in the Dutch health insurance market. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used. Survey data of 150 members of a Dutch insurance panel who lodged a complaint at their healthcare insurer within the past 12 months were surveyed. The data were collected using a questionnaire containing validated multi-item measures. These measures assess the service quality dimensions consisting of functional quality and technical quality and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations consisting of complaint satisfaction and overall satisfaction with the company after complaint handling. Respondents' trust in a company after complaint handling was also measured. Using factor analysis, reliability and validity of the measures were assessed. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between these variables. Results Overall, results confirm the hypothesized direct and relative effects between the service quality dimensions and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in the company. No support was found for the effect of technical quality on overall satisfaction with the company. This outcome might be driven by the context of our study; namely, consumers get in touch with a company to resolve a specific problem and therefore might focus more on complaint satisfaction and less on overall satisfaction with the company. Conclusions Overall, the model we present is valid in the context of the Dutch health insurance market. Management is able to increase consumers' complaint satisfaction, overall satisfaction with the company, and trust in the company by improving elements of functional and technical quality. Furthermore, we show that functional and

  10. Consumer evaluation of complaint handling in the Dutch health insurance market

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background How companies deal with complaints is a particularly challenging aspect in managing the quality of their service. In this study we test the direct and relative effects of service quality dimensions on consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in a company in the Dutch health insurance market. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used. Survey data of 150 members of a Dutch insurance panel who lodged a complaint at their healthcare insurer within the past 12 months were surveyed. The data were collected using a questionnaire containing validated multi-item measures. These measures assess the service quality dimensions consisting of functional quality and technical quality and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations consisting of complaint satisfaction and overall satisfaction with the company after complaint handling. Respondents' trust in a company after complaint handling was also measured. Using factor analysis, reliability and validity of the measures were assessed. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between these variables. Results Overall, results confirm the hypothesized direct and relative effects between the service quality dimensions and consumer complaint satisfaction evaluations and trust in the company. No support was found for the effect of technical quality on overall satisfaction with the company. This outcome might be driven by the context of our study; namely, consumers get in touch with a company to resolve a specific problem and therefore might focus more on complaint satisfaction and less on overall satisfaction with the company. Conclusions Overall, the model we present is valid in the context of the Dutch health insurance market. Management is able to increase consumers' complaint satisfaction, overall satisfaction with the company, and trust in the company by improving elements of functional and technical quality. Furthermore, we show that functional and technical quality do not

  11. Complaints against an EMS system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colwell, Christopher B; Pons, Peter T; Pi, Randy

    2003-11-01

    Complaints against Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies represent a concerning and potentially time-consuming problem for all involved in the delivery of prehospital emergency medical care. The objective of this study was to identify the source of complaints against an EMS system to help focus quality and performance improvement and customer service efforts. We conducted a retrospective review of complaints filed against a busy urban EMS agency over a 6-year period. All complaints were included, totaled by season and by year, and categorized by originator and nature of the complaint. A total of 286 complaints were registered during the 6-year period, with an average of 48 per year and 9.3 per 10,000 responses. The most common originators of complaints were patients (53%) followed by medical personnel (19%) and family members or friends (12%). Rude behavior accounted for 23% of the complaints registered, followed by technical skills (20%), transport problems (18%), and loss of belongings (13%). The identification of areas of dissatisfaction will allow focused quality and performance improvement programs directed at customer service and risk management.

  12. EVALUATING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE COMPLAINT BEHAVIOR OF MALAYSIAN CONSUMERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Oly Ndubisi

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate whether male and female Malaysian consumers differ in their dissatisfaction complaint behavior and its aftermath. The study examines the moderation effect of gender in the relationship between public complaint behavior, private complaint behavior and customer defection. Data for the study was collected from 218 randomly selected customers of retail banks in Malaysia. The results show that public and private complaints are significantly associated with defection. These findings are generic across sex-type. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

  13. Privatising Consumer Complaints : An analysis of a patient’s complaints procedure in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, U.M.R.T.

    2006-01-01

    This article analyzes a type of ADR seeking to resolve complaints of consumers and in particular of hospital patients. In doing so, it aims to establish how this type of procedure differs from “normal” litigation and why it proves to be successful. It aims to show that its success is not only due to

  14. 77 FR 18860 - Certain Consumer Electronics, Including Mobile Phones and Tablets; Notice of Receipt of Complaint...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-28

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2885] Certain Consumer Electronics, Including Mobile Phones and.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Consumer Electronics, Including Mobile... electronics, including mobile phones and tablets. The complaint names as respondents ASUSTeK Computer, Inc. of...

  15. Effects of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase on the internet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bijmolt, Tammo H.A.; Huizingh, Eelko K.R.E.; Krawczyk, Adriana

    2014-01-01

    Purpose This paper investigates the impact of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase through Internet channels. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from large consumer samples from 15 European countries, the authors classify consumers

  16. [Complaints by private health insurance policy-holders to the Consumer Protection Bureau in Argentina, 2000-2008].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luzuriaga, María José; Spinelli, Hugo

    2014-05-01

    This paper analyzes problems experienced by policy-holders of voluntary private health insurance plans in Argentina when insurance companies fail to comply with the Consumer Protection Code. The sample consisted of consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Protection Bureau and rulings by the Bureau from 2000 to 2008. One striking issue was recurrent non-compliance with services included in the Mandatory Medical Program and the companies' attempts to blame policy-holders. According to the study, the lack of an information system hinders scientific studies to adequately address the problem. Thus, a comparison with studies on health insurance in other Latin American countries highlighted the importance of such research, the relationship to health systems, constraints on use and denial of citizens' rights to healthcare, and the increasing judicialization of healthcare provision.

  17. A good complaints system

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    system for handling complaints. While complaints often provide invaluable feedback on an individual's performance, they also offer dissatisfied patients an opportunity to air their views. Even if a complaint .... Communications Manager, Medical. Protection Society, Victoria House,. 2 Victoria Place, Leeds, UK. Pieter Carstens.

  18. 20 CFR 658.401 - Types of complaints handled by the JS complaint system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Types of complaints handled by the JS... § 658.401 Types of complaints handled by the JS complaint system. (a)(1) The types of complaints (JS related complaints) which shall be handled to resolution by the JS complaint system are as follows: (i...

  19. Text mining to decipher free-response consumer complaints: insights from the NHTSA vehicle owner's complaint database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazizadeh, Mahtab; McDonald, Anthony D; Lee, John D

    2014-09-01

    This study applies text mining to extract clusters of vehicle problems and associated trends from free-response data in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle owner's complaint database. As the automotive industry adopts new technologies, it is important to systematically assess the effect of these changes on traffic safety. Driving simulators, naturalistic driving data, and crash databases all contribute to a better understanding of how drivers respond to changing vehicle technology, but other approaches, such as automated analysis of incident reports, are needed. Free-response data from incidents representing two severity levels (fatal incidents and incidents involving injury) were analyzed using a text mining approach: latent semantic analysis (LSA). LSA and hierarchical clustering identified clusters of complaints for each severity level, which were compared and analyzed across time. Cluster analysis identified eight clusters of fatal incidents and six clusters of incidents involving injury. Comparisons showed that although the airbag clusters across the two severity levels have the same most frequent terms, the circumstances around the incidents differ. The time trends show clear increases in complaints surrounding the Ford/Firestone tire recall and the Toyota unintended acceleration recall. Increases in complaints may be partially driven by these recall announcements and the associated media attention. Text mining can reveal useful information from free-response databases that would otherwise be prohibitively time-consuming and difficult to summarize manually. Text mining can extend human analysis capabilities for large free-response databases to support earlier detection of problems and more timely safety interventions.

  20. Energy National Mediator report on energy provider invoicing, consumer information and complaint treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    As an answer to a mission assigned by the French Ministry of Energy, this document proposes a rather detailed report of the present status of invoicing modalities used by electricity and natural gas providers. It comments several facts and observations: almost all energy invoices contain a share of estimation which is naturally different of the actual consumption; the consumer has, in some cases, an alternative to an estimation-based invoicing; the complexity of energy invoicing is a source of misunderstanding for consumers; the number of complaints is increasing and their treatment is not satisfying. A set of recommendations is formulated to correct these problems, whether by improving the quality of estimations, or by better information of customers, or by improving the treatment of complaints or the relationship with the customer. The report is completed by several appendices containing testimonies and auditions of representatives of customer organisations and of energy providers

  1. ANALISIS PERBEDAAN ETNIS JAWA - CINA (TIONGHOA) DALAM COMPLAINT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND INTENTIONS TERHADAP JASA PELAYANAN RUMAH SAKIT DI SURAKARTA

    OpenAIRE

    Chuzaimah Chuzaimah; Moechamad Nasir

    2013-01-01

    By understanding unsatisfaction and also its effect research to complaint behavior have come to critical factor for company of penetrating strategy pursuer business market. Which sales more tend to customer existence becoming key in getting profit. This research pursuant at empiric investigation designed to compare the complaint consumer behavior and intentions in a culture at ethnical of Chinese ( Tionghoa) by consumer is behavior and intentions at ethnical of Java. The result...

  2. 55 cases of allergic reactions to hair dye: a descriptive, consumer complaint-based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søsted, H; Agner, T; Andersen, Klaus Ejner

    2002-01-01

    themselves, and adverse reactions to hair dye may not necessarily be recorded by the health care system, unless the reactions are especially severe. Based on this assumption, we suspected that hair dye dermatitis was occurring more frequently than reported in the literature. Consumer complaint-based data......Severe facial and scalp dermatitis following the use of permanent hair dyes has been reported in several cases. Para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is known as a potent contact allergen, and PPD is allowed in hair dye at a concentration of 6%. Hair dye reactions are usually diagnosed by the patients...

  3. Can the developer be the user? A possible explanation for the increasing number of customer complaints in consumer electronics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luyk - de Visser, I.M.; Lu, Y.; Brombacher, A.C.

    2008-01-01

    Different business trends within consumer electronics industry have resulted in an increasing number of customer complaints in the after-market. Research into this increasing number by Den Ouden indicates that 85% of the complaints can be traced back to decisions made in the product creation process

  4. Shyness in consumer behavior

    OpenAIRE

    Kusterer, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    Shyness is widespread among the population and affects a large group of consumers. Companies, however, have barely knowledge about this kind of consumers and their behavior. Particularly in the field of complaint management the barriers which prevent consumers of voicing a complaint are largely unknown and quite often companies are not aware of the dissatisfaction among their customers. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the impact of shyness on consumer complaint behavior. A survey-based appro...

  5. 20 CFR 658.410 - Establishment of State agency JS complaint system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Establishment of State agency JS complaint... Agency Js Complaint System § 658.410 Establishment of State agency JS complaint system. (a) Each State... State Administrator shall have overall responsibility for the operation of the State agency JS complaint...

  6. 20 CFR 655.185 - Job service complaint system; enforcement of work contracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Job service complaint system; enforcement of... Job service complaint system; enforcement of work contracts. (a) Filing with DOL. Complaints arising under this subpart must be filed through the Job Service Complaint System, as described in 20 CFR part...

  7. Quality Service Evaluation through the System of Complaints and Praise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeta Krstić Vukelja

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Complaint, as the expression of customer dissatisfaction with the quality of products or services, is very valuable information. Well-built system for collecting, processing and analysis of complaints allows organizations to create the information base for making decisions based on facts. This data base provides an effective adoption and implementation of measures for continuous improvement of products/services quality. To make the system work effectively, it is necessary to continuously use the same methodology for collecting and processing complaints to be able constant comparisons from period to period. Greater investment in quality of products/services does not mean reducing the number of complaints in the same time due to the effects of the phenomenon of “unrealistic expectations”. In addition to complaints, a valuable source of information on customer satisfaction is the system of praise.

  8. 20 CFR 658.420 - Establishment of JS complaint system at the ETA regional office.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Establishment of JS complaint system at the... Complaint System Federal Js Complaint System § 658.420 Establishment of JS complaint system at the ETA regional office. (a) Each Regional Administrator shall establish and maintain a JS complaint system at the...

  9. iComplaints

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — iComplaints is a web-based Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint tracking and reporting system. The Office of Equal Opportunity Programs uses iComplaints to...

  10. 77 FR 37558 - Disclosure of Certain Credit Card Complaint Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-22

    ... Certain Credit Card Complaint Data AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. ACTION: Notice of... Bureau plans to exercise its discretion to publicly disclose certain credit card complaint data that do not include personally identifiable information. The Bureau receives credit card complaints from...

  11. 20 CFR 655.1316 - Job Service Complaint System; enforcement of work contracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Job Service Complaint System; enforcement of... for Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States (H-2A Workers) § 655.1316 Job Service... through the Job Service Complaint System, as described in 20 CFR part 658, Subpart E. Complaints which...

  12. SOLVING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS: A STUDY OF MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL SETTINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurau Calin

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Theme: Many reports stress the importance of solving customer complaints in order to maintain customer satisfaction, but also to learn from mistakes and further improve the customer service. However, relatively few empirical studies have been conducted regarding the effect of complains handling activities on customer satisfaction and on company-customer relationships. Objectives of research: This paper attempts to identify the main elements of the complaints handling strategy that are considered essential for customers, and their effect on customer satisfaction. Literature analysis/previous research: Previous studies define a complaint as a conflict between a consumer and a business organisation in which the fairness of the resolution procedures, the interpersonal communication and behaviour, and the outcome of the complaint resolution process are the principal evaluative criteria used by the customer. In our opinion, a complaint is not necessary a conflict, however, it can create a conflict between a customer and a business organisation, when the answer to the consumer’s complaint is not satisfactory. Therefore, the way in which business organisations deal with consumer complaints can significantly influence the consumers’ level of satisfaction and loyalty. Research methodology: The empirical analysis of primary data collected through face-to-face interviews with 150 French customers provides a detailed picture of the specific elements of complains handling which are perceived as important in four different settings defined in relation to the perceived importance of the product or service, and the emergency of the experienced problem. Results: The identified elements of the complaint-handling procedure have a variable importance from one element to the other, and in the context of various complaint situations. This finding highlights the fact that, depending on each situation, the factors that will determine customer

  13. Patient complaints in healthcare services in Vietnam’s health system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bui Thi Thu Ha

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: There is growing recognition of patient rights in health sectors around the world. Patients’ right to complain in hospitals, often visible in legislative and regulatory protocols, can be an important information source for service quality improvement and achievement of better health outcomes. However, empirical evidence on complaint processes is scarce, particularly in the developing countries. To contribute in addressing this gap, we investigated patients’ complaint handling processes and the main influences on their implementation in public hospitals in Vietnam. Methods: The study was conducted in two provinces of Vietnam. We focused specifically on the implementation of the Law on Complaints and Denunciations and the Ministry of Health regulation on resolving complaints in the health sector. The data were collected using document review and in-depth interviews with key respondents. Framework approach was used for data analysis, guided by a conceptual framework and aided by qualitative data analysis software. Results: Five steps of complaint handling were implemented, which varied in practice between the provinces. Four groups of factors influenced the procedures: (1 insufficient investment in complaint handling procedures; (2 limited monitoring of complaint processes; (3 patients’ low awareness of, and perceived lack of power to change, complaint procedures and (4 autonomization pressures on local health facilities. While the existence of complaint handling processes is evident in the health system in Vietnam, their utilization was often limited. Different factors which constrained the implementation and use of complaint regulations included health system–related issues as well as social and cultural influences. Conclusion: The study aimed to contribute to improved understanding of complaint handling processes and the key factors influencing these processes in public hospitals in Vietnam. Specific policy implications for

  14. Manufacturer Responsiveness to Consumer Correspondence: An Empirical Investigation of Consumer Perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smart, Denise T.; Martin, Charles L.

    1992-01-01

    Evaluation of manufacturers' responses to 300 consumer letters of praise or complaint as well as consumer's reactions to responses concluded that (1) businesses should tell consumers their input is appreciated; (2) sincere, personal responses are preferred; and (3) coupons, refunds, or similar gifts should be sent with letters. (SK)

  15. Patient-reported denials, appeals, and complaints: associations with overall plan ratings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quigley, Denise D; Haviland, Amelia M; Dembosky, Jacob W; Klein, David J; Elliott, Marc N

    2018-03-01

    To assess whether Medicare patients' reports of denied care, appeals/complaints, and satisfactory resolution were associated with ratings of their health plan or care. Retrospective analysis of 2010 Medicare Advantage Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey data. Multivariate linear regression of data from 154,766 respondents (61.1% response rate) tested the association of beneficiary ratings of plan and care with beneficiary reports of denied care, appeals, complaints, and complaint resolution, adjusting for beneficiary demographics. Beneficiaries who reported being denied needed care rated their plans and care significantly less positively, by 17.2 points (on a 100-point scale) and 9.1 points, respectively. Filing an appeal was not statistically significantly associated with further lower ratings. Beneficiaries who filed a complaint that was satisfactorily resolved gave slightly lower ratings of plans (-3.4 points) and care (-2.5 points) than those not filing a complaint (P plans. Our results suggest that beneficiaries may attribute the actions that lead to complaints or denials to plans more than to the care they received. Successful complaint resolution and utilization management review might eliminate most deficits associated with complaints and denied care, consistent with the service recovery paradox. High rates of complaints and denied care might identify areas that need improved utilization management review, customer service, and quality improvement. Among those reporting being denied care, filing an appeal was not associated with lower patient ratings of plan or care.

  16. How Retailers Handle Complaint Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Torben; Wilke, Ricky; Zaichkowsky, Judy

    2009-01-01

    This article fills a gap in the literature by providing insight about the handling of complaint management (CM) across a large cross section of retailers in the grocery, furniture, electronic and auto sectors. Determinants of retailers’ CM handling are investigated and insight is gained as to the......This article fills a gap in the literature by providing insight about the handling of complaint management (CM) across a large cross section of retailers in the grocery, furniture, electronic and auto sectors. Determinants of retailers’ CM handling are investigated and insight is gained...... as to the links between CM and redress of consumers’ complaints. The results suggest that retailers who attach large negative consequences to consumer dissatisfaction are more likely than other retailers to develop a positive strategic view on customer complaining, but at the same time an increase in perceived...

  17. 76 FR 76628 - Disclosure of Certain Credit Card Complaint Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-08

    ... complaint. At the end of this process, the issuer reports to Consumer Response how it has addressed the... Proceedings (``OAEP'') discloses every month in its Air Travel Consumer Report.\\11\\ Unlike NHTSA, OAEP does... the OEAP began publishing the Air Travel Consumer Report.\\13\\ Outside reviewers have also publicized...

  18. 78 FR 53196 - Agency Information Collection (Principles of Excellence Complaint System Intake); Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-28

    ... (Principles of Excellence Complaint System Intake); Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration... published an emergency notice the Principles of Excellence Complaint System Intake on April 30, 2013, that... information through Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov ; or to Nancy J. Kessinger...

  19. 20 CFR 658.412 - Complaint resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE JOB SERVICE SYSTEM Job Service Complaint System State Agency Js Complaint System § 658.412... satisfaction with the outcome, or (2) The complainant chooses not to elevate the complaint to the next level of...

  20. Complaint studies: Methodological considerations and a result

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juhl, Hans Jørn; Poulsen, Carsten Stig; Thøgersen, John

    The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly we present in a non-technical form some of the measurement problems involved in interpreting consumer complaint data and secondly we provide some empirical results based upon a complaint study carried out in Denmark in 2002. Several measurement models...... are developed, ranging from the Rasch model via latent structure analysis with several correlated latent variables to suggestions about a comprehensive framework, combining Fishbein-Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour and latent trait models. The empirical results show that the propensity to complain in Denmark...

  1. Systematic tracking, visualizing, and interpreting of consumer feedback for drinking water quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietrich, Andrea M; Phetxumphou, Katherine; Gallagher, Daniel L

    2014-12-01

    Consumer feedback and complaints provide utilities with useful data about consumer perceptions of aesthetic water quality in the distribution system. This research provides a systematic approach to interpret consumer complaint water quality data provided by four water utilities that recorded consumer complaints, but did not routinely process the data. The utilities tended to write down a myriad of descriptors that were too numerous or contained a variety of spellings so that electronic "harvesting" was not possible and much manual labor was required to categorize the complaints into majors areas, such as suggested by the Drinking Water Taste and Odor Wheel or existing check-sheets. When the consumer complaint data were categorized and visualized using spider (or radar) and run-time plots, major taste, odor, and appearance patterns emerged that clarified the issue and could provide guidance to the utility on the nature and extent of the problem. A caveat is that while humans readily identify visual issues with the water, such as color, cloudiness, or rust, describing specific tastes and odors in drinking water is acknowledged to be much more difficult for humans to achieve without training. This was demonstrated with two utility groups and a group of consumers identifying the odors of orange, 2-methylisoborneol, and dimethyl trisulfide. All three groups readily and succinctly identified the familiar orange odor. The two utility groups were much more able to identify the musty odor of 2-methylisoborneol, which was likely familiar to them from their work with raw and finished water. Dimethyl trisulfide, a garlic-onion odor associated with sulfur compounds in drinking water, was the least familiar to all three groups, although the laboratory staff did best. These results indicate that utility personnel should be tolerant of consumers who can assuredly say the water is different, but cannot describe the problem. Also, it indicates that a T&O program at a utility would

  2. 20 CFR 658.421 - Handling of JS-related complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Handling of JS-related complaints. 658.421... ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE JOB SERVICE SYSTEM Job Service Complaint System Federal Js Complaint System § 658.421 Handling of JS-related complaints. (a) No JS-related complaint shall be handled at the...

  3. Mobile Phone and Internet Consumers Rights Compliance in Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viorela Iacovoiu

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This study highlights the extent to which rights of mobile phone and internet consumers are respected by the most important operators in Romania, namely Orange, Vodafone and Cosmote, in the context of accelerated technological changes on a highly competitive market. The research is focused on the analysis of regulations and contractual grievance procedures, number, distribution and motivation of consumer complaints, administrative quality indicators of data services and main consumer complaints. Among the documents under analysis we can mention contractual agreements, applicable procedures, as well as relevant empirical data provided by NAPC, NAMRC, economic operators and a site for online complaints, namely ReclamatieOnline.ro. The analyses emphasize that consumer complaints are mainly due to problems arising from contracts with service providers, billing services and defects of electronic terminals under warranty. The main cause for all this is the insufficient information users are provided with and, therefore, consumers’ decreased ability in the decision making process involved in the purchase of mobile technology and internet services. To better inform consumers, at the end of the study we propose a series of measures that could be adopted by mobile and internet service providers and regulatory, supervision and control institutions, as well as future directions of research in the field.

  4. 78 FR 30934 - Certain Consumer Electronics With Display and Processing Capabilities; Notice of Receipt of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-23

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No 2956] Certain Consumer Electronics With Display and... the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Consumer Electronics... consumer electronics with display and processing capabilities. The complaint names as respondents Panasonic...

  5. 76 FR 72439 - Certain Consumer Electronics and Display Devices and Products Containing Same; Receipt of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-23

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2858] Certain Consumer Electronics and Display Devices and.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled In Re Certain Consumer Electronics and Display... importation of certain consumer electronics and display devices and products containing same. The complaint...

  6. 20 CFR 658.416 - Action on JS-related complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Action on JS-related complaints. 658.416... ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE JOB SERVICE SYSTEM Job Service Complaint System State Agency Js Complaint System § 658.416 Action on JS-related complaints. (a) The appropriate State agency official handling an...

  7. 77 FR 14422 - Certain Consumer Electronics and Display Devices and Products Containing Same; Notice of Receipt...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-09

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2882] Certain Consumer Electronics and Display Devices and... the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Consumer Electronics... importation of certain consumer electronics and display devices and products containing same. The complaint...

  8. Rancang Bangun STIKI Class Facilities E-Complaint

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ni Kadek Ariasih

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available STMIK STIKOM Indonesia is one of the institutions in the field of computer-based education. In order to support the effectiveness of the implementation of teaching and learning activities that take place, it is need a service that support the availability of adequate class facilities and complaints services if there are constraints on facilities in the classroom. So far, the management of complaints complaints against classroom facilities or in the labarotorium which is handled by the Household Management Section is still on manua basis. In terms of record and handle complaints it is required information system which called STIKI Class Facilities E-Complaint. This system can assist the Household Management Section in monitoring complaints from the condition of existing room facilities if experiencing problems and also can improve the quality of service in handling complaints. The software development process model used is prototype and Web-based model with PHP and MySQL database.

  9. 77 FR 24192 - SIG Energy, LLLP v. California Independent System Operator Corporation; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL12-55-000] SIG Energy, LLLP v. California Independent System Operator Corporation; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on.... 824(e) and 825(e), SIG Energy, LLLP (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against the California...

  10. 20 CFR 658.414 - Referral of non-JS-related complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Referral of non-JS-related complaints. 658... ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE JOB SERVICE SYSTEM Job Service Complaint System State Agency Js Complaint System § 658.414 Referral of non-JS-related complaints. (a) To facilitate the operation of the...

  11. Hot complaint intelligent classification based on text mining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XIA Haifeng

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The complaint recognizer system plays an important role in making sure the correct classification of the hot complaint,improving the service quantity of telecommunications industry.The customers’ complaint in telecommunications industry has its special particularity which should be done in limited time,which cause the error in classification of hot complaint.The paper presents a model of complaint hot intelligent classification based on text mining,which can classify the hot complaint in the correct level of the complaint navigation.The examples show that the model can be efficient to classify the text of the complaint.

  12. Anticipating Soft Problems with Consumer Electronic Products : How do soft problems interact with user characteristics and product properties?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kim, C.

    2012-01-01

    Over the last decade consumer electronic product industries have been confronted with an increase in consumer complaints. Interestingly about half of the reasons for product return are based on so called ‘soft problems’, consumer complaints that cannot be traced back to technical problems. Probably

  13. Antecedents and Consequences of Consumer Trust in the Context of Service Recovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Pizzutti dos Santos

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of consumer trust after complaint handling episodes about services. A cross-sectional study was carried out with complainers of banks and airline companies. The respondents were approached at an International Airport in Brazil. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the hypotheses developed. The building of consumer trust was sensitive to perceptions of justice regarding the way complaints were handled by the company. More specifically, the perception of interactional fairness strongly impacted consumer trust in the employees which, in turn, revealed a high impact on trust in the company. Insofar as satisfaction with complaint handling does not mediate the relationship between the dimensions of fairness and trust, following a conflict it loses part of its importance. Finally, both repurchase intention and word-of-mouth communication were influenced by trust in the company, satisfaction with complaint handling and perceived value. The company should attentively observe the interactional aspect in terms of developing relationships with customers. Appropriate complaint handling and the consequent trust created between the parties is an efficient form of developing and maintaining solid relationships with customers.

  14. Online damage control: the effects of proactive versus reactive webcare interventions in consumer-generated and brand-generated platforms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Noort, G.; Willemsen, L.M.

    2012-01-01

    Web 2.0 has empowered consumers to voice complaints with reduced costs (physical and psychological), and to share these with a multitude of other consumers on the Internet. As a public phenomenon, online complaints have a negative impact on consumers' evaluations of brands that are under attack in

  15. 75 FR 53533 - Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under Section 219 of the Consumer Product...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-31

    ... you about submitting personal information such as social security numbers and birth dates. Docket: To... Withdrawal of Complaints, Objections, and Petitions for Review; Settlement This section provides for the procedures and time periods for withdrawal of complaints, the withdrawal of findings and/or preliminary...

  16. Complaint go: an online complaint registration system using web services and android

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mareeswari, V.; Gopalakrishnan, V.

    2017-11-01

    In numerous nations, there are city bodies that are the nearby representing bodies that help keep up and run urban communities. These administering bodies are for the most part called MC (Municipal Cooperation). The MC may need to introduce edit cameras and other observation gadgets to guarantee the city is running easily and productively. It is imperative for an MC to know the deficiencies occurring inside the city. As of now, this must be for all intents and purposes conceivable by introducing sensors/cameras and so forth or enabling nationals to straightforwardly address them. The everyday operations and working of the city are taken care by administering bodies which are known as Government Authorities. Presently keeping in mind the end goal to keep up the huge city requires that the Government Authority should know about any issue or deficiency either through (sensors/CCTV cameras) or by enabling the nationals to grumble about these issues. The second choice is generally granted on the grounds that it gives the best possible substantial data. The GA by and large enables its residents to enlist their grievance through a few mediums. In this application, the citizens are facilitated to send the complaints directly from their smartphone to the higher officials. Many APIs are functioning as the web services which are really essential to make it easier to register a complaint such as Google Places API to detect your current location and show that in Map. The Web portal is used to process various complaints well supported with different web services.

  17. Work load and musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, J A; van Dijk, F J; Frings-Dresen, M H

    1994-06-01

    Many pregnant women have musculoskeletal complaints, the onset and aggravation of which are thought to be associated with their activity or work postures. The purpose of this paper was to obtain more insight into the influence of pregnancy on the load of the musculoskeletal system at work to provide a better basis for preventing complaints. To this end, literature pertinent to a model called "work load of the musculoskeletal system" was reviewed. The model was developed to describe how work contributes to musculoskeletal complaints. It was found that pregnancy causes changes in a worker's characteristics. These changes can lead to changes in the work situation, activity pattern, and postural characteristics and possibly result in a change in work load. In addition, physical changes such as weight gain increase the work load in a given posture. The load-bearing capacity of the musculoskeletal system decreases due to pregnancy. The changes in load and the decrease in load-bearing capacity singly or simultaneously increase the risk of musculoskeletal complaints. The multifactorial cause of musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy reveals various possibilities for prevention.

  18. EPA iComplaints

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The iComplaints system is an enterprise-level COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) product that provides all of the funtionality required to collect, track, manage,...

  19. Relationship between Otolaryngologic Complaints and Systemic Comorbidities Observed in a Group of Hearing Aid Users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ribas, Angela

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Optimization of the selection, adaptation, and benefit of hearing aids is necessary to characterize and manage hearing loss, user expectations, otolaryngologic symptoms, and systemic comorbidities. Objective To compare the occurrence of otologic complaints, systemic diseases, and effective use of hearing aids in men and women with deafness. Methods Patients from a Unified Health System–accredited hearing health service, who reported problems in adapting to their hearing aids, were evaluated by a physician and audiologist. An anamnesis, ENT evaluation, and audiological evaluation were performed. Results During the data collection period, 278 subjects came in for follow-up visits; of these, 61 (21% reported otologic or operational problems with their equipment. The most prevalent type of hearing loss was basocochlear, a characteristic of presbycusis, in both men and women; the most frequently reported comorbidities were hypercholesterolemia (more significant in women and hypertension (more significant in men. Fourteen subjects reported using their device discontinuously, with no significant difference between genders; the reasons for discontinuation of use were itching and ringing, with more complaints from women. Conclusion The incidence of systemic and audiological complaints is high in this population. These patients should be evaluated thoroughly, as resolutions of these complaints can contribute to improving the quality of life and assist in the process of hearing aid fitting.

  20. Do subjective cognitive complaints correlate with cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus? A Danish outpatient study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, A; Bhattacharya, S; Larsen, J L

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its association with depressive symptoms and self-reported cognitive complaints in Danish outpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-seven consecutive female SLE-outpatients were examined with a comprehensive neuropsyc......This study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its association with depressive symptoms and self-reported cognitive complaints in Danish outpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-seven consecutive female SLE-outpatients were examined with a comprehensive...

  1. Complying with US and European complaint handling requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donawa, M E

    1997-09-01

    The importance of customer complaints for providing valuable information on the use of medical devices is clearly reflected in United States (US) and European quality system requirements for handling complaints. However, there are significant differences in US and European complaint handling requirements. This article will discuss those differences and methods for ensuring compliance.

  2. Patients’ experience on complaint handling; a comparison between Complaint Committees and Disciplinary Boards.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kruikemeier, S.; Coppen, R.; Friele, R.D.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Handling patient complaints about health care issues is important. However, many patients who lodge a complaint are dissatisfied with the way their complaints are dealt with. In the Netherlands, there are two institutions to lodge a complaint: the Complaints Committee and the

  3. SMS and Web-Based e-Government Model Case Study: Citizens Complaints Management System at District of Gihosha –Burundi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mugenzi Thierry

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available E-Government basically comprises the use of electronic communications technologies such as the internet, in enhancing and advancing the citizens access to public services. In most developing countries including Burundi, citizens are facing many difficulties for accessing public services. One of the identified problems is the poor quality of service in managing citizens’ complaints. This study proposes an SMS and web based e-Government Model as a solution. In this study, a case study of a complaint management system at District of Gihosha has been used as a reference to prove that SMS and Web based e-Government Model can enhances the access of public services. The objective of this study is the development of an SMS and web-based system that can enhances the process and the management of citizens’ complaints at District of Gihosha. The system has been developed using PHP as front end, Apache as web server, MySQL as Database and Gammu as SMS gateway. The obtained results after testing the system shows that all the functionalities of the developed system worked properly. Thus, the SMS and web based complaint management system developed is considered to be effective.

  4. 20 CFR 658.415 - Transferring complaints to proper JS office.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Transferring complaints to proper JS office... Agency Js Complaint System § 658.415 Transferring complaints to proper JS office. (a) Where a JS-related... local office serving the area in which the employer is located. Where a JS-related complaint deals with...

  5. Guide 61: how the EUB responds to utility customer service complaints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-07-01

    The guide answers common questions about regulated provincial utilities, how to make a formal complaint to the Electric Utilities Board (EUB) of Alberta about utility service, and how the Board handles customer concerns. The role of the EUB in regulating utilities has changed slightly with natural gas deregulation, with most consumers having the option to purchase natural gas from their supplier of choice. As the transition to electric deregulation is occuring, the EUB continues to set customer rates until the transition is complete. When a utility-related-complaint cannot be resolved, the EUB may schedule a hearing to thoroughly review the issue. The hearing and decision aspects are summarized

  6. Regulating healthcare complaints: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaupert, Fleur; Carney, Terry; Chiarella, Mary; Satchell, Claudette; Walton, Merrilyn; Bennett, Belinda; Kelly, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore approaches to the regulation of healthcare complaints and disciplinary processes. A literature review was conducted across Medline, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar and the health, law and social sciences collections of Informit, using terms tapping both the complaints process and regulation generally. A total of 118 papers dealing with regulation of health complaints or disciplinary proceedings were located. The review reveals a shift away from self-regulation towards greater external oversight, including innovative regulatory approaches including "networked governance and flexible or "responsive" regulation. It reports growing interest in adoption of strategic and responsive approaches to health complaints governance, by rejecting traditional legal forms in favor of more strategic and responsive forms, taking account of the complexity of adverse health events by tailoring responses to individual circumstances of complainants and their local environments. The challenge of how to collect and harness complaints data to improve the quality of healthcare at a systemic level warrants further research. Scope also exists for researching health complaints commissions and other "meta-regulatory" bodies to explore how to make these processes fairer and better able to meet the complex needs of complainants, health professionals, health services and society.

  7. Organic labbeling systems and consumer confidence

    OpenAIRE

    Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar; Daugbjerg, Carsten

    2009-01-01

    A research analysis suggests that a state certification and labelling system creates confidence in organic labelling systems and consequently green consumerism. Danish consumers have higher levels of confidence in the labelling system than consumers in countries where the state plays a minor role in labelling and certification.

  8. Health complaints and regulatory reform: Implications for vulnerable populations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carney, Terry; Beaupert, Fleur; Chiarella, Mary; Bennett, Belinda; Walton, Merrilyn; Kelly, Patrick J; Satchell, Claudette S

    2016-03-01

    Complaints and disciplinary processes play a significant role in health professional regulation. Many countries are transitioning from models of self-regulation to greater external oversight through systems including meta-regulation, responsive (risk-based) regulation, and "networked governance". Such systems harness, in differing ways, public, private, professional and non-governmental bodies to exert influence over the conduct of health professionals and services. Interesting literature is emerging regarding complainants' motivations and experiences, the impact of complaints processes on health professionals, and identification of features such as complainant and health professional profiles, types of complaints and outcomes. This article concentrates on studies identifying vulnerable groups and their participation in health care regulatory systems.

  9. Consumer attitudes to different pig production systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Barcellos, Marcia Dutra; Grunert, Klaus G; Zhou, Yanfeng

    2013-01-01

    In many Western countries, consumers have shown an increasing interest to the way in which food products are being produced. This study investigates Chinese consumers' attitudes towards different pig production systems by means of a conjoint analysis. While there has been a range of studies...... on Western consumers' attitudes to various forms of food production, little is known about the level of Chinese consumers' attitudes. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 472 participants in six Chinese cities. Results indicate that Chinese consumers prefer industrial pig production systems, where...... from Cluster 1 focus almost exclusively on the food safety aspect (food safety focused). Consumers from cluster 2 (indifferent) show generally weak attitudes to pig production systems in general. Cluster 3 (industrial production oriented) stands out by being very positive about industrial, large size...

  10. 75 FR 63830 - Consumer Advisory Committee

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-18

    ... and strategies to improve federal/state collaboration on consumer complaint processing. A 2nd [[Page... interpreters, open captioning, assistive listening devices, and Braille copies of the agenda and handouts will... disabilities. You can listen to the audio and use a screen reader to read displayed documents. You can also...

  11. The role of complaint management in the service recovery process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendall-Lyon, D; Powers, T L

    2001-05-01

    Patient satisfaction and retention can be influenced by the development of an effective service recovery program that can identify complaints and remedy failure points in the service system. Patient complaints provide organizations with an opportunity to resolve unsatisfactory situations and to track complaint data for quality improvement purposes. Service recovery is an important and effective customer retention tool. One way an organization can ensure repeat business is by developing a strong customer service program that includes service recovery as an essential component. The concept of service recovery involves the service provider taking responsive action to "recover" lost or dissatisfied customers and convert them into satisfied customers. Service recovery has proven to be cost-effective in other service industries. The complaint management process involves six steps that organizations can use to influence effective service recovery: (1) encourage complaints as a quality improvement tool; (2) establish a team of representatives to handle complaints; (3) resolve customer problems quickly and effectively; (4) develop a complaint database; (5) commit to identifying failure points in the service system; and (6) track trends and use information to improve service processes. Customer retention is enhanced when an organization can reclaim disgruntled patients through the development of effective service recovery programs. Health care organizations can become more customer oriented by taking advantage of the information provided by patient complaints, increasing patient satisfaction and retention in the process.

  12. 76 FR 52731 - On-Line Complaint Form for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-23

    ... for Service-Related Issues in Air Transportation AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of... consumer protection and civil rights laws and regulations related to air transportation. The Enforcement... travelers, and to ensure safe and adequate service in air transportation. Filing a complaint using a web...

  13. 20 CFR 658.411 - Filing and assignment of JS-related complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Filing and assignment of JS-related... Agency Js Complaint System § 658.411 Filing and assignment of JS-related complaints. (a) JS-related... office personnel shall be as follows: (1) All JS-related complaints filed with a local office, and...

  14. 47 CFR 76.1713 - Complaint resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... local franchising authority and the cable system operator. ... system operators shall establish a process for resolving complaints from subscribers about the quality of... for inspection by the Commission and franchising authorities, upon request. These records shall be...

  15. A 30-month study of patient complaints at a major Australian hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, K; Allan, D; Finucane, P

    2001-12-01

    Health practitioners often regard complaints about the quality of patient care in a negative light. However, complaints can indicate strategies to improve care. Therefore, an audit was undertaken of all formal complaints about patient care at a major Australian hospital over a 30-month period. The profile of complainants, the reasons for complaints, and the outcome were analysed. A total of 1308 complaints, concerning the care of 1267 patients, were received. The complaint rate was 1.12 per 1000 occasions of service. In all, 57% of complaints were lodged by advocates and 71% of complaints related to poor communication or to the treatment provided. In 97% of occasions, an explanation and/or an apology resulted. To date, no complaint has proceeded to litigation. Complaints are potentially useful quality assurance tools and can identify remediable system flaws. Health professionals and employers should understand why patients complain and be able to respond appropriately.

  16. Integration Telegram Bot on E-Complaint Applications in College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosid, M. A.; Rachmadany, A.; Multazam, M. T.; Nandiyanto, A. B. D.; Abdullah, A. G.; Widiaty, I.

    2018-01-01

    Internet of Things (IoT) has influenced human life where IoT internet connectivity extending from human-to-humans to human-to-machine or machine-to-machine. With this research field, it will be created a technology and concepts that allow humans to communicate with machines for a specific purpose. This research aimed to integrate between application service of the telegram sender with application of e-complaint at a college. With this application, users do not need to visit the Url of the E-compliant application; but, they can be accessed simply by submitting a complaint via Telegram, and then the complaint will be forwarded to the E-complaint Application. From the test results, e-complaint integration with Telegram Bot has been run in accordance with the design. Telegram Bot is made able to provide convenience to the user in this academician to submit a complaint, besides the telegram bot provides the user interaction with the usual interface used by people everyday on their smartphones. Thus, with this system, the complained work unit can immediately make improvements since all the complaints process can be delivered rapidly.

  17. Development of anti-counterfeit consumer product authentication system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olena V. Narimanova

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim of the research is to develop an anti-counterfeit consumer product authentication system. The main requirements for this system are formulated, the choice of method of consumer product authentication is substantiated. The scheme of anti-counterfeit consumer product authentication system is developed basing on previously proposed method of checking the QR-code integrity and authenticity. The proposed within the system consumer product authentication technology is simple, economical for implementation, does not require the external changes of product packaging, does not affect existing production process. The technology can be recommended for the use to private businesses and government institutions that are interested in the security of their products from counterfeiting, as well as tracking and removing from circulation the counterfeit consumer products.

  18. 48 CFR 22.1406 - Complaint procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Complaint procedures. 22.1406 Section 22.1406 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS Employment of Workers with...

  19. Customer complaints: a managed care firm's best weapon in CQI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polonski, G J

    1995-01-01

    Encouraging customer feedback and developing an automated customer complaint system are two essential steps a health plan must take if it wishes to develop a balanced relationship with the customer. The author explores how the right attitude and appropriate action can ensure that both customers and the company reap the benefits of a comprehensive customer complaint system.

  20. 48 CFR 422.1406 - Complaint procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Complaint procedures. 422.1406 Section 422.1406 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS Employment of Workers With Disabilities 422...

  1. 78 FR 53014 - Proposed Information Collection (Principles of Excellence Complaint Intake Questionnaire...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-27

    ... to comment on a proposed information collection titled ``Principles of Excellence Complaint Intake... leveraging the systems architecture of the Department of Defense's Complaint System. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-NEW] Proposed Information Collection...

  2. Health complaints among nurses working near MRI scanners-A descriptive pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilen, Jonna; Vocht, Frank de

    2011-01-01

    A questionnaire-based descriptive pilot study was conducted among all nurses routinely working with MRI in the Northern part of Sweden to provide an indication of the self-reported prevalence of health complaints related to working with MRI systems. Fifty-nine nurses (88% response rate), with on average 8 (±6) years experience with MRI scanning procedures, returned the questionnaire. In total, 9 nurses (15%) reported regularly experiencing at least one of the health complaints (1-5% for specific health complaints) attributed to arise or be aggravated by their presence in the MRI scanning room. Stratification of the results indicated that reporting of adverse symptoms was not related to the level of occupational workload/stress. However, reporting of health complaints was related to the strength of the magnet(s) the nurses worked with, with 57% of symptoms reported by those nurses working with the strongest systems (both 1.5 and 3 T scanners in this population). Although this descriptive study did not include a control population and was based on self-reporting of health complaints, these data indicate that the prevalence of reported health complaints is not related to perceived work load or occupational stress, but does confirm data from other occupational sectors and indicates that the prevalence of adverse health complaints increases with the strength of the MRI system for nurses as well.

  3. Complaints and satisfaction after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøntved, A M; Karup, P

    2000-01-01

    A questionnaire administered 2 years after classical laser uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) showed that 42% of 69 patients had complaints. Most of the complaints, however, were comparatively minor. The most frequent complaint was a tendency to nasal regurgitation (13%), although only two patients...

  4. 20 CFR 663.570 - What is the consumer reports system?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is the consumer reports system? 663.570....570 What is the consumer reports system? The consumer reports system, referred to in WIA as... consumer reports system must contain the information necessary for an adult or dislocated worker customer...

  5. Analysing Smart Metering Systems from a Consumer Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yesudas, Rani

    Many countries are deploying smart meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems as part of demand management and grid modernisation efforts. Several of these projects are facing consumer resistance. The advertised benefits to the consumer appear mainly monetary but detailed analysis shows that financial benefits are hard to realise since the fixed services charges are high. Additionally, the data collected from smart meters have security and privacy implications for the consumer. These projects failed to consider end-users as an important stakeholder group during planning stages resulting in the design and roll-out of expensive systems, which do not demonstrate clear consumer benefits. The overall goal of the research reported in this thesis was to improve the smart metering system to deliver consumer benefits that increase confidence and acceptance of these projects. The smart metering system was examined from an end-user perspective for realistic insights into consumer concerns. Processes from Design Science Research methodology were utilised to conduct this research due to the utilitarian nature of the objective. Consumer segmentation was central to the proposed measures. Initially, a consumer-friendly risk analysis framework was devised, and appropriate requirement elicitation techniques were identified. Control options for smart meter data transfer and storage were explored. Various scenarios were analysed to determine consumer-friendly features in the smart metering system, including control options for smart meter data transfer and storage. Proposed functionalities (billing choices, feedback information and specific configurations to match the needs of different user segments) were studied using the Australian smart metering system. Smart meters vary in capabilities depending on the manufacturer, mode and place of deployment. The research showed that features proposed in this thesis are implementable in smart meters, by examining their applicability

  6. 20 CFR 658.422 - Handling of non-JS-related complaints by the Regional Administrator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Handling of non-JS-related complaints by the... Federal Js Complaint System § 658.422 Handling of non-JS-related complaints by the Regional Administrator. (a) Each non-JS-related complaint filed by an MSFW alleging violations of employment related laws...

  7. Using complaints to enhance quality improvement: developing an analytical tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Sophie Yahui

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to construct an instrument for identifying certain attributes or capabilities that might enable healthcare staff to use complaints to improve service quality. PubMed and ProQuest were searched, which in turn expanded access to other literature. Three paramount dimensions emerged for healthcare quality management systems: managerial, operational, and technical (MOT). The paper reveals that the managerial dimension relates to quality improvement program infrastructure. It contains strategy, structure, leadership, people and culture. The operational dimension relates to implementation processes: organizational changes and barriers when using complaints to enhance quality. The technical dimension emphasizes the skills, techniques or information systems required to achieve successfully continuous quality improvement. The MOT model was developed by drawing from the relevant literature. However, individuals have different training, interests and experiences and, therefore, there will be variance between researchers when generating the MOT model. The MOT components can be the guidelines for examining whether patient complaints are used to improve service quality. However, the model needs testing and validating by conducting further research before becoming a theory. Empirical studies on patient complaints did not identify any analytical tool that could be used to explore how complaints can drive quality improvement. This study developed an instrument for identifying certain attributes or capabilities that might enable healthcare professionals to use complaints and improve service quality.

  8. SYSTEMIC APPROACH OF THE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian Nicolae CAZACU

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In an era of globalization, we witness the encounter of cultures and the exchanges between them. Often, the cultural influences affect the consumer's decision to purchase goods. Many cultures have their own specific product offer, which is a way of promoting them. In this regard, a good example is the media culture called "anime". As a result, the consumer is faced with many decisions and its choice is influenced by many internal and external factors. When studying the market fluctuations due to the social, cultural, or otherwise influences, which may create new categories of consumers, we consider it is important to analyse the consumer behavior in the systemic terms, which could lead us to a new overview of the effects of these various influences. This paper proposes a mathematical model, starting from an original scheme, based on the Veblen theory. The study uses a simple matrix algorithm for the optimal solution of the dynamical systems with quadratic cost function.

  9. 6 CFR 13.7 - Complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Complaint. 13.7 Section 13.7 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.7 Complaint. (a) On or after the date the Department of Justice approves the issuance of a Complaint in accordance...

  10. 29 CFR 1614.302 - Mixed case complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mixed case complaints. 1614.302 Section 1614.302 Labor... EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Related Processes § 1614.302 Mixed case complaints. (a) Definitions—(1) Mixed case complaint. A mixed case complaint is a complaint of employment discrimination filed with a federal agency...

  11. 25 CFR 11.1000 - Complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Complaint. 11.1000 Section 11.1000 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER COURTS OF INDIAN OFFENSES AND LAW AND ORDER CODE Juvenile Offender Procedure § 11.1000 Complaint. A complaint must be filed by a law enforcement officer or...

  12. Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyeti Raporları Ve Tüketici Davranışları: Odunpazarı Örneği / Ground Jury of the Consumer Issues Reports and Consumer Behavior: Odunpazarı Example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhittin ADIYAMAN

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Bu çalışma 4077 Sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun’la hukuk sistemimize kazandırılan Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyetlerinin işleyişi, şikâyetlerin alınma ve değerlendirme sürecine dair 358.566 nüfuslu Odunpazarı ilçesinde tüketici sorunlarına üretilen çözümlerin boyutu ve tüketici davranışlarını sunmayı amaçlayan bir uygulama örneğidir. Çalışmamız; Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyeti Yönetmeliğinin 25. Maddesi gereği dörder aylık dönemler hâlinde hazırlanan Eskişehir Odunpazarı Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyeti’nin 2009-2012 yılları arasındaki faaliyet raporlarında belirtilen müracaat sayıları, tüketicinin lehine ve aleyhine olarak sonuçlanan karar sayıları ve şikâyetlerin türünü kapsamaktadır. Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyetleri aynı yönetmelik çerçevesinde çalışmalarına rağmen şikâyetlerin alınma ve değerlendirme sürecinde uygulama farklılıkları olabilmektedir. Bu farklılıklardan biri de Müdürlüğümüzün iş akışını hızlandırmak amacıyla geliştirdiği bir yazılımla şikâyetleri alıp değerlendirmesidir. Tüketici Sorunları Hakem Heyetlerinin raporlarına ait ülke çapında sistemli bir veri tabanı olmalı; Hakem Heyetlerinin uygulamalarına ve karar sonuçlarına yönelik karşılaştırmaların yapılarak, tüketici sorunlarının detaylı tetkiki sonucu üretilecek çözümlerle tüketici mağduriyetlerinin önüne geçilmelidir. Ground Jury of the Consumer Issues Reports and Consumer Behavior: Odunpazarı Example This study is an example of application with Law No. 4077 on Consumer Protection offered to judicial system functioning ground jury of the consumer Issues, about the process complaints of inclusion and assessment aims to provide generated solutions to consumer problems and consumer behavior of Odunpazarı district with 358.566 population. Our study contains; with the regulation 25 on ground jury of the consumer

  13. Redesigning a collection system for 'small' consumer electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melissen, Frans W.

    2006-01-01

    This paper establishes that the collection system within the recycling scheme for consumer electronics in the Netherlands has not been entirely successful in convincing consumers to hand in their used appliances by means of dedicated collection routes. Particularly regarding small appliances, consumers are persisting in their habit of discarding their appliances by means of the refuse bag/bin for regular household waste. Therefore, the current collection system has been unable to direct consumer behavior in the desired direction. Consequently, the layout of the current system is reviewed and redesigned in order to tackle this problem. This design effort applies the Triad model (behavioral model) in the analysis stage and the Morphological Chart method (design tool) in the synthesis stage, and results in a concrete proposal for a new system. Finally, the applicability of this design approach beyond the specific circumstances of the case study presented in this paper is discussed. This case represents only one example of the broader, worldwide challenge to design appropriate collection systems to direct consumer behavior in desired directions. It is argued that the approach presented in this paper could be a valuable contribution to research dealing with this challenge

  14. 75 FR 32458 - TC Ravenswood, LLC v. New York Independent System Operator, Inc.; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL10-70-000] TC Ravenswood... 385.206, TC Ravenswood, LLC (Complainant) filed a complaint against New York Independent System Operator, Inc. (NYISO) (Respondent), requesting FERC order the NYISO to reimburse TC Ravenswood, LLC, as...

  15. 39 CFR 3030.10 - Complaint contents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Initial Pleadings § 3030.10 Complaint contents. (a) A complaint must: (1) Set forth the facts and... to be similarly affected by the issues involved in the complaint, if applicable; (5) State the nature...

  16. 8 CFR 1003.104 - Filing of complaints; preliminary inquiries; resolutions; referral of complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... authorities within the Department to ensure that neither the disciplinary process nor criminal prosecutions... Professional Conduct for Practitioners-Rules and Procedures § 1003.104 Filing of complaints; preliminary... Immigration Courts shall be filed with the EOIR disciplinary counsel. Disciplinary complaints must be...

  17. A Consumer Model for TV Audiences: The Case of TV Violence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Deanna C.; And Others

    1979-01-01

    Explores attitudes toward television violence and censorship using a consumer behavior model. Findings suggest that support for the anti-television-violence campaign is not universal and that excessive violence is only one of four distinct viewer complaints about television programs. (JMF)

  18. AGA answers complaints on burner tip prices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that the American Gas Association has rebutted complaints that natural gas prices have dropped at the wellhead but not at the burner tip. AGA Pres. Mike Baly the an association study of the issue found that all classes of customers paid less for gas in 1991 than they did in 1984, when gas prices were at their peak. He the, the study also shows that 100% of the wellhead price decline has been passed through to natural gas consumers in the form of lower retail prices. Baly the the average cost of gas delivered to all customers classes fell by $1.12/Mcf from 1984 to 1991, which exceeds the $1.10/Mcf decline in average wellhead prices during the same period

  19. Complaint Attitudes and Behavior in Academic Libraries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiao-Feng Su

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available After experiencing library service failure, the user may directly or indirectly voice his/her complaint, which is the best prescription to improve library public services. The paper explores the academic librarians and users’ attitudes towards complaints. Through surveying six hundred students from twenty universities and applying descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, the study investigates student users’ complaint preference and behavior afterwards, and perception of complaint handling and outcome. The study reports and compares their attitudes and perspectives towards library complaints. It further examines the differences in attitudes and behavior intention among respondents who had prior experience in filing complaints at libraries, did not complain, and had no prior experience in service failure. An ultimate analysis was made to contrast the user’s perception towards complaint handling of the library and of for-profit organization. [Article content in Chinese

  20. Analysis of postmarket complaints database for the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System®: a minimally invasive treatment for degenerative sacroiliitis and sacroiliac joint disruption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Larry E; Reckling, W Carlton; Block, Jon E

    2013-01-01

    The sacroiliac joint is a common but under-recognized source of low back and gluteal pain. Patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint disruption resistant to nonsurgical treatments may undergo open surgery with sacroiliac joint arthrodesis, although outcomes are mixed and risks are significant. Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint arthrodesis was developed to minimize the risk of iatrogenic injury and to improve patient outcomes compared with open surgery. Between April 2009 and January 2013, 5319 patients were treated with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System® for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruption and degenerative sacroiliitis. A database was prospectively developed to record all complaints reported to the manufacturer in patients treated with the iFuse device. Complaints were collected through spontaneous reporting mechanisms in support of ongoing mandatory postmarket surveillance efforts. Complaints were reported in 204 (3.8%) patients treated with the iFuse system. Pain was the most commonly reported clinical complaint (n = 119, 2.2%), with nerve impingement (n = 48, 0.9%) and recurrent sacroiliac joint pain (n = 43, 0.8%) most frequently cited. All other clinical complaints were rare (≤0.2%). Ninety-six revision surgeries were performed in 94 (1.8%) patients at a median follow-up of four (range 0-30) months. Revisions were typically performed in the early postoperative period for treatment of a symptomatic malpositioned implant (n = 46, 0.9%) or to correct an improperly sized implant in an asymptomatic patient (n = 10, 0.2%). Revisions in the late postoperative period were performed to treat symptom recurrence (n = 34, 0.6%) or for continued pain of undetermined etiology (n = 6, 0.1%). Analysis of a postmarket product complaints database demonstrates an overall low risk of complaints with the iFuse SI Joint Fusion System in patients with degenerative sacroiliitis or sacroiliac joint disruption.

  1. Consumer Preferences for Fresh Tomato at the European Scale: A Common Segmentation on Taste and Firmness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Causse, M.; Friguet, C.; Coiret, C.; Lepicier, M.; Navez, B.; Lee, van der M.K.; Holthuysen, N.T.E.; Sinesio, F.; Moneta, E.; Grandillo, S.

    2010-01-01

    Although tomato flavor has not been a major goal for breeders, nowadays it becomes important as it is a subject of consumer complaint. A better knowledge of tomato consumer preferences, at the European level, should provide the basis for improvement of fruit quality and for market segmentation. In

  2. Consumer Preferences Determine Resilience of Ecological-Economic Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Baumgärtner

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available We perform a model analysis to study the origins of limited resilience in coupled ecological-economic systems. We demonstrate that under open access to ecosystems for profit-maximizing harvesting forms, the resilience properties of the system are essentially determined by consumer preferences for ecosystem services. In particular, we show that complementarity and relative importance of ecosystem services in consumption may significantly decrease the resilience of (almost any given state of the system. We conclude that the role of consumer preferences and management institutions is not just to facilitate adaptation to, or transformation of, some natural dynamics of ecosystems. Rather, consumer preferences and management institutions are themselves important determinants of the fundamental dynamic characteristics of coupled ecological-economic systems, such as limited resilience.

  3. Air Compliance Complaint Database (ACCD)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — THIS DATA ASSET NO LONGER ACTIVE: This is metadata documentation for the Region 7 Air Compliance Complaint Database (ACCD) which logs all air pollution complaints...

  4. The Development of a Consumer Input Program for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH) and Network Libraries. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavenaugh, David

    This document presents a review of the current consumer relations activites of the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress, and an overall plan to improve NLS receipt of user suggestions, comments, opinions, or complaints through libraries which form the nationwide NLS distribution system.…

  5. 46 CFR 502.62 - Complaints and fee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Proceedings; Pleadings; Motions; Replies § 502.62 Complaints and fee. (a) The complaint must be verified and... reparation is sought and the nature of the proceeding so requires, the complaint shall set forth: the ports...

  6. Individual Heating systems vs. District Heating systems: What will consumers pay for convenience?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Taeyeon; Ma, Yongsun; Rhodes, Charles

    2015-01-01

    For Korea's two most popular apartment heating systems – Individual Heating (IH) and District Heating (DH), – user convenience rests heavily on location of the boiler, availability of hot water, administration of the system, and user control of indoor temperature. A double-bounded dichotomous choice method estimates consumer value for convenience, in a hypothetical market. Higher-income more-educated consumers in more expensive apartments prefer DH. Cost-conscious consumers, who use more electrical heating appliances and more actively adjust separate room temperatures, prefer IH. With willingness-to-pay (WTP) defined as the price ratio between IH and DH, 800 survey respondents indicate a WTP of 4.0% for DH over IH. IH users unfamiliar with DH expect little greater convenience (0.1% WTP), whereas the WTP for DH users runs to 7.9%, demonstrating consumer loyalty. Quantified estimates of consumer preference and convenience can inform design of a full-cost-plus pricing system with a price cap. Results here indirectly predict the effect of abolishing regulations that exclusively establish district heating zones. Strategies to foster the many external benefits of DH systems should stress not their lower cost, but convenience, comfort, and safety. Higher installation costs still hamper DH expansion, so policy-makers could set policies to lower cost barriers to entry. - Highlights: • District Heating (DH) and Individual Heating (IH) systems differ in user convenience. • Difference of convenience is evaluated by a double-bounded dichotomous choice method. • Consumers are willing to pay a 4.03–12.52% higher rate to use DH rather than IH. • Consumers with high living standards prefer DH to IH, and show high consumer loyalty. • Strategies to foster DH systems should stress DH convenience over its lower cost.

  7. Organizing Consumers for a Decarbonized Electricity System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pallesen, Trine; Jenle, Rasmus Ploug

    2018-01-01

    This paper studies a Danish smart grid experiment, EcoGrid EU, designed to sustain the increase of wind power in the electricity system. EcoGrid EU is designed as a real-time market, through which engineers seek to realize price responsive electricity consumers through the introduction of smart...... meters, variable short-term price signals and training users. Based on observations and interviews with scientist, consumers and technicians, this paper analyses the attempt to produce a new kind of electricity consumer. Drawing on social studies of markets, we argue that the project entails constructing...... a new form of calculative agency. We illustrate the extensive work put into the creation of a new, reconfigured electricity consumer, as well as the challenges associated with the construction of consumers willing and able to act in accordance with the EcoGrid script. On one hand, this study adds...

  8. 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.

  9. [A medical consumable material management information system].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Guoping; Hu, Liang

    2014-05-01

    Medical consumables material is essential supplies to carry out medical work, which has a wide range of varieties and a large amount of usage. How to manage it feasibly and efficiently that has been a topic of concern to everyone. This article discussed about how to design a medical consumable material management information system that has a set of standardized processes, bring together medical supplies administrator, suppliers and clinical departments. Advanced management mode, enterprise resource planning (ERP) applied to the whole system design process.

  10. Pre-market approval and post-market direct-to-consumer advertising of medical devices in Australia: a case study of breast cancer screening and diagnostic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vreugdenburg, T D; Willis, C D; Mundy, L; Hiller, J E

    2013-01-01

    While research investigating direct-to-consumer advertising of therapeutic goods in Australia has historically focused on prescription medicines, recent action taken by regulators against companies promoting medical devices has placed the industry into the spotlight. Despite the need to effectively regulate direct-to-consumer advertising of medical devices due to its potential harms, inadequacies in the current regulatory system have been noted. Under the present system, devices with a questionable evidence base may enter the Australian marketplace without an evaluation of their effectiveness, and regulators are reliant on industry self-regulation and consumer complaints to draw attention to cases of advertising misconduct. Although some successes in the present system have been observed, we argue that the outlined inadequacies continue to enable the promotion of medical devices to consumers without thorough or sufficient examination of evidence. © 2011 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2011 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  11. Redesigning a collection system for "small" consumer electronics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Melissen, Franciscus

    2006-01-01

    This paper establishes that the collection system within the recycling scheme for consumer electronics in the Netherlands has not been entirely successful in convincing consumers to hand in their used appliances by means of dedicated collection routes. Particularly regarding small appliances,

  12. Psychosocial working conditions and cognitive complaints among Swedish employees.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia U D Stenfors

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cognitive complaints involving problems with concentration, memory, decision-making and thinking are relatively common in the work force. The sensitivity of both subjective and objective cognitive functioning to common psychiatric conditions, stress levels and to cognitive load makes it plausible that psychosocial working conditions play a role in cognitive complaints. Thus, this study aimed to test the associations between psychosocial work factors and cognitive complaints in nationally representative samples of the Swedish work force. Cross-sectional (n = 9751 and prospective (n = 3644; two time points two years apart sequential multiple regression analyses were run, adjusting for general confounders, depressive- and sleeping problems. Additional prospective analyses were run adjusting for baseline cognitive complaints. CROSS/SECTIONAL RESULTS: High quantitative demands, information and communication technology (ICT demands, under qualification and conflicts were positively associated with cognitive complaints, while social support, good resources at work and over qualification were negatively associated with cognitive complaints in all models. Skill discretion and decision authority were weakly associated with cognitive complaints. Conflicts were more strongly associated with cognitive complaints in women than in men, after adjustment for general confounders. PROSPECTIVE RESULTS: Quantitative job demands, ICT demands and under qualification were positively associated with future cognitive complaints in all models, including when adjusted for baseline cognitive complaints. Decision authority was weakly positively associated with future cognitive complaints, only after adjustment for depressive- and sleeping problems respectively. Social support was negatively associated with future cognitive complaints after adjustment for general confounders and baseline cognitive complaints. Skill discretion and resources were negatively

  13. From transformative learning to social change? Using action research to explore and improve informal complaints management in an NHS trust

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anki Odelius

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The number of complaints from patients and/or carers concerning aspects of care has increased over time. Yet, in spite of a growing body of national and international literature on healthcare complaints, there is a lack of knowledge around how nurses and midwives manage informal complaints at ward level, or staff needs in relation to this. Aim: Using an action research approach with mixed methods, four phases and four cycles, the aim was to explore informal complaints management by nurses and midwives at ward level. We discuss the action research process primarily in connection with learning and service change, drawing from the qualitative data in this paper. Findings: The analysis of the collected qualitative data resulted in three main themes, related to the complexities of complaints and complaints management, staff support needs and the existing ambiguous complaints systems, which are hard for staff and service users to negotiate. The action research approach facilitated learning and change in participants in relation to complaints management, in the collaborating trust. Conclusions: The extant body of research on complaints does not sufficiently recognise the complexity of complaints and informal complaints management, or the complaints systems that are in place. Needs-based staff training can help support staff to manage informal complaints more effectively. Implications for practice: • There needs to be recognition of the complexities involved in complaints management • Complaints systems need to be clearer for the benefit of service users and staff • Staff need training and support that is tailored to their needs to improve their response to complaints, leading to a better patient experience • Limited interventions, informed by staff needs, can lead to change and act as a catalyst for a wider change in informal complaints management

  14. [Somatic complaints, emotional awareness and maladjustment in schoolchildren].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordóñez, A; Maganto, C; González, R

    2015-05-01

    Somatic complaints are common in childhood. Research has shown their relationship with emotional awareness and maladjustment. The study had three objectives: 1) to analyze the prevalence of somatic complaints; 2) To explore the relationships between the variables evaluated: somatic complaints, differentiating emotions, verbal sharing of emotions, not hiding emotions, body awareness, attending to others' emotions, analysis of emotions, and personal, social, family, and school maladjustments; and 3) To identify predictors of somatic complaints. The study included a total of 1,134 randomly selected schoolchildren of both sexes between 10-12 years old (M=10.99; SD=0.88). The Somatic Complaint List, Emotional Awareness Questionnaire, and Self-reported Multifactor Test of Childhood Adaptation were used to gather information. The results showed that the prevalence of somatic complaints was 90.2%, with fatigue, headache and stomachache being the most frequently. Dizziness and headache were more common in girls, and the frequency of complaints decreases with age. Somatic complaints are negatively related to emotional awareness, and positively related to maladjustment. The variables that contribute the most to the prediction of somatic complaints are personal maladjustment (25.1%) and differentiating emotions (2.5%). The study shows that personal maladjustment is the best predictor of somatic complaints; the more emotional awareness and better adapted the child, the fewer somatic complaints they lodge. Childhood is a stage with significant physical discomfort. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  15. 47 CFR 76.1402 - CPST rate complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... local franchise authority may file rate complaints with the Commission within 180 days of the effective... that increase the local franchise authority receives more than one subscriber complaint concerning the increase. (b) Before filing a rate complaint with the Commission, the local franchise authority must first...

  16. Shoulder complaints after nerve sparing neck dissections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Wilgen, CP; Dijkstra, PU; van der Laan, BFAM; Plukker, JTM; Roodenburg, JLN

    The purpose of the study was to analyse the prevalence of shoulder complaints after nerve sparing neck dissection at least I year after surgery, and to analyse the influence of radiation therapy on shoulder complaints. Patients were interviewed for shoulder complaints, and patients filled out the

  17. 12 CFR 528.8 - Complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Complaints. 528.8 Section 528.8 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS § 528.8... of Thrift Supervision, Washington, DC 20552 for processing under Office regulations. Complaints...

  18. 25 CFR 141.59 - Customer complaint procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Customer complaint procedures. 141.59 Section 141.59... THE NAVAJO, HOPI AND ZUNI RESERVATIONS Enforcement Powers, Procedures and Remedies § 141.59 Customer complaint procedures. (a) Any customer of a licensee may file a complaint with the Commissioner alleging...

  19. Compact Fuel-Cell System Would Consume Neat Methanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Sekharipuram; Kindler, Andrew; Valdez, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    In a proposed direct methanol fuel-cell electric-power-generating system, the fuel cells would consume neat methanol, in contradistinction to the dilute aqueous methanol solutions consumed in prior direct methanol fuel-cell systems. The design concept of the proposed fuel-cell system takes advantage of (1) electro-osmotic drag and diffusion processes to manage the flows of hydrogen and water between the anode and the cathode and (2) evaporative cooling for regulating temperature. The design concept provides for supplying enough water to the anodes to enable the use of neat methanol while ensuring conservation of water for the whole fuel-cell system.

  20. Strategies and practices in off-label marketing of pharmaceuticals: a retrospective analysis of whistleblower complaints.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron S Kesselheim

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Despite regulatory restrictions, off-label marketing of pharmaceutical products has been common in the US. However, the scope of off-label marketing remains poorly characterized. We developed a typology for the strategies and practices that constitute off-label marketing.We obtained unsealed whistleblower complaints against pharmaceutical companies filed in US federal fraud cases that contained allegations of off-label marketing (January 1996-October 2010 and conducted structured reviews of them. We coded and analyzed the strategic goals of each off-label marketing scheme and the practices used to achieve those goals, as reported by the whistleblowers. We identified 41 complaints arising from 18 unique cases for our analytic sample (leading to US$7.9 billion in recoveries. The off-label marketing schemes described in the complaints had three non-mutually exclusive goals: expansions to unapproved diseases (35/41, 85%, unapproved disease subtypes (22/41, 54%, and unapproved drug doses (14/41, 34%. Manufacturers were alleged to have pursued these goals using four non-mutually exclusive types of marketing practices: prescriber-related (41/41, 100%, business-related (37/41, 90%, payer-related (23/41, 56%, and consumer-related (18/41, 44%. Prescriber-related practices, the centerpiece of company strategies, included self-serving presentations of the literature (31/41, 76%, free samples (8/41, 20%, direct financial incentives to physicians (35/41, 85%, and teaching (22/41, 54% and research activities (8/41, 20%.Off-label marketing practices appear to extend to many areas of the health care system. Unfortunately, the most common alleged off-label marketing practices also appear to be the most difficult to control through external regulatory approaches.

  1. Strategies and practices in off-label marketing of pharmaceuticals: a retrospective analysis of whistleblower complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesselheim, Aaron S; Mello, Michelle M; Studdert, David M

    2011-04-01

    Despite regulatory restrictions, off-label marketing of pharmaceutical products has been common in the US. However, the scope of off-label marketing remains poorly characterized. We developed a typology for the strategies and practices that constitute off-label marketing. We obtained unsealed whistleblower complaints against pharmaceutical companies filed in US federal fraud cases that contained allegations of off-label marketing (January 1996-October 2010) and conducted structured reviews of them. We coded and analyzed the strategic goals of each off-label marketing scheme and the practices used to achieve those goals, as reported by the whistleblowers. We identified 41 complaints arising from 18 unique cases for our analytic sample (leading to US$7.9 billion in recoveries). The off-label marketing schemes described in the complaints had three non-mutually exclusive goals: expansions to unapproved diseases (35/41, 85%), unapproved disease subtypes (22/41, 54%), and unapproved drug doses (14/41, 34%). Manufacturers were alleged to have pursued these goals using four non-mutually exclusive types of marketing practices: prescriber-related (41/41, 100%), business-related (37/41, 90%), payer-related (23/41, 56%), and consumer-related (18/41, 44%). Prescriber-related practices, the centerpiece of company strategies, included self-serving presentations of the literature (31/41, 76%), free samples (8/41, 20%), direct financial incentives to physicians (35/41, 85%), and teaching (22/41, 54%) and research activities (8/41, 20%). Off-label marketing practices appear to extend to many areas of the health care system. Unfortunately, the most common alleged off-label marketing practices also appear to be the most difficult to control through external regulatory approaches.

  2. Perceptions of Justice after Recovery Efforts in Internet Purchasing: the Impact on Consumer Trust and Loyalty toward Retailing Sites and Online Shopping in General

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Pizzutti dos Santos

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The main goal of this paper is to extend the traditional theoretical model of service recovery to the online purchasing environment by investigating the impact of perceptions of justice after recovery efforts toward unsatisfactory Internet purchasing on customer trust and loyalty. The authors develop a theoretical model focusing on interrelationships among complaint handling evaluations, quality of prior experience, familiarity, trust, perceived value and loyalty. To test this model, 3,339 customers from all over Brazil who had been engaged in complaint processes about online purchases within the past 6 months answered an online questionnaire. Findings indicate that interpersonal treatment by the e-retailer improves consumer perceptions of the online recovery process. Consumer trust in the firm's website is strongly influenced by satisfaction with complaint handling, familiarity and the quality of prior experiences with the website, while consumer trust in Internet shopping is mainly affected by familiarity and the quality of prior experiences with Internet purchasing. These two dimensions of trust are distinct and represent discrete facets, as they do not impact each other. Moreover, repurchase intentions and word-of-mouth communication are influenced by consumer trust.

  3. 6 CFR 13.8 - Service of Complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Service of Complaint. 13.8 Section 13.8 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.8 Service of Complaint. (a) Service of a Complaint must be Made by certified or registered mail or by...

  4. 20 CFR 901.36 - Service of complaint and other papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Service of complaint and other papers. 901.36... Termination of Enrollment § 901.36 Service of complaint and other papers. (a) Complaint. The complaint or a... papers other than complaint. Any paper other than the complaint may be served upon the respondent as...

  5. Work load and musculoskeletal complaints during pregnancy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paul, J. A.; van Dijk, F. J.; Frings-Dresen, M. H.

    1994-01-01

    Many pregnant women have musculoskeletal complaints, the onset and aggravation of which are thought to be associated with their activity or work postures. The purpose of this paper was to obtain more insight into the influence of pregnancy on the load of the musculoskeletal system at work to provide

  6. Chinese consumers' attitude towards different pig production systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Barcellos, Marcia Dutra; Grunert, Klaus G.; Yanfeng, Z.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates Chinese consumers' attitude towards different pig production systems by means of a conjoint analysis. While there has been a range of studies on western consumers' attitudes to various forms of food production, little is known about such attitudes in other cultural contexts...... to food safety which furthermore can provide lean meat with consistent quality are also preferred compared to farms that have less focus on food safety. Chinese consumers also rejected imported pig breeds and tasty but variable meat....

  7. Reverse Logistics Systems: Persepsi dan Harapan Konsumen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farida Pulansari

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Complaint is a signal that indicates important information directly by customers. Complaint will give valuable information to company to plan recovery strategies to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty. Hence, Electronic Waste (E-waste becomes a hot issue internationally, domestically and locally. There are many kind of regulations, strategy, methods or approach to minimize of E-waste. The goal of this research is design of House of Reverse Logistics (HRL to understanding the customer needs and wants for Reverse Logistics (RL implementation. This research adopted Quality Function Deployment (QFD method to construct the HRL. Differences among them are determination of the customer needs and wants. HRL insert five perspectives i.e. Input, Structure, Process, Output and Social & Organization. In other hand, QFD only inserts consumer perspective. The results showed the highest factors of consumer dissatisfaction comes from: 20% of third-party services mechanism, 10% from collaboration RL system (collection centers, recycling centers, disposal center ,10% comes the standardization of servicing system and 60% of others

  8. 76 FR 56196 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-12

    ..., and IV); (b) the FTC's consumer complaint systems; (c) the FTC's program evaluation activities and (d... (Nick M) and Ami Dziekan (Ami D), Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade... Commission's Rules of Practice (primarily Parts I, II, and IV); (b) the FTC's consumer complaint systems; (c...

  9. Small Wind Electric Systems: A Virginia Consumer's Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2003-06-01

    The purpose of the Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer's: A Virginia Consumer's Guide is to provide consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system will work for them based on their wind resource, the type and size of their sites, and their economics. The cover of this guide contains a Virginia wind resource map and information about state incentives and contacts for more information.

  10. Consumers' intention to use health recommendation systems to receive personalized nutrition advice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendel, Sonja; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Ronteltap, Amber; van Trijp, Hans C M

    2013-04-04

    Sophisticated recommendation systems are used more and more in the health sector to assist consumers in healthy decision making. In this study we investigate consumers' evaluation of hypothetical health recommendation systems that provide personalized nutrition advice. We examine consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system as a function of options related to the underlying system (e.g. the type of company that generates the advice) as well as intermediaries (e.g. general practitioner) that might assist in using the system. We further explore if the effect of both the system and intermediaries on intention to use a health recommendation system are mediated by consumers' perceived effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. 204 respondents from a consumer panel in the Netherlands participated. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Each respondent evaluated three hypothetical health recommendation systems on validated multi-scale measures of effort, privacy risk, usefulness, enjoyment and intention to use the system. To test the hypothesized relationships we used regression analyses. We find evidence that the options related to the underlying system as well as the intermediaries involved influence consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system and that these effects are mediated by perceptions of effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. Also, we find that consumers value usefulness of a system more and enjoyment less when a general practitioner advices them to use a health recommendation system than if they use it out of their own curiosity. We developed and tested a model of consumers' intention to use a health recommendation system. We found that intermediaries play an important role in how consumers evaluate such a system over and above options of the underlying system that is used to generate the recommendation. Also, health-related information services seem to rely on endorsement by the medical sector

  11. Sleep complaints and fatigue of airline pilots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Cátia; Mestre, Catarina; Canhão, Helena; Gradwell, David; Paiva, Teresa

    2016-01-01

    This work aimed to determine daytime sleepiness and sleep complaints prevalence and the corresponding influence on perceived fatigue and to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic parameters and labour variables on sleep complaints, sleepiness and fatigue. A questionnaire was developed including socio-economic and labour issues and instruments, focused in sleep and fatigue. The response rate was 32% and the final sample had 435 pilots. The prevalence of sleep complaints was 34.9%, daytime sleepiness 59.3% and fatigue 90.6%. The high prevalence of sleep complaints, sleepiness and fatigue was disclosed in pilots, with those who fly short/medium having an added risk of fatigue.

  12. Clinical pattern of gynaecological / early pregnancy complaints and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    complaints of vaginal bleeding with or without pains, history of amenorrhea or infertility ; clinical and ultrasound impressions of early pregnancy complaints including ectopic pregnancies and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID) with exclusion of uro-genital and gastrointestinal complaints/ cases. Pregnancies greater than 12 ...

  13. Complaint in Shahriyar’s poems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yadoolah Nasroolahi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Complaint (as a type of Gravamen is one of the sub-genres of lyrical literature in which the poet or the writer expresses his/her personal feelings that are mostly used to express the emotions, the woes or complaints of the environment, the friends and society and mostly it depicts the frustration, despair and deprivation of the suffered, sensitive poet. This type of poetry, more or less, regular or sporadic, is reflected in the poetry of the past poets of Iran in the form of “HasbiyyehSorayi” as type of Complaint. According to the researchers, Complaintcan be divided into five kinds: philosophical, mystical, personal, social and political.  In Social Complaint, Shahriyar posits himself against the social ills such as corruption, degradation, illiteracy positions, expressing his criticism in the form of woes and poems. A part of Shahriyar’s complaining and criticizing is about the incorrect attitude of the cosmopolitan residents of the capital city of Tehran against the townspeople, disclosing the defects and shortcomings of the environment and the city of Tehran through various methods. In the political Complaints, the poet examines the failures and the frustrations caused by the Constitutional Revolution, the repressive dictatorship and his hated and antipathy from the political actions of that time. Of course, due to the interconnectedness of social and political issues, this of issue of Bath Ashshekva is interwoven with the poet’s poem. The personal Complaint incorporates the poet’s illness and aging that is derived from the poet’s natural passage of his life. The poet’s enormous spiritual and psychological sufferings are caused by his frustration in the abortive love affair that shows itself in the form of the lover’s complains of love, life, fortunate, old and young ages. We can call these types of grievances as unparalleled. They can make Shahriyar frustrated with love and alienation. In his mystical grievances

  14. 20 CFR 405.30 - Discrimination complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Discrimination complaints. 405.30 Section 405... INITIAL DISABILITY CLAIMS Introduction, General Description, and Definitions § 405.30 Discrimination... that an adjudicator has improperly discriminated against you, you may file a discrimination complaint...

  15. [Gestalt therapy of complaints].

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Baranchuk, J Z; Dayan, A; Gomez, A; Grimaldi, S; Morra, A

    1980-03-01

    People can express their suffering voicing it, complaining with their body, with gestures, movements; for alerts eyes it is even more comprehensive and true than words. Complaints that human beings are capable of expressing are not so many, there are only a handful, and this work intends to be exhaustive in its exposition. It is possible to complain against third persons. It is also possible to do so against oneself assuming either the intransigent attitude of a father who judges a son who does not fulfill his expectancies, or as a son who resents the paternal demands which he feels he cannot comply. Other kind of complaints include physical symptoms, either isolated (cephalea, dysnea, urticaria) or constituting syndromes or illnesses. Losses suffered are also a source of complaints, whatever the lost object might be (person, situation, material things or a part of oneself). It can be mourned because of its absence, or else by feeling guilty of the real or imaginary damage inflicted or else by feeling indisolubly linked to it with a phantom tie. Other types of complaints are the feeling of dependancy towards something oppressive, be it a substance, such as alcohol, smoking, drugs or overeating, or it may be a person or a situation. In view of the compulsive addiction characteristics with which the subject lives, it is possible to assimilate this dependancy and the feeling of oppression and damage to the link with a toxic.

  16. Office complaint redressal committee | About IASc | Indian Academy ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Office complaint redressal committee. CIRCULAR. In terms of the guidelines issued by DoPT vide its office memorandum dated 13.02.1998 an appropriate complaint mechanism should be created in every organization for redressal of the complaint in connection with sexual harassment of working women. Accordingly ...

  17. Psychosocial explanations of complaints in Dutch general practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Joosten, A; Mazeland, H; Meyboom-de Jong, B

    BACKGROUND: Dutch GPs are frequently consulted by patients presenting physical complaints which have a psychosocial cause. Until now, this type of complaint has often been the subject of study, but the way in which psychosocial explanations for complaints are broached and discussed has not yet been

  18. Strategies and Practices in Off-Label Marketing of Pharmaceuticals: A Retrospective Analysis of Whistleblower Complaints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesselheim, Aaron S.; Mello, Michelle M.; Studdert, David M.

    2011-01-01

    Background Despite regulatory restrictions, off-label marketing of pharmaceutical products has been common in the US. However, the scope of off-label marketing remains poorly characterized. We developed a typology for the strategies and practices that constitute off-label marketing. Methods and Findings We obtained unsealed whistleblower complaints against pharmaceutical companies filed in US federal fraud cases that contained allegations of off-label marketing (January 1996–October 2010) and conducted structured reviews of them. We coded and analyzed the strategic goals of each off-label marketing scheme and the practices used to achieve those goals, as reported by the whistleblowers. We identified 41 complaints arising from 18 unique cases for our analytic sample (leading to US$7.9 billion in recoveries). The off-label marketing schemes described in the complaints had three non–mutually exclusive goals: expansions to unapproved diseases (35/41, 85%), unapproved disease subtypes (22/41, 54%), and unapproved drug doses (14/41, 34%). Manufacturers were alleged to have pursued these goals using four non–mutually exclusive types of marketing practices: prescriber-related (41/41, 100%), business-related (37/41, 90%), payer-related (23/41, 56%), and consumer-related (18/41, 44%). Prescriber-related practices, the centerpiece of company strategies, included self-serving presentations of the literature (31/41, 76%), free samples (8/41, 20%), direct financial incentives to physicians (35/41, 85%), and teaching (22/41, 54%) and research activities (8/41, 20%). Conclusions Off-label marketing practices appear to extend to many areas of the health care system. Unfortunately, the most common alleged off-label marketing practices also appear to be the most difficult to control through external regulatory approaches. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:21483716

  19. Privacy Impact Assessment for the Application for Tips and Complaints

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Application for Tips and Complaints System collects information on potential violators. Learn how this data is collected in the system, how it will be used, access to the data, the purpose of data collection, and record retention policies for this data

  20. 45 CFR 98.32 - Parental complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Parental complaints. 98.32 Section 98.32 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND Program Operations (Child Care Services)-Parental Rights and Responsibilities § 98.32 Parental complaints...

  1. Developing an alternative alcohol advertising complaint review system: lessons from a world-first public health advocacy initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, Hannah L; Stafford, Julia M; Daube, Mike

    2017-07-26

    Young people in Australia are frequently exposed to alcohol marketing. Leading health organisations recommend legislative controls on alcohol advertising as part of a comprehensive approach to reduce alcohol-related harm. However, Australia relies largely on industry self-regulation. This paper describes the development and implementation of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board (AARB), a world-first public health advocacy initiative that encourages independent regulation of alcohol advertising. The AARB reviews complaints about alcohol advertising, and uses strategies such as media advocacy, community engagement and communicating with policy makers to highlight the need for effective regulation. In 4 years of operation, the AARB has received more complaints than the self-regulatory system across a similar period. There has been encouraging movement towards stronger regulation of alcohol advertising. Key lessons include the importance of a strong code, credible review processes, gathering support from reputable organisations, and consideration of legal risks and sustainability. The AARB provides a unique model that could be replicated elsewhere.

  2. Consumer response to a report card comparing healthcare systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Barbara L; Kind, Elizabeth A; Fowles, Jinnet B; Suarez, Walter G

    2002-06-01

    Report cards to date have focused on quality of care in health plans rather than within healthcare delivery systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate consumer response to the first healthcare system-level report card. Qualitative assessment of consumer response. We conducted 5 focus groups of community members to evaluate consumer response to the report card; 2 included community club members, 3 included community-dwelling retired persons. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed; comments were categorized by topic area from the script, and common themes identified. Focus group participants, in general, were unaware of the current emphasis on medical quality improvement initiatives. However, they believed that the opinion that the descriptive clinic information and patient survey data contained in the report card would be most useful mainly for choosing a healthcare system if they were dissatisfied with current medical care, if their healthcare options changed, or if they were in poor health. Personal experience was considered a more trustworthy measure of healthcare quality than were patient survey results. Trustworthiness was perceived to be higher if the report card sponsor was not affiliated with the healthcare systems being evaluated. Participants also believed care system administrators should use the data to enact positive clinic-level and physician-level changes. Healthcare consumers appreciated the attention to patient experiences and supported healthcare quality improvement initiatives. Report cards were considered important for choosing a healthcare system in certain circumstances and for guiding quality improvement efforts at all levels.

  3. Rancang Bangun STIKI Class Facilities E-Complaint

    OpenAIRE

    Ni Kadek Ariasih; I Made Gede Sri Artha

    2017-01-01

    STMIK STIKOM Indonesia is one of the institutions in the field of computer-based education. In order to support the effectiveness of the implementation of teaching and learning activities that take place, it is need a service that support the availability of adequate class facilities and complaints services if there are constraints on facilities in the classroom. So far, the management of complaints complaints against classroom facilities or in the labarotorium which is handled by the Househo...

  4. [Complaint to the disciplinary board about a resident].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linthorst, Gabor E; Lauw, Fanny N; Hanekamp, Lilian A; Hoekstra, Joost B L

    2014-01-01

    We describe the course of two complaints that were filed by patients to the Dutch Medical Disciplinary Board against two internal medicine residents. In the procedure following the complaints the supervisor and the teacher were actively involved, which resulted in one complaint being dropped. We describe the importance of adequate moral support in such cases, as the complaint may lead to loss of work satisfaction or self-esteem, especially for those in training. We make some recommendations on how the resident and the supervisor/head of the department should engage in complaints filed to the Medical Disciplinary Board. In addition, we suggest that routine 'error-meetings' may help to provide an open atmosphere where disclosure of errors and the various procedures at the hospital or disciplinary boards are promoted.

  5. Small Wind Electric Systems: A Kansas Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The Kansas Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

  6. [Research of regional medical consumables reagent logistics system in the modern hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jingjiong; Zhang, Yanwen; Luo, Xiaochen; Zhang, Qing; Zhu, Jianxin

    2013-09-01

    To explore the modern hospital and regional medical consumable reagents logistics system management. The characteristics of regional logistics, through cooperation between medical institutions within the region, and organize a wide range of special logistics activities, to make reasonable of the regional medical consumable reagents logistics. To set the regional management system, dynamic management systems, supply chain information management system, after-sales service system and assessment system. By the research of existing medical market and medical resources, to establish the regional medical supplies reagents directory and the initial data. The emphasis is centralized dispatch of medical supplies reagents, to introduce qualified logistics company for dispatching, to improve the modern hospital management efficiency, to costs down. Regional medical center and regional community health service centers constitute a regional logistics network, the introduction of medical consumable reagents logistics services, fully embodies integrity level, relevance, purpose, environmental adaptability of characteristics by the medical consumable reagents regional logistics distribution. Modern logistics distribution systems can increase the area of medical consumables reagent management efficiency and reduce costs.

  7. Consumer-sponsored prepaid group practice: restructuring the health care system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warden, G L

    1984-01-01

    The traditional separation of health care delivery and financing systems is breaking down as various new types of health care facilities are established and as payment continues to be a major concern. Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC) was organized as a prepaid group practice system responsive to consumers. Costs, methods of payment and delivery of care are interrelated and are all influenced by consumer ownership. GHC has been refining its benefit programs since 1945. Strategies for controlling use and costs focus on improved provider management and on flexibility. This article explains how the structure of GHC benefits the consumer.

  8. Small Wind Electric Systems An Alaska Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The Alaska Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a state wind resource map and a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

  9. Small Wind Electric Systems: A Vermont Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The Vermont Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a state wind resource map and a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

  10. Clinical pattern of gynecological/early pregnancy complaints and the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... complaints of vaginal bleeding, with or without pain, history of amenorrhea or infertility, clinical and ultrasound impression of early pregnancy complaints, including ectopic pregnancies and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID), with exclusion of urogenital and gastrointestinal complaints/cases. Pregnancies greater than 12 ...

  11. Coping strategies in teachers with vocal complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zambon, Fabiana; Moreti, Felipe; Behlau, Mara

    2014-05-01

    To understand the coping strategies used by teachers with vocal complaints, compare the differences between those who seek and those who do not seek voice therapy, and investigate the relationships among coping and voice perceptual analysis, coping and signs and symptoms of voice, and coping and participation restrictions and limitations in vocal activities. Cross-sectional nonrandomized prospective study with control group. Ninety female teachers participated in the study, of similar ages, divided into three groups: group 1 (G1) comprised 30 teachers with vocal complaints who sought voice therapy, group 2 (G2) comprised 30 teachers with vocal complaints who never sought voice therapy, and group 3 (G3) comprised 30 teachers without vocal complaints. The following analysis were conducted: identification and characterization questionnaire, addressing personal and occupational description, recording speech material for voice perceptual analysis, Voice Signs and Symptoms Questionnaire, Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP), and Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire (VDCQ)-Brazilian Version. In relation to the voice perceptual analysis, there was statistically significant difference between the groups with vocal complaint (G1+G2), which had showed voices with mild-to-moderate deviation, and the group without vocal complaint (G1), which showed voices within the normal variability of voice quality (mean for G1 = 49.9, G2 = 43.7, and G3 = 32.3, P Teachers with vocal complaints who looked for voice therapy use more coping strategies. Moreover, they present a tendency to use more problem-focused coping strategies. Voice symptoms prompt the teachers into seeking treatment; however, they are not correlated with the coping itself. In general, the higher the perception of limitation and restriction of participating in vocal activities, the greater the use of coping strategies. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Profile and prevalence of hearing complaints in the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Aline Bauer

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Hearing is essential for the processing of acoustic information and the understanding of speech signals. Hearing loss may be associated with cognitive decline, depression and reduced functionality. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of hearing complaints in elderly individuals from Rio Grande do Sul and describe the profile of the study participants with and without hearing complaints. Methods: 7315 elderly individuals interviewed in their homes, in 59 cities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, participated in the study. Inclusion criteria were age 60 years or older and answering the question on auditory self-perception. For statistical purposes, the chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to assess the correlations between variables. Results: 139 elderly individuals who did not answer the question on auditory self-perception and 9 who self-reported hearing loss were excluded, totaling 7167 elderly participants. Hearing loss complaint rate was 28% (2011 among the elderly, showing differences between genders, ethnicity, income, and social participation. The mean age of the elderly without hearing complaints was 69.44 (±6.91 and among those with complaint, 72.8 (±7.75 years. Elderly individuals without hearing complaints had 5.10 (±3.78 years of formal education compared to 4.48 (±3.49 years among those who had complaints. Multiple logistic regression observed that protective factors for hearing complaints were: higher level of schooling, contributing to the family income and having received health care in the last six months. Risk factors for hearing complaints were: older age, male gender, experiencing difficulty in leaving home and carrying out social activities. Conclusions: Among the elderly population of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the prevalence of hearing complaints reached 28%. The complaint is more often present in elderly men who did not participate in the generation of family

  13. 22 CFR 18.10 - Service of complaint and other papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Service of complaint and other papers. 18.10... CONFLICT OF INTEREST Administrative Enforcement Proceedings § 18.10 Service of complaint and other papers.... (b) Service of papers other than complaint. Any paper other than the complaint may be served upon a...

  14. Small Wind Electric Systems: A U.S. Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The U.S. Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy

  15. 22 CFR 96.70 - Operation of the Complaint Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... AND APPROVAL OF PERSONS UNDER THE INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION ACT OF 2000 (IAA) Oversight Through Review of... resolution of complaints; (4) Generate reports designed to show possible patterns of complaints; and (5... will be accessible through the Department's website to persons who wish to file complaints. Such forms...

  16. 49 CFR 1111.6 - Satisfaction of complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Satisfaction of complaint. 1111.6 Section 1111.6 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RULES OF PRACTICE COMPLAINT AND INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES § 1111.6 Satisfaction of...

  17. Redefining NHS complaint handling--the real challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seelos, L; Adamson, C

    1994-01-01

    More and more organizations find that a constructive and open dialogue with their customers can be an effective strategy for building long-term customer relations. In this context, it has been recognized that effective complaint-contact handling can make a significant contribution to organizations' attempts to maximize customer satisfaction and loyalty. Within the NHS, an intellectual awareness exists that effective complaint/contact handling can contribute to making services more efficient and cost-effective by developing customer-oriented improvement initiatives. Recent efforts have focused on redefining NHS complaint-handling procedures to make them more user-friendly and effective for both NHS employees and customers. Discusses the challenges associated with opening up the NHS to customer feedback. Highlights potential weaknesses in the current approach and argues that the real challenge is for NHS managers to facilitate a culture change that moves the NHS away from a long-established defensive complaint handling practice.

  18. Characteristics of complaints resulting in disciplinary actions against Danish GPs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    S, Birkeland; RD, Christensen; N, Damsbo

    2013-01-01

    The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action.......The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action....

  19. [Culture sensitive analysis of psychosomatic complaints in migrants in Germany].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bermejo, Isaac; Nicolaus, Leonhard; Kriston, Levente; Hölzel, Lars; Härter, Martin

    2012-05-01

    To ensure an adequate health care of migrants, differentiated information on the association of cultural background and migration related factors and psychosomatic complaints are necessary. Cross-sectional questionnaire based survey regarding psychosomatic complaints of migrants from Turkey (n = 77), Italy (n = 95), and Spain (n = 67) and ethnic German resettled from the states of the former Soviet Union (n = 196). Questionnaires distributed by non-health specific counselling agencies of welfare associations. The cultural background was a relevant factor for psychosomatic complaints, showing higher complaints in Turkish and ethnic German resettled migrants, also compared to a sample of age corresponding Germans. In contrast, Spanish and Italian migrants showed a lower risk for psychosomatic complaints. Also gender, feeling unwell in Germany and fatalism showed a significant association with psychosomatic complaints. Migrants in Germany do not have per se a higher risk for psychosomatic complaints. A distinct differentiation by cultural background is necessary. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  20. 47 CFR 76.1606 - Rate change while complaint pending.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Rate change while complaint pending. 76.1606... MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Notices § 76.1606 Rate change while complaint pending. A regulated cable operator that proposes to change any rate while a cable service tier complaint is pending...

  1. Memory Complaints Associated with Seeking Clinical Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires, Carolina; Silva, Dina; Maroco, João; Ginó, Sandra; Mendes, Tiago; Schmand, Ben A.; Guerreiro, Manuela; de Mendonça, Alexandre

    2012-01-01

    Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment relies on the presence of memory complaints. However, memory complaints are very frequent in healthy people. The objective of this study was to determine the severity and type of memory difficulties presented by elderly patients who seek for clinical help, as compared to the memory difficulties reported by subjects in the community. Assessment of subjective memory complaints was done with the subjective memory complaints scale (SMC). The mini-mental state examination was used for general cognitive evaluation and the geriatric depression scale for the assessment of depressive symptoms. Eight-hundred and seventy-one nondemented subjects older than 50 years were included. Participants in the clinical setting had a higher total SMC score (10.3 ± 4.2) than those in the community (5.1 ± 3.0). Item 3 of the SMC, Do you ever forget names of family members or friends? contributed significantly more to the variance of the total SMC score in the clinical sample (18%) as compared to the community sample (11%). Forgetting names of family members or friends plays an important role in subjective memory complaints in the clinical setting. This symptom is possibly perceived as particularly worrisome and likely drives people to seek for clinical help. PMID:22536537

  2. Innovation in Agri-Food systems. Product quality and consumer acceptance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jongen, W.M.F.; Meulenberg, M.T.G.

    2005-01-01

    This is a fully rewritten and extended version of the successful textbook “Innovation of food production systems”. It focuses on consumer-driven food product innovation using a systems-oriented approach. It integrates marketing and consumer sciences with technological aspects such as processing,

  3. Urgensi Pengaturan Perkara Constitutional Complaint Dalam Kewenangan Mahkamah Konstitusi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahmat Muhajir Nugroho

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the mechanism for settling disputes in the Constitutional Court containing elements of constitutional complaint. In particular, this study focused on two things: first assessing the urgency/ importance of the idea of setting constitutional complaint in the Constitutional Court's authority. Secondly, to formulate recommendations on setting constitutional complaint in the Constitutional Court's authority. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. This type of research is a doctrinal law. This research studied the concept and implementation of the judicial settlement of cases that contain elements of constitutional complaint (complaint constitution by the Constitutional Court. The conclusion of this study is an important constitutional complaint mechanism is contained within the competence of the Constitutional Court to solve problems of injustice experienced by citizens as a result of public policies undertaken by the government in a broad sense, namely the executive, legislature and judiciary. Setting constitutional complaint within the competence of the Constitutional Court does not have to be explicitly stipulated in the constitution, but enough in the explanation of the Constitutional Court Act. That is not to add direct authority of the Court, but expand the meaning of the authority of the Court in testing the law.

  4. Selection related to musculoskeletal complaints among employees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Zwart, B. C.; Broersen, J. P.; van der Beek, A. J.; Frings-Dresen, M. H.; van Dijk, F. J.

    1997-01-01

    To (a) describe differences in the outcome of cross sectional and longitudinal analysis on musculoskeletal complaints relative to age and work demands, and (b) to assess the entrance and drop out selection on musculoskeletal complaints among groups of employees relative to age and work demands. A

  5. Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

    2017-01-09

    This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer's perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements ( p transparency of information disclosure ( p information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information's applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

  6. 5 CFR 1201.122 - Filing complaint; serving documents on parties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Disciplinary Actions § 1201.122 Filing complaint; serving documents on parties. (a) Place of filing. A Special Counsel complaint seeking disciplinary action under 5 U.S.C. 1215(a)(1) (including a complaint alleging a...

  7. The citizen as plaintiff in disciplinary procedures, lack of complaints possibly due to poor knowledge of the disciplinary system for health care

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hout, E.; Friele, R.D.; Legemaate, J.

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into the general public's knowledge of disciplinary procedures, their grounds for lodging a complaint or otherwise and their confidence in the disciplinary system. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: In 2008, questionnaires were sent to all 1368 members of the Healthcare

  8. 5 CFR 1201.123 - Contents of complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Original Jurisdiction Cases Special Counsel Disciplinary Actions § 1201... to file briefs, memoranda, or both in any disciplinary action complaint the Special Counsel brings... actions listed below, he or she must file a written complaint in accordance with § 1201.122 of this part...

  9. Consumers' intention to use health recommendation systems to receive personalized nutrition advice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Wendel (Sonja); B.G.C. Dellaert (Benedict); A. Ronteltap (Amber); H.C.M. van Trijp (Hans)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Sophisticated recommendation systems are used more and more in the health sector to assist consumers in healthy decision making. In this study we investigate consumers' evaluation of hypothetical health recommendation systems that provide personalized nutrition advice. We

  10. Consumer perceptions of the Nutrition Facts table and front-of-pack nutrition rating systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emrich, Teri E; Qi, Ying; Mendoza, Julio E; Lou, Wendy; Cohen, Joanna E; L'abbé, Mary R

    2014-04-01

    Preferences for, and consumer friendliness of, front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition rating systems have not been studied in a Canadian population, and studies comparing systems that are accompanied by mandatory labelling, such as Canada's Nutrition Facts table (NFt), are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 4 FOP systems relative to the NFt with respect to consumer friendliness and their influence on perceptions of the healthiness and nutrient content of food. Canadian consumers (n = 3029) participating in an online survey were randomized to score the consumer friendliness of 1 of 5 FOP conditions with or without an NFt and to score the healthiness and nutrient content of 2 foods using the provided label(s). The mean differences in scores were evaluated with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for age, gender, and education, with Tukey-Kramer adjustments for multiple comparisons. The NFt received the highest scores of consumer friendliness with respect to liking, helpfulness, credibility, and influence on purchase decisions (p consumers still supported the implementation of a single, standardized FOP system, with the nutrient-specific systems (a "Traffic Light" and a Nutrition Facts FOP system) being preferred and scored as more consumer friendly than the summary indicator systems. Without the NFt, consumer ratings of the healthiness and calorie and nutrient content differed by FOP system. With the NFt present, consumers rated the healthiness and calorie and nutrient content similarly, except for those who saw the Traffic Light; their ratings were influenced by the Traffic Light's colours. The introduction of a single, standard, nutrient-specific FOP system to supplement the mandatory NFt should be considered by Canadian policy makers.

  11. Consumer Adoption of Personal Health Record Systems: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assadi, Vahid; Hassanein, Khaled

    2017-07-27

    Personal Health Records (PHR) systems provide individuals with access and control over their health information and consequently can support individuals in becoming active participants, rather than passive recipients, in their own care process. In spite of numerous benefits suggested for consumers' utilizing PHR systems, research has shown that such systems are not yet widely adopted or well known to consumers. Bearing in mind the potential benefits of PHRs to consumers and their potential interest in these systems-and that similar to any other type of information system, adoption is a prerequisite for realizing the potential benefits of PHR systems-research is needed to understand how to enhance the adoption rates for PHR systems. This research seeks to understand how individuals' intentions to adopt PHR systems are affected by their self-determination in managing their own health-the extent of their ability to take an active role in managing their own health. As such, this research aims to develop and empirically validate a theoretical model that explains PHR systems adoption by the general public through the integration of theories from the information systems and psychology literatures. This research employs a cross-sectional survey method targeted at the Canadian general public without any prior experience in using PHR systems. A partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling was used to validate the proposed research model of this study (N=159). Individuals with higher levels of ability to manage their own health (self-determination) are more likely to adopt PHR systems since they have more positive perceptions regarding the use of such systems. Further, such self-determination is fueled by autonomy support from consumers' physicians as well as the consumers' personality trait of autonomy orientation. This study advances our theoretical understanding of PHR systems adoption. It also contributes to practice by providing insightful implications

  12. Inspector General Complaints

    Science.gov (United States)

    to file an online IG complaint. Active Duty Resources dfas logo Defense Finance Accounting Service Inspector General Air Force Reserve Resources dfas logo Defense Finance Accounting Service ARPC Air Reserve National Guard Resources dfas logo Defense Finance Accounting Service VPC-GR myPers AFPC Air Force Review

  13. 12 CFR 268.302 - Mixed case complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mixed case complaints. 268.302 Section 268.302... RULES REGARDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Related Processes § 268.302 Mixed case complaints. A mixed case... discrimination or it may contain additional allegations that the MSPB has jurisdiction to address. A mixed case...

  14. COST EVALUATION OF AUTOMATED AND MANUAL POST- CONSUMER PLASTIC BOTTLE SORTING SYSTEMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This project evaluates, on the basis of performance and cost, two Automated BottleSort® sorting systems for post-consumer commingled plastic containers developed by Magnetic Separation Systems. This study compares the costs to sort mixed bales of post-consumer plastic at these t...

  15. A model for (re)building consumer trust in the food system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Annabelle M; Withall, Elizabeth; Coveney, John; Meyer, Samantha B; Henderson, Julie; McCullum, Dean; Webb, Trevor; Ward, Paul R

    2017-12-01

    The article presents a best practice model that can be utilized by food system actors to assist with (re)building trust in the food system, before, during and after a food incident defined as 'any situation within the food supply chain where there is a risk or potential risk of illness or confirmed illness or injury associated with the consumption of a food or foods' (Commonwealth of Australia. National Food Incident Response Protocol. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012). Interviews were undertaken with 105 actors working within the media, food industry and food regulatory settings across Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). Interview data produced strategy statements, which indicated participant views on how to (re)build consumer trust in the food system. These included: (i) be transparent, (ii) have protocols and procedures in place, (iii) be credible, (iv) be proactive, (v) put consumers first, (vi) collaborate with stakeholders, (vii) be consistent, (viii) educate stakeholders and consumers, (ix) build your reputation and (x) keep your promises. A survey was designed to enable participants to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the ideas, rate their importance and provide further comment. The five strategies considered key to (re)building consumer trust were used to develop a model demonstrating best practice strategies for (re)building consumer trust in the food system before, during and after a food incident. In a world where the food system is increasingly complex, strategies for (re)building and fostering consumer trust are important. This study offers a model to do so which is derived from the views and experiences of actors working across the food industry, food regulation and the media. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. 31 CFR 8.55 - Contents of complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Contents of complaint. 8.55 Section 8.55 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury PRACTICE BEFORE THE BUREAU OF... he or she is able to prepare a defense. (b) Demand for answer. The complaint will give notification...

  17. Small Wind Electric Systems: A New Mexico Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The New Mexico Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a state wind resource map and a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

  18. Small Wind Electric Systems: A South Dakota Consumer's Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, K.

    2001-01-01

    The South Dakota Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a state wind resource map and a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

  19. Urban community perception towards intermittent water supply system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, M W; Talkhande, A V; Andey, S P; Kelkar, P S

    2002-04-01

    While evaluating intermittent and continuous water supply systems, consumers opinion survey was undertaken for critical appraisal of both modes of operation. With the help of a pre-designed set of questions relating to various aspects of water supply and the opinion of consumers regarding degree of service, a house to house survey was conducted in the study area of Ghaziabad and Jaipur. The consumer opinion survey clearly indicated a satisfactory degree of service wherever adequate quantity of water was made available irrespective of the mode of water supply. Number of complaints regarding quality of water supplied, timings of supply, low pressures and breakdowns in supply were reported during intermittent water supply. Every family stored water for drinking and other uses. Most of the families discard drinking water once the fresh water supply is resumed next day. Discarded drinking water is usually used in kitchen for washing and gardening. Storage for other purposes depends on economic status and availability of other sources like open dug well in the house. While most of the respondents had no complaints on water tariff, all of them were in favour of continuous water supply.

  20. Consumer expectations of the quality of pork produced in sustainable outdoor systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scholderer, Joachim; Bredahl, Lone; Magnussen, Maria

    , most Swedish consumers bought fresh pork at the traditional butcher's. Although large segments of consumers (30-50%) stated higher purchase intentions for pork from outdoor systems than for conventional pork, results should be interpreted with caution. Since intention-behaviour consistency was found...... to be extremely low for pork in general, stated purchase intentions should also be discounted in the case of pork from outdoor production systems. The most striking result in the present research was observed in relation to consumers' quality expectations. Respondents had been asked to state their quality...... to those of conventional pork. Finally, consumers prefer as much information as possible on the label of pork products. Since influences at the point of sale, including the information on product labels, appear to be the major determinants of consumers' pork purchases, the development of clear and credible...

  1. 7 CFR 1924.259 - Handling dwelling construction complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Handling dwelling construction complaints. 1924.259 Section 1924.259 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING... Construction Defects § 1924.259 Handling dwelling construction complaints. This section describes the procedure...

  2. Can we predict cognitive deficits based on cognitive complaints?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Małgorzata Szepietowska

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether the intensity of cognitive complaints can, in conjunction with other selected variables, predict the general level of cognitive functions evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA test. Current reports do not show clear conclusions on this subject. Some data indicate that cognitive complaints have a predictive value for low scores in standardised tasks, suggesting cognitive dysfunction (e.g. mild cognitive impairment. Other data, however, do not support the predictive role of complaints, and show no relationship to exist between the complaints and the results of cognitive tests. Material and methods: The study included 118 adults (58 women and 60 men. We used the MoCA test, a self-report questionnaire assessing the intensity of cognitive complaints (Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cognitive Impairment – PROCOG and Dysexecutive Questionnaire/Self – DEX-S, and selected subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R PL. On the basis of the results from the MoCA test, two separate groups were created, one comprising respondents with lower results, and one – those who obtained scores indicating a normal level of cognitive function. We compared these groups according to the severity of the complaints and the results obtained with the other methods. Logistic regression analysis was performed taking into account the independent variables (gender, age, result in PROCOG, DEX-S, and neurological condition and the dependent variable (dichotomized result in MoCA. Results: Groups with different levels of performance in MoCA differed in regards of some cognitive abilities and the severity of complaints related to semantic memory, anxiety associated with a sense of deficit and loss of skills, but provided similar self-assessments regarding the efficiency of episodic memory, long-term memory, social skills and executive functions. The severity of complaints does not allow

  3. Complaint-severity and cervical spine problems successfully classified patients with shoulder complaints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenier, KH; de Winter, AF; Winters, JC; de Vet, HCW; Meyboom-de Jong, B

    Objective: To construct a classification of patients with shoulder complaints based on their physical examination. To investigate (1) the interobserver reliability, (2) to what extent the setting in which the patients were recruited, and demographic and clinical characteristics are related to the

  4. Visual Complaints and Eye Problems in Orchestral Musicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckers, Henny Jm; van Kooten-Noordzij, Marina Aw; de Crom, Ronald Mpc; Schouten, Jan Sag; Webers, Carroll Ab

    2016-09-01

    To study visual complaints and eye diseases among professional and amateur orchestral musicians in the Netherlands. In this observational study, members from professional and amateur symphony or wind orchestras were asked to complete a questionnaire collecting demographic data, musical, medical, and family history, and data on present visual complaints and/or eye diseases. Questions about playing in the orchestra were also asked. Data from 70 professionals and 48 amateurs showed that most musicians needed glasses or contact lenses for playing in the orchestra (61% of the professionals, 63% of the amateurs). A majority (66% of professionals, 71% of amateurs) had visited an ophthalmologist at least once during their lifetime, and 10% of the professionals and 23% of the amateurs were currently under treatment of an ophthalmologist. Visual complaints while playing in the orchestra were quite common and included poor lighting conditions, problems with reading small notes, blurred vision, tired eyes, and itching or burning eyes. Professional musicians especially reported adverse effects of eye complaints encountered in the orchestra for daily life; 35% got tired earlier and 33% felt that they could not adequately perform their tasks in the orchestra. The results show that visual complaints and eye problems probably are quite common among orchestral musicians and therefore warrant further interest and research.

  5. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing

    OpenAIRE

    Gong, Shuangping; Dai, Yonghui; Ji, Jun; Wang, Jinzhao; Sun, Hai

    2015-01-01

    Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer's loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer's satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an anal...

  6. Managing complaints in health and social care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes-Bonney, Kathy

    2010-04-01

    An important aspect of allowing patients to take control of their health care is the introduction of new procedures for dealing with complaints. This article examines the concepts that underpin the new Department of Health regulations on complaints management and what they will mean for health and social care professionals. It also explains why these regulations focus on restorative justice rather than blame when adverse events occur.

  7. The Impact of Channel Context and Task on Consumers' Evaluations of Personalized Health Recommendation Systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wendel, S.; Ronteltap, A.; Dellaert, B.G.C.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

    2008-01-01

    We investigate consumer perspectives on complex, multistage systems designed to provide personalized health recommendations. We conceptualize the underlying benefit trade-offs that consumers make in evaluating such systems as the manifestation of a psychological contract in which consumers

  8. Anaesthesiologists, fees and complaints to the Health Professions ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Does the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) receive more complaints about anaesthesiologists than any other speciality, and if they do, are these complaints mainly restricted to billing issues, i.e. relating to the financial consent process or costs? Although disputed, and subsequently corrected, the South ...

  9. 5 CFR 1201.124 - Rights; answer to complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Original Jurisdiction Cases Special Counsel Disciplinary Actions... Special Counsel files a complaint proposing a disciplinary action against an employee under 5 U.S.C. 1215... Counsel disciplinary action complaint may file an answer with the Clerk of the Board within 35 days of the...

  10. 19 CFR 210.53 - Motion filed after complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Motion filed after complaint. 210.53 Section 210.53 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION INVESTIGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICES IN IMPORT TRADE ADJUDICATION AND ENFORCEMENT Temporary Relief § 210.53 Motion filed after complaint. (a) A...

  11. Communication Skills in Patient-Doctor Interactions: Learning from Patient Complaints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janine W.Y. Kee

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Despite communication skills training in medical school, junior doctors continue to demonstrate poor patient-doctor communication skills, where patient unhappiness from the encounter often manifests as patient complaints. We sought to identify crucial communication skills that should be incorporated in the communications curriculum by learning from patient complaints, to explore how the communication lapses occur. Method: 38 cases of anonymized negative patient feedback about junior doctors were analysed using qualitative content analysis. A two-step fine-coding system involving four researchers was employed. Results: Four main themes of communication errors were identified, namely: non-verbal (eye contact, facial expression and paralanguage, verbal (active listening and inappropriate choice of words, and content (poor quantity and quality of information provided; and poor attitudes (lack of respect and empathy. Discussion: Patient-doctor communication is a complex interpersonal interaction that requires an understanding of each party׳s emotional state. We identified important but overlooked communication lapses such as non-verbal paralinguistic elements that should be incorporated into communications curriculum, with an emphasis on dialectical learning. These include integrating these findings into a simulation-based communications module for training doctors at a post-graduate level as well as monitoring and analyzing patient complaints regularly to iteratively update the content of the training module. Beyond these skills training, there is also a need to highlight negative emotions of doctors in future research, as it influences their communication patterns and attitudes towards patients, ultimately shaping how patients perceive them. Keywords: Communication skills training, Patient complaints, Patient negative feedback, Patient-Doctor communication, Residency training

  12. ANTECEDENCE DAN CONSEQUENCES DARI SATISFACTION WITH RECOVERY TERHADAP FUTURE COMPLAINT INTENTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franciskus Maya Praba

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available The background of this research is managers need to analyze that customer service failure can arise customer complaint. It must be managed by service recovery to get customer satisfaction. Future complaint intentions has relationship with customer satisfaction. Every company need to investigate which is the compatible perceived justice to applied. The objective of this research is to investigate service recovery effects toward customer satisfaction, especially perceived justice ( interactional, procedural, distributive and how justice effects customer satisfaction and future complaint intentions. The design of this research applies to customer Bank BCA in Semarang which is has variants occupation and the questionnaires were spreaded away to 100 respondents by using purposive sampling. The result of this research are interactional justice and procedural justice has more influence on future complaint intentions. Despite, distributive justice and satisfaction with recovery decrease future complaint intentions. Keywords: Antacedence, satisfaction with recovery, future complaint intentions

  13. Achieving patient satisfaction: resolving patient complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oxler, K F

    1997-07-01

    Patients demand to be active participants on and partners with the health care team to design their care regimen. Patients bring unique perceptions and expectations and use these to evaluate service quality and satisfaction. If customer satisfaction is not achieved and a patient complaint results, staff must have the skills to respond and launch a service recovery program. Service recovery, when done with style and panache, can retain loyal customers. Achieving patient satisfaction and resolving patient complaints require commitment from top leadership and commitment from providers to dedicate the time to understand their patients' needs.

  14. Hyperventilation complaints in music performance anxiety among classical music students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Studer, Regina; Danuser, Brigitta; Hildebrandt, Horst; Arial, Marc; Gomez, Patrick

    2011-06-01

    Despite the importance of respiration and hyperventilation in anxiety disorders, research on breathing disturbances associated with hyperventilation is rare in the field of music performance anxiety (MPA, also known as stage fright). The only comparable study in this area reported a positive correlation between negative feelings of MPA and hyperventilation complaints during performance. The goals of this study were (a) to extend these previous findings to the period before performance, (b) to test whether a positive correlation also exists between hyperventilation complaints and the experience of stage fright as a problem, (c) to investigate instrument-specific symptom reporting, and (d) to confirm gender differences in negative feelings of MPA and hyperventilation complaints reported in other studies. We assessed 169 university students of classical music with a questionnaire comprising: the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for negative feelings of MPA, the Nijmegen Questionnaire for hyperventilation complaints, and a single item for the experience of stage fright as a problem. We found a significant positive correlation between hyperventilation complaints and negative feelings of MPA before performance and a significant positive correlation between hyperventilation complaints and the experience of stage fright as a problem. Wind musicians/singers reported a significantly higher frequency of respiratory symptoms than other musicians. Furthermore, women scored significantly higher on hyperventilation complaints and negative feelings of MPA. These results further the findings of previous reports by suggesting that breathing disturbances associated with hyperventilation may play a role in MPA prior to going on stage. Experimental studies are needed to confirm whether hyperventilation complaints associated with negative feelings of MPA manifest themselves at the physiological level. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Low-frequency-noise complaints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Christian Sejer; Møller, Henrik; Persson-Waye, Kerstin

    2008-01-01

    From 203 cases of low-frequency complaints a random selection of twenty-one cases were investigated. The main aim of the investigation was to answer the question whether the annoyance is caused by an external physical sound or by a physically non-existing sound, i.e. low-frequency tinnitus. Noise...... of the complainants are annoyed by a physical sound (20-180 Hz), while others suffer from low-frequency tinnitus (perceived frequency 40-100 Hz). Physical sound at frequencies below 20 Hz (infrasound) is not responsible for the annoyance - or at all audible - in any of the investigated cases, and none...... of the complainants has extraordinary hearing sensitivity at low frequencies. For comparable cases of low-frequency noise complaints in general, it is anticipated that physical sound is responsible in a substantial part of the cases, while low-frequency tinnitus is responsible in another substantial part of the cases....

  16. Interpersonal complaints regarding cancer care through a gender lens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsson, Erik Masao

    2016-07-11

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate healthcare customer complaints concerning interpersonal matters in cancer care. Design/methodology/approach - Complaints from cancer patients and their relatives (n=116) that dealt with interpersonal matters registered between 2009 and 2011 at four local Patients' Advisory Committees in Western Sweden were sampled and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings - Complaints concerned lack of information and consideration from healthcare providers. Lack of empathy and civility also caused dissatisfaction, the latter particularly for women. Relatives complained that they did not feel included in the care process or were not offered proper support. Most complaints by relatives were filed by a female relative and concerned a male patient. Research limitations/implications - Information about patient demographics other than gender could not be investigated due to database limitations. Hence, factors such as age, country of birth, and geographical residence were not included for analysis. In addition, neither the type nor stage of cancer among the sampled patients was able to be addressed. Practical implications - Patient complaints should not only be viewed as a post-consumption judgment, but also as a service interaction activity. This may require healthcare providers to enhance their interpersonal skills, allowing patients and relatives to provide feedback during service interaction to satisfactorily address dissatisfaction. Visualizing gender disparities may help healthcare providers prevent stereotypical encounters. In addition, the provider should be invited to participate in the customer's value creating network, which may also include knowledge and skills from other sources, such as relatives. Originality/value - Value co-creation offers a different view on patient complaints. Incorporating social construction into value co-creation may reveal socially constructed disparities. The paper provides

  17. Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

    2017-01-01

    Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001). Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively. PMID:28075362

  18. Public education in safe use of artificial UV radiation sources by the consumer safety institute in the Netherlands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruggers, J.H.A.

    1987-01-01

    The Consumer Safety Institute in the Netherlands is a national institute which operates entirely in the field of home safety. Its main aim exists in reducing the possibility and severity of accidents happening in and around the home, at school and recreational areas. To attain this aim the institute is active in research, handling consumer complaints, education, and advising. To inform and educate consumers about product safety, special leaflets and brochures are published. One of these brochures deals with safety and safe use of artificial UV radiation sources, e.g. UV lamps, UV couches etc. This brochure about suntanning equipment and safety was published recently

  19. Some complaints of seniors to the state of physical health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khokhlova L.A.

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Results are considered screening test student relatively complaints about a feel. In an experiment took part a 165 student 9 and 11 classes. It is marked that at a student 9 classes of complaints about a feel anymore. The most widespread diseases among schoolboys are respirator diseases (quinsy, cold, cough. Also complaints take place about frequent fatigueability and head pains after completion of educational process.

  20. 78 FR 64064 - Agency Information Collection (Principles of Excellence Complaint System Intake) Activity Under...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-25

    ... Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below... architecture with each agency only having access to their data. The complainants will access the complaint... by the complainant. Authorized law enforcement officials who have been granted access to the FTC...

  1. Going Beyond the Norm: The Case for Incorporating Evaluative Mediation into Department of Defense Employment Discrimination Complaints

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    System: Investigation of Equal Employment Opportunity Complaints (2015). 10 Protected information can include social security numbers, date of birth...complaint based on illegal discrimination with the Equal Opportunity Office. Evaluative mediation involves having a mediator with expertise in labor and...employment law evaluate the complaint’s strengths and weaknesses and help the parties reach resolution based on this evaluation. The Equal Employment

  2. Classifying patients' complaints for regulatory purposes : A Pilot Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouwman, R.J.R.; Bomhoff, Manja; Robben, Paul; Friele, R.D.

    2018-01-01

    Objectives: It is assumed that classifying and aggregated reporting of patients' complaints by regulators helps to identify problem areas, to respond better to patients and increase public accountability. This pilot study addresses what a classification of complaints in a regulatory setting

  3. Correlation between temperature satisfaction and unsolicited complaint rates in commercial buildings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, D; Federspiel, C C; Arens, E

    2005-02-01

    This paper analyzes the relation between temperature satisfaction ratings expressed on a questionnaire and unsolicited complaint rates recorded in a maintenance database. The key findings are as follows: (i) the satisfaction ratings and complaint rates are negatively correlated with a moderate magnitude (r(s) = -0.31 to -0.36), and the correlation is statistically significant (P = 0.01-0.005), and (ii) the percent dissatisfied with temperature and the complaint rate are positively correlated with moderate magnitude (r(s) = 0.31-0.36), and the correlation is statistically significant (P = 0.01-0.004). Both data sets contain 'real-world' measures of temperature satisfaction, with the complaints contributing directly to the cost of operations and maintenance. The relationship between two validates a new method of assessing the economic cost of thermal discomfort in commercial buildings. Complaints in commercial buildings indicate occupants' dissatisfaction to their environments. It not only deteriorates occupants' performance and organization productivity, but also increases building maintenance and operating cost. Nailing economic consequences of complaints will enable monetary comparison of discomfort cost with building and operating costs. This comparison may be desirable for building owners and tenants to make well-informed decisions on construction, rental, and retrofit. It may also be used to evaluate complaint diagnostic and eliminating techniques.

  4. Relationship between hearing complaint and hearing loss among older people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teixeira, Adriane Ribeiro

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Presbycusis is a public health problem. Despite its high prevalence, many elders do not have their hearing ability investigated periodically, because they do not have a specific complaint. Objective: To check whether there is a relationship between the complaint and the presence of hearing loss in elder people. Method: Transversal study in elders from a neighborhood in the city of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul. After the definition of the neighborhood's geographic boundaries, all houses were visited, the older people's addresses were ascertained and the invitations to take part in the research were provided. A questionnaire survey was applied which had a question about hearing loss complaint and air-conducted hearing thresholds were obtained and studied. Out of the 72 identified elders 50 elders agreed to participate, 35 (70% women, and 15 (30% men. Results: It was confirmed that only 12 (24% elders showed a specific complaint of hearing loss, although 33 (66% elders showed slight, moderate, severe and profound hearing losses. Conclusion: Data analysis confirmed there was no relationship between the complaint and the presence of hearing loss in the assessed group, and demonstrated the need to forward the elders for audiological evaluation even without any specific complaint.

  5. The Complaint Letter and Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, P. K.

    1998-01-01

    Describes an assignment in which students write a letter of complaint, and discusses how this assignment aids students in seeing the importance of effective written communication to their daily lives. (SR)

  6. Recovery of Work-Related Stress: Complaint Reduction and Work-Resumption are Relatively Independent Processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vente, Wieke; Kamphuis, Jan Henk; Blonk, Roland W B; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

    2015-09-01

    The process of recovery from work-related stress, consisting of complaint reduction and work-resumption, is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of complaint reduction and work-resumption, as well as testing complaint reduction as a mediator in the association between predictors and work-resumption. Seventy-one patients on sickness-leave because of work-related stress complaints were followed over a period of 13 months. Predictors comprised personal (demographics, coping, cognitions), work-related (job-characteristics, social support), and illness-related (complaint duration, absence duration) variables. Dependent variables were distress complaints, burnout complaints, and work-resumption. Complaints reduced considerably over time to borderline clinical levels and work-resumption increased to 68% at 13 months. Predictors of stronger reduction of distress complaints were male gender, less working hours, less decision authority, more co-worker support, and shorter absence duration. Predictors of stronger reduction of burnout complaints were male gender, lower age, high education, less avoidant coping, less decision authority, more job security, and more co-worker support. Predictors of work-resumption were lower age and stronger reduction of burnout complaints. No indication for a mediating role of burnout complaints between the predictor age and work-resumption was found. Complaint reduction and work-resumption are relatively independent processes. Symptom reduction is influenced by individual and work-related characteristics, which holds promise for a multidisciplinary treatment approach for work-related stress.

  7. Customer complaints and recovery effectiveness : A customer base approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Knox, G.; van Oest, R.D.

    2014-01-01

    Although customer complaints are a well-studied aspect of business, no study has measured the impact of actual complaints and recoveries on subsequent customer purchasing. The authors develop a customer base model to investigate the effectiveness of recovery in preventing customer churn. They

  8. Characteristics of complaints resulting in disciplinary actions against Danish GPs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birkeland, Søren; Depont Christensen, Rene; Damsbo, Niels; Kragstrup, Jakob

    2013-09-01

    The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action. The Danish Patients' Complaints Board's decisions concerning general practice in 2007 were examined. Information on the motives for complaining, as well as patient and general practitioner characteristics, was extracted and the association with case outcome (disciplinary or no disciplinary action) was analysed. Variables included complaint motives, patient gender and age, urgency of illness, cancer diagnosis, healthcare settings (daytime or out-of-hours services), and general practitioner gender and professional seniority. Cases where the complaint motives involved a wish for placement of responsibility (OR = 2.35, p = 0.01) or a wish for a review of the general practitioner's competence (OR = 1.95, p = 0.02) were associated with increased odds of the general practitioner being disciplined. The odds of discipline decreased when the complaint was motivated by a feeling of being devalued (OR = 0.39, p = 0.02) or a request for an explanation (OR = 0.46, p = 0.01). With regard to patient and general practitioner characteristics, higher general practitioner professional seniority was associated with increased odds of discipline (OR = 1.97 per 20 additional years of professional seniority, p = 0.01). None of the other characteristics was statistically significantly associated with discipline in the multiple logistic regression model. Complaint motives and professional seniority were associated with decision outcomes. Further research is needed on the impact of professional seniority on performance.

  9. Technical structure of Complaint Poetry Until 3 A.H

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Technical structure of Complaint Poetry Until 3 A.H       * Gholam Abbas Rezai   * * Sherafat Karimi     Abstract   Complaint refers to the poetic works in which the poet talks about the Vehemence of his/her painful feeling. It is the description of pains, personal and social problems and in a way is confiding whatever has annoyed his/her soul and body. Complaint can be categorized into social and personal ones. The personal complaints composed at the time of Islam were generally complaining about the Time, death, aging and separation from the beloved. This was due to the poets' shallow viewpoint on life and their nihilistic inclinations. These subjects were still present in first three centuries and were added by new subjects such as complaining about sensual desires.   The general characteristic, style, structure and elements of meaning were simplicity in word and meaning , sincere and ample feeling, using many words with denotative meanings, utilizing maxims, proverbs and wise sayings, rhetorical statements, rich cadence (musical tones, as well as uniformity and simple imagination. Complaint is an independent poetic technique which as a result of the close relation to other sorts of poetic subjects is threaded through various sorts of elegy and sometimes is composed as an independent elegy.     Key words : Complaint Poetry Structure Style Poetic Subject       * Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, university of Tehran . E-mail: GHREZAEE@UT.AC.IR .   ** PhD .candidate university of Tehran .E-mail: KARIMI.SHARAFAT@yahoo.com

  10. Shoulder complaints in patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the upper extremity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veldman, P H; Goris, R J

    1995-03-01

    Five hundred forty-one patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) of the upper extremity were prospectively studied. One hundred fifteen patients complained of pain and/or limited range of motion in the shoulder. Shoulder complaints more often occurred in women (p = .01); age and etiology were not different from patients with RSD without shoulder complaints. Physical examination showed a tendinitis of one or both tendons of the biceps muscle in 109 patients. Seventy one patients were treated with local injection of bupivacaine followed by methylprednisolone. This resulted in permanent relief of complaints in 34 patients, temporary or moderate relief in 31, no difference in 3, increase of complaints in 1 patient, and in 2 patients results were not documented. We conclude that shoulder complaints in RSD occur in a minority of patients and more often in female patients. There are no predisposing factors. The pathophysiologic mechanism for developing shoulder complaints remains unknown. In most cases complaints can be attributed to a bicipital tendinitis for which local injection of bupivacaine followed by prednisolone are both diagnostic and therapeutic.

  11. 12 CFR 268.103 - Complaints of discrimination covered by this part.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... disability), or the Equal Pay Act (sex-based wage discrimination) shall be processed in accordance with this... for employment. (c) This part does not apply to Equal Pay Act complaints of employees whose services... OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM RULES REGARDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Board Program To Promote Equal...

  12. Complaints and compliments assessment in developing service delivery measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norshahrizan Nordin

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Excellent healthcare services delivered to patients would not necessarily entail an excellent patient service fulfillment, fulfill patient expectations, and attain high satisfaction levels. Hence, patient satisfaction is multifactorial and difficult to measure. Appliance of satisfaction model, service dissatisfaction and satisfaction feedback are able to translate the nonlinear attributes for a more accurate service dissatisfaction and satisfaction feedback assessment. Service recipients of experienced Inpatient and Outpatient (IOPs can be translated into levels of compliments and complaints to describe degrees of patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction, respectively. Compliments and complaints voiced by patients should be taken seriously. As a result, the translation of service satisfaction and service dissatisfaction based on compliments and complaints from patients in the form of satisfaction index SCi and dissatisfaction index SCa introduced a new theoretical concept of concurrent and balance measurement in evaluating customer (VOC or VOPs feedback. In normal practice, the service improvement is usually based on complaints or dissatisfaction aspect, but the compliments or satisfaction aspect on the same service delivery was always neglected. In this study, the formulation which was based on a non-linear assessment, not only amplified the effectiveness in communicating patients’ compliments and complaints in a more receptive manner but also corresponded with Kano model.

  13. From Lydia Pinkham to Queen Levitra: direct-to-consumer advertising and medicalisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Peter; Leiter, Valerie

    2008-09-01

    The medicalisation of life problems has been occurring for well over a century and has increased over the past 30 years, with the engines of medicalisation shifting to biotechnology, managed care, and consumers. This paper examines one strand of medicalisation during the last century: direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of pharmaceuticals. In particular, it examines the roles that physicians and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have played in regulating DTCA in the US. Two advertising exemplars, the late 19(th) century Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound (for 'women's complaints') and contemporary Levitra (for erectile dysfunction) are used to examine the parallels between the patent medicine era and the DTCA era. DTCA re-establishes the direct and independent relationship between drug companies and consumers that existed in the late 19(th) century, encouraging self-diagnosis and requests for specific drugs. The extravagant claims of Lydia Pinkham's day are constrained by laws, but modern-day advertising is more subtle and sophisticated. DTCA has facilitated the impact of the pharmaceutical industry and consumers in becoming more important forces in medicalisation.

  14. Citizen Complaints about Environmental Pollution: A Survey Study in Suzhou, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianbing Liu

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses environmental complaints made by citizens living close to industrial polluters in China. Data collected from a questionnaire survey in Suzhou City is used for the analysis. The results confirm a marginal level of citizen environmental complaints in the study area at present. Meaningful findings include the fact that citizens have a tendency to complain collectively, and that perception of the level of environmental information provided by companies significantly determines a citizen’s likelihood of lodging environmental complaints. Therefore, the disclosure of corporate environmental information must be emphasized continuously; citizens must be encouraged to correctly understand the environmental performance of companies so that they might make appropriate complaints. Governments need to show their support for citizen-led environmental complaint initiatives. The successful cases would convince them to keep a closer eye on their neighbouring polluters.

  15. Admissions to emergency department may be classified into specific complaint categories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carter-Storch, Rasmus; Frydkjær-Olsen, Ulrik; Mogensen, Christian Backer

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: In the emergency departments (ED), a heterogeneous mix of patients is seen. The aim of this study was to establish a limited number of categories of complaints and symptoms covering the majority of admissions in a Danish ED and to quantify the volume of cases in each category...... covering all patient complaints was produced. Presumptive diagnoses and categories with frequencies less than 1% were pooled with other groups, unless keeping them was clinically relevant. RESULTS: Among the 9,863 patients, 49% were medical, 31% surgical, 15% orthopaedic and 5% vascular surgical patients....... In 35% of cases, the patients were referred with a presumptive diagnosis, in 65% with a complaint or a symptom; and 11,031 complaints were placed in 13 main categories, 77 subcategories and 44 presumptive diagnoses. This aggregation resulted in 99 groups holding less than 1% of the patients' complaints...

  16. 29 CFR 1977.15 - Filing of complaint for discrimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 1970 Procedures § 1977.15 Filing of complaint for discrimination. (a) Who... 1977.15 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... required. (c) Place of filing. Complaint should be filed with the Area Director (Occupational Safety and...

  17. 47 CFR 76.950 - Complaints regarding cable programming service rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... cable programming service. The franchise authority may file a complaint with the Commission only upon receipt of more than one subscriber complaint made to the franchise authority within 90 days after the...

  18. Susceptibility of the MMPI-2-RF neurological complaints and cognitive complaints scales to over-reporting in simulated head injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolinger, Elizabeth; Reese, Caitlin; Suhr, Julie; Larrabee, Glenn J

    2014-02-01

    We examined the effect of simulated head injury on scores on the Neurological Complaints (NUC) and Cognitive Complaints (COG) scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Young adults with a history of mild head injury were randomly assigned to simulate head injury or give their best effort on a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the MMPI-2-RF. Simulators who also showed poor effort on performance validity tests (PVTs) were compared with controls who showed valid performance on PVTs. Results showed that both scales, but especially NUC, are elevated in individuals simulating head injury, with medium to large effect sizes. Although both scales were highly correlated with all MMPI-2-RF over-reporting validity scales, the relationship of Response Bias Scale to both NUC and COG was much stronger in the simulators than controls. Even accounting for over-reporting on the MMPI-2-RF, NUC was related to general somatic complaints regardless of group membership, whereas COG was related to both psychological distress and somatic complaints in the control group only. Neither scale was related to actual neuropsychological performance, regardless of group membership. Overall, results provide further evidence that self-reported cognitive symptoms can be due to many causes, not necessarily cognitive impairment, and can be exaggerated in a non-credible manner.

  19. 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

  20. Improving of enterprise consumer service system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yа.М. Laguta

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The problems of consumer services at domestic enterprises are showed. The shortcomings in the service of enterprise operation are analyzed. The basic features of the functioning of the service system forming medium are determined. The authors develop the measures to improve the quality of services which can contribute to their development, expansion of the customer base, increase in sales volume (goods and services as well as improving efficiency and profitability. Taking into account the current environment of enterprises the proposed measures are formed. The article proves the expediency of the use of the client-oriented approach to a customer, the use of software programs and the improvement of the CRM-system at enterprises, the introduction of «7P» concept.

  1. 40 CFR 7.180 - Mediation of age discrimination complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mediation of age discrimination... Discrimination Prohibited on the Basis of Age § 7.180 Mediation of age discrimination complaints. (a) The OCR will refer all accepted complaints alleging age discrimination to the Mediation Agency designated by...

  2. 29 CFR 1954.20 - Complaints about State program administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... pattern of delays in processing cases, of inadequate workplace inspections, or the granting of variances... investigation should be made, he shall cause such investigation, including any workplace inspection, to be made... complaints received on the same or similar issues and whether the complaints relate to safety and health...

  3. Implementation and evaluation of a prototype consumer reporting system for patient safety events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weingart, Saul N; Weissman, Joel S; Zimmer, Karen P; Giannini, Robert C; Quigley, Denise D; Hunter, Lauren E; Ridgely, M Susan; Schneider, Eric C

    2017-08-01

    No methodologically robust system exists for capturing consumer-generated patient safety reports. To address this challenge, we developed and pilot-tested a prototype consumer reporting system for patient safety, the Health Care Safety Hotline. Mixed methods evaluation. The Hotline was implemented in two US healthcare systems from 1 February 2014 through 30 June 2015. Patients, family members and caregivers associated with two US healthcare systems. A consumer-oriented incident reporting system for telephone or web-based administration was developed to elicit medical mistakes and care-related injuries. Key informant interviews, measurement of website traffic and analysis of completed reports. Key informants indicated that Hotline participation was motivated by senior leaders' support and alignment with existing quality and safety initiatives. During the measurement period from 1 October 2014 through 30 June 2015, the home page had 1530 visitors with a unique IP address. During its 17 months of operation, the Hotline received 37 completed reports including 20 mistakes without harm and 15 mistakes with injury. The largest category of mistake concerned problems with diagnosis or advice from a health practitioner. Hotline reports prompted quality reviews, an education intervention, and patient follow-ups. While generating fewer reports than its capacity to manage, the Health Care Safety Hotline demonstrated the feasibility of consumer-oriented patient safety reporting. Further research is needed to understand how to increase consumers' use of these systems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  4. Memory complaints in subjective cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Seon Young; Lee, Sang Bong; Kim, Tae Woo; Lee, Taek Jun

    2016-12-01

    Memory complaints are a frequent phenomenon in elderly individuals and can lead to opportunistic help-seeking behavior. The aim of this study was to compare different aspects of memory complaints (i.e., prospective versus retrospective complaints) in individuals with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study included a total of 115 participants (mean age: 68.82 ± 8.83 years) with SCI (n = 34), aMCI (n = 46), and mild AD (n = 35). Memory complaints were assessed using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), which consists of 16 items that describe everyday memory failure of both prospective memory (PM) and retrospective memory (RM). For aMCI and AD subjects, informants also completed an informant-rating of the PRMQ. All participants completed detailed neuropsychological tests. Results show that PM complaints were equivalent among the three groups. However, RM complaints differed. Specifically, RM complaints in aMCI were higher than SCI, but similar to AD. Informant-reported memory complaints were higher for AD than aMCI. Our study suggests that RM complaints of memory complaints may be helpful in discriminating between SCI and aMCI, but both PM and RM complaints are of limited value in differentiating aMCI from AD.

  5. Rebuilding trust in online shops on consumer review sites : sellers’ responses to user-generated complaints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Matzat, U.; Snijders, C.C.P.

    2012-01-01

    How do online shops re-build trust on consumer-generated review sites after customers accuse them of misbehaving? Theories suggest that the effectiveness of responses depends on the type of accusation, yet online research indicates that apologies are superior to denials regardless of the type of

  6. Executive functioning complaints and escitalopram treatment response in late-life depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Kevin J; Alexopoulos, George S; Banerjee, Samprit; Morimoto, Sarah Shizuko; Seirup, Joanna K; Klimstra, Sibel A; Yuen, Genevieve; Kanellopoulos, Theodora; Gunning-Dixon, Faith

    2015-05-01

    Executive dysfunction may play a key role in the pathophysiology of late-life depression. Executive dysfunction can be assessed with cognitive tests and subjective report of difficulties with executive skills. The present study investigated the association between subjective report of executive functioning complaints and time to escitalopram treatment response in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). 100 older adults with MDD (58 with executive functioning complaints and 42 without executive functioning complaints) completed a 12-week trial of escitalopram. Treatment response over 12 weeks, as measured by repeated Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, was compared for adults with and without executive complaints using mixed-effects modeling. Mixed effects analysis revealed a significant group × time interaction, F(1, 523.34) = 6.00, p = 0.01. Depressed older adults who reported executive functioning complaints at baseline demonstrated a slower response to escitalopram treatment than those without executive functioning complaints. Self-report of executive functioning difficulties may be a useful prognostic indicator for subsequent speed of response to antidepressant medication. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 6 CFR 13.6 - Prerequisites for issuing a Complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prerequisites for issuing a Complaint. 13.6 Section 13.6 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.6 Prerequisites for issuing a Complaint. (a) The Reviewing Official may issue a...

  8. 22 CFR 35.6 - Prerequisites for issuing a complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... this section), the amount of money or the value of property or services demanded or requested in... simultaneously, regardless of the amount of money, or the value of property or services, demanded or requested. ... § 35.6 Prerequisites for issuing a complaint. (a) The reviewing official may issue a complaint under...

  9. 10 CFR 1013.6 - Prerequisites for issuing a complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... in paragraph (b) of this section), the amount of money or the value of property or services demanded... that are unrelated or were not submitted simultaneously, regardless of the amount of money, or the... § 1013.6 Prerequisites for issuing a complaint. (a) The reviewing official may issue a complaint under...

  10. Emerging applications for traceability systems and implications for consumers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frewer, L.J.; Davies, O.H.; Rijswijk, W. van; Luijckx, N.L.; Ward, S.

    2008-01-01

    The modified European Food Law (General Food Law) has been emphasizing on the need to increase consumer confidence through implementation of regulatory measures focused on increased traceability in food chain. The implementation of effective traceability systems can provide the basis of

  11. High frequency of cardiac and behavioral complaints as presenting symptoms of hyperthyroidism in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loomba-Albrecht, Lindsey A; Bremer, Andrew A; Styne, Dennis M; Glaser, Nicole S

    2011-01-01

    Descriptive data characterizing the frequency of various chief complaints and presenting symptomatology in children with hyperthyroidism are lacking. Furthermore, difficulties in recognizing atypical presentations may delay diagnosis and increase morbidity. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of 76 children with hyperthyroidism to characterize their chief complaints at initial presentation to care and document other presenting symptomatology. Cardiac symptoms were the most frequent chief complaint, accounting for 23% of presenting complaints. Major mood and behavior disturbances were also frequently present (21%), but were infrequently cited as the chief complaint (6%). This study is the first to describe chief complaints separately from the other signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism noted at the time of presentation to medical attention. Cardiac complaints were the most common: however, complaints associated with behavioral and mood disorders also occurred frequently. Clinicians should be aware of these presentations so that hyperthyroidism is diagnosed promptly to avoid morbidity associated with delayed diagnosis.

  12. New energy storage systems for photovoltaic supplied consumer products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burges, K.; Blok, K.

    1993-12-01

    In a previous study attention was paid to the possibility of reducing battery wastes in the Netherlands by means of integration of photovoltaic (PV) cells in small, electric consumer products. The result of that study was that only two environment-friendly applications could be used: capacitors in calculators or watches. However, new types of energy storage systems have been developed and commercialized, so that the above-mentioned study is updated. First, the technical, economic and environmental parameters of several energy storage systems are compared. Next, a number of products, in which PV-cells can be integrated, has been selected and the economic and environmental effects are calculated and analyzed. The energy storage systems discussed are primary alkaline batteries, NiCd batteries, Ni-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries, Li-Solid-State (LiSS) batteries, and capacitors. It is estimated that by means of the proposed integration of PV-cells in specific consumer products the amount of battery wastes can be reduced by 50%. 33 tabs., 1 appendix, 50 refs

  13. Psychological factors are associated with subjective cognitive complaints 2 months post-stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nijsse, Britta; van Heugten, Caroline M; van Mierlo, Marloes L; Post, Marcel W M; de Kort, Paul L M; Visser-Meily, Johanna M A

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate which psychological factors are related to post-stroke subjective cognitive complaints, taking into account the influence of demographic and stroke-related characteristics, cognitive deficits and emotional problems. In this cross-sectional study, 350 patients were assessed at 2 months post-stroke, using the Checklist for Cognitive and Emotional consequences following stroke (CLCE-24) to identify cognitive complaints. Psychological factors were: proactive coping, passive coping, self-efficacy, optimism, pessimism, extraversion, and neuroticism. Associations between CLCE-24 cognition score and psychological factors, emotional problems (depressive symptoms and anxiety), cognitive deficits, and demographic and stroke characteristics were examined using Spearman correlations and multiple regression analyses. Results showed that 2 months post-stroke, 270 patients (68.4%) reported at least one cognitive complaint. Age, sex, presence of recurrent stroke(s), comorbidity, cognitive deficits, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and all psychological factors were significantly associated with the CLCE-24 cognition score in bivariate analyses. Multiple regression analysis showed that psychological factors explained 34.7% of the variance of cognitive complaints independently, and 8.5% (p psychological factors, proactive coping was independently associated with cognitive complaints (p cognitive complaints. Because cognitive complaints are common after stroke and are associated with psychological factors, it is important to focus on these factors in rehabilitation programmes.

  14. Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Hua Yan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384. Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p < 0.001. We identified significant differences in health service providers’ and consumers’ awareness regarding the transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001. Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

  15. Subjective memory complaints and their relation with verbal fluency in active older people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernardes, Flavia Rodrigues; Machado, Camila Kretzer; Souza, Monique Coan; Machado, Marcos José; Belaunde, Aline Megumi Arakawa

    2017-05-22

    To verify subjective memory complaints and their relation to verbal fluency in older people participating in community groups. An epidemiological quantitative study performed in community groups for older people in Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Data were collected by structured interview using the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) and the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) by semantic categories "animals/minute". For an inferential descriptive analysis, data with p people in question and added to the questionnaire). We found no relation between subjective memory complaints and verbal fluency of active older people. Mnemonic complaints were correlated to the negative perception of memory and to the duration of the complaint. However, subjective memory complaints were an indicator for those individuals with negative perception of memory, being one aspect that must be considered in older people's speech when investigating a possible cognitive deterioration. Such data can assist in formulating public health care policies aimed at older people in the city, which emphasizes the importance of verifying subjective memory complaints in this population.

  16. Complaints from emergency department patients largely result from treatment and communication problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, David McD; Wolfe, Rory; Cameron, Peter A

    2002-03-01

    Emergency department patient complaints are often justified and may lead to apology, remedial action or compensation. The aim of the present study was to analyse emergency department patient complaints in order to identify procedures or practices that require change and to make recommendations for intervention strategies aimed at decreasing complaint rates. We undertook a retrospective analysis of patient complaints from 36 Victorian emergency departments during a 61 month period. Data were obtained from the Health Complaint Information Program (Health Services Commissioner). In all, 2,419 emergency department patients complained about a total of 3,418 separate issues (15.4% of all issues from all hospital departments). Of these, 1,157 complaints (47.80%) were received by telephone and 829 (34.3%) were received by letter; 1,526 (63.1 %) complaints were made by a person other than the patient. Highest complaint rates were received from patients who were female, born in non-English-speaking countries and very young or very old. One thousand one hundred and forty-one issues (33.4%) related to patient treatment, including inadequate treatment (329 issues) and inadequate diagnosis (249 issues); 1079 (31.6%) issues related to communication, including poor staff attitude, discourtesy and rudeness (444 issues); 407 (11.9%) issues related to delay in treatment. Overall, 2516 issues (73.6%) were resolved satisfactorily, usually by explanation or apology. Only 59 issues (1.7%) resulted in a procedure or policy change. Remedial action was taken in 109 issues (3.2%) and compensation was paid to eight patients. Communication remains a significant factor in emergency department patient dissatisfaction. While patient complaints have resulted in major changes to policy and procedure, research and intervention strategies into communication problems are indicated. In the short term, focused staff training is recommended.

  17. Assessment of the Temporomandibular Joint Function in Young Adults without Complaints from the Masticatory System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondrat, Wojciech; Sierpińska, Teresa; Radke, John

    2018-01-01

    Objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical status of the masticatory system in young adults with full permanent dentition and no stomatognathic system complaints. The study involved 186 randomly selected people with full dental arches with normal occlusal conditions corresponding to Angle's Class I aged 18 - 21 years with an average age of 19 years. Subjects were clinically examined and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) vibrations were recorded during open-wide and close movements using BioJVA. Then, patients were categorized into groups according to Piper's classification system. The TMJs of the subjects were categorized according to the values of the vibration energy and the Piper protocol. This detected 33.4% of the joints with loosened ligaments, subluxation in 8.28%, initial signs of disc dysfunction in 5.08% and disc displacement without locking in 1.6 %. Median frequency differed significantly (p vibrations. However, a subset of people manifested higher vibrations that may indicate an early stage of TMJ dysfunction. Median Frequency was an important parameter for detecting initial symptoms of TMJ dysfunction. Peak Frequency was an important characteristic parameter for detecting TMJ subluxation.

  18. 10 CFR 13.6 - Prerequisities for issuing a complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... amount of money, or the value of property or services, demanded or requested. [56 FR 47135, Sept. 18... time such claim is submitted (as defined in paragraph (b) of this section), the amount of money or the... complaint. (a) The reviewing official may issue a complaint under § 13.7 only if— (1) The Department of...

  19. Subjective memory complaints are associated with brain activation supporting successful memory encoding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Jessica M; Tang, Lingfei; Viviano, Raymond P; van Rooden, Sanneke; Ofen, Noa; Damoiseaux, Jessica S

    2017-12-01

    Subjective memory complaints, the perceived decline in cognitive abilities in the absence of clinical deficits, may precede Alzheimer's disease. Individuals with subjective memory complaints show differential brain activation during memory encoding; however, whether such differences contribute to successful memory formation remains unclear. Here, we investigated how subsequent memory effects, activation which is greater for hits than misses during an encoding task, differed between healthy older adults aged 50 to 85 years with (n = 23) and without (n = 41) memory complaints. Older adults with memory complaints, compared to those without, showed lower subsequent memory effects in the occipital lobe, superior parietal lobe, and posterior cingulate cortex. In addition, older adults with more memory complaints showed a more negative subsequent memory effects in areas of the default mode network, including the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that for successful memory formation, older adults with subjective memory complaints rely on distinct neural mechanisms which may reflect an overall decreased task-directed attention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Phenomenological characterization of memory complaints in preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckley, Rachel F; Ellis, Kathryn A; Ames, David; Rowe, Christopher C; Lautenschlager, Nicola T; Maruff, Paul; Villemagne, Victor L; Macaulay, S Lance; Szoeke, Cassandra; Martins, Ralph N; Masters, Colin L; Savage, Greg; Rainey-Smith, Stephanie R; Rembach, Alan; Saling, Michael M

    2015-07-01

    To explore the subjective experience of memory change in groups at risk of dementia (those with mild cognitive impairment MCI or high β-amyloid (Aβ+) burden) to determine the existence of potential phenomenological typologies. We recruited 123 healthy controls (HC) and individuals with MCI from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) study. Sixty-7 (HC = 47,MCI = 20) had Aβ scans available for analysis. Semistructured interviews were administered, transcribed, and meaningful phrases extracted from transcripts. Twelve themes were defined and compared across diagnostic status and Aβ status. MCI endorsed more complaints of burdensome coping strategies, increasing frequency, sense of predomination, poor contextualization, progression, dependency, impact on affect, and dismissive attitudes. HCAβ+ acknowledged a progressive memory decline compared to HCAβ-, while MCIAβ+ expressed more burdensome coping strategies, dismissive attitudes, and dependency comparative to either healthy group. Depression was more likely to be related to complaint themes in HCs, while complaint themes were associated with poorer list-learning performance in individuals with MCI. Complaint themes in those with MCI align with the MCI symptom complex, particularly when accompanied with high Aβ load. Healthy Aβ+ individuals acknowledged progressive memory change, suggesting they are aware of memory changes not yet detectable via neuropsychological measures. Depressive symptomatology associated with HC complaints, suggesting certain themes are affect-driven, while complaints in MCI are associated with organically driven functional impairment. Qualitative analysis of SMCs can inform the earliest clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease. Our findings can inform diagnostic approaches to the clinical evaluation of memory complaints in the nondemented elderly. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Memory complaints are frequent but qualitatively different in young and elderly healthy people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ginó, Sandra; Mendes, Tiago; Maroco, João; Ribeiro, Filipa; Schmand, Ben A.; de Mendonça, Alexandre; Guerreiro, Manuela

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Subjective memory complaints are frequently reported by the elderly. There is less information about the characterization of subjective memory complaints in young people. OBJECTIVE: To determine different memory complaints between young and elderly people with the use of the Subjective

  2. Memory complaints are frequent but qualitatively different in young and elderly healthy people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ginó, S.; Mendes, T.; Maroco, J.; Ribeiro, F.; Schmand, B.A.; de Mendonca, A.; Guerreiro, M.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Subjective memory complaints are frequently reported by the elderly. There is less information about the characterization of subjective memory complaints in young people. Objective: To determine different memory complaints between young and elderly people with the use of the Subjective

  3. 77 FR 67290 - Basic Service Tier Encryption Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-09

    ...-126] Basic Service Tier Encryption Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics... between consumer electronics equipment (such as digital television sets) and newly encrypted cable service... Act''), Congress sought to make sure that consumer electronics equipment could receive cable...

  4. Small Wind Electric Systems: A North Carolina Consumer's Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2005-03-01

    Small Wind Electric Systems: A North Carolina Consumer's Guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include how to make a home more energy efficient, how to choose the correct turbine size, the parts of a wind electric system, how to determine whether enough wind resource exists, how to choose the best site for a turbine, how to connect a system to the utility grid, and whether it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of contacts for more information.

  5. Shoulder complaints in wheelchair athletes: A systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar W Heyward

    Full Text Available In recent years the popularity of disabled sports and competition among disabled athletes has grown considerably. With this rise in exposure of, and participation in wheelchair sports comes an increase in related stressors, including musculoskeletal load. External mechanical loading may increase the risk of shoulder complaints. The objective of this literature review was to 1 identify and describe the prevalence and/or incidence of shoulder complaints in wheelchair athletes in the literature, to 2 examine the factors and underlying mechanisms that could be potentially involved, and 3 provide some insights into the development of preventative measures.A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases, to identify relevant published articles. All articles in the English language that contained any type of shoulder complaint in relation with a wheelchair sports player, at any level of status (recreational to elite, of any sport, were included. Articles were excluded if they did not include any statistical analysis. Articles that included studies with wheelchair athletes in combination with athletes of other disability sports were excluded in order to be able to differentiate between the two. Narrative, exploratory and case studies were also excluded. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion. Thirteen articles matched the selection criteria. These were judged on their quality by use of an adapted version of the Webster checklist.Of the included studies the overall quality was low. A relatively high prevalence of complaints was found, ranging from 16% to 76%. Pain was found to be a common complaint in wheelchair athletes. Based on the current literature the cause of shoulder problems is difficult to identify and is likely multifactorial, nevertheless characteristics of the user (i.e. increased years of disability, age and BMI were shown to increase risk. Preventative measures were indistinct. There may be

  6. 76 FR 66666 - Basic Service Tier Encryption Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-27

    ... 11-153] Basic Service Tier Encryption Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics... substantially affect compatibility between cable service and consumer electronics equipment for most subscribers... problems between cable service and consumer electronics equipment were limiting and/or precluding the...

  7. 49 CFR 805.735-26 - Employee's complaint on filing requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT § 805.735-26 Employee's complaint on filing requirements. An employee who believes that his position has been improperly included... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employee's complaint on filing requirements. 805...

  8. Complaint Speech Act of Hotel and Restaurant Guests

    OpenAIRE

    Suryawan, I Nengah; Putra Yadnya, Ida Bagus; Puspani, Ida Ayu Made

    2016-01-01

    This paper is aimed at analyzing how complaint speech act of hotel and restaurant guests are performed and responded based on categories of speech acts and how they are performed considering the aspects of acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary. The method and technique of collecting data in this study is documentation method in which the data were collected using the technique of note taking and were qualitatively analyzed. The findings show that complaint of hotel and restaura...

  9. Allied health management of technology-related musculoskeletal complaints among children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccarelli, Marina; Fraser, Kerri; Vaz, Sharmila

    2016-12-01

    Children and adolescents are prolific users of information and communication technologies (ICT) in learning, leisure, and social communication activities. High exposure to ICT is associated with musculoskeletal injuries in adults; however, the management of ICT physical complaints in children is not well-understood. An online survey of allied health professionals (occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and chiropractors) was undertaken to determine (i) the number of children and adolescents in Perth, Western Australia who accessed treatment for musculoskeletal complaints related to use of technology; (ii) the typical frequency and duration of service provision; and (iii) the nature of treatment provided. Costs associated with service provision were estimated. Data from 101 identified the most commonly treated musculoskeletal complaints among children and adolescents included: non-specific neck pain; thoracic postural pain disorder; non-specific low back pain; and lumbar postural pain disorder. Approximately 1445 children were treated in the previous 12 months; with one-third of chiropractors each reported treating 31+ children. Most common treatments were soft tissue release, mobilisation, flexibility and conditioning exercises, soft tissue massage and kinesio-taping. Verbal education about healthy use of technology was provided by most clinicians (88%), with some inconsistent recommendations. The estimated cost of treatment was AUD$1,057,715; of which AUD$544,886 was health system funded. Children and adolescents received allied health treatment for a range of musculoskeletal complaints associated with ICT use. The potential long-term impacts on their health and wellbeing, and the economic burden associated with this health issue warrant the development of systematic risk reduction strategies. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  10. Complaints about noise from windmills

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-10-01

    With the aim of examining the subject of noise made by windmills and discovering the characteristics that are commonly found with regard to complaints in this respect, 10 cases were selected from a total of 40 in order to carry out a critical examination of the matter. The chosen cases were concerned with both small and medium-sized wind turbines located in groups or standing alone. The authors of the complaints lived within a distance of 160-166 meters from the cited windmills which could be described as producing an average amount of noise in relation to their size. It was clear from available material (including telephone interviews) that noise was experienced as being the most disturbing, although light-flashing from turbine blades, shadowing and aesthetic considerations related to scenic location were also named. In most cases the noise was so distressing that it influenced people's decisions on whether, or where, to go outside their homes and whether or not to open their windows. Most complaints were about machine noise and other audible tones, and about half of them concerned the swish of turning blades. Most people were especially bothered when the wind did not blow so hard (so that the wind in the trees etc. was not so loud). The persistancy of the noise generated was considered to contribute most to the depreciation of life quality. It was found that the amount of irritation coincided with noise loads of L r at a wind velocity of 5 or 8 m/s. A table is presented to illustrate registered noise conditions. (AB)

  11. Gender differences dominate sleep disorder patients' body problem complaints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ted L. Rosenthal

    1994-12-01

    Full Text Available We studied it age, gender, diagnostic status, and psychiatric features affected 291 consecutive sleep disorder patient's body complaints on a brief checklist. Gender had a strong impact on all four (tested dependent measures, with women reporting more distress than men. Age produced significant regressions on two measures, with younger patients complaining more than older. Presence of psychiatric features was associated with more complaints on one dependent measure - previously found to reflect internal medicine patients' emotional distress. The results of regression analyses were largely supported by follow-up ANOVAs. However, contrasting insomniac versus hypersomniac versus all other sleep disorder diagnoses did not affect body complaints on any dependent measure. The results caution against combining males and females to compare self-reported distress between sleep disorders.

  12. Consumer Acceptance Analysis of the Home Energy Management System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eung-Suk Park

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to study consumer acceptance of the Home Energy Management System, which is the next generation electronic management system that the Korean government plans to implement in households. The Home Energy Management System is a critical device in maximizing the efficiency of electric energy consumption for each household by using a smart grid. Because it can visualize real-time price information on the electricity, households can easily monitor and control the amount of electricity consumption. With this feature, the Home Energy Management System can contribute to consumers’ total energy savings. This is a major reason why the Korean government wishes to implement it nationwide. Since the Home Energy Management System is a product that applies new technology that has not yet been directly encountered by consumers, there may be a difference in the level of public perception of the Home Energy Management System. Therefore, the impact of consumers’ awareness of the Home Energy Management System on their intention to use is important. To do this, the Technology Acceptance Model is utilized in this study. Traditional research on the Technology Acceptance Model includes awareness of usefulness and ease of use as well as intention to use. In contrast, in this research, an extended Technology Acceptance Model with four additional factors—economic benefit, social contribution, environmental responsibility, and innovativeness—that may affect the consumer’s awareness of usefulness and ease of use, is proposed. To collect the data, the survey was conducted with 287 respondents. As a result, the proposed model proved to be suitable in explaining the intention to use with a 70.3% explanation power. It is found that economic benefit (0.231 and innovativeness (0.259 impact on usefulness of the Home Energy Management System. Moreover, usefulness (0.551 has a bigger effect on intention to use than ease of use (0.338 does. Based

  13. Customer satisfaction and complaint behaviour

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    kirstam

    emotions resulting from the dissatisfaction and their coping strategies in the form of .... clothes or their complaint behaviour in cases of dissatisfaction. ... However, quality is a complex and multi-dimensional concept, which is relative ...... Exploring the importance of aesthetics', Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,.

  14. 29 CFR 1921.3 - Complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) RULES OF PRACTICE IN ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS UNDER SECTION 41 OF THE LONGSHOREMEN'S AND HARBOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT Prehearing Procedures § 1921.3 Complaints. (a) Issuance. The Deputy Solicitor of Labor shall...

  15. 21 CFR 17.5 - Complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES... all administrative civil money penalty actions by serving on the respondent(s) a complaint signed by... Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061...

  16. 10 CFR 708.4 - What employee complaints are not covered?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... a complaint against your employer under this part if: (a) The complaint is based on race, color... you, acting without direction from your employer, deliberately caused, or in which you knowingly... for Contractor Employees (Ethics);” or (3) State or other applicable law, including final and binding...

  17. Quality management system in trade: Internationalization of marketing relations with consumers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jovanović Gvozden

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of marketing management is to satisfy the needs and desires of consumers. A lot of factors have influenced the consumers and their purchasing. Besides price and assortment factors there are requirements of consumers for the quality of a product. It means that a product should possess physical, chemical, designing, aesthetic, ecological and other desirable properties that should be expressed before the use of products. Because of that the quality in the theory and practice of management is beginning to affirm itself. This has been particularly expressed by the introduction of ISO 9000 which makes internationalization of quality system and circulation of goods and services without 'physical-fiscal-technical' barriers possible.

  18. Patient Complaints Emphasize Non-Technical Aspects of Care at a Tertiary Referral Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John King

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background:Patient concerns represent opportunities for improvement in orthopaedic care. Thisstudy’s objectiveis to identify the nature and prevalence of unsolicited patient complaints regarding orthopaedic care ata tertiary referral hospital. The primary null hypothesis that there are no demographic factors associatedwith complaint types was tested. Secondarily we determined if the overall complaint number and typesdifferedby year.Methods:Complaints to the hospital ombudsperson by orthopaedic patients between January 1997 and June 2013 werereviewed. All 1118 complaints were categorized: access and availability, humaneness and disrespect, communication,expectations of care and treatment, distrust, billing and research.Results:Patients between 40 and 60 years of age filed the most complaints in all categories except distrust(more common in patients over age 80 and research. Women were slightly more likely to address access andavailability, humaneness, disrespect, and billing compared to men. The overall number of complaints peakedin 1999. The most common issue was access and availability followed by communication, and humaneness/disrespect.Conclusion:Half of concerns voiced by patients addressed interpersonal issues. The largest category was related toaccess and availability. Quality improvement efforts can address technology to improve access and availability as wellas empathy and communication strategies.

  19. 21 CFR 211.198 - Complaint files.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE FOR FINISHED PHARMACEUTICALS Records and Reports § 211.198 Complaint... for exemption under § 211.137, such written records shall be maintained for 3 years after distribution...

  20. Consumer preferences for selection of solar home system in urban areas, pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gohar, K.

    2014-01-01

    Consumer preferences can lay foundation for determining key product attributes essential for the success of a product in the market, enabling the manufacturers optimally allocate resources towards imparting these critical attributes. However identification of consumer preferences especially for new products is a challenging task. This research investigated the consumer preference factors for solar home systems in Rawalpindi/Islamabad (Pakistan); applying MCDM (Multi Criteria Decision Making) approach, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) survey and analysis method is used for prioritization of the factors and comparison of decision alternatives. Fourteen factors grouped into five categories are selected. It has been found that the manufacturers have to emphasize on performance and functional attributes of these systems at this stage, the cost factors are comparatively lower in importance. Make and warranty, Environmental and Physical features are also lesser important to the early adopters. (author)

  1. Canada files WTO complaint against EC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000-01-01

    In December 1998, Canada filed a complaint alleging that the European Communities (EC) had adopted regulations that amounted to a scheme to extend patent terms, limited to pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products.

  2. Increased number of ear-nose-throat malpractice complaints in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikoghosyan-Bossen, Gohar; Hauberg, Agnes; Homøe, Preben

    2012-01-01

    Danish ear, nose and throat (ENT) physicians have little knowledge of the type of decisions made at the Danish National Board of Patients' Complaints (NBPC). The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the epidemiology of ENT malpractice complaints by showing their distribution and volume i...

  3. Facilitating consumer participation: an approach to finding the 'right' consumer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happell, Brenda

    2010-01-01

    Contemporary health care increasingly dictates that consumers of services should become active participants in the health care system. This has placed responsibility on administrators, managers and clinicians to include consumers in key strategic and decision making initiatives. However, this direction has not been accompanied by clear policies or guidelines. Consequently confusion about selecting consumers able to provide valuable input is identified as a barrier to active consumer involvement. The purpose of this paper is to address some concerns raised in the quest to find the "right" consumer, including: finding a consumer without an axe to grind; ensuring the consumer is representative of broader views; health professionals as consumer representatives. While these concerns are common they have not yet been extensively debated and discussed in the broader Literature. Strategies necessary to support consumers in participatory roles are also considered and the controversial subject of financial remuneration for consumers is also explored.

  4. A comparative study on the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among musicians and non-musicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kok Laura M

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Research comparing the frequency of musculoskeletal complaints between musicians and non-musicians is scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints between musicians and non-musicians. Methods A cross-sectional study in 3215 students from three music academies (n = 345 and one medical school (n = 2870 in The Netherlands was performed, using an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, use of music instruments and the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints in six body regions. Questions were related to musculoskeletal complaints over the last twelve months and at the time of the questionnaire. Chi-square, t-tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparison between the two groups. The association between musculoskeletal complaints and possible predictors was analyzed using a logistic and Poisson regression. Results Eighty-seven music academy students and 503 medical students returned the questionnaire, of which respectively eighty-three and 494 were included in the study. Seventy-four music academy students (89.2% reported one or more musculoskeletal complaints during the last twelve months, compared to 384 (77.9% medical students (p = 0.019. Moreover 52 music academy students (62.7% and 211 medical students (42.7% reported current musculoskeletal complaints (p = 0.001. The Odds ratio (OR for the development of musculoskeletal complaints during the last twelve months in music academy students versus medical students is 2.33 (95% CI 1.61–3.05, p = 0.022. The OR at the time of the questionnaire is 2.25 (95% CI 1.77–2.73, p = 0.001. The total number of complaints have been modeled by employing a Poisson regression; the results show that non-musicians have on average less complaints than musicians (p = 0.01. The adjusted means are 2.90 (95% CI 2.18–3.63 and 1.83 (95% CI 1.63–2.04 respectively for

  5. Consumer perceptions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ngapo, T. M.; Dransfield, E.; Martin, J. F.

    2004-01-01

    Consumer focus groups in France, England, Sweden and Denmark were used to obtain insights into the decision-making involved in the choice of fresh pork and attitudes towards today's pig production systems. Many positive perceptions of pork meat were evoked. Negative images of the production systems...... that there was no link between the negative images of production methods and their purchase behaviour. The groups were clearly confused and mistrusted the limited information available at the point of purchase. Careful consideration should be given to meat labelling, in particular taking account of the evident consumer...... ethnocentrism, to assure that such information is targeted to enhance consumer confidence....

  6. Emergency Department Chief Complaint and Diagnosis Data to Detect Influenza-Like Illness with an Electronic Medical Record

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Larissa S.; Griffin, Beth Ann; Bauers, Nicole Maier; Jain, Arvind; Mitchum, Marsha; Sikka, Neal; Carim, Marianne; Stoto, Michael A.

    2010-01-01

    Background: The purpose of syndromic surveillance is early detection of a disease outbreak. Such systems rely on the earliest data, usually chief complaint. The growing use of electronic medical records (EMR) raises the possibility that other data, such as emergency department (ED) diagnosis, may provide more specific information without significant delay, and might be more effective in detecting outbreaks if mechanisms are in place to monitor and report these data. Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the added value of the primary ICD-9 diagnosis assigned at the time of ED disposition compared to the chief complaint for patients with influenza-like illness (ILI). Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of the EMR of a single urban, academic ED with an annual census of over 60, 000 patients per year from June 2005 through May 2006. We evaluate the objective in two ways. First, we characterize the proportion of patients whose ED diagnosis is inconsistent with their chief complaint and the variation by complaint. Second, by comparing time series and applying syndromic detection algorithms, we determine which complaints and diagnoses are the best indicators for the start of the influenza season when compared to the Centers for Disease Control regional data for Influenza-Like Illness for the 2005 to 2006 influenza season using three syndromic surveillance algorithms: univariate cumulative sum (CUSUM), exponentially weighted CUSUM, and multivariate CUSUM. Results: In the first analysis, 29% of patients had a different diagnosis at the time of disposition than suggested by their chief complaint. In the second analysis, complaints and diagnoses consistent with pneumonia, viral illness and upper respiratory infection were together found to be good indicators of the start of the influenza season based on temporal comparison with regional data. In all examples, the diagnosis data outperformed the chief-complaint data. Conclusion: Both analyses

  7. 22 CFR 96.72 - Referral of complaints to the Secretary and other authorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Through Review of Complaints § 96.72 Referral of complaints to the Secretary and other authorities. (a) An... authority, the Attorney General, or other law enforcement authorities any substantiated complaints that involve conduct that is: (1) Subject to the civil or criminal penalties imposed by section 404 of the IAA...

  8. Psychosocial complaints and physical therapy.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dekker, J.; Valk, R.W.A. van der; Verhaak, P.F.M.

    1995-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the disorders and the treatment of patients whose complaints were evaluated as being solely somatic in nature, as being somatic and having psychosocial consequences, or as being (at least partially) of a psychosocial origin. Data were used from a survey on

  9. Teaching Complaint and Adjustment Letters--And Tact (My Favorite Assignment).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deimling, Paula

    1992-01-01

    Describes a three-part assignment in which each student writes a complaint letter and an adjustment letter responding to another student's complaint letter. Discusses how the third part of the assignment--journal entries--allows students to formulate their own criteria for excellent letters based upon their reactions to the letters they receive.…

  10. The effect of continuing professional development on public complaints: a case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wenghofer, Elizabeth F; Campbell, Craig; Marlow, Bernard; Kam, Sophia M; Carter, Lorraine; McCauley, William

    2015-03-01

    This study aimed to investigate the relationship between participation in different types of continuing professional development (CPD), and incidences and types of public complaint against physicians. Cases included physicians against whom complaints were made by members of the public to the medical regulatory body in Ontario, Canada, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), during 2008 and 2009. The control cohort included physicians against whom no complaints were documented during the same period. We focused on complaints related to physician communication, quality of care and professionalism. The CPD data included all Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) CPD programme activities reported by the case and control physicians. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine if the independent variable, reported participation in CPD, was associated with the dependent variable, the complaints-related status of the physician in the year following reported CPD activities. A total of 2792 physicians were included in the study. There was a significant relationship between participation in CPD, type of CPD and type of complaint received. Analysis indicated that physicians who reported overall participation in CPD activities were significantly less likely (odds ratio 0.604; p = 0.028) to receive quality of care-related complaints than those who did not report participating in CPD. Additionally, participation in group-based CPD was less likely (OR 0.681; p = 0.041) to result in quality of care-related complaints. The findings demonstrate a positive relationship between participation in the national CPD programmes of the CFPC and RCPSC, and lower numbers of public complaints received by the CPSO. As certification bodies and regulators alike are increasingly mandating CPD, they are encouraged to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their programmes to maximise

  11. Consumer participation in early detection of the deteriorating patient and call activation to rapid response systems: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vorwerk, Jane; King, Lindy

    2016-01-01

    This review investigated the impact of consumer participation in recognition of patient deterioration and response through call activation in rapid response systems. Nurses and doctors have taken the main role in recognition and response to patient deterioration through hospital rapid response systems. Yet patients and visitors (consumers) have appeared well placed to notice early signs of deterioration. In response, many hospitals have sought to partner health professionals with consumers in detection and response to early deterioration. However, to date, there have been no published research-based reviews to establish the impact of introducing consumer involvement into rapid response systems. A critical research-based review was undertaken. A comprehensive search of databases from 2006-2014 identified 11 studies. Critical appraisal of these studies was undertaken and thematic analysis of the findings revealed four major themes. Following implementation of the consumer activation programmes, the number of calls made by the consumers following detection of deterioration increased. Interestingly, the number of staff calls also increased. Importantly, mortality numbers were found to decrease in one major study following the introduction of consumer call activation. Consumer and staff knowledge and satisfaction with the new programmes indicated mixed results. Initial concerns of the staff over consumer involvement overwhelming the rapid response systems did not eventuate. Evaluation of successful consumer-activated programmes indicated the importance of: effective staff education and training; ongoing consumer education by nurses and clear educational materials. Findings indicated positive patient outcomes following introduction of consumer call activation programmes within rapid response systems. Effective consumer programmes included information that was readily accessible, easy-to-understand and available in a range of multimedia materials accompanied by the

  12. Patient complaints as a means to improve quality of hospital care. Results of a qualitative content analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Susanne; Dreher-Hummel, Thomas; Dollinger, Claudia; Frei, Irena Anna

    2018-04-01

    Background: Many hospitals have defined procedures for a complaint management. A systematic analysis of patient complaints helps to identify similar complaints and patterns so that targeted improvement measures can be derived (Gallagher & Mazor, 2015). Aim: Our three-month, nurse-led practice development project aimed 1) to identify complaints regarding communication issues, 2) to systemise and prioritise complaints regarding communication issues, and 3) to derive clinic-specific recommendations for improvement. Method: We analysed 273 complaints of patients documented by the quality management (secondary data analysis). Using content analysis and applying the coding taxonomy for inpatient complaints by Reader, Gillespie and Roberts (2014), we distinguished communication-related complaints. By further inductive differentiation of these complaints, we identified patterns and prioritised fields of action. Results: We identified 186 communication-related complaints divided into 16 subcategories. For each subcategory, improvement interventions were derived, discussed and prioritised. Conclusions: Thus, patient complaints provided an excellent opportunity for reflection and workplace learning for nurses. The analysis gave impulse to exemplify the subject “person-centered care” for nurses.

  13. 75 FR 61773 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-06

    ... game systems and controllers. The complaint names as respondents Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan and Nintendo of America, Inc. of Redmond, WA. The complainant, proposed respondents, other...

  14. Systematic analysis of ear-nose-throat malpractice complaints may be beneficial for patient safety

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikoghosyan-Bossen, Gohar; Hauberg, Agnes; Homøe, Preben

    2012-01-01

    The analysis of malpractice complaints can provide valuable information on patient safety. This study offers a detailed examination of the backgrounds concerning reasons and outcomes of ear, nose and throat (ENT) malpractice complaints handled by the National Board of Patients' Complaints (NBPC),...

  15. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Shuangping; Dai, Yonghui; Ji, Jun; Wang, Jinzhao; Sun, Hai

    2015-01-01

    Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer's loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer's satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an analysis method based on affective computing technology, which can recognize the dynamic changes of customer emotions from the conversations between the service staff and the customer. The recognition process includes speaker recognition, emotional feature parameter extraction, and dynamic emotion recognition. Experimental results show that this method is effective and can reach high recognition rates of happy and angry states. It has been successfully applied to the operation quality and service administration in telecom and Internet service company.

  16. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuangping Gong

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer’s loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer’s satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an analysis method based on affective computing technology, which can recognize the dynamic changes of customer emotions from the conversations between the service staff and the customer. The recognition process includes speaker recognition, emotional feature parameter extraction, and dynamic emotion recognition. Experimental results show that this method is effective and can reach high recognition rates of happy and angry states. It has been successfully applied to the operation quality and service administration in telecom and Internet service company.

  17. Doctors' experiences and their perception of the most stressful aspects of complaints processes in the UK: an analysis of qualitative survey data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourne, Tom; Vanderhaegen, Joke; Vranken, Renilt; Wynants, Laure; De Cock, Bavo; Peters, Mike; Timmerman, Dirk; Van Calster, Ben; Jalmbrant, Maria; Van Audenhove, Chantal

    2016-07-04

    To examine doctors' experiences of complaints, including which aspects are most stressful. We also investigated how doctors felt complaints processes could be improved. A qualitative study based on a cross-sectional survey of members of the British Medical Association (BMA). We asked the following: (1) Try to summarise as best as you can your experience of the complaints process and how it made you feel. (2) What were the most stressful aspects of the complaint? (3) What would you improve in the complaints system? We sent the survey to 95 636 doctors, and received 10 930 (11.4%) responses. Of these, 6146 had a previous, recent or current complaint and 3417 (31.3%) of these respondents answered questions 1 and 2. We randomly selected 1000 answers for analysis, and included 100 using the saturation principle. Of this cohort, 93 responses for question 3 were available. Doctors frequently reported feeling powerless, emotionally distressed, and experiencing negative feelings towards both those managing complaints and the complainants themselves. Many felt unsupported, fearful of the consequences and that the complaint was unfair. The most stressful aspects were the prolonged duration and unpredictability of procedures, managerial incompetence, poor communication and perceiving that processes are biased in favour of complainants. Many reported practising defensively or considering changing career after a complaint, and few found any positive outcomes from complaints investigations. Physicians suggested procedures should be more transparent, competently managed, time limited, and that there should be an open dialogue with complainants and policies for dealing with vexatious complaints. Some felt more support for doctors was needed. Complaints seriously impact on doctors' psychological wellbeing, and are associated with defensive practise. This is not beneficial to patient care. To improve procedures, doctors propose they are simplified, time limited and more

  18. The Somatic Complaints List: Validation of a self-report questionnaire assessing somatic complaints in children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jellesma, F. C.; Rieffe, C.J.; Meerum Terwogt, M.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the Somatic Complaint List (SCL) in children. Method: At T1, 365 fourth and 352 fifth graders completed the SCL, the Children's Somatization Inventory (CSI-C), and the Mood Questionnaire. Parents (n=564) completed the parental form of the CSI-C (CSI-P). Six months later, the

  19. Customers’ Complaints and its Determinants: The Case of a Training Educational Hospital in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Ebrahimipour

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundToday, despite the efforts of the medical community and healthcare staff along with the advancements in medical technology, patients’ dissatisfaction and complaints have been increased. The present study aimed at making a survey on the patients’ complaints in a large training hospital affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS. MethodsThis descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on written and verbal complaints of patients and their relatives in a tertiary (specialty and sub-specialty training hospital. All the recorded patients’ complaints, from March to December 2012, were reviewed. Data were categorized and analyzed using descriptive statistics by Microsoft Excel 2007. ResultsA total of 233 complaints were reviewed, of which 46.35%, 31.34% and 22.31%, respectively, were verbal, written and made on the phone. The main reasons for complaints were accessibility to medical staff (21.46%, communication failures (20.17% and dissatisfaction with the provided care (14.59%. Thirty one (13.31% cases were solved at first place, 194 (83.26% referred to the complaints from the committee and 3.43% referred to the legal authorities. The average response time was about six to seven days. ConclusionThe findings of the study suggest that sufficient availability of medical staff, improvement in communication skills and paying attention to the patients’ needs and expectations may reduce complaints from public health facilities.

  20. Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fekkes, M.; Pijpers, F.I.M.; Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P.

    2004-01-01

    Objectives: To assess the association between bullying behavior and a wide variety of psychosomatic health complaints and depression. Study design: In a cross-sectional study, 2766 elementary school children age 9 to 12 years filled out a questionnaire on bullying behavior and health complaints.

  1. High prevalence of self-reported shoulder complaints after thyroid carcinoma surgery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roerink, S.H.P.P.; Coolen, L.; Schenning, M.E.; Husson, O.; Smit, J.W.A.; Marres, H.A.; Wilt, J.H.W. de; Netea-Maier, R.T.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Shoulder complaints are frequently reported after surgical treatment for thyroid carcinoma. However, no specific literature on this topic is available for these patients and, hence, its impact on quality of life (QOL) is unknown and there are no known predictors of shoulder complaints in

  2. Vulnerable Consumers in the Deregulated Dutch Health System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Booltink, L.; Genugten, M.L. van; Lako, C.J.

    2015-01-01

    Public service deregulation is favoured for motivating providers to offer consumers better price-quality services. Consequently, consumers are enabled to make informed choices and choose for the best service provider. However, recent publications reveal that consumers are not capable of exercising

  3. Screen-based activities and physical complaints among adolescents from the Nordic countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bjarnason Thoroddur

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A positive association between time spent on sedentary screen-based activities and physical complaints has been reported, but the cumulative association between different types of screen-based activities and physical complaints has not been examined thoroughly. Methods The cross-sectional association between screen-based activity and physical complaints (backache and headache among students was examined in a sample of 31022 adolescents from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Greenland, as part of the Health behaviour in school-aged children 2005/06 (HBSC study. Daily hours spent on screen-based activities and levels of physical complaints were assessed using self-reports. Results Logistic regression analysis indicated that computer use, computer gaming and TV viewing contributed uniquely to prediction of weekly backache and headache. The magnitude of associations was consistent across types of screen based activities, and across gender. Conclusion The observed associations indicate that time spent on screen-based activity is a contributing factor to physical complaints among young people, and that effects accumulate across different types of screen-based activities.

  4. Recovery of Work-Related Stress: Complaint Reduction and Work-Resumption are Relatively Independent Processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vente, W. de; Kamphuis, J.H.; Blonk, R.W.; Emmelkamp, P.M.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The process of recovery from work-related stress, consisting of complaint reduction and work-resumption, is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of complaint reduction and work-resumption, as well as testing complaint reduction as a mediator in the

  5. Recovery of work-related stress: Complaint reduction and work-resumption are relatively independent processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vente, W.; Kamphuis, J.H.; Blonk, R.W.B.; Emmelkamp, P.M.G.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The process of recovery from work-related stress, consisting of complaint reduction and work-resumption, is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of complaint reduction and work-resumption, as well as testing complaint reduction as a mediator in the

  6. Associations between long commutes and subjective health complaints among railway workers in Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terhi Urhonen

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Commuting is an important aspect of daily life for many employees, but there is little knowledge of how this affects individual commuters' health and well-being. The authors investigated the relationship between commuting and subjective health complaints, using data from a web-based questionnaire. In a sample of 2126 railway employees, 644 (30.3% had long commute times. A 29-item inventory was used to measure the number and degree of the subjective health complaints. Those who commuted 60 min or more each way were characterized by significantly higher numbers and degrees of subjective health complaints compared with their peers with short commutes. The mean number of complaints was 7.5 among the former group and 6.4 for the latter group (p = 0.009. In a regression model, in which the authors controlled for age, gender, education, self-rated health, and coping, the employees with long commutes reported more complaints than those with short commutes. Significant associations were found between those with long commutes and the number and degree of incidences of self-reported musculoskeletal pain, pseudo-neurologic complaints, and gastrointestinal problems. Commuters who had had long commutes for more than 10 years reported more gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal complaints than those with long commutes for less than 2 years. Also, commuters with long commutes spent less time with their families and leisure activities compared with those with short commutes. The authors conclude that the association between long commute times and higher levels of subjective health complaints should attract the attention of transport planners, employers, and public health policymaker.

  7. PROFESSIONAL CODES OF CONDUCT IN PSYCHOLOGY: DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF COMPLAINTS REVIEWED BY THE COPC ETHICS COMMITTEE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mila Arch

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades a significant increase has been observed in the number of complaints filed with ethical committees. The possibility of being the subject of a complaint is therefore a growing concern for professionals. However, research on ethics and codes of conduct in psychology is still very limited and real data on the complaints filed with Ethics Committees against psychologists are practically nonexistent. This article describes the results of a descriptive analysis of the complaints reviewed by the COPC Ethics Committee from 1998 to 2011. A total of 324 complaints were filed, but only 20% led to opening disciplinary proceedings, the judicial context being the professional area in which the highest percentage of complaints were filed (85%. Among the most prevalent reasons for complaints were making assessments without prior examination and partiality.

  8. WEATHER CONDITIONS AND COMPLAINTS IN FIBROMYALGIA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    DEBLECOURT, ACE; KNIPPING, AA; DEVOOGD, N; VANRIJSWIJK, MH

    1993-01-01

    Patients with musculoskeletal disorders, including fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), often state that weather conditions modulate their complaints. There have been a few studies concerning this issue, but the results appear to be contradictory. We tried to relate the subjective symptoms of pain,

  9. WEATHER CONDITIONS AND COMPLAINTS IN FIBROMYALGIA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    DEBLECOURT, ACE; KNIPPING, AA; DEVOOGD, N; VANRIJSWIJK, MH

    Patients with musculoskeletal disorders, including fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), often state that weather conditions modulate their complaints. There have been a few studies concerning this issue, but the results appear to be contradictory. We tried to relate the subjective symptoms of pain,

  10. Cognitive complaints in obstructive sleep apnea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vaessen, T.J.A.; Overeem, S.; Sitskoorn, M.M.

    2015-01-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with impairments in cognitive functioning. Although cognitive complaints are related to quality of life, work productivity and health care expenditures, most research and all reviews have focused exclusively on objective cognitive functioning so far. In

  11. 32 CFR 865.121 - Complaints concerning decisional documents and index entries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Complaints concerning decisional documents and index entries. 865.121 Section 865.121 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF... Board § 865.121 Complaints concerning decisional documents and index entries. Former members of the Air...

  12. The Relationship Between Sleep Complaints, Depression and Executive Functions on Older Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie Moraes Almondes

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Aim: In this manuscript, we report data on the association between executive functions screened by Frontal Assessment Battery, Five Digit Test and Digit Span with self-reported depressive symptoms and sleep complaints in nondemented older adults. Methods: A total sample of 95 nondemented older adults performed Geriatric Depression Scale short version, Frontal Assessment Battery, Five Digit Test, Digit Span and clinical interview. We split participants in groups stratified by age according to: young-old (60-69 years of age, old-old (70-79 years and oldest-old (> 80 years and compared these three groups on the sociodemographic characteristics and executive functions performance. We carried out Poisson regression with robust error variance to verify sleep complaints and depression effects on executive functions performance. Gender, age, years of formal education, use of antidepressants and of benzodiazepines were considered as confounding variables, taking into account executive functions as dependent and sleep complaints and depression as independent variables. Results: Controlling the effect of age, gender, years of formal education, use of benzodiazepines and of antidepressants there was a significant influence of depression in motor programming, inhibitory control and working memory. Individuals without depression show motor programming scores 68,4% higher, inhibitory control scores 3 times greater and working memory scores also 3 times greater than individuals without depression. There was a significant influence of sleep complaints in phonemic fluency, motor programming, inhibitory control and working memory. Individuals without sleep complaints show phonemic fluency scores 2 times greater than, motor programming scores 85,9% higher, inhibitory control scores 3 times greater and working memory scores also 3 times greater than individuals without sleep complaints.Conclusions: Sleep complaints are associated with phonemic fluency, motor

  13. Does industry self-regulation protect young people from exposure to alcohol marketing? A review of compliance and complaint studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noel, Jonathan K; Babor, Thomas F

    2017-01-01

    Exposure to alcohol marketing is considered to be potentially harmful to adolescents. In addition to statutory regulation, industry self-regulation is a common way to protect adolescents from alcohol marketing exposures. This paper critically reviews research designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the alcohol industry's compliance procedures to manage complaints when alcohol marketing is considered to have violated a self-regulatory code. Peer-reviewed papers were identified through four literature search engines: PubMed, SCOPUS, PsychINFO and CINAHL. Non-peer-reviewed reports produced by public health agencies, alcohol research centers, non-governmental organizations, government research centers and national industry advertising associations were also included. The search process yielded three peer-reviewed papers, seven non-peer reviewed reports published by academic institutes and non-profit organizations and 20 industry reports. The evidence indicates that the complaint process lacks standardization across countries, industry adjudicators may be trained inadequately or biased and few complaints are upheld against advertisements pre-determined to contain violations of a self-regulatory code. The current alcohol industry marketing complaint process used in a wide variety of countries may be ineffective at removing potentially harmful content from the market-place. The process of determining the validity of complaints employed by most industry groups appears to suffer from serious conflict of interest and procedural weaknesses that could compromise objective adjudication of even well-documented complaints. In our opinion the current system of self-regulation needs major modifications if it is to serve public health objectives, and more systematic evaluations of the complaint process are needed. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  14. Subjective memory complaint only relates to verbal episodic memory performance in mild cognitive impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gifford, Katherine A; Liu, Dandan; Damon, Stephen M; Chapman, William G; Romano Iii, Raymond R; Samuels, Lauren R; Lu, Zengqi; Jefferson, Angela L

    2015-01-01

    A cognitive concern from the patient, informant, or clinician is required for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, the cognitive and neuroanatomical correlates of complaint are poorly understood. We assessed how self-complaint relates to cognitive and neuroimaging measures in older adults with MCI. MCI participants were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and dichotomized into two groups based on the presence of self-reported memory complaint (no complaint n = 191, 77 ± 7 years; complaint n = 206, 73 ± 8 years). Cognitive outcomes included episodic memory, executive functioning, information processing speed, and language. Imaging outcomes included regional lobar volumes (frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate) and specific medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, parahippocampal gyrus thickness). Linear regressions, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, mood, and apolipoprotein E4 status, found that cognitive complaint related to immediate (β = -1.07, p memory performances assessed on a serial list learning task (β = -1.06, p = 0.001) but no other cognitive measures or neuroimaging markers. Self-reported memory concern was unrelated to structural neuroimaging markers of atrophy and measures of information processing speed, executive functioning, or language. In contrast, subjective memory complaint related to objective verbal episodic learning performance. Future research is warranted to better understand the relation between cognitive complaint and surrogate markers of abnormal brain aging, including Alzheimer's disease, across the cognitive aging spectrum.

  15. Subjective memory complaint only relates to verbal episodic memory performance in mild cognitive impairment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gifford, Katherine A.; Liu, Dandan; Damon, Stephen M.; Chapman, William G.; Romano, Raymond R.; Samuels, Lauren R.; Lu, Zengqi; Jefferson, Angela L.

    2015-01-01

    Background A cognitive concern from the patient, informant, or clinician is required for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, the cognitive and neuroanatomical correlates of complaint are poorly understood. Objective We assessed how self-complaint relates to cognitive and neuroimaging measures in older adults with MCI. Method MCI participants were drawn from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and dichotomized into two groups based on the presence of self-reported memory complaint (no complaint n=191, 77±7 years; complaint n=206, 73±8 years). Cognitive outcomes included episodic memory, executive functioning, information processing speed, and language. Imaging outcomes included regional lobar volumes (frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate) and specific medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, parahippocampal gyrus thickness). Results Linear regressions, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, mood, and apolipoprotein E-4 status, found that cognitive complaint related to immediate (β=−1.07, pmemory performances assessed on a serial list learning task (β=−1.06, p=0.001) but no other cognitive measures or neuroimaging markers. Conclusions Self-reported memory concern was unrelated to structural neuroimaging markers of atrophy and measures of information processing speed, executive functioning, or language. In contrast, subjective memory complaint related to objective verbal episodic learning performance. Future research is warranted to better understand the relation between cognitive complaint and surrogate markers of abnormal brain aging, including Alzheimer’s disease, across the cognitive aging spectrum. PMID:25281602

  16. 32 CFR 70.10 - Complaints concerning decisional documents and index entries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... declining to list that aspect of the service record as an issue. (v) Guidance as to other types of complaints. The following guidance governs other specified types of complaints: (A) The Stipulation of... noted in the decisional document or index entries: (Authentication) Attachment 2—Joint Service Review...

  17. 45 CFR 2554.48 - Can the administrative complaint be settled voluntarily?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Can the administrative complaint be settled voluntarily? 2554.48 Section 2554.48 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued... Appeals § 2554.48 Can the administrative complaint be settled voluntarily? (a) Parties may make offers of...

  18. 75 FR 69432 - Ross Bachofer v. Calpine Corporation; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL11-3-000] Ross Bachofer v. Calpine Corporation; Notice of Complaint November 4, 2010. Take notice that on October 26, 2010, pursuant... Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 2824c, Ross Bachofer (Complainant) filed a complaint against Calpine...

  19. UK consumer perceptions of a novel till-receipt 'traffic-light' nutrition system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Matthew; Peek, Hayden; Cowen, Daniel

    2018-03-26

    Front-of-pack (FoP) traffic light nutrition labelling has been widely proposed as a tool to improve public health nutrition. Current evidence suggests that whilst consumers generally find them to be useful and an important source of information about a particular food or ingredient, this may have limited value in isolation when considering a person's overall nutritional intake. This study sought to examine UK consumers' use of existing FoP traffic light food labelling and ascertain public perception of a novel 'till-receipt' summary providing nutritional information about consumers entire shopping purchases. In total, 237 respondents completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2016. Almost two-thirds were female (n = 152, 64.1%) and the largest proportion of responses were received from those aged 25-32 years (n = 53, 22.4%) and 41-50 years (n = 53, 22.4%). About 83.5% of respondents suggested that they currently use traffic light information to inform their food purchases and 'health' was reported as the most important factor influencing food choice (42.2%; n = 100). Notably, 54.4% of respondents indicated that the novel till-receipt system could provide a solution to the potential limitations of existing FoP labelling and could help inform healthier food purchases. Our findings strengthen the existing evidence base to suggest that traffic light information is a useful tool to aid consumer food purchases. Moreover, our outcomes propose that consumers may benefit from a new receipt-based traffic light system which provides a more holistic summary of their entire food purchases.

  20. Significance of non-specific complaints in asymptomatic cerebral infarction. Approach based on the cerebral circulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakayori, Osamu; Kitamura, Shin; Nagazumi, Atsushi; Terashi, Akirou [Nippon Medical School, Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-10-01

    Seventy-three cases with asymptomatic cerebral infarction detected by MR scanning and 80 cases of past stroke patients were evaluated. The regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) using the SPECT, idoine-123-IMP autoradiography (ARG) method was measured. Twenty-two patients with non-specific complaints (dizziness, numbness of the extremities, headache, etc.) without cerebrovascular risk factors were also examined as controls. Fifty-two percent of the asymptomatic infarction cases had non-specific complaints. The regional CBF in all cerebral non-specific complaints showed significantly lower values as compared to the controls. There was no difference in CBF values between the asymptomatic infarction cases with non-specific complaints and the past stroke patients. Among the asymptomatic infarction patients, cases with both non-specific complaints and hypertension displayed significantly lower CBF values, especially in the frontal and temporal cortical regions, than did cases without non-specific complaints or hypertension. These findings suggest that the patient`s complaints should be taken into consideration when determining the clinical treatment of asymptomatic infarction. (author)

  1. Customers' attributional judgments towards complaint handling in airline service: a confirmatory study based on attribution theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiou, Wen-Bin

    2007-06-01

    Besides flight safety, complaint handling plays a crucial role in airline service. Based upon Kelley's attribution theory, in the present study customers' attributions were examined under different conditions of complaint handling by the airlines. There were 531 passengers (216 women; ages 21 to 63 years, M = 41.5, SD = 11.1) with experiences of customer complaints who were recruited while awaiting boarding. Participants received one hypothetical scenario of three attributional conditions about complaint handling and then reported their attributional judgments. The findings indicated that the passengers were most likely to attribute the company's complaint handling to unconditional compliance when the airline company reacted to customer complaints under low distinctiveness, high consistency, and when consensus among the airlines was low. On the other hand, most passengers attributed the company's complaint handling to conditional compliance under the conditions in which distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus were all high. The results provide further insights into how different policies of complaint management affect customers' attributions. Future directions and managerial implications are also discussed.

  2. 28 CFR 42.606 - General rules concerning EEOC action on complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... title VII and the Equal Pay Act, the date such a complaint was received by an agency shall be deemed the... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General rules concerning EEOC action on complaints. 42.606 Section 42.606 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL...

  3. 34 CFR 299.10 - What complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt? 299.10 Section 299.10 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY... complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt? (a) General. An SEA shall adopt written procedures, consistent with...

  4. Depression, Anxiety and Somatic Complaints in Colombian Children Living in Rural Communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruby C. Castilla Puentes

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In Colombia, children are frequently exposed to traumatic events; however, there are no data regarding the impact on depression, anxiety and somatic correlates of such exposure in children living in rural communities. Objective: To investigate the somatic complaints and symptoms of depression and anxiety among children exposed to traumatic events in a rural community of Colombia. Methods: Design: Cross-Sectional study. Participants: Two hundred and ninety-three Colombian children aged eight to 18 years. Main Outcome Measures: Standardized measures were administered to assess children's depression, anxiety, physical symptoms and exposure to traumatic events. Depression: CDI (Children's Depression Inventory; anxiety: SCARED (The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders; somatic complaints: CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist, Somatic Complaints scale and reporting traumatic events during the K-SADS-PL (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. Results: Ninety-one of the 293 children (31.1% reported somatic complaints. The most common somatic complaint was in the gastrointestinal category (35/91. One hundred and seventy eight children (60.5% had observed traumatic events, including homicides during the last month. Two hundred five (69.9% of the children showed depressive symptom profiles above established norms, and 239 (81.6% exhibited anxiety symptoms according to their own reports. The correlation between depression and traumatic events, anxiety and somatic complaints, and between anxiety and depression were statistically significant (p<0.005. Conclusions: As the first study of its kind in children living in rural communities in Colombia, it demonstrates a clear impact of traumatic events on mental health. Information that somatic complaints are commonly an expression of underlying depression and anxiety may facilitate the treatment and thereby help avoid unnecessary medical workups and sequelae from traumatized

  5. Subthreshold depression and subjective cognitive complaints in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santangelo, G; Vitale, C; Trojano, L; Angrisano, M G; Picillo, M; Errico, D; Agosti, V; Grossi, D; Barone, P

    2014-03-01

    Subthreshold depression (SubD) is characterized by clinically relevant depressive symptoms not meeting criteria for major depression. The possible association of SubD with subjective cognitive complaints and/or objective cognitive impairments was investigated in a sample of consecutive, non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) outpatients. Amongst 115 patients, SubD was identified in 30 patients, major depression in 33; 36 patients were classified as non-depressed. Enrolled patients were administered tests and questionnaires validated in PD for assessing objective and subjective cognitive dysfunctions. On objective cognitive measures SubD patients did not differ from non-depressed patients, whereas depressed patients achieved significantly lower scores than the other two groups. SubD and depressed patients reported more cognitive complaints than non-depressed patients. SubD is a non-motor aspect of PD that is not related to objective cognitive deficits but is associated with subjective cognitive complaints, thus impacting on patients' well-being. © 2013 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2013 EFNS.

  6. Resident complaints about the nursing home food service: relationship to cognitive status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Sandra F; Cleeton, Patrick; Porchak, Tracy

    2009-05-01

    Most nursing home (NH) residents are not interviewed about their satisfaction with the food service due to cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of NH residents able to complete a structured interview to assess food complaints when no cognitive status criteria were used to exclude residents from interview. Eighty-nine percent of 163 residents were able and willing to complete the interview, and 65% expressed complaints about the NH food service. Residents who expressed complaints ate less of their meals, had less cognitive impairment, and had more depressive symptoms than those who did not. This study shows that the majority of NH residents are able to reliably answer questions about their satisfaction with the food service, regardless of cognitive status, and the presence of complaints is related to poor meal intake and depressive symptoms.

  7. GPs' negotiation strategies regarding sick leave for subjective health complaints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsen, Stein Tore; Malterud, Kirsti; Werner, Erik L.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: To explore general practitioners ’(GPs’) specific negotiation strategies regarding sick-leave issues with patientssuffering from subjective health complaints. Design: Focus-group study. Setting: Nine focus-group interviews in three citiesin different regions of Norway. Participants: 48...... GPs (31 men, 17 women; age 32–65), participating in a course dealing with diagnostic practice and assessment of sickness certifi cates related to patients with subjective health complaints. Results: TheGPs identified some specific strategies that they claimed to apply when dealing with the question...... to sick leave. Conclusions and implications: GPs seem to have a conscious approach to negotiations of sickness certification, as they report applying specific strategies to limit the duration of sick leave due to subjective health complaints. This give-and-take way of handling sick leave negotiations has...

  8. Stress, Visual and Musculoskeletal Complaints in Open Plan Office Staff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vangelova K.

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to identify the main ergonomic and organizational risks contributing to stress, visual and musculoskeletal disorders in open plan office workers. A total of 73 subjects of mean age 28.3 ±4.7 years were studied. Measurements of salivary cortisol and self-ratings for strain, fatigue, stress symptoms, visual and musculoskeletal complaints were performed. The work places were organized well, but the studied staff reported high work load and time pressure. The data showed higher cortisol levels during the workday under time pressure. High incidence of visual and musculoskeletal complaints mainly in the region of the back and the neck were found, associated with flickering and blinks on the screen monitors and overtime. Optimizing workplace organization could help reduce stress and health complaints of office staff.

  9. Pattern of presenting complaints recorded as near-drowning events in emergency departments: a national surveillance study from Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Siran; Lunnen, Jeffrey C; Zia, Nukhba; Khan, Uzma; Shamim, Khusro; Hyder, Adnan A

    2015-01-01

    Drowning is a heavy burden on the health systems of many countries, including Pakistan. To date, no effective large-scale surveillance has been in place to estimate rates of drowning and near-drowning in Pakistan. The Pakistan National Emergency Department Surveillance (Pak-NEDS) study aimed to fill this gap. Patients who presented with a complaint of "near-drowning" were analyzed to explore patterns of true near-drowning (unintentional) and intentional injuries that led to the "near-drowning" complaint. Bivariate analysis was done to establish patterns among patients treated in emergency departments, including socio-demographic information, injury-related information, accompanying injuries, and emergency department resource utilization. A total of 133 patients (0.2% of all injury patients) with "near-drowning" as presenting complaints were recorded by the Pak-NEDS system. True near-drowning (50.0%) and intentional injuries that led to "near-drowning" complaints (50.0%) differed in nature of injuries. The highest proportion of true near-drowning incidents occurred among patients aged between 25-44 years (47.5%), and among males (77.5%). True near-drowning patients usually had other accompanying complaints, such as lower limb injury (40.0%). Very few patients were transported by ambulance (5.0%), and triage was done for 15% of patients. Eleven (27.5%) true near-drowning patients received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. There was major under-reporting of drowning and near-drowning cases in the surveillance study. The etiology of near-drowning cases should be further studied. Patients who experienced non-fatal drownings were more commonly sent for medical care due to other accompanying conditions, rather than near-drowning event itself. There is also need for recognizing true near-drowning incidents. The results of this study provide information on data source selection, site location, emergency care standardization, and multi-sector collaboration for future drowning

  10. Small-Scale Pellet Heating Systems from Consumer Perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, K; Gustavsson, L [Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden). Ecotechnology

    2006-07-15

    A questionnaire survey of 1,500 detached house owners was carried out in the autumn of 2004 to find out the factors influencing the adoption and diffusion of pellet heating systems in the Swedish residential sector. The results revealed that most of the respondents had no plans to install new heating systems as they were satisfied with their existing ones. Economic aspects and functional reliability were the most important factors in the respondents' choice of heating system while environmental factors were of less importance. Therefore, internalizing external costs, such as environmental costs, might be effective in influencing house owners to adopt environmentally benign heating systems. Installers were the most important source of information on heating systems. Hence, it is important that they could inform the consumers comprehensively and accurately about different heating systems. Respondents perceived the relative advantage of pellet boilers over oil or electricity-based heating systems, but bedrock heat pump system was ranked higher than pellet heating system in every aspect except for investment cost. Pellet heating system has advantage over district heating system with respect to investment cost and annual cost of heating. District heating system was considered as most functionally reliable and automatic.

  11. Small-Scale Pellet Heating Systems from Consumer Perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, K.; Gustavsson, L.

    2006-01-01

    A questionnaire survey of 1,500 detached house owners was carried out in the autumn of 2004 to find out the factors influencing the adoption and diffusion of pellet heating systems in the Swedish residential sector. The results revealed that most of the respondents had no plans to install new heating systems as they were satisfied with their existing ones. Economic aspects and functional reliability were the most important factors in the respondents' choice of heating system while environmental factors were of less importance. Therefore, internalizing external costs, such as environmental costs, might be effective in influencing house owners to adopt environmentally benign heating systems. Installers were the most important source of information on heating systems. Hence, it is important that they could inform the consumers comprehensively and accurately about different heating systems. Respondents perceived the relative advantage of pellet boilers over oil or electricity-based heating systems, but bedrock heat pump system was ranked higher than pellet heating system in every aspect except for investment cost. Pellet heating system has advantage over district heating system with respect to investment cost and annual cost of heating. District heating system was considered as most functionally reliable and automatic

  12. Self-perception, complaints and vocal quality among undergraduate students enrolled in a Pedagogy course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabron, Eliana Maria Gradim; Regaçone, Simone Fiuza; Marino, Viviane Cristina de Castro; Mastria, Marina Ludovico; Motonaga, Suely Mayumi; Sebastião, Luciana Tavares

    2015-01-01

    To compare the vocal self-perception and vocal complaints reported by two groups of students of the pedagogy course (freshmen and graduates); to relate the vocal self-perception to the vocal complaints for these groups; and to compare the voice quality of the students from these groups through perceptual auditory assessment and acoustic analysis. Initially, 89 students from the pedagogy course answered a questionnaire about self-perceived voice quality and vocal complaints. In a second phase, auditory-perceptual evaluation and acoustic analyses of 48 participants were made through voice recordings of sustained vowel emission and poem reading. The most reported vocal complaints were fatigue while using the voice, sore throat, effort to speak, irritation or burning in the throat, hoarseness, tightness in the neck, and variations of voice throughout the day. There was a higher occurrence of complaints from graduates than from freshmen, with significant differences for four of the nine complaints. It was also possible to observe the relationship between vocal self-perception and complaints reported by these students. No significant differences were observed in the results of auditory-perceptual evaluation; however, some graduates had their voices evaluated with higher severity of deviation of normalcy. During acoustic analysis no difference was observed between groups. The increase in vocal demand by the graduates may have caused the greatest number and diversity of vocal complaints, and several of them are related to the self-assessment of voice quality. The auditory-perceptual evaluation and acoustic analysis showed no deviations in their voice.

  13. Proceedings of the 12. forum: Croatian Energy Day: Energy consumers in open market conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Granic, G.; Jelavic, B.

    2003-01-01

    The theme of the 12. Forum: Energy Day in Croatia is energy sector liberalisation and the new position of the consumers, changing rapidly and acquiring a completely new perspective. By means of market opening of various energy forms the consumer gains right to choose the energy supplier, quite a radical change in relation to the former, monopolistic relationship. This means that the consumer becomes the centre of attention, as has already been achieved at the mobile phone market. Within new market environment, the consumer becomes product buyer, buyer of the product in principle bearing market characteristics as any other product. However, energy markets reveal numerous peculiarities, distinguishing them from the markets of goods and services, as we have known them for centuries, which function according to well-known market conditions. While part of the energy sector will permanently remain a natural monopoly (transmission / transportation and distribution networks), the opening of the considered market requires information science development, which means it is necessary to apply advanced technology for e.g. measuring devices, etc. In view of such market circumstances it is essential to define the quality of the product including supply stability, voltage quality or agility in responding to customer complaints. On the other hand, these factors cannot be adjusted to each individual consumer-buyer at the moment or at least not ones. The position of the customers-buyers has been solved differently in various countries. The aim of this Forum is to put forward and explain experience and solutions connected to the new customer-buyer role in market circumstances. It is our wish that the participants discuss problems connected to the consumer-buyer position under the following aspects: Present status of market opening for various energy forms in the countries of the EU and in the transition countries; technical preconditions for energy market opening such as information

  14. Increased Working Memory-Related Brain Activity in Middle-Aged Women with Cognitive Complaints

    OpenAIRE

    Dumas, Julie A.; Kutz, Amanda M.; McDonald, Brenna C.; R.Naylor, Magdalena; Pfaff, Ashley C.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Newhouse, Paul A.

    2012-01-01

    Individuals who report subjective cognitive complaints but perform normally on neuropsychological tests may be at increased risk for pathological cognitive aging. The current study examined the effects of the presence of subjective cognitive complaints on functional brain activity during a working memory task in a sample of middle-aged postmenopausal women. Twenty-three postmenopausal women aged 50–60 completed a cognitive complaint battery of questionnaires. Using 20% of items endorsed as th...

  15. Office characteristics and dry eye complaints in European workers : The OFFICAIR study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Kluizenaar, Y; Roda, C.; Dijkstra, NE; Fossati, S; Mandin, C; Mihucz, VG; Hänninen, O; de Oliveira Fernandes, E; Silva, GV; Carrer, P; Bartzis, J; Bluijssen, P.M.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Ocular discomfort is a prevalent health complaint in offices. It is hypothesized that, in addition to individual and occupational factors, the buildings' indoor environment may affect eye complaints. However, insight in potential building-related causal factors, needed to allow

  16. Intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive complaints, and cancer-related distress in prostate cancer survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisenberg, Stacy A; Kurita, Keiko; Taylor-Ford, Megan; Agus, David B; Gross, Mitchell E; Meyerowitz, Beth E

    2015-02-01

    Prostate cancer survivors have reported cognitive complaints following treatment, and these difficulties may be associated with survivors' ongoing cancer-related distress. Intolerance of uncertainty may exacerbate this hypothesized relationship by predisposing individuals to approach uncertain situations such as cancer survivorship in an inflexible and negative manner. We investigated whether greater cognitive complaints and higher intolerance of uncertainty would interact in their relation to more cancer-related distress symptoms. This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study included 67 prostate cancer survivors who were 3 to 5 years post treatment. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested the extent to which intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive complaints, and their interaction were associated with cancer-related distress (measured with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised; IES-R) after adjusting for age, education, physical symptoms, and fear of cancer recurrence. Intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated with the IES-R avoidance and hyperarousal subscales. More cognitive complaints were associated with higher scores on the IES-R hyperarousal subscale. The interaction of intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive complaints was significantly associated with IES-R intrusion, such that greater cognitive complaints were associated with greater intrusive thoughts in survivors high in intolerance of uncertainty but not those low in it. Prostate cancer survivors who report cognitive difficulties or who find uncertainty uncomfortable and unacceptable may be at greater risk for cancer-related distress, even 3 to 5 years after completing treatment. It may be beneficial to address both cognitive complaints and intolerance of uncertainty in psychosocial interventions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Sexual Victimization and Somatic Complaints in Pregnancy: Examination of Depression as a Mediator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Littleton, Heather

    2015-01-01

    Research suggests that women with histories of sexual victimization are more likely to experience somatic complaints in pregnancy. However, prior studies have been limited by homogenous samples, have primarily only examined the relationship of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to somatic complaints, and have not examined potential mechanisms explaining this association. Thus, the current study examined the relationship between lifetime sexual victimization history and somatic complaints in pregnancy in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women. Additionally, depressive symptoms were examined as a mediator of the sexual victimization-somatic complaints relationship. Women were recruited from the waiting room of a university-affiliated obstetrics-gynecology clinic to complete a study of psychological health and negative sexual experiences. The 407 currently pregnant participants who completed measures of their sexual victimization history, depressive symptoms, and somatic complaints were primarily African American (53.6%), low to middle income (75.4%), and reported an unplanned pregnancy (72%). A total of 27.7% of women had a history of CSA and/or adolescent/adult sexual assault. Mediation analyses using bootstrapping supported depression as a significant mediator of the relationship between sexual victimization and somatic complaints, with a medium-sized effect (κ(2) = .09). Having a history of sexual victimization is associated with risk for poor mental and physical health during pregnancy. There are likely multiple mechanisms explaining the association between sexual victimization and somatic complaints in pregnancy, which should be investigated in future research. Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. A cross-sectional study of psychological complaints and quality of life in severely injured patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Delft-Schreurs, C C H M; van Bergen, J J M; van de Sande, P; Verhofstad, M H J; de Vries, J; de Jongh, M A C

    2014-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of psychological complaints and the relationship of these complaints with the quality of life (QOL) and accident- and patient-related factors among severely injured patients after the rehabilitation phase. Patients of 18 years or older with an injury severity score above 15 were included 15-53 months after their accident. Accident and patient characteristics were obtained from questionnaires and the trauma registry. Several questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Events Scale, and Cognitive Failure Questionnaire) were used to determine the symptoms of psychological problems (anxiety or depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or subjective cognitive complaints, respectively). The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref was used to determine QOL. A reference group of the Dutch general population was used for comparison of QOL scores. The participation rate was 62 % (n = 173). At the time of the study, 30.1 % (n = 52) of the investigated patients had psychological complaints. No relation between psychological complaints and somatic severity or type of injury was found. Patients who were employed before the accident or resumed working reported less psychological complaints. Use of any medication before the accident and treatment for pre-accidental psychological problems were positively related to psychological complaints afterwards. QOL of severely injured patients was impaired in comparison with the general Dutch population, but only for those with psychological complaints. Psychological complaints seem to be an important and underestimated factor for a decreased QOL among severely injured patients.

  19. Predictors of Obesity and Physical Health Complaints Among 911 Telecommunicators

    OpenAIRE

    Michelle M. Lilly; Melissa J. London; Mary C. Mercer

    2016-01-01

    Background: This study aims to: (1) examine rates of obesity and physical health complaints among 911 telecommunicators; and (2) document the role of emotion dysregulation, psychological inflexibility, duty-related distress and dissociation, and psychopathology in predicting obesity and physical health complaints in this population. Methods: The sample consisted of 911 telecommunicators from across the country (N = 758). Participants completed an online survey assessing their mental and ph...

  20. Field investigation on consumer behavior and hydraulic performance of a district heating system in Tianjin, China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Baoping; Fu, Lin; Di, Hongfa [Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2009-02-15

    With the implementation of heat reforms in China, the application of thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) has been gaining popularity in the new-style district heating systems (DHSs). The objective of this study was to investigate consumer behavior (including regulation of TRVs and opening of windows) and its influences on the hydraulic performance and energy consumption of individuals and the whole system. The concurrence rate of individual behaviors and hydraulic interactions between individuals were analyzed. This study should be helpful to gain a comprehensive understanding of the new DHSs in China and consider a proper design/control strategy for these systems. Questionnaires and field observations of consumer behavior, tests of hydraulic performance, and surveys of energy consumption were carried out in a DHS in Tianjin, which was one of the heat metering and billing demonstration projects in China. The main results of the tests were as follows: water flow performance in apartment-level heating systems were diverse because consumers' behavior was varied and unpredictable, and the hydraulic interaction between consumers living along the line of a vertical pipe was obvious, and was stronger for terminal consumers with their TRVs set to higher values; however, flow variations in the whole DHS, which included 910 households, were relatively constant. A probability analysis was carried out to explain this phenomenon, and the conclusion was drawn that when there were more than 200 consumers, the stochastic consumer regulation behavior would bring less than 10% of total flow variations. Finally, the power consumption of the circulation pump, heat consumption and energy-saving potential of this type of DHS were discussed and some suggestions for TRV regulation and pump operation were made. (author)

  1. 29 CFR 37.88 - Who may contact CRC about a complaint?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Who may contact CRC about a complaint? 37.88 Section 37.88... PROVISIONS OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998 (WIA) Compliance Procedures § 37.88 Who may contact CRC... contact CRC for information about the complaint. The Director will determine what information, if any...

  2. Professional Burnout and Concurrent Health Complaints in Neonatal Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skorobogatova, Natalija; Žemaitienė, Nida; Šmigelskas, Kastytis; Tamelienė, Rasa

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze nurses' professional burnout and health complaints and the relationship between the two components. The anonymous survey included 94 neonatal intensive care nurses from two centers of perinatology. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was used to evaluate professional burnout; it consisted of 3 components, Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishments, with 22 items in total. Health complaints were evaluated by 21 items, where nurses were asked to report the occurrence of symptoms within the last year. Scale means were presented with standard deviations (SD). Inferential analysis was conducted with multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for age, residence, and work experience. The mean score of professional burnout on the Emotional Exhaustion subscale was 14.4 (SD=7.91), Depersonalization 3.8 (SD=4.75), and Personal Accomplishment 29.1 (SD=10.12). The health assessment revealed that sleeplessness, lack of rest, nervousness, and tiredness were the most common complaints. The regression analysis revealed that tiredness was independently associated with significantly increased odds of professional burnout (OR=4.1). In our study, more than half of the nurses in neonatal intensive care had moderate or high levels of emotional exhaustion, while levels of depersonalization were significantly lower. In contrast, the level of personal accomplishment was low in more than half of the nurses. The most common health complaints were sleep disturbances, nervousness, and tiredness. Tiredness was most strongly associated with professional burnout.

  3. Self-perceived memory complaints predict progression to Alzheimer disease. The LADIS study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Verdelho, Ana; Madureira, Sofia; Moleiro, Carla

    2011-01-01

    the follow-up (ß = 2.7, p = 0.008; HR = 15.5, CI 95% [2.04, 117.6]), independently of other confounders, namely depressive symptoms, WMC severity, medial temporal lobe atrophy, and global cognition status at baseline. Self perceived memory complaints did not predict vascular dementia. In the LADIS study......Memory complaints are frequent in the elderly but its implications in cognition over time remain a controversial issue. Our objective was to evaluate the risk of self perceived memory complaints in the evolution for future dementia. The LADIS (Leukoaraiosis and Disability) prospective multinational...... battery. Dementia and subtypes of dementia were classified. Self perceived memory complaints in independent elderly were collected during the interview. MRI was performed at entry and at the end of the study. 639 subjects were included (74.1 ± 5 years old, 55% women, 9.6 ± 3.8 years of schooling). At end...

  4. THE COMPLAINT ABOUT THE PROTRACTION OF PROCEEDINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlad-Silviu STANCIU

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The complaint about the protraction of proceedings (“contestaţia privind tergiversarea judecății” has the role of sanctioning the passivity of the court of law which does not use the means necessary for correcting irregular conduct, or even worse, it disregards the legal provisions requiring a certain conduct from the court itself. The complaint about the protraction of proceedings should not be seen as a possibility to sanction the judge empowered to solve the case. This appeal is actually a remedy provided by law, intended to correct those situations in which the court of law is causing undue delay to the cases, or even more, it doesn`t take the necessary measures for protecting the right to a fair trial within a reasonable and foreseeable time.

  5. Predictors of Obesity and Physical Health Complaints Among 911 Telecommunicators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lilly, Michelle M; London, Melissa J; Mercer, Mary C

    2016-03-01

    This study aims to: (1) examine rates of obesity and physical health complaints among 911 telecommunicators; and (2) document the role of emotion dysregulation, psychological inflexibility, duty-related distress and dissociation, and psychopathology in predicting obesity and physical health complaints in this population. The sample consisted of 911 telecommunicators from across the country (N = 758). Participants completed an online survey assessing their mental and physical health functioning. A total of 82.5% of the sample reported a body mass index that fell within the overweight or obese category and an average of 17 physical health complaints within the past month. Peritraumatic reactions (distress and dissociation), emotion dysregulation, and psychological inflexibility had effects on physical health largely through psychopathology (alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression). Development of adapted prevention and intervention efforts with this population is needed.

  6. Do subjective memory complaints herald the onset of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erro, Roberto; Santangelo, Gabriella; Barone, Paolo; Picillo, Marina; Amboni, Marianna; Longo, Katia; Giordano, Flavio; Moccia, Marcello; Allocca, Roberto; Pellecchia, Maria Teresa; Vitale, Carmine

    2014-12-01

    Longitudinal studies on healthy participants have shown that subjective memory impairment (defined as subjective cognitive complaints with normal cognitive objective performance) might be a strong predictor of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Parkinson disease (PD) also manifests cognitive disturbances, but whether subjective memory complaints may predict the development of MCI in PD has not yet been explored. We prospectively screened newly diagnosed, untreated patients with PD in order to evaluate whether subjective memory complaints may predict development of MCI over a 2-year follow-up evaluation. We enrolled 76 de novo untreated patients with PD. Of the 76 patients, 23 (30.3%) complained memory issues. Among the patients cognitively unimpaired at baseline, those with subjective complaints were more likely to develop MCI at follow-up. The regression model confirmed that presence of subjective memory complaints at baseline was an independent predictor of development of MCI at follow-up. This is the first prospective study to explore the relationship between subjective and objective cognitive deficits in newly diagnosed, untreated patients. Our results provide preliminary evidence that subjective memory complaints might predict future development of MCI. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. 78 FR 76655 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-18

    ... Trade Commission (USITC): http://edis.usitc.gov . \\3\\ Electronic Document Information System (EDIS... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest AGENCY: U.S. International Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice...

  8. A Balanced Approach to Capturing User Requirements in Business- to- Consumer Web Information Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. S. Lane

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available The development of business-to-consumer web information systems pose special challenges in the requirements analysis phase. It is difficult to capture user requirements given that users are relatively autonomous and anonymous and there are no major incentives for users to become involved in the development of a web information system. The researchers reviewed traditional requirement elicitation techniques, marketing research techniques and web usage analysis techniques. Current practice was assessed and the findings suggest that a balanced approach to user requirements capture will result in more complete and user centred requirements. This approach should lead to more effective business-to consumer web information systems.

  9. [Cognitive complaints in people with human immunodeficiency virus in Spain: prevalence and related variables].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz-Moreno, José A; Fuster-Ruiz de Apodaca, Maria J; Fumaz, Carmina R; Ferrer, Maria J; Molero, Fernando; Jaen, Àngels; Clotet, Bonaventura; Dalmau, David

    2014-05-20

    Cognitive complaints have been scarcely studied in people with HIV in Spain. The aim of this research was to know the prevalence of cognitive complaints in HIV-infected people, as well as its potential relationships with demographic, clinical and psychological variables, in the era of combination antiretroviral therapies. Observational multicenter study developed in 4 hospitals and 10 NGOs, in which 791 people with HIV in Spain participated. A self-reported questionnaire was used to evaluate demographic and clinical variables, and an assessment of cognitive complaints, emotional status and quality of life variables was also included. Descriptive and inferential tests were used for statistical analyses. Almost half of the sample (49.8%) referred cognitive complaints, in 72.1% of them an association with interference on daily living activities was found. Memory and attention were the areas most prevalently perceived as affected. The existence of cognitive complaints correlated with a longer HIV infection, lower CD4+ cell count, undetectable viral load and worse quality of life. A discriminant analysis determined that depression, anxiety, older age, living with no partner and low education level allowed to classify optimally HIV-infected people with cognitive complaints. Self-reported cognitive complaints are frequent in people infected with HIV in the current era of combination antiretroviral therapies. This fact is related to emotional disturbances and poor quality of life, but also to impaired immunological and virological status. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  10. 75 FR 66391 - Regulations Containing Procedures for Handling of Retaliation Complaints; Extension of the Office...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-28

    ..., Procedures for Handling of Discrimination Complaints Under Section 806 of the Corporate and Criminal Fraud... Systems Security Act of 2007, Enacted as Section 1413 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11... Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting comments. Facsimile: If your...

  11. 29 CFR 1614.106 - Individual complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Individual complaints. 1614.106 Section 1614.106 Labor... EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Agency Program To Promote Equal Employment Opportunity § 1614.106 Individual... individual and the agency and to describe generally the action(s) or practice(s) that form the basis of the...

  12. Experiences of employees with arm, neck or shoulder complaints: a focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutting, Nathan; Heerkens, Yvonne F; Engels, Josephine A; Staal, J Bart; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

    2014-04-29

    Many people suffer from complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS). CANS causes significant work problems, including absenteeism (sickness absence), presenteeism (decreased work productivity) and, ultimately, job loss. There is a need for intervention programs for people suffering from CANS. Management of symptoms and workload, and improving the workstyle, could be important factors in the strategy to deal with CANS. The objective of this study is to evaluate the experienced problems of employees with CANS, as a first step in an intervention mapping process aimed at adaptation of an existing self-management program to the characteristics of employees suffering from CANS. A qualitative study comprising three focus group meetings with 15 employees suffering from CANS. Based on a question guide, participants were asked about experiences in relation to continuing work despite their complaints. Data were analysed using content analysis with an open-coding system. During selective coding, general themes and patterns were identified and relationships between the codes were examined. Participants suffering from CANS often have to deal with pain, disability, fatigue, misunderstanding and stress at work. Some needs of the participants were identified, i.e. disease-specific information, exercises, muscle relaxation, working with pain, influence of the work and/or social environment, and personal factors (including workstyle). Employees suffering from CANS search for ways to deal with their complaints in daily life and at work. This study reveals several recurring problems and the results endorse the multi-factorial origin of CANS. Participants generally experience problems similar to those of employees with other types of complaints or chronic diseases, e.g. related to their illness, insufficient communication, working together with healthcare professionals, colleagues and management, and workplace adaptations. These topics will be addressed in the adaptation of an

  13. A procedure for the assessment of low frequency noise complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorhouse, Andy T; Waddington, David C; Adams, Mags D

    2009-09-01

    The development and application of a procedure for the assessment of low frequency noise (LFN) complaints are described. The development of the assessment method included laboratory tests addressing low frequency hearing threshold and the effect on acceptability of fluctuation, and field measurements complemented with interview-based questionnaires. Environmental health departments then conducted a series of six trials with genuine "live" LFN complaints to test the workability and usefulness of the procedure. The procedure includes guidance notes and a pro-forma report with step-by-step instructions. It does not provide a prescriptive indicator of nuisance but rather gives a systematic procedure to help environmental health practitioners to form their own opinion. Examples of field measurements and application of the procedure are presented. The procedure and examples are likely to be of particular interest to environmental health practitioners involved in the assessment of LFN complaints.

  14. Consumer preferences for fresh tomato at the European scale: a common segmentation on taste and firmness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Causse, Mathilde; Friguet, Chloé; Coiret, Clément; Lépicier, Mélanie; Navez, Brigitte; Lee, Monica; Holthuysen, Nancy; Sinesio, Fiorella; Moneta, Elisabetta; Grandillo, Silvana

    2010-01-01

    Although tomato flavor has not been a major goal for breeders, nowadays it becomes important as it is a subject of consumer complaint. A better knowledge of tomato consumer preferences, at the European level, should provide the basis for improvement of fruit quality and for market segmentation. In the framework of a large European project, 806 consumers from 3 countries, The Netherlands, France, and Italy, were presented with a set of 16 varieties representing the diversity of fresh tomato offer in order to evaluate their preferences. In parallel, sensory profiles were constructed by expert panels in each country. Preference maps were then constructed in each country revealing the structure of consumer preferences and allowing identification of the most important characteristics. Then a global analysis revealed that preferences were quite homogeneous across countries. This study identified the overall flavor and firmness as the most important traits for improving tomato fruit quality. It showed that consumer preferences from different European countries, with different cultures and food practices, are segmented following similar patterns when projected onto a common referential plan. Moreover, the results clearly showed that diversification of taste and texture is required to satisfy all consumers' expectations as some consumers preferred firm tomatoes, while others preferred melting ones and were more or less demanding in terms of sweetness and flavor intensity. Detailed comparisons also showed the importance of the fruit appearance in consumer preference. © 2010 Institute of Food Technologists®

  15. Korean Ministry of Environment's web-based visual consumer product exposure and risk assessment system (COPER).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hunjoo; Lee, Kiyoung; Park, Ji Young; Min, Sung-Gi

    2017-05-01

    With support from the Korean Ministry of the Environment (ME), our interdisciplinary research staff developed the COnsumer Product Exposure and Risk assessment system (COPER). This system includes various databases and features that enable the calculation of exposure and determination of risk caused by consumer products use. COPER is divided into three tiers: the integrated database layer (IDL), the domain specific service layer (DSSL), and the exposure and risk assessment layer (ERAL). IDL is organized by the form of the raw data (mostly non-aggregated data) and includes four sub-databases: a toxicity profile, an inventory of Korean consumer products, the weight fractions of chemical substances in the consumer products determined by chemical analysis and national representative exposure factors. DSSL provides web-based information services corresponding to each database within IDL. Finally, ERAL enables risk assessors to perform various exposure and risk assessments, including exposure scenario design via either inhalation or dermal contact by using or organizing each database in an intuitive manner. This paper outlines the overall architecture of the system and highlights some of the unique features of COPER based on visual and dynamic rendering engine for exposure assessment model on web.

  16. Understanding consumer preference and willingness to pay for improved cookstoves in Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Julia; Derby, Elisa; Dutta, Karabi

    2015-01-01

    The USAID/WASHplus project conducted a comprehensive assessment to understand consumer needs and preferences as they relate to increasing the uptake and consistent, exclusive, and correct use of improved cookstoves (ICSs) in Bangladesh. The assessment included household ICS trials, fuel and stove use monitoring, and consumers' perceived value of and willingness to pay for ICSs. Results showed that cooks appreciated and liked the ICS, but that no models met consumer needs sufficiently to replace traditional stoves. Initially, many preferred ICSs over traditional stoves, but this preference decreased over the 3-week trial period. Complaints and suggestions for improvement fell into two general categories: those that can be addressed through fairly simple modifications to the stove design, and those more appropriately addressed through point-of-purchase consumer education and follow-up from service agents or health outreach workers. Most households using the ICS realized fuel use reductions, although these were lower than expected, partly because of continued parallel traditional stove use. When given the option to purchase the stoves at market value, only one of 105 households did so; however, a separate assessment showed that 80% of participants (12 of 15 households) preferred to keep the stove rather than receive a cash buyout at market value. This indicates that users value the ICS when acquisition barriers are removed and highlights the need for better financing options.

  17. 12 CFR 268.105 - Individual complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Individual complaints. 268.105 Section 268.105... RULES REGARDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Board Program To Promote Equal Opportunity § 268.105 Individual... individual and the Board and to describe generally the action(s) or practice(s) that form the basis of the...

  18. Evaluation of the Factors which Contribute to the Ocular Complaints in Computer Users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Smita; Goel, Dishanter; Sharma, Anshu

    2013-02-01

    Use of information technology hardware given new heights to professional success rate and saves time but on the other hand its harmful effect has introduced an array of health related complaints causing hazards for our human health. Increased use of computers has led to an increase in the number of patients with ocular complaints which are being grouped together as computer vision syndrome (CVS). In view of that, this study was undertaken to find out the ocular complaints and the factors contributing to occurrence of such problems in computer users. To evaluate the factors contributing to Ocular complaints in computer users in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, U.P. India. Community-based cross-sectional study of 150 subjects who work on computer for varying period of time in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Two hundred computer operators working in different institutes offices and bank of were selected randomly in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, and Uttar Pradesh. 16 were non responders 18 did not come for assessment and 16 were excluded due to complaints prior to computer use making no response rate Twenty-one did not participate in the study, making the no response rate 25%. Rest of the subjects (n = 150) were asked to fill a pre-tested questionnaire, after obtaining their verbal consent Depending on the average hours of usage in a day, they were categorized into three categories viz. 6 hrs of usage. All the responders were asked to come to the Ophthalmic OPD for further interview and assessment. Simple proportions and Chi-square test. Among the 150 subjects studied major ocular complaint reported in descending order were eyestrain. (53%). Occurrence of eye strain, ( 53.8%), itching ( 47.6%) and burning (66.7%) in subjects using computer for more than 6 hours. distance from computer screen with respect to eyes, use of antiglare screen, taking frequent breaks, use of LCD monitor and adjustment of brightness of

  19. The evaluation of the causes of complaint to Khorramabad Medical Council Organization from 2006 to 2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    sedighe Nadri

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Background : Complaint against physicians is one of the problems that every physician may be subjected to it during practice. According to the existing statistics, the number of complaints is increasing in Iran. Identification of these causes may be effective in preventing such complaints. This research was conducted to identify the causes of complaints made to the Medical Council Organization of Khorramabad from 2006 to 2011. Materials and Methods: This study is descriptive cross-sectional and retrospective. To carry out the research, all of the complaints to the Medical Council Organization of Khorramabad from early 2006 to 2011, were studied. The required data were transferred from the files to the questionnaires. Finally, the collected data were entered into statistical software and analyzed with statistical tests. Results: In this research, 260 complaints made to the Medical Council Organization of Khorramabad were studied. A major part of the complaints was made against public hospitals(68.8%. The highest cause of complaints was recklessness(55.4%, while the lowest state was neglecting public regulations(21%. Of the 260 cases of complaints investigated by the preliminary committee, 80 cases (30.8% were recognized as negligence and 180 cases (69.2% were considered as non-negligence. According to the disciplinary committee, of the 260 cases, 61 cases (23.5% were recognized as negligence and 199 cases (76.5% were considered as non-negligence. Conclusion: Observing medical ethics and career commitment, establishing proper communication by physicians and treatment staff with patients and their companions, lack of exaggerating the treatment results, continuous study and updating medical knowledge, physician’s adequate skill and experience, lack of applying the methods which he has never passed their training courses, proper selection of patients, and obtaining the informed consent of patients and aquittance may lead to reduce the number of

  20. Adverse drug reactions reported by consumers for nervous system medications in Europe 2007 to 2011

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aagaard, Lise; Hansen, Ebba Holme

    2013-01-01

    Reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) has traditionally been the sole province of healthcare professionals. In the European Union, more countries have allowed consumers to report ADRs directly to the regulatory agencies. The aim of this study was to characterize ADRs reported by European...... consumer for nervous system medications....

  1. Designing and assessing a sustainable networked delivery (SND) system: hybrid business-to-consumer book delivery case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Junbeum; Xu, Ming; Kahhat, Ramzy; Allenby, Braden; Williams, Eric

    2009-01-01

    We attempted to design and assess an example of a sustainable networked delivery (SND) system: a hybrid business-to-consumer book delivery system. This system is intended to reduce costs, achieve significant reductions in energy consumption, and reduce environmental emissions of critical local pollutants and greenhouse gases. The energy consumption and concomitant emissions of this delivery system compared with existing alternative delivery systems were estimated. We found that regarding energy consumption, an emerging hybrid delivery system which is a sustainable networked delivery system (SND) would consume 47 and 7 times less than the traditional networked delivery system (TND) and e-commerce networked delivery system (END). Regarding concomitant emissions, in the case of CO2, the SND system produced 32 and 7 times fewer emissions than the TND and END systems. Also the SND system offer meaningful economic benefit such as the costs of delivery and packaging, to the online retailer, grocery, and consumer. Our research results show that the SND system has a lot of possibilities to save local transportation energy consumption and delivery costs, and reduce environmental emissions in delivery system.

  2. A Systematic Knowledge Management Approach Using Object-Oriented Theory in Customer Complaint Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wusheng Zhang

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Research into the effectiveness of customer complaint management has attracted researchers, yet there has been little discussion on customer complaint management in the context of systematic knowledge management approach particularly in the domain of hotel industry. This paper aims to address such gap through the application of object-oriented theory for which the notation of unified modelling language has been adopted for the representation of the concepts, objects, relationships and vocabularies in the domain. The paper used data from forty seven hotel management staff and academics in hospitalitymanagement to investigate lessons learned and best practices in customer complaint management and knowledge management. By providing insights into the potential of a knowledge management approach using object oriented theory, this study advances our understanding on how a knowledge management approach can systematically support the management of hotel customer complaints.

  3. Reducing medical complaints and litigation in Malaysia: turning patients' voices into opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassim, Puteri Nemie Jahn

    2007-10-01

    One of the most important ironies of modern health care is that public expectations are rising faster than the ability of health services to meet them. Patients nowadays no longer want to be treated as passive recipients of medical care but as co-producers or partners able to manage their illnesses. Thus, it is not surprising that poor communication and failure to take into account the patient's perspective are at the heart of most formal complaints and legal actions in Malaysia. The difficulties of existing complaint procedures in Malaysia have become manifest over the years and this has been accentuated by patients becoming more willing to challenge the decisions of medical practitioners and health service management in court. To reduce the number of complaints and risks of litigation, a more patient-centred approach should be adopted. When patients voice their concern by making a complaint or inquiry, this should be seen as a unique source of information for health care services on why adverse events occur and how to prevent them. As well as reducing future harm to patients, better management of complaints should restore trust and reduce the risk of litigation, through open communication and a commitment to learn from the problem. The existing procedures for patients to be heard in Malaysia should be reviewed and incorporate features such as responsiveness, accessibility, impartiality, simplicity, speed and accountability.

  4. Consumer Directed Health Care

    OpenAIRE

    John Goodman

    2006-01-01

    Consumer driven health care (CDHC) is a potential solution to two perplexing problems: (1) How to choose between health care and other uses of money, and (2) how to allocate resources in an industry where normal market forces have been systemically suppressed. In the consumer-driven model, consumers occupy the primary decision-making role regarding the health care that they receive. From an employee benefits perspective, consumer driven health care in the broadest sense may refer to limited e...

  5. Relating Economic Ideology to Consumer Protection: A Suggested Unit in Consumer Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrmann, Robert O.

    1977-01-01

    Describes a suggested unit in consumer education designed to give students insight into the controversy about consumer protection policy and proposals, and compares the basic views of three economic belief systems: neoclassical, managerial, and liberal-Galbraithian. (MF)

  6. Effective US health system websites: establishing benchmarks and standards for effective consumer engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Eric W; Huerta, Timothy R; Schilhavy, Richard A M; Menachemi, Nir

    2012-01-01

    Hospitals and health systems are playing increasingly important roles as care coordination hubs and consumer information sources. In particular, the accountable care organization (ACO) and medical home models promoted in the Affordable Care Act place hospitals at the center of many activities related to health information exchange. Therefore, it is important for these organizations to have effective websites, and the need for a social media presence to connect with consumers is growing quickly. The purpose of this study is to assess the websites of hospitals and health systems on four dimensions: accessibility, content, marketing, and technology. In addition, an overall score is calculated to identify the top 25 hospital and health system websites. Specific website elements that healthcare managers can inspect visually are described for each dimension in the discussion section. Generally, hospital and health system websites can be more effective from an end user's perspective. In particular, hospitals and health systems lagged on the accessibility scale that measures the education level required to understand the language used on a site. The scale also assesses the extent to which web pages are designed for ease of movement from page to page using embedded links. Given that healthcare consumers come from every demographic and stratum of society, it is important that user-friendliness be optimized for a broadly defined audience. Hospital and health system websites can also be improved on the technology scale, as many sites do not return clear descriptions of links to search engines such as Google and Bing that use webcrawlers to collect information.

  7. A Mutual Self- and Informant-Report of Cognitive Complaint Correlates with Neuropathological Outcomes in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine A Gifford

    Full Text Available This study examines whether different sources of cognitive complaint (i.e., self and informant predict Alzheimer's disease (AD neuropathology in elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI.Data were drawn from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform and Neuropathology Datasets (observational studies for participants with a clinical diagnosis of MCI and postmortem examination (n = 1843, 74±8 years, 52% female. Cognitive complaint (0.9±0.5 years prior to autopsy was classified into four mutually exclusive groups: no complaint, self-only, informant-only, or mutual (both self and informant complaint. Postmortem neuropathological outcomes included amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Proportional odds regression related complaint to neuropathology, adjusting for age, sex, race, education, depressed mood, cognition, APOE4 status, and last clinical visit to death interval.Mutual complaint related to increased likelihood of meeting NIA/Reagan Institute (OR = 6.58, p = 0.004 and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease criteria (OR = 5.82, p = 0.03, and increased neurofibrillary tangles (OR = 3.70, p = 0.03, neuritic plaques (OR = 3.52, p = 0.03, and diffuse plaques (OR = 4.35, p = 0.02. Informant-only and self-only complaint was not associated with any neuropathological outcome (all p-values>0.12.In MCI, mutual cognitive complaint relates to AD pathology whereas self-only or informant-only complaint shows no relation to pathology. Findings support cognitive complaint as a marker of unhealthy brain aging and highlight the importance of obtaining informant corroboration to increase confidence of underlying pathological processes.

  8. 14 CFR 382.157 - What are carriers' obligations for recordkeeping and reporting on disability-related complaints?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... the type of disability and nature of complaint. Data concerning a passenger's disability must be... NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY IN AIR TRAVEL Complaints and Enforcement Procedures § 382.157 What are... purposes of this section, a disability-related complaint means a specific written expression of...

  9. Liberalization of energy markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    During the last decade, the supply of electricity has been liberalized in the Nordic countries - first in Norway in 1991 and most recently in Iceland in 2003. After the liberalization process the consumers can freely choose the end-use supplier that offers the most attractive prices and conditions of supply. This development has opened up new opportunities for the consumer, but has also created new problems. The amount of kWh consumed and the composition of the electricity price determines the extent to which a consumer can influence annual expenses by being active on the market. After liberalization the consumer price is composed of: The market price for electricity; Transmission tariffs; Consumer and energy taxes. Only the market price can be influenced by an active consumer. Most consumer problems are a result of the system with indirect metering that was introduced to make it costless for small consumers to change supplier. An individual consumer's consumption is calculated according to the average consumption profile for all small consumers in the local distribution area and not according to her actual consumption. As metering is only taking place with intervals of one to several years many consumers have received invoices with large additional payments. Complaints are also common against distribution companies that have taken too long time to transfer the necessary information to the suppliers or have done it wrongly. The right solution would be to introduce intelligent meters that, in addition, could provide the consumers with new opportunities to monitor their electricity consumption. Such initiatives are now taking place in all four countries but it will take some years to provide intelligent meters to all consumers. Liberalization has caused an increasing number of consumer complaints. However, it has become less transparent to whom the complaint should be directed. When is it the distribution company and when the end-use supplier? This problem continues

  10. A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donohue, Julie

    2006-01-01

    Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in self-diagnosis, and the ethics of an industry promoting potentially dangerous drugs. Drug advertising and federal policy governing drug advertising have both responded to and reinforced changes in the consumer's role in health care and in the doctor-patient relationship over time. This article discusses the history of DTCA in the context of social movements to secure rights for health care patients and consumers, the modern trend toward consumer-oriented medicine, and the implications of DTCA and consumer-oriented medicine for contemporary health policy debates about improving the health care system. PMID:17096638

  11. A history of drug advertising: the evolving roles of consumers and consumer protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donohue, Julie

    2006-01-01

    Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in self-diagnosis, and the ethics of an industry promoting potentially dangerous drugs. Drug advertising and federal policy governing drug advertising have both responded to and reinforced changes in the consumer's role in health care and in the doctor-patient relationship over time. This article discusses the history of DTCA in the context of social movements to secure rights for health care patients and consumers, the modern trend toward consumer-oriented medicine, and the implications of DTCA and consumer-oriented medicine for contemporary health policy debates about improving the health care system.

  12. 10 CFR 708.14 - How much time does an employee have to file a complaint?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How much time does an employee have to file a complaint... Complaint Resolution Process § 708.14 How much time does an employee have to file a complaint? (a) You must... filing stops running on the day the internal grievance is filed and begins to run again on the earlier of...

  13. Customer complaints as a source of customer-focused process improvement: A constructive case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uusitalo, K.,

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Process-based thinking commonly focuses on enhancing the efficiency of processes, while it is often criticized for not paying enough attention to the customer. This paper argues that customer complaint information can be used as a basis for customer-focused process improvement. Thus, it is not enough to make the complaining customer satisfied, but the complaint information should also feed back to the actual processes where the fault causing the complaint arose and where it can be removed. The empirical component of the study includes the development of a novel construction to utilize customer complaints for process improvements, which was implemented in a large Finnish enterprise operating in the wholesale logistics environment. The results show benefits at both operational and strategic levels.

  14. Association between subjective memory complaints and nursing home placement: a four-year follow-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Waldorff, Frans Boch; Siersma, Volkert; Waldemar, Gunhild

    2009-01-01

    nursing home placements were observed. Subjective memory complaints were associated with an adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) of 2.59 for nursing home placement. Other statistical significant covariates were MMSE depression...... (HR = 4.74). The effect of subjective memory complaints is seen to moderate when subjects are older. CONCLUSION: The data of this study indicated that in an elderly primary care population the presence of subjective memory complaints was a significant independent predictor for nursing home placement......OBJECTIVE: In order to evaluate whether elderly persons with subjective memory complaints may be regarded as a group of potentially vulnerable patients who need close follow-up, we investigated the risk of nursing home placement during a 4-year follow-up period. METHODS: Prospective cohort survey...

  15. Consumer demand and quality assurance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grunert, Klaus G; Wognum, Nel; Trienekens, Jacques

    2011-01-01

    Consumers differ in their demands, and this mau have implications for the type of supply chain governance that is most suitable for serving them. We present a segmentation of pork consumers in the EU based on their food-related lifestyles and demand for different pork products. We then present...... an inventory of pork chain governance and quality management systems, also resulting from a pan-European study, and attempt to match types of chains to consumer segments, arguing that the type of quality demanded by the consumers has implications especially for the quality management system governing the chain......, and that these implications are different for fresh meat and processed meat. The paper closes with a call for more collaboration between chain researchers and consumer researchers....

  16. The equal accessibility to patient complaint measures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birkeland, Søren

    advice offices exist to guide complainants and the Danish Ombudsman claimed the duty to also provide interpreter assistance yet with no obligation to generally offer foreigner complaint information. Currently only little homepage information is available in English. More research is needed on complainant...

  17. 6 CFR 13.11 - Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ. 13.11 Section 13.11 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.11 Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ. Upon receipt of an answer, the...

  18. 76 FR 38743 - Proposed Information Collection (Complaint of Employment Discrimination) Activity: Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-01

    ..., religion, gender, national origin age, physical or mental disability and/or reprisal for prior Equal Employment Opportunity activity complete VA Form 4939 to file a complaint of discrimination. Affected Public... (Complaint of Employment Discrimination) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY: Human Resources and Administration...

  19. Energy efficiency actions related to the rollout of smart meters for small consumers, application to the Austrian system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olmos, Luis; Ruester, Sophia; Liong, Siok-Jen; Glachant, Jean-Michel

    2011-01-01

    Smart meters (SM) may provide large benefits to all stakeholders by providing the information required to implement certain sets of demand response actions. Benefits produced by SM related actions depend on the features of these actions, the system and the targeted consumer group. We first lay out an analytical framework to analyze the application of Demand Response (DR) actions. Based on this framework, we describe a way to determine the response of domestic load in a system to the implementation of DR actions. We propose determining the overall change in the consumption behavior of domestic load based on previously obtained estimates of the peak load and overall consumption reduction for different types of consumers in different types of systems resulting from the application of each set of actions. We have carried out a comprehensive literature review to provide here such estimates. We apply the analytical framework and methodology developed to characterize the reaction of consumers in the Austrian system to different SM related actions. Finally, we provide guidelines on which DR actions to implement in this system and how to implement them. The use of advanced indirect feedback on consumption behavior, critical peak prices and simple time-of-use tariffs is advocated. -- Highlights: → System and consumer features determine households' potential benefits from a Demand Response (DR) action. → Consumers' perception of the net benefits of actions determines their actual reaction. → Consumers' reaction can be characterized by their peak load and consumption reduction. → DR actions implemented should be accepted and understood by all stakeholders involved.

  20. Gynecological complaints and their associated factors among women in a family health-care clinic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mateus de Paula von Glehn

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the most common gynecological complaints and possible associated factors among women of reproductive age attended at a family health-care clinic. Methodology: A transversal study conducted with a sample of an outpatient population consisting of women of reproductive age. Pregnant women and minors were excluded. The final sample consisted of women between 18 and 49 years of age. The participants answered a questionnaire in which the complaints of the last 4 weeks were registered. They were examined, had the vaginal pH assessed, and secretion was tested using a 10% potassium hydroxide solution to verify the presence of amine odor (whiff test. Results: Most participants were black or of mixed races. Considering the frequency of complaints, there were no significant differences between white and nonwhite women. There was an association between vaginal pH and discharge complaints as well as unpleasant odor, positive test of amines, smoking, and performing vaginal douches. Conclusions: Vaginal complaints were common among participants; the practice of vaginal douches was also frequent and was associated with higher pH values. The use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with lower pH values. There was no significant association between condom use and gynecological complaints, vaginal pH, or the whiff test.

  1. Dangers of Texting While Driving

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Center Overview Consumer Blogs Consumer Complaint Center Disability Rights Headlines Social Media TV Spectrum Auction Robocalls Consumer Complaint Center Help Center Posts Consumer Enforcement International Media Public Safety Wireless Wireline Offices You are here Home / ...

  2. Brain network dysregulation, emotion, and complaints after mild traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Horn, Harm J; Liemburg, Edith J; Scheenen, Myrthe E; de Koning, Myrthe E; Marsman, Jan-Bernard C; Spikman, Jacoba M; van der Naalt, Joukje

    2016-04-01

    To assess the role of brain networks in emotion regulation and post-traumatic complaints in the sub-acute phase after non-complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Fifty-four patients with mTBI (34 with and 20 without complaints) and 20 healthy controls (group-matched for age, sex, education, and handedness) were included. Resting-state fMRI was performed at four weeks post-injury. Static and dynamic functional connectivity were studied within and between the default mode, executive (frontoparietal and bilateral frontal network), and salience network. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). Regarding within-network functional connectivity, none of the selected brain networks were different between groups. Regarding between-network interactions, patients with complaints exhibited lower functional connectivity between the bilateral frontal and salience network compared to patients without complaints. In the total patient group, higher HADS-D scores were related to lower functional connectivity between the bilateral frontal network and both the right frontoparietal and salience network, and to higher connectivity between the right frontoparietal and salience network. Furthermore, whereas higher HADS-D scores were associated with lower connectivity within the parietal midline areas of the bilateral frontal network, higher HADS-A scores were related to lower connectivity within medial prefrontal areas of the bilateral frontal network. Functional interactions of the executive and salience networks were related to emotion regulation and complaints after mTBI, with a key role for the bilateral frontal network. These findings may have implications for future studies on the effect of psychological interventions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Frequency of Migraine as a Chief Complaint in Otolaryngology Outpatient Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad Ali, Maria; Al Zayer, Maha

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To identify the frequency of typical (headache and dizziness) and common atypical (ear fullness, pressure, pain, tinnitus, facial fullness, and nasal congestion) migraine symptoms as chief complaints among patients presenting to otolaryngology clinic. Methods. This is a descriptive study of prospectively collected data from a general otolaryngology practice. Typical migraine presentations were diagnosed by applying international headache society (IHS) criteria for migraine headache and Neuhauser's criteria for migrainous vertigo. Atypical otologic and rhinologic migraine symptoms were diagnosed using individualized criteria. Charts were reviewed at 6-month interval from the first presentation. Results. Out of 1002 consecutive patients, 10.8% presented with “migrainous chief complaint.” All migrainous chief complaint patients had a history of headache but not all of them presented with headache. Corrected female to male ratio in the migraine group was 3 to 1; age distributions were significantly different between the migraine and nonmigraine groups by applying t-test. Out of the atypical complaints, 86% of the patients had a history of concomitant typical presentation. Conclusion. Actual diagnostic criteria for migraine do not satisfy the diversity of its presentation. Investigating the history of migraine is enough to diagnose most atypical presentations. Sound knowledge about migraine seems essential for any ENT practitioner. PMID:25695049

  4. Predicting the Reasons of Customer Complaints: A First Step Toward Anticipating Quality Issues of In Vitro Diagnostics Assays with Machine Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aris-Brosou, Stephane; Kim, James; Li, Li; Liu, Hui

    2018-05-15

    Vendors in the health care industry produce diagnostic systems that, through a secured connection, allow them to monitor performance almost in real time. However, challenges exist in analyzing and interpreting large volumes of noisy quality control (QC) data. As a result, some QC shifts may not be detected early enough by the vendor, but lead a customer to complain. The aim of this study was to hypothesize that a more proactive response could be designed by utilizing the collected QC data more efficiently. Our aim is therefore to help prevent customer complaints by predicting them based on the QC data collected by in vitro diagnostic systems. QC data from five select in vitro diagnostic assays were combined with the corresponding database of customer complaints over a period of 90 days. A subset of these data over the last 45 days was also analyzed to assess how the length of the training period affects predictions. We defined a set of features used to train two classifiers, one based on decision trees and the other based on adaptive boosting, and assessed model performance by cross-validation. The cross-validations showed classification error rates close to zero for some assays with adaptive boosting when predicting the potential cause of customer complaints. Performance was improved by shortening the training period when the volume of complaints increased. Denoising filters that reduced the number of categories to predict further improved performance, as their application simplified the prediction problem. This novel approach to predicting customer complaints based on QC data may allow the diagnostic industry, the expected end user of our approach, to proactively identify potential product quality issues and fix these before receiving customer complaints. This represents a new step in the direction of using big data toward product quality improvement. ©Stephane Aris-Brosou, James Kim, Li Li, Hui Liu. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http

  5. 41 CFR 51-6.11 - Quality complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Quality complaints. 51-6.11 Section 51-6.11 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to Public... commodities received from Defense Logistics Agency supply centers, General Services Administration supply...

  6. Psychological complaints reported by sexually abused children during criminal investigations: Istanbul example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doğangün, Burak; Gönültaş, Burak M; Uzun-Oğuz, Esin; Oral, Gökhan; Öztürk, Meral

    2016-06-01

    The present study aims at describing the psychological complaints reported, as a part of the criminal investigation process, by the victims of sexual abuse as a part of the criminal investigation process, without attempting at reaching a medical diagnosis; and it discusses the relation of these reports with variables such as victim's gender, age and relation to the offender, type and duration of abuse, and parental marital status of the victim. Data is obtained from the statements of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) victims under the age of 15, as taken by Istanbul Juvenile Justice Department between the years 2009 and 2012. The sample consists of 175 cases with a total of 202 victim statements. Through the use of content analysis, the main and sub-categories of themes of the statements were determined. By means of the evaluation of the psychological condition of victims, we evaluated them in two categories: psychological complaints including self-harm and risk taking behaviors and psychological complaints with no self-harm and risk taking behaviors. The statistical analyses yield significant relations between the psychological complaints and children's parental marital status. Analysis of initial statements of sexual abuse victims is important as it may greatly contribute to professionals diagnosing and treating psychological complaints of these victims. It is essential that victims of sexual abuse should receive immediate psychological support starting with the criminal investigation process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Gender differences in subjective health complaints in adolescence: The roles of self-esteem, stress from schoolwork and body dissatisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aanesen, Fiona; Meland, Eivind; Torp, Steffen

    2017-06-01

    The aims of this study were to examine subjective health complaints among Norwegian adolescents and assess the development of gender differences in subjective health complaints between age 14 and 16; to investigate whether self-esteem, stress from schoolwork or body dissatisfaction affected adolescents' subjective health complaints; and determine whether these factors could explain the excess of subjective health complaints among girls. We used multiple linear regression analyses to analyse longitudinal survey data from 751 Norwegian adolescents at the ages of 14 and 16. The results from various cross-sectional and prospective analyses were compared. Girls reported more subjective health complaints than boys, and gender differences increased from age 14 to 16. Self-esteem and stress from schoolwork had cross-sectional and prospective associations with subjective health complaints. Stress from schoolwork at age 14 was also associated with changes in subjective health complaints from age 14 to 16. The cross-sectional mediation analyses indicated that self-esteem and stress from schoolwork accounted for 61% of the excess of subjective health complaints among girls at age 16. The same variables measured at age 14 accounted for 24% of the gender differences in subjective health complaints two years later. The investigated factors could not account for the increase in gender differences in subjective health complaints between ages 14 and 16. The findings showed that self-esteem and stress from schoolwork were associated with subjective health complaints during adolescence. These factors could partially explain the excess of subjective health complaints among girls.

  8. Subjective memory complaints in primary care patients and death from all causes: a four-year follow-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Waldemar, Gunhild; Waldorff, Frans Boch

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints for all-cause mortality in order to determine whether elderly persons with subjective memory complaints may be regarded as a group of vulnerable patients who need close follow-up.......To investigate the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints for all-cause mortality in order to determine whether elderly persons with subjective memory complaints may be regarded as a group of vulnerable patients who need close follow-up....

  9. Health complaints and use of medicines among adolescents in Malta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darmanin Ellul R

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate self-reported health complaints and the use of medicines among adolescents in Malta.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey self-reported health complaints, the use and the sources of medicines that had been accessed, during the preceding 3 months among adolescents attending secondary schools in Malta. A stratified random sample design generated a sample size of 514 students. The health complaints and use of medicines that were investigated included ear problems/hay fever/cold/cough, headache, skin problems, sport injuries, indigestion/diarrhoea/constipation, eye problems and menstrual pain (for girls. The use of vitamins and antibiotics was also investigated. Results: A total of 477 students participated in the final data collection. Correct information was submitted by 474 students, (aged 14-16 years, who formed the analytical sample, of which 53.8% were girls. The students reported a mean number of 2.70 (SD = 1.39 out of a total of 7 health complaints and 90.3% reported using at least 1 medicine during the preceding 3 months. The community pharmacy was cited as the most commonly accessed source for most of the medicines that were investigated. A proportion of 24.3% of the students had taken at least 1 medicine without adult guidance during the preceding 3 months. Almost 10% of those who had taken antibiotics, had accessed them from the home medicine cabinet.Conclusion: A high proportion of adolescents in Malta reported the use of medicines to alleviate the symptoms of common health complaints. This result is concordant with previous research carried out in the United Kingdom, Germany, Slovakia and Kuwait. A considerable proportion of students in this study had obtained medicines without adult guidance and accessed antibiotics from the home medicine cabinet. This highlights the importance of carefully designed education programs for adolescents that will integrate information about the proper use

  10. Shoulder complaints : the occurence, course and diagnosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.J. Luime (Jolanda)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractShoulder complaints are expressed in a variety of symptoms. In many cases, the prominent symptom is pain. In some cases, pain is present most of the day and frequently also at night. In other cases, it is provoked primarily by physical activities. Often it is accompanied

  11. 32 CFR 1656.17 - Administrative complaint process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... within ten days after the interview their personal written statements concerning the problem; (4) Place... shall take necessary action to: (1) Interview, as appropriate, all parties concerned to obtain information relevant to the problems or complaints; (2) Place a written summary of each interview in the ASW's...

  12. Kemungkinan Penerapan Preliminary Ruling Procedure sebagai Media Constitutional Complaint di Mahkamah Konstitusi

    OpenAIRE

    Arundhati, Gautama Budi

    2017-01-01

    Preliminary ruling procedure seperti yang diterapkan di Uni Eropa dapat menjadi metode alternatif dalam pelaksanaan constitutional complaint di Indonesia. Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 sebagai hukum tertinggi di Indonesia dikawal oleh lembaga yang bernama Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia, dan dalam preliminary ruling procedure untuk pemberlakuan constitutional complaint maka dibutuhkan Peran Pengadilan Negeri dimana melalui preliminary ruling procedure tersebut dapat melakukan constitutional...

  13. Fostering EF/SL Learners' Meta-Pragmatic Awareness of Complaints and Their Interactive Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Manuel Padilla

    2015-01-01

    This paper suggests a series of steps for teaching complaint behaviour in English. The production of complaints requires a meta-pragmatic awareness of their interactive value and functions, their different types and realisations, pragmalinguistic formulae frequently employed or the socio-pragmatic factors affecting them, among others, which many…

  14. Consumer Demand for Major Foods in Egypt

    OpenAIRE

    Basem Fayaad; Stanley R. Johnson; Mohamed El-Khishin

    1995-01-01

    This study provides information on the structure of the consumer demand for major foods in Egypt. The information is in the form of key parameters for consumer demand systems. The modern theory of consumer behavior is the basis for estimating systems of demand equations. These systems yield estimates of own- and cross-price elasticities. The Linear Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) model is applied in estimating a system of demand equations for food commodities. A full demand matrix results ...

  15. Consumer Dispersion and Logistics Costs in Various Distribution Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Turkensteen, Marcel; Klose, Andreas

    We address the relationship between the geographical dispersion of a set of demand points and the expected logistics costs. This is relevant in the strategic marketing decision which groups of consumers to target. We devise quickly computable measures for the logistics costs. In our experiments......, dispersed sets of demand points are created. For various types of distribution systems, expected logistics costs are computed using continuous approximation, location and routing methodologies. We find that the average distance between locations is an effective estimate of the logistics costs....

  16. A Lexical-Ontological Resource for Consumer Heathcare

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardillo, Elena

    In Consumer Healthcare Informatics it is still difficult for laypersons to understand and act on health information, due to the persistent communication gap between specialized medical terminology and that used by healthcare consumers. Furthermore, existing clinically-oriented terminologies cannot provide sufficient support when integrated into consumer-oriented applications, so there is a need to create consumer-friendly terminologies reflecting the different ways healthcare consumers express and think about health topics. Following this direction, this work suggests a way to support the design of an ontology-based system that mitigates this gap, using knowledge engineering and Semantic Web technologies. The system is based on the development of a consumer-oriented medical terminology which will be integrated with other existing domain ontologies/terminologies into a medical ontology repository. This will support consumer-oriented healthcare systems by providing many knowledge services to help users in accessing and managing their healthcare data.

  17. 17 CFR 12.17 - Satisfaction of complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Satisfaction of complaint. 12... RELATING TO REPARATIONS General Information and Preliminary Consideration of Pleadings § 12.17 Satisfaction... as the complainant will accept in satisfaction of his claim; and (b) by submitting to the Commission...

  18. An Intelligent Consumables Management System Development Framework based on Artificial Intelligence Techniques, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed innovation, called the Management of consumables Adaptive Execution, SynchronizaTion, Replanning/rescheduling, Optimization system (MAESTRO), would...

  19. 76 FR 35721 - Consumer Leasing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-20

    ... 213 Advertising, Consumer leasing, Consumer protection, Federal Reserve System, Reporting and... contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0...

  20. 78 FR 70193 - Consumer Leasing (Regulation M)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-25

    ... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 12 CFR Part 213 [Docket No. R-1469] BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION... Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau... Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amended the CLA by requiring that the dollar threshold for exempt consumer...

  1. Physiological blushing in social anxiety disorder patients with and without blushing complaints: Two subtypes?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voncken, M.J.; Bogels, S.M.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigates whether social anxiety disorder (SAD) patients with blushing complaints show heightened physiological blushing and arousability in social situations than SAD patients without blushing complaints and healthy controls. SAD blushers (n = 32), SAD non-blushers (n = 34), and

  2. 29 CFR 1980.103 - Filing of discrimination complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... THE CORPORATE AND CRIMINAL FRAUD ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2002, TITLE VIII OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF... communication will be considered to be the date of filing; if the complaint is filed in person, by hand-delivery...

  3. TUGAS ROOM ATTENDANT DALAM MENANGANI COMPLAINT TAMU DELUXE ROOM HOTEL HYAAT REGENCY BANDUNG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Gustia Purnama

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract - The problem is how meticulous the duties and responsibilities of the room attendant in the deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung, standard operational procedures in the deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung, and handling guest complaint in deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung. Author uses descriptive analysis, which is a form of writing in the actual situation describes strive about the object of research, then the data obtained in the form of a report compiled in. Based on the results of observation it can be concluded that the task and responsibility of the room attendant in the deluxe room Hyatt Regency Bandung already carry it out in accordance with standard operational procedures (SOP which is divided into two shifts, morning and evening shift which has a slightly different task, standard operational procedures in the deluxe room Hyatt Regency Bandung has been standard operating procedure in applying it at the hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung, and Guest complaint handling in deluxe room Hyatt Regency Bandung Hotel how to deal with and resolve the complaint vary slightly in view of the type of complaint. Based on the results of observation and discussion, the authors conclude that the Duty room attendant in handling customers compaint deluxe room in the Hyatt Regency Bandung Hotel when his handlers was conducted appropriately and propesional effects will be good for the image of the hyatt regency hotel bandung.   Keywords: Room Attendant, Complaint, Deluxe room   Abstraksi - Masalah yang di teliti adalah tugas dan tanggung jawab room attendant di deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung, standar operasional prosedur di deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung, dan penanganan complaint tamu di deluxe room Hotel Hyatt Regency Bandung.  Metode yang di gunakan menggunakan analisis deskriptif, yaitu bentuk penulisan yang di upayakan menggambarkan keadaan yang sebenarnya tetang objek penelitian,kemudian data yang di peroleh disusun

  4. The relationship between physical and psychological complaints and quality of life in severely injured patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Delft-Schreurs, C C H M; van Son, M A C; de Jongh, M A C; Lansink, K W W; de Vries, J; Verhofstad, M H J

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first goal was to investigate which variables were associated with the remaining physical limitations of severely injured patients after the initial rehabilitation phase. Second, we investigated whether physical limitations were attributable to the association between psychological complaints and quality of life in this patient group. Patients who were 18 years or older and who had an injury severity score (ISS)>15 completed a set of questionnaires at one time-point after their rehabilitation phase (15-53 months after their trauma). The Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) questionnaire was used to determine physical limitations. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Dutch Impact of Event Scale and the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire were used to determine psychological complaints, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument-BREF was used to measure general Quality of Life (QOL). Differences in physical limitations were investigated for several trauma- and patient-related variables using non-parametric independent-sample Mann-Whitney U tests. Multiple linear regression was performed to investigate whether the decreased QOL of severely injured patients with psychological complaints could be explained by their physical limitations. Older patients, patients with physical complaints before the injury, patients with higher ISS scores, and patients who had an injury of the spine or of the lower extremities reported significantly more physical problems. Additionally, patients with a low education level, patients who were living alone, and those who were unemployed reported significantly more long-term physical problems. Severely injured patients without psychological complaints reported significantly less physical limitations than those with psychological complaints. The SMFA factor of Lower extremity dysfunction was a confounder of the association between psychological complaints

  5. Advertising and Consumer Welfare: Scaling versus Translating

    OpenAIRE

    Alston, Julian M.; Chalfant, James A.; Piggott, Nicholas E.

    1997-01-01

    Controversy has surrounded the welfare effects of advertising, mainly concerning the consumer welfare effects. Unfortunately, the measures of consumer welfare effects in most studies have been ad hoc and incorrect. The consumer welfare consequences of advertising can be measured consistently when consumer demand equations are derived from an expenditure function. This is illustrated using the Almost Ideal demand system, which is popular in econometric estimation of food demand systems. An emp...

  6. Consumer Health Information Provision in Rural Public Libraries: A Comparison of Two Library Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flaherty, Mary Grace

    2013-01-01

    To better understand health information provision in the public library setting, two cooperative library systems that serve primarily rural populations in upstate New York were studied. The central library in one of those systems established a consumer health information center (CHIC) in 1999. In the other system, the central library does not have…

  7. Subjective cognitive complaints after stroke : A systematic review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rijsbergen, M.W.A.; Mark, R.E.; de Kort, P.L.; Sitskoorn, M.M.

    2014-01-01

    Background Most studies to date have assessed poststroke cognitive impairment objectively, whereas less attention is paid to subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). We, therefore, systematically searched the literature to summarize and evaluate the current knowledge about poststroke SCC. Methods

  8. A Lexical-Ontological Resource for Consumer Healthcare

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardillo, Elena; Serafini, Luciano; Tamilin, Andrei

    In Consumer Healthcare Informatics it is still difficult for laypeople to find, understand and act on health information, due to the persistent communication gap between specialized medical terminology and that used by healthcare consumers. Furthermore, existing clinically-oriented terminologies cannot provide sufficient support when integrated into consumer-oriented applications, so there is a need to create consumer-friendly terminologies reflecting the different ways healthcare consumers express and think about health topics. Following this direction, this work suggests a way to support the design of an ontology-based system that mitigates this gap, using knowledge engineering and semantic web technologies. The system is based on the development of a consumer-oriented medical terminology that will be integrated with other medical domain ontologies and terminologies into a medical ontology repository. This will support consumer-oriented healthcare systems, such as Personal Health Records, by providing many knowledge services to help users in accessing and managing their healthcare data.

  9. A Power System Optimal Dispatch Strategy Considering the Flow of Carbon Emissions and Large Consumers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Yang

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The carbon emissions trading market and direct power purchases by large consumers are two promising directions of power system development. To trace the carbon emission flow in the power grid, the theory of carbon emission flow is improved by allocating power loss to the load side. Based on the improved carbon emission flow theory, an optimal dispatch model is proposed to optimize the cost of both large consumers and the power grid, which will benefit from the carbon emissions trading market. Moreover, to better simulate reality, the direct purchase of power by large consumers is also considered in this paper. The OPF (optimal power flow method is applied to solve the problem. To evaluate our proposed optimal dispatch strategy, an IEEE 30-bus system is used to test the performance. The effects of the price of carbon emissions and the price of electricity from normal generators and low-carbon generators with regards to the optimal dispatch are analyzed. The simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy can significantly reduce both the operation cost of the power grid and the power utilization cost of large consumers.

  10. Self-reported physical inactivity and health complaints: a cross-sectional study of Lithuanian adolescent schoolgirls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romualdas Malinauskas

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The study aimed to investigate the associations between physical inactivity and health complaints in relation to posttraumatic stress (PTS symptoms, behavioral and nutritional factors, and sense of coherence (SOC in eighth-grade girls enrolled in secondary schools in Kaunas, Lithuania. A random sample of girls (N = 862 was interviewed anonymously on health complaints, physical activity level, PTS symptoms, Antonovsky’s SOC scale, health behaviors, and dietary patterns. All health complaints were significantly associated with physical inactivity. Crude odds ratio (OR for physical inactivity and health complaints was 1.67 (95%CI: 1.09-2.56; after adjusting for PTS symptoms, the OR decreased to 1.57 (95%CI: 0.95-2.45; further adjustment for smoking, daily alcohol intake, daily consumption of fresh vegetables, and SOC decreased the OR to 1.25 (95%CI: 0.76-2.04. The effect of PTS symptoms and sense of coherence remained stable after all adjustments. The significant association between physical inactivity and health complaints was mediated by PTS symptoms.

  11. Temporomandibular joint disorder complaints in tinnitus: further hints for a putative tinnitus subtype.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronika Vielsmeier

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is considered to be highly heterogeneous with respect to its etiology, its comorbidities and the response to specific interventions. Subtyping is recommended, but it remains to be determined which criteria are useful, since it has not yet been clearly demonstrated whether and to which extent etiologic factors, comorbid states and interventional response are related to each other and are thus applicable for subtyping tinnitus. Analyzing the Tinnitus Research Initiative Database we differentiated patients according to presence or absence of comorbid temporomandibular joint (TMJ disorder complaints and compared the two groups with respect to etiologic factors. METHODS: 1204 Tinnitus patients from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI Database with and without subjective TMJ complaints were compared with respect to demographic, tinnitus and audiological characteristics, questionnaires, and numeric ratings. Data were analysed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. RESULTS: Tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints (22% of the whole group were significantly younger, had a lower age at tinnitus onset, and were more frequently female. They could modulate or mask their tinnitus more frequently by somatic maneuvers and by music or sound stimulation. Groups did not significantly differ for tinnitus duration, type of onset (gradual/abrupt, onset related events (whiplash etc., character (pulsatile or not, hyperacusis, hearing impairment, tinnitus distress, depression, quality of life and subjective ratings (loudness etc.. CONCLUSION: Replicating previous work in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints, classical risk factors for tinnitus like older age and male gender are less relevant in tinnitus patients with TMJ complaints. By demonstrating group differences for modulation of tinnitus by movements and sounds our data further support the notion that tinnitus with TMJ complaints represents a subgroup of tinnitus with clinical

  12. A STUDY ON CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS FAST MOVING CONSUMABLE GOODS IN INDIA

    OpenAIRE

    Deekshitha; M. A. Udaya Kumar; M. D. Pradeep

    2017-01-01

    Consumers are the king in the modern business world. They are one who buys goods for their consumption to meet their aspirations. Fulfilling consumer desire is the ultimate goal of marketing activities. Indian business are highly influenced by the rapid changes in the technology, improved economic systems, higher purchasing power of consumers, changing life style, online marketing and retail opportunities. Organised retail business has facilitated towards bringing drastic changes in the buyi...

  13. 77 FR 63308 - J. William Foley Incorporated v. United Illuminating Company; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL12-106-000] J. William Foley Incorporated v. United Illuminating Company; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on October 5...) and 825(e), J. William Foley Incorporated (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against United...

  14. 76 FR 56506 - Agency Information Collection (Complaint of Employment Discrimination) Activity Under OMB Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-13

    ... (Complaint of Employment Discrimination) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY: Office of Human Resources and...: Title: Complaint of Employment Discrimination, VA Form 4939. OMB Control Number: 2900-0716. Type of... applicants for employment who believe they were denied employment based on race, color, religion, gender...

  15. Somatic complaints in childhood : how they are related to children's emotional and social functioning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jellesma, Francisca Catharina

    2008-01-01

    This thesis deals with emotional and social influences on childhood somatic complaints. Strong support is provided for the idea that negative affect contributes to the development of somatic complaints in childhood. In addition, the studies described give information about the type and levels of

  16. 77 FR 73621 - Baby Matters, LLC; Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-11

    ....gov or from the Office of the Secretary. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of the Complaint appears... the harness secured but with her head tilted back and her neck hyperextended. Her face was pressed... Generation Two model, increased the font size of the warning, and changed the text of the warning label to...

  17. Risk of surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome in relation to neck-shoulder complaints and occupational biomechanical exposures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svendsen, Susanne Wulff; Dalbøge, Annett; Andersen, JH

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the risk of surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) in relation to neck-shoulder complaints and occupational biomechanical shoulder exposures. METHODS: The study was based on the Musculoskeletal Research Database at the Dan......OBJECTIVES: The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the risk of surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) in relation to neck-shoulder complaints and occupational biomechanical shoulder exposures. METHODS: The study was based on the Musculoskeletal Research Database....... Using no neck-shoulder complaints and low shoulder load at baseline as a reference, no neck-shoulder complaints and high shoulder load showed an adjusted hazard ratio (HR adj) of 2.55 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.59-4.09], while neck-shoulder complaints in combination with high shoulder load...

  18. WITHDRAWAL OF PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. A COMPARISON OF THE OLD AND THE NEW CRIMINAL CODE. PROBLEMS OF COMPARATIVE LAW

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alin Sorin NICOLESCU

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available In criminal law previous complaint has a double legal valence, material and procedural in nature, constituting a condition for criminal liability, but also a functional condition in cases expressly and limitatively provided by law, a consequence of criminal sanction condition. For certain offenses criminal law determines the initiation of the criminal complaint by the introduction of previous complaint by the injured party, without its absence being a question of removing criminal liability. From the perspective of criminal material law conditioning of the existence of previous complaint ,its lack and withdrawal, are regulated by art. 157 and 158 of the New Penal Code, with significant changes in relation to the old regulation of the institution . In terms of procedural aspect , previous complaint is regulated in art. 295-298 of the New Code of Criminal Procedure. Regarding the withdrawal of the previuos complaint, in the case of offenses for which the initiation of criminal proceedings is subject to the existence of such a complaint, we note that in the current Criminal Code this legal institution is regulated separately, representing both a cause for removal of criminal liability and a cause that preclude criminal action. This unilateral act of the will of the injured party - the withdrawal of the previous complaint, may be exercised only under certain conditions, namely: it can only be promoted in the case of the offenses for which the initiation of criminal proceedings is subject to the introduction of a previous complaint; it is made exclusively by the rightholder, by legal representatives or with the consent of the persons required by law for persons lacking legal capacity or having limited legal capacity;it must intervene until giving final judgment and it must represent an express and explicit manifestation. A novelty isrepresented by the possibility of withdrawing previous complaint if the prosecution was driven ex officio, although for

  19. The enlightenment from Malaysian consumers' perspective toward cosmetic products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayob, Ain; Awadh, Ammar Ihsan; Jafri, Juliana; Jamshed, Shazia; Ahmad, Hawa Mas Azmar; Hadi, Hazrina

    2016-01-01

    Variety of cosmetic products was used in our daily life, yet the amount and types of the cosmetic products used by the consumers were varied, which may be due to the different perspectives held by each of the consumers. To explore consumers' perspectives toward cosmetic products. An interview guide was developed with a set of 12 semistructured questions. Participants in Kuantan, Pahang were recruited via the purposive sampling, and they undergo in-depth face-to-face interviews. All of the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and were analyzed via thematic content analysis. For the awareness of cosmetic products, less aware about the cosmetic products in Malaysia were noted among the participants. In terms of perceptions about the cosmetic products, participants expressed positive perceptions toward natural cosmetic products, quality were seen as synonymous with branded products and halal certification. Next, for the attitude toward the use of cosmetic products, participants were influenced by ingredients, product brand, and halal certification. Based on personal experiences, they provide complaints and suggestions for the enhancement of cosmetic products' quality. Participants were found to have less awareness about the cosmetic products in Malaysia. Besides, they realized about the chemical ingredients and halal certification for the cosmetic products. Therefore, they held positive perceptions and practiced positive attitudes toward natural and halal cosmetic products. Finally, adverse reactions from the use of cosmetic products were commonly experienced by the participants, which contributed mainly by the ingredients. Thus, they hoped for serious approached to be enacted to solve this problem.

  20. The enlightenment from Malaysian consumers' perspective toward cosmetic products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ain Ayob

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Backgrounds: Variety of cosmetic products was used in our daily life, yet the amount and types of the cosmetic products used by the consumers were varied, which may be due to the different perspectives held by each of the consumers. Objectives: To explore consumers' perspectives toward cosmetic products. Methods: An interview guide was developed with a set of 12 semistructured questions. Participants in Kuantan, Pahang were recruited via the purposive sampling, and they undergo in-depth face-to-face interviews. All of the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and were analyzed via thematic content analysis. Results: For the awareness of cosmetic products, less aware about the cosmetic products in Malaysia were noted among the participants. In terms of perceptions about the cosmetic products, participants expressed positive perceptions toward natural cosmetic products, quality were seen as synonymous with branded products and halal certification. Next, for the attitude toward the use of cosmetic products, participants were influenced by ingredients, product brand, and halal certification. Based on personal experiences, they provide complaints and suggestions for the enhancement of cosmetic products' quality. Conclusions: Participants were found to have less awareness about the cosmetic products in Malaysia. Besides, they realized about the chemical ingredients and halal certification for the cosmetic products. Therefore, they held positive perceptions and practiced positive attitudes toward natural and halal cosmetic products. Finally, adverse reactions from the use of cosmetic products were commonly experienced by the participants, which contributed mainly by the ingredients. Thus, they hoped for serious approached to be enacted to solve this problem.

  1. Lodging of a constitutional complaint. Reason: 'Permitted risk philosophy'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    The complainants lodged a constitutional complaint 'against the Federal German Bundestag, for remaining inactive in matters of the licensing and operation of nuclear installations', and filed a petition for a temporary order. The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the petition and inflicted a fee of 500 DM to be paid by each complainant. From the headnotes: The petition is inadmissible. It is left open whether the underlying constitutional complaint is inadmissible, or unjustified. The petition is dismissed because the complainants can seek relief by resorting to the general courts of law. They can appeal to the administrative courts in matters covered by section 7 Atomic Energy Act, and may there state their opposition against the 'permissible risk philosophy'. (orig./HSCH) [de

  2. 34 CFR 300.508 - Due process complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... attending; (5) A description of the nature of the problem of the child relating to the proposed or refused initiation or change, including facts relating to the problem; and (6) A proposed resolution of the problem... section, the hearing officer must make a determination on the face of the due process complaint of whether...

  3. GPs' negotiation strategies regarding sick leave for subjective health complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsen, Stein; Malterud, Kirsti; Werner, Erik L; Maeland, Silje; Magnussen, Liv Heide

    2015-03-01

    To explore general practitioners' (GPs') specific negotiation strategies regarding sick-leave issues with patients suffering from subjective health complaints. Focus-group study. Nine focus-group interviews in three cities in different regions of Norway. 48 GPs (31 men, 17 women; age 32-65), participating in a course dealing with diagnostic practice and assessment of sickness certificates related to patients with subjective health complaints. The GPs identified some specific strategies that they claimed to apply when dealing with the question of sick leave for patients with subjective health complaints. The first step would be to build an alliance with the patient by complying with the wish for sick leave, and at the same time searching for information to acquire the patient's perspective. This position would become the basis for the main goal: motivating the patient for a rapid return to work by pointing out the positive effects of staying at work, making legal and moral arguments, and warning against long-term sick leave. Additional solutions might also be applied, such as involving other stakeholders in this process to provide alternatives to sick leave. GPs seem to have a conscious approach to negotiations of sickness certification, as they report applying specific strategies to limit the duration of sick leave due to subjective health complaints. This give-and-take way of handling sick-leave negotiations has been suggested by others to enhance return to work, and should be further encouraged. However, specific effectiveness of this strategy is yet to be proven, and further investigation into the actual dealings between doctor and patients in these complex encounters is needed.

  4. Consumer acceptance of model soup system with varying levels of herbs and salt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Lee, Youngsoo; Lee, Soo-Yeun

    2014-10-01

    Although herbs have been reported as one of the most common saltiness enhancers, few studies have focused on the effect of herbs on reducing added sodium as well as the impact of herbs on consumers' overall liking of foods. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effect of varying levels of herbs on reducing added sodium and consumers' overall liking of soups and identify the impact of salt levels on consumers' overall liking of soups. Overall liking of freshly prepared and retorted canned soups with varying levels of herbs was evaluated before and after adding salt by consumers ad libitum until the saltiness of the soup was just about right for them. The results of the study demonstrated that when the perceived herb flavor increased, the amount of salt consumers added to fresh soups decreased (P ≤ 0.006); however, consumers' overall liking decreased (P ≤ 0.013) as well for the highest level of herb tested in the study. Although overall liking of all canned soups was not significantly decreased by herbs, the amount of salt consumers added was also not significantly decreased when herbs were used. Overall liking of all soups significantly increased after more salt was added (P ≤ 0.001), which indicates that salt level was a dominant factor in affecting consumers' overall liking of soups with varying levels of herbs. These findings imply the role of herbs in decreasing salt intake, and the adequate amount of herbs to be added in soup systems. It is challenging for the food industry to reduce sodium in foods without fully understanding the impact of sodium reduction on sensory properties of foods. Herbs are recommended to use in reducing sodium; however, little has been reported regarding the effect of herbs on sodium reduction and how herbs influence consumers’ acceptance of foods. This study provides findings that herbs may aid in decreasing the amount of salt consumers need to add for freshly prepared soups. It was also found that high

  5. Subjective memory complaints and the risk of stroke

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A. Sajjad (Ayesha); S.S. Mirza (Saira); M.L.P. Portegies (Marileen); M.J. Bos (Michiel); A. Hofman (Albert); P.J. Koudstaal (Peter Jan); H.W. Tiemeier (Henning); M.A. Ikram (Arfan)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractBackground and Purpose-Persons with cognitive impairment, as assessed by cognitive tests, are at a higher risk of stroke. Subjective memory complaints might be an earlier marker for stroke, especially in persons with higher education. Their cognitive reserve might mask their cognitive

  6. Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faiers, Adam; Neame, Charles

    2006-01-01

    The success of the UK policy to reduce carbon emissions is partly dependent on the ability to persuade householders to become more energy efficient, and to encourage installation of domestic solar systems. Solar power is an innovation in the UK but the current policy of stimulating the market with grants is not resulting in widespread adoption. This case study, using householders in central England, investigates householder attitudes towards characteristics of solar systems and identifies some of the barriers to adoption. The study utilises Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify attitudes towards system attributes, and isolates the characteristics that are preventing a pragmatic 'early majority' from adopting the technology. A group of 'early adopters', and a group of assumed 'early majority' adopters of solar power were surveyed and the results show that overall, although the 'early majority' demonstrate a positive perception of the environmental characteristics of solar power, its financial, economic and aesthetic characteristics are limiting adoption. Differences exist between the two groups showing support for the concept of a 'chasm' between adopter categories after Moore (Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-tech Products to Mainstream Customers, second ed. Harper Perennial, New York). However, if consumers cannot identify the relative advantage of solar power over their current sources of power, which is supplied readily and cheaply through a mains system, it is unlikely that adoption will follow. Recommendations concerning the marketing and development of solar products are identified

  7. 76 FR 15939 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Complaint of Discrimination Based on Sexual...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-22

    ...; Complaint of Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation Against the U.S. Department of Commerce AGENCY... discriminatory treatment based on sexual orientation by the Department of Commerce or one of its subagencies... form the basis of the complaint. The complainant is also required to provide an address and phone...

  8. Statin Use and Self-Reported Hindering Muscle Complaints in Older Persons: A Population Based Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milly A van der Ploeg

    Full Text Available Statins are widely used by older persons in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Although serious adverse events are rare, many statin users report mild muscle pain and/or muscle weakness. It's unclear what impact statins exert on a patient's daily life. Research on statin related side effects in older persons is relatively scarce. We therefore investigated the relation between statin use and self-reported hindering muscle complaints in older persons in the general population.The present research was performed within the Integrated Systematic Care for Older Persons (ISCOPE study in the Netherlands (Netherlands trial register, NTR1946. All registered adults aged ≥ 75 years from 59 participating practices (n = 12,066 were targeted. Information about the medical history and statin use at baseline and after 9 months was available for 4355 participants from the Electronic Patient Records of the general practitioners. In the screening questionnaire at baseline we asked participants: 'At the moment, which health complaints limit you the most in your day-to-day life?' Answers indicating muscle or musculoskeletal complaints were coded as such. No specific questions about muscle complaints were asked.The participants had a median age of 80.3 (IQR 77.6-84.4 years, 60.8% were female and 28.5% had a history of CVD. At baseline 29% used a statin. At follow-up, no difference was found in the prevalence of self-reported hindering muscle complaints in statin users compared to non-statin users (3.3% vs. 2.5%, OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.94-2.05; P = 0.98. Discontinuation of statin use during follow-up was independent of self-reported hindering muscle complaints.Based on the present findings, prevalent statin use in this community-dwelling older population is not associated with self-reported hindering muscle complaints; however, the results might be different for incident users.

  9. Statin Use and Self-Reported Hindering Muscle Complaints in Older Persons: A Population Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Ploeg, Milly A; Poortvliet, Rosalinde K E; van Blijswijk, Sophie C E; den Elzen, Wendy P J; van Peet, Petra G; de Ruijter, Wouter; Blom, Jeanet W; Gussekloo, Jacobijn

    2016-01-01

    Statins are widely used by older persons in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Although serious adverse events are rare, many statin users report mild muscle pain and/or muscle weakness. It's unclear what impact statins exert on a patient's daily life. Research on statin related side effects in older persons is relatively scarce. We therefore investigated the relation between statin use and self-reported hindering muscle complaints in older persons in the general population. The present research was performed within the Integrated Systematic Care for Older Persons (ISCOPE) study in the Netherlands (Netherlands trial register, NTR1946). All registered adults aged ≥ 75 years from 59 participating practices (n = 12,066) were targeted. Information about the medical history and statin use at baseline and after 9 months was available for 4355 participants from the Electronic Patient Records of the general practitioners. In the screening questionnaire at baseline we asked participants: 'At the moment, which health complaints limit you the most in your day-to-day life?' Answers indicating muscle or musculoskeletal complaints were coded as such. No specific questions about muscle complaints were asked. The participants had a median age of 80.3 (IQR 77.6-84.4) years, 60.8% were female and 28.5% had a history of CVD. At baseline 29% used a statin. At follow-up, no difference was found in the prevalence of self-reported hindering muscle complaints in statin users compared to non-statin users (3.3% vs. 2.5%, OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.94-2.05; P = 0.98). Discontinuation of statin use during follow-up was independent of self-reported hindering muscle complaints. Based on the present findings, prevalent statin use in this community-dwelling older population is not associated with self-reported hindering muscle complaints; however, the results might be different for incident users.

  10. Empowering the Citizen-Consumer: Re-Regulating Consumer Information to Support the Transition to Sustainable and Health Promoting Food Systems in Canada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandi Trillo

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Both health and sustainability are stated public policy objectives in Canada, but food information rules and practices may not be optimal to support their achievement. In the absence of a stated consensus on the purposes of public information about food, the information provided is frequently determined by the marketers of product. No institution or agency has responsibility for determining the overall coherence of consumer food messages relative to these broader social goals of health and sustainability. Individual firms provide information that shows their products to best advantage, which may contradict what is provided about the product by another firm or government agency. Individual consumers do not have the resources to determine easily the completeness of any firm's messages, particularly in light of the size of food industry advertising budgets. Government rules confound this problem because there is also little coherence between the parts of government that have responsibility for point of purchase, advertising rules, and labelling. The healthy eating messages of health departments are often competing with contradictory messages permitted by the regulatory framework of other arms of government. Investments in programs that successfully promote environmental stewardship in agriculture are undercut in the market because consumers cannot support those efforts with their dollars. This problem exists despite the emergence of “citizen-consumers” who have a broader approach to food purchasing than individual maximization. Only recently have some health professionals and sustainable agriculture proponents turned their attention to these factors and designed interventions that take them into account. In this paper, which builds upon earlier work by MacRae [1], we outline key short, medium and long term initiatives to facilitate the citizen-consumer phenomenon and better support consumers in their efforts to promote health and sustainability

  11. Increasing consumer demand for tobacco treatments: Ten design recommendations for clinicians and healthcare systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woods, Susan Swartz; Jaén, Carlos Roberto

    2010-03-01

    Health professionals play an important role in addressing patient tobacco use in clinical settings. While there is clear evidence that identifying tobacco use and assisting smokers in quitting affects outcomes, challenges to improve routine, clinician-delivered tobacco intervention persist. The Consumer Demand Initiative has identified simple design principles to increase consumers' use of proven tobacco treatments. Applying these design strategies to activities across the healthcare system, we articulate ten recommendations that can be implemented in the context of most clinical systems where most clinicians work. The recommendations are: (1) reframe the definition of success, (2) portray proven treatments as the best care, (3) redesign the 5A's of tobacco intervention, (4) be ready to deliver the right treatment at the right time, (5) move tobacco from the social history to the problem list, (6) use words as therapy and language that makes sense, (7) fit tobacco treatment into clinical team workflows, (8) embed tobacco treatment into health information technology, (9) make every encounter an opportunity to intervene, and (10) end social disparities for tobacco users. Clinical systems need to change to improve tobacco treatment implementation. The consumer- and clinician-centered recommendations provide a roadmap that focuses on increasing clinician performance through greater understanding of the clinician's role in helping tobacco users, highlighting the value of evidence-based tobacco treatments, employing shared decision-making skills, and integrating routine tobacco treatment into clinical system routines. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Do health complaints in adolescence negatively predict the chance of entering tertiary education in young adulthood?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Låftman, Sara B; Magnusson, Charlotta

    2017-12-01

    Self-reported psychological and psychosomatic health complaints, such as nervousness, sadness, headache and stomach-ache, are common among adolescents, particularly among girls, and studies suggest that the prevalence has risen among adolescent girls during the last few decades. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the potential long-term consequences of such health complaints. The aim of the current study was to assess whether psychological and psychosomatic health complaints in adolescence predict the chance of entering tertiary education in young adulthood among women and men. The data used are from the Swedish Young-LNU, which is based on a nationally representative sample with self-reported survey information from adolescents aged 10-18 years in 2000 and from the same individuals at ages 20-28 in 2010 ( n=783). Information was also collected from parents and from official registers. Linear probability models showed that self-reported psychological complaints in adolescence were associated with a lower chance of having entered tertiary education 10 years later. This association was accounted for by differences in grade point average (GPA), suggesting that GPA may mediate the association between psychological complaints and later education. The pattern was similar for both genders. Furthermore, among men, psychosomatic complaints in adolescence were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of having entered tertiary education 10 years later when adjusting for GPA and social class in adolescence. A similar but non-significant tendency was found among women. The findings suggest that health complaints in adolescence may have long-term consequences in terms of lower educational attainment.

  13. Consumer Confidence from Cluj-Napoca Metropolitan Area, in the Food Labeling System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioana Ancuța Iancu

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In order to discover the aspects that influence the consumer level of confidence (from ClujNapoca metropolitan area, regarding the information on the food label and their reading frequency a study based on a questionnaire was made. This was promoted online, especially on Facebook and was filled in by 392 persons. Besides the descriptive analysis meant to offer us an overview of the aspects that influence the consumer level of confidence regarding the information on the food label, the authors have proposed to observe the level of association and test some hypotheses, which are linked to the importance of some elements (sex, age, education, family income, buying food for children under 5 and over 6 years old, smokers, athletes, the perception of the correctness of information on the label, food poisoning, country of origin and the benefits of technology in food sector. The results indicate a decrease in the level of confidence of Romanian consumers in the information on the food label, while the age, the number of years spent on formal study, increased revenue and shopping of products for children under the age of 5 influence the frequency of label reading. On the other side, women grant a higher importance to the information that is mandatory, by law, to be included on the label, than men. This study shows the importance of improving the trust of consumers in the food labelling system by increasing the frequency of reading. We underline that information of consumers can’t be successfully achieved if they don’t read or trust the information found on the labels.

  14. Subjective health complaints in relation to sickness absence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelen, Corne A. M.; Koopmans, Petra C.; Groothoff, Johan W.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The Dutch population is healthy in terms of living and working conditions, but the levels of subjective health complaints (SHC) and sickness absence are high in the Dutch workforce. Are SHC related to sickness absence? Participants: The study population included the personnel of four

  15. Increasing trends of sleep complaints in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos-Silva, Rogerio; Bittencourt, Lia Rita Azeredo; Pires, Maria Laura Nogueira; de Mello, Marco Tulio; Taddei, Jose Augusto; Benedito-Silva, Ana Amelia; Pompeia, Celine; Tufik, Sergio

    2010-06-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sleep habits and complaints and to estimate the secular trends through three population-based surveys carried out in 1987, 1995, and 2007 in the general adult population of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Surveys were performed using the same three-stage cluster-sampling technique in three consecutive decades to obtain representative samples of the inhabitants of Sao Paulo with respect to gender, age (20-80 years), and socio-economic status. Sample sizes were 1000 volunteers in 1987 and 1995 surveys and 1101 in a 2007 survey. In each survey, the UNIFESP Sleep Questionnaire was administered face-to-face in each household selected. For 1987, 1995, and 2007, respectively, difficulty initiating sleep (weighted frequency %; 95% CI) [(13.9; 11.9-16.2), (19.15; 16.8-21.6), and (25.0; 22.5-27.8)], difficulty maintaining sleep [(15.8; 13.7-18.2), (27.6; 24.9-30.4), and (36.5; 33.5-39.5)], and early morning awakening [(10.6; 8.8-12.7), (14.2; 12.2-16.5), and (26.7; 24-29.6)] increased in the general population over time, mostly in women. Habitual snoring was the most commonly reported complaint across decades and was more prevalent in men. There was no statistically significant difference in snoring complaints between 1987 (21.5; 19.1-24.2) and 1995 (19.0; 16.7-21.6), but a significant increase was noted in 2007 (41.7; 38.6-44.8). Nightmares, bruxism, leg cramps, and somnambulism complaints were significantly higher in 2007 compared to 1987 and 1995. All were more frequent in women. This is the first study comparing sleep complaints in probabilistic population-based samples from the same metropolitan area, using the same methodology across three consecutive decades. Clear trends of increasing sleep complaints were observed, which increased faster between 1995 and 2007 than from 1987 to 1995. These secular trends should be considered a relevant public health issue and support the need for development of health care and

  16. 76 FR 68785 - Certain Communications Equipment, Components Thereof, and Products Containing the Same, Including...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-07

    ... complaint names as respondents Cisco Systems, Inc. of San Jose, CA; Cisco Consumer Products LLC of Irvine, CA; Cisco Systems International B.V. of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Cisco-Linksys LLC of Irvine, CA...

  17. [Subjective memory complaints in older people. Is it a symptom of dementia?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, A.

    2008-01-01

    Subjective memory complaints are common in older people. They are inconsistently related to current cognitive impairment, but are more consistently correlated to future development of dementia. Subjective memory complaints are also related to depression and personality traits. Many patients...... with dementia have impaired awareness of deficits even in the early stages of dementia and therefore do not complain about memory problems. Reports about impaired memory in older people should lead to diagnostic examination Udgivelsesdato: 2008/5/12...

  18. 76 FR 60080 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-28

    .... The complaint names as respondent Apple Inc. of CA. The complainant, proposed respondents, other... Commission has received a complaint filed on behalf of VIA Technologies Inc., IP-First, LLC and Centaur...

  19. Increased working memory-related brain activity in middle-aged women with cognitive complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumas, Julie A; Kutz, Amanda M; McDonald, Brenna C; Naylor, Magdalena R; Pfaff, Ashley C; Saykin, Andrew J; Newhouse, Paul A

    2013-04-01

    Individuals who report subjective cognitive complaints but perform normally on neuropsychological tests might be at increased risk for pathological cognitive aging. The current study examined the effects of the presence of subjective cognitive complaints on functional brain activity during a working memory task in a sample of middle-aged postmenopausal women. Twenty-three postmenopausal women aged 50-60 completed a cognitive complaint battery of questionnaires. Using 20% of items endorsed as the threshold, 12 women were categorized as cognitive complainers (CC) and 11 were noncomplainers (NC). All subjects then took part in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning session during which they completed a visual-verbal N-back test of working memory. Results showed no difference in working memory performance between CC and NC groups. However, the CC group showed greater activation relative to the NC group in a broad network involved in working memory including the middle frontal gyrus (Brodmann area [BA] 9 and 10), the precuneus (BA 7), and the cingulate gyrus (BA 24 and 32). The CC group recruited additional regions of the working memory network compared with the NC group as the working memory load and difficulty of the task increased. This study showed brain activation differences during working memory performance in a middle-aged group of postmenopausal women with subjective cognitive complaints but without objective cognitive deficit. These findings suggest that subjective cognitive complaints in postmenopausal women might be associated with increased cortical activity during effort-demanding cognitive tasks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. [Analysis of patient complaints in Primary Care: An opportunity to improve clinical safety].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Añel-Rodríguez, R M; Cambero-Serrano, M I; Irurzun-Zuazabal, E

    2015-01-01

    To determine the prevalence and type of the clinical safety problems contained in the complaints made by patients and users in Primary Care. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by analysing both the complaint forms and the responses given to them in the period of one year. At least 4.6% of all claims analysed in this study contained clinical safety problems. The family physician is the professional who received the majority of the complaints (53.6%), and the main reason was the problems related to diagnosis (43%), mainly the delay in diagnosis. Other variables analysed were the severity of adverse events experienced by patients (in 68% of cases the patient suffered some harm), the subsequent impact on patient care, which was affected in 39% of cases (7% of cases even requiring hospital admission), and the level of preventability of adverse events (96% avoidable) described in the claims. Finally the type of response issued to each complaint was analysed, being purely bureaucratic in 64% of all cases. Complaints are a valuable source of information about the deficiencies identified by patients and healthcare users. There is considerable scope for improvement in the analysis and management of claims in general, and those containing clinical safety issues in particular. To date, in our area, there is a lack of appropriate procedures for processing these claims. Likewise, we believe that other pathways or channels should be opened to enable communication by patients and healthcare users. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  1. 45 CFR 1621.4 - Complaints by clients about manner or quality of legal assistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Complaints by clients about manner or quality of...) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION CLIENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES § 1621.4 Complaints by clients about manner or... clients about the manner or quality of legal assistance that has been rendered by the recipient to the...

  2. 78 FR 72877 - Arkansas Electric Corporation v. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-04

    ... Electric Corporation v. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on November... Commission (Commission), 18 CFR 385.206, Arkansas Electric Corporation (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (Respondents), alleging that the Respondent's Production Formula...

  3. Complaints related to mandibular function impairment after closed treatment of fractures of the mandibular condyle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niezen, E. T.; Bos, R. R. M.; de Bont, L. G. M.; Stegenga, B.; Dijkstra, P. U.

    This study analysed the relationship between complaints and mandibular function after closed treatment of fractures of the mandibular condyle in a prospective study. In a I-year follow-up, complaints were assessed during physical examination and function was assessed using the mandibular function

  4. 40 CFR 22.15 - Answer to the complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Answer to the complaint. 22.15 Section 22.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL CONSOLIDATED RULES OF... respondent has any knowledge. Where respondent has no knowledge of a particular factual allegation and so...

  5. Consumer energy conservation options - professional and consumer perspectives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ritchie, B.J.R.; Claxton, J.D.; McDougall, G.H.G.

    1980-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to: identify government policies for reducing Canadian consumption of home heating fuel, electricity, and gasoline; assess probable effectiveness of different policy alternatives as a means of reducing consumer energy consumption; and measure the acceptability to Canadian consumers of the different policy alternatives. Interviews were conducted with energy conservation professionals to identify and evaluate existing energy conservation programs, and interviews were conducted with consumers who had evaluated selected programs previously reviewed by the professionals. Information was also gathered on energy conservation activities of consumers surveyed. A directory of 34 energy conservation programs was also compiled. Some of the conclusions reached in this report are as follows. There is a need for an information system to gather data on existing conservation programs in order to increase the knowledge of relevant parties as to the outcomes of operating programs. This would help evaluation and improvement of current programs and suggest new program possibilities. The professionals rated six of the 34 programs highly, including the Energuide and the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP). Retrofitting programs for houses are recommended for continuation and expansion, with some consideration given to linking these kinds of programs with home audit programs. In the private transport sector, any new conservation programs should be thoroughly tested on a small scale before widespread implementation, as evidence indicates that certain programs favorably evaluated by professionals may not be received favorably by consumers. 3 refs., 24 tabs.

  6. An analysis of 20 years of radiation-related health care complaints in Texas for the purposes of quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thommen, P J; Emery, R J

    2006-05-01

    In an effort to reveal the possible underlying causes of radiation-related health care complaints in the State of Texas, complaint data were evaluated using historical Texas Department of Health-Bureau of Radiation Control (TDH-BRC) reports. A major aim of the study was to generate a summary of the most commonly reported complaints that might be generalized to health care providers using sources of radiation across Texas. A generalizable list of common complaints would be a valuable tool for education and prevention programs, serving to possibly reduce the overall incidence of radiation-related medical complaints. Descriptive text summary reports of complaints were obtained from the TDH-BRC for the 20-y period inclusive of 1981 to 2001. The information was systematically coded into a computerized database. During the 20-y period of study, 481 health care-related complaints were identified, with approximately 74% consisting of claims of an "uncredentialed technician" (39%), "overexposure" (21%), or "regulatory violation" (14%). The most common categories of complaints imply some patient understanding or knowledge of the credentialing requirements of workers, the applicable dose limits, or the regulatory requirements associated with medical procedures. Since it is unlikely that an average patient would be aware of such issues, the findings suggest the complaints are not actually indications of the inappropriate uses of radiation, but are rather based on the patient's broader perception of services rendered. Most of the complaints levied during the period of study were done so anonymously (58%) and were levied against a generic facility (61%) rather than a specific technician (5%), doctor (4%), or student (1%). Approximately 61% of the complaints resulted in the issuance of a notice of violation upon investigation by the TDH-BRC, but the available data did not permit definitive linkage between the initial complaint and the violation issued. Taken in aggregate, the

  7. Evaluating Speech acts in ELT Textbooks: The Case of Compliments and Complaints in the Touchstone Series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdieh Jalilian

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Textbooks play an important role in English Language Teaching (ELT, particularly in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL context where it provides the primary linguistic input. The present research was an attempt to comparatively evaluate the Touchstone series in terms of compliment and complaint speech acts. Four Touchstone textbooks (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and Book 4 were selected and content analysis was done using Olshtain and Weinbach’s (1993 complaint strategies and Wolfson and Manes’ (1980 classification of compliment. The frequencies and percentages of compliments and complaint speech acts were obtained. Data analysis showed that, first, the total frequency of the complaint speech act was higher in Touchstone, Book 4 than the other three textbooks; second, the frequency of complaint and compliment speech acts in the Writing section was quite low, but the Conversation section had a high frequency of compliment speech act in the Touchstone series; third, the expression of annoyance or disapproval complaint strategy was frequently used in the Touchstone series; fourth, the compliment strategy of ‘noun phrase + looks/is (intensifier adjective’ was very frequent in the Touchstone series; finally, there was a significant difference between the frequencies of the two speech acts, in general, in the four Touchstone textbooks. Considering the weaknesses and strengthens of Touchstone series, implications for teachers, material developers, and textbook writers are provided.

  8. Consumer viewpoints on food irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fazal, A.

    1985-01-01

    The International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU), a non-profit, non-party political foundation that represents the interests of consumers worldwide. It consists of some 1,140 organizations in over 50 countries of the world in the North, South, East and West. IOCU also represents the interest of the consumers in the U N system and enjoys consultative status with many of its various organs and agencies. This paper also speaks from the additional perspective of a Third World person who active in consumer public affairs issues over the last two decades

  9. A psychometric study of complaints in chronic tinnitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, W; Goebel, G

    1992-05-01

    Dimensions of psychological complaints due to chronic and disabling tinnitus were investigated by means of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), administered to a sample of 138 tinnitus sufferers who had been admitted to a psychosomatic hospital. Factor analysis revealed that tinnitus-related patterns of emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbances, and somatic complaints can be differentiated. Cognitive distortions and inappropriate attitudes towards the tinnitus and it's personal consequences were found to be highly intercorrelated forming a subgroup within a broader and more general distress factor. The stability of the factor solution obtained was examined by systematically varying the number of factors to be extracted. Based on the results of this method, scales are proposed for the questionnaire which can be used in clinical and scientific work to specifically assess major areas of tinnitus-related distress and their degree of severity. Implications for a further evaluation of the instrument are discussed.

  10. 76 FR 36154 - In the Matter of Certain Equipment for Communications Networks, Including Switches, Routers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-21

    ... complaint is to be served: Cisco Systems, Inc., 170 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134-1706; Cisco Consumer Products LLC, 120 Theory Drive, Irvine, CA 92617. Cisco Systems International B.V., Harrlerbergweg...

  11. Sleep complaints in middle-aged women and men: the contribution of working conditions and work-family conflicts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lallukka, Tea; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero; Arber, Sara

    2010-09-01

    This study aimed to examine how physical working conditions, psychosocial working conditions and work-family conflicts are associated with sleep complaints, and whether health behaviours explain these associations. We used pooled postal questionnaire surveys collected in 2001-2002 among 40-60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (n = 5819, response rate 66%). Participants were classified as having sleep complaints if they reported sleep complaints at least once a week on average (24% of women and 20% of men). Independent variables included environmental work exposures, physical workload, computer work, Karasek's job strain and work-family conflicts. Age, marital status, occupational class, work arrangements, health behaviours and obesity were adjusted for. Most working conditions were associated strongly with sleep complaints after adjustment for age only. After adjustment for work-family conflicts, the associations somewhat attenuated. Work-family conflicts were also associated strongly with women's [odds ratio (OR) 5.90; confidence interval (CI) 4.16-8.38] and men's sleep (OR 2.56; CI 1.34-4.87). The associations remained robust even after controlling for unhealthy behaviours, obesity, health status, depression and medications. Physically strenuous working conditions, psychosocial job strain and work-family conflicts may increase sleep complaints. Efforts to support employees to cope with psychosocial stress and reach a better balance between paid work and family life might reduce sleep complaints. Sleep complaints need to be taken into account in worksite health promotion and occupational health care in order to reduce the burden of poor sleep.

  12. 76 FR 60081 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-28

    ... complaint names as respondent Apple Inc. of CA. The complainant, proposed respondents, other interested... behalf of S3 Graphics Co., Ltd. and S3 Graphics Inc. on September 23, 2011. The complaint alleges...

  13. Removable partial dentures: Patient satisfaction and complaints in Makkah City, KSA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen K. Aljabri, BDS

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To assess the satisfaction level and complaints among patients using different types of removable partial dentures (RPDs in Makkah city, KSA. Methods: In this retrospective study, 551 patients who had received RPDs between February and December 2015 were contacted by telephone. One hundred patients responded, and 60 of them agreed to participate in the study. The participants were asked two questions to determine their satisfaction level and complaints with RPD usage, eating, communication, and aesthetics. Data were analysed statistically by chi-square, analysis of variance, and Scheffe's tests. Results: Of 60 patients, 35% were very satisfied, 21.7% were satisfied and 23.3% were nearly satisfied. However, only 20% were not satisfied. There were no significant differences in mean RPD satisfaction among different age groups and between sexes (P > 0.01. There was a significant difference in satisfaction among RPD type (P < 0.01. However, no significant differences were recorded between either metal and acrylic, or acrylic and flexible RPDs (P < 0.01. As many as 26.7% of respondents complained of aesthetic problems, 16.7% complained of pain during mastication, 10% complained of gag reflex, and 8.3% complained of phonetic problems. However, the majority of respondents (38.3% had no complaints. Conclusion: The majority of patients were satisfied with the quality of removable partial dentures treatment in Makkah city hospitals. Oral rehabilitation with RPDs should be applied with care when patients have high aesthetic demands. Keywords: Aesthetics, Dental prosthesis, Oral complaints, Patient satisfaction, Removable partial denture

  14. Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faiers, Adam [Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University at Silsoe, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4DT (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: a.j.faiers.so2@cranfield.ac.uk; Neame, Charles [Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University at Silsoe, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4DT (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: c.neame@cranfield.ac.uk

    2006-09-15

    The success of the UK policy to reduce carbon emissions is partly dependent on the ability to persuade householders to become more energy efficient, and to encourage installation of domestic solar systems. Solar power is an innovation in the UK but the current policy of stimulating the market with grants is not resulting in widespread adoption. This case study, using householders in central England, investigates householder attitudes towards characteristics of solar systems and identifies some of the barriers to adoption. The study utilises Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify attitudes towards system attributes, and isolates the characteristics that are preventing a pragmatic 'early majority' from adopting the technology. A group of 'early adopters', and a group of assumed 'early majority' adopters of solar power were surveyed and the results show that overall, although the 'early majority' demonstrate a positive perception of the environmental characteristics of solar power, its financial, economic and aesthetic characteristics are limiting adoption. Differences exist between the two groups showing support for the concept of a 'chasm' between adopter categories after Moore (Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-tech Products to Mainstream Customers, second ed. Harper Perennial, New York). However, if consumers cannot identify the relative advantage of solar power over their current sources of power, which is supplied readily and cheaply through a mains system, it is unlikely that adoption will follow. Recommendations concerning the marketing and development of solar products are identified.

  15. Memory Complaint Questionnaire performed poorly as screening tool : validation against psychometric tests and affective measures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reid, Meagan; Parkinson, Lynne; Gibson, Richard; Schofield, Peter; D'Este, Catherine; Attia, John; Tavener, Meredith; Byles, Julie

    Objective: This study examined the internal and external validity of the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), a brief measure of subjective memory complaint in people with normal cognitive function. Study Design and Setting: The Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel was a

  16. A preliminary assessment of two hospital food service systems using parameters of food safety and consumer opinion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartwell, H; Edwards, J S

    2001-12-01

    The goal of any hospital caterer should be to provide food that meets nutritional requirements, satisfies the patient, improves morale and is microbiologically safe. Food distribution to hospital wards plays a critical role. The aim of this study was to compare two hospital food service systems using parameters of food safety and consumer opinion. An NHS hospital was selected where food delivery was due to change from a plated system to a cafeteria trolley system. Samples (50 g) of dishes (n = 27) considered to be high-risk were collected for three consecutive days from breakfast, lunch and supper meals. The samples were taken from a pre-ordered tray (similar to that of a patient) in the plated system and from the trolley on the ward in the cafeteria system of meal delivery (approximately six months after its introduction). Consumer opinions cards (n = 180) were distributed and interviews also conducted. Microbiologically, the quality of food items delivered by both systems was satisfactory. However, concern was raised with the plated system, not for hot foods cooling down but for chilled foods warming up and being sustained in ambient conditions. Overall consumer satisfaction and experience was enhanced with the trolley system. Food was hotter and generally perceived to be of a better quality. Satisfaction with cold desserts was not dependent on the delivery system.

  17. Do gastrointestinal complaints increase the risk for subsequent medically certified long-term sickness absence? The HUSK study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Øverland Simon

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gastrointestinal complaints are very common in the general population and very often co-occur with common mental disorders. We aimed to study the prospective impact of gastrointestinal complaints on long term sickness absence, and address the contribution from co-occurring common mental disorders and other somatic symptoms. Method Health data on 13 880 40-45 year olds from the Hordaland Health Study (1997-99 were linked to national registries on sickness absence. As part of a wider health screening, gastrointestinal complaints were ascertained. Participant's anxiety and depression, and the presence of other somatic symptoms were evaluated. In Cox regression models, we predicted sickness absences over an average 5.4 years follow-up, with adjustment for confounders, anxiety and depression and other somatic symptoms. Results After adjusting for gender, level of education and smoking, those reporting GI complaints had higher risk for later sickness absence (HR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.34-1.51. GI complaints were associated with both anxiety (OR = 3.66, 95% CI 3.31-4.04 and depression (OR = 3.28, 95% CI 2.89-3.72, and a high level of other somatic symptoms (OR = 8.50, 95% CI 7.69-9.40. The association of GI complaints was still independently associated with future sickness absence (HR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-1.16 adjusting for mental illness and other somatic symptoms. Discussion Sickness absence is a complex behavioural outcome, but our results suggest GI complaints contribute by increasing the risk of long term sickness absence independently of comorbid mental illness and presence of other somatic symptoms. Occupational consequences of illness are important, and should also be addressed clinically with patients presenting with GI complaints.

  18. Cerebral atrophy in elderly with subjective memory complaints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Palm, W.M.; Ferrarini, L.; van der Flier, W.M.; Westendorp, R.G.J.; Bollen, E.L.E.M.; Middelkoop, H.A.M.; Milles, J.R.; van der Grond, J.; van Buchem, M.A.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate ventricular shape differences along the complete surface of the lateral and third ventricles of persons with subjective memory complaints (MC). Materials and Methods We included 28 controls and 21 persons with MC. FLAIR, T2, and PD-weighted brain MRI scans were acquired at 1.5

  19. 29 CFR 1978.102 - Filing of discrimination complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... any person on the employee's behalf, a complaint alleging a violation of section 405. (b) Nature of... with the OSHA Area Director responsible for enforcement activities in the geographical area where the employee resides or was employed, but filing with any OSHA officer or employee is sufficient. Addresses and...

  20. Discrimination Against State and Local Government LGBT Employees: An Analysis of Administrative Complaints

    OpenAIRE

    Mallory, Christy; Sears, Brad

    2014-01-01

    This article documents evidence of recent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) public sector workers by analyzing employment discrimination complaints filed with state and local administrative agencies. We present information about 589 complaints of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination filed by public sector workers in 123 jurisdictions. We find that discrimination against LGBT people in the public sector is pervasive and occurs nearly as freq...

  1. Awakened Oscillations in Coupled Consumer-Resource Pairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almaz Mustafin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper concerns two interacting consumer-resource pairs based on chemostat-like equations under the assumption that the dynamics of the resource is considerably slower than that of the consumer. The presence of two different time scales enables to carry out a fairly complete analysis of the problem. This is done by treating consumers and resources in the coupled system as fast-scale and slow-scale variables, respectively, and subsequently considering developments in phase planes of these variables, fast and slow, as if they are independent. When uncoupled, each pair has unique asymptotically stable steady state and no self-sustained oscillatory behavior (although damped oscillations about the equilibrium are admitted. When the consumer-resource pairs are weakly coupled through direct reciprocal inhibition of consumers, the whole system exhibits self-sustained relaxation oscillations with a period that can be significantly longer than intrinsic relaxation time of either pair. It is shown that the model equations adequately describe locally linked consumer-resource systems of quite different nature: living populations under interspecific interference competition and lasers coupled via their cavity losses.

  2. Serotonin transporter polymorphism modifies the association between depressive symptoms and sleep onset latency complaint in elderly people: results from the 'InveCe.Ab' study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polito, Letizia; Davin, Annalisa; Vaccaro, Roberta; Abbondanza, Simona; Govoni, Stefano; Racchi, Marco; Guaita, Antonio

    2015-04-01

    Previous studies have documented the involvement of the central nervous system serotonin in promoting wakefulness. There are few and conflicting results over whether there is an actual association between bearing the short allele of serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and worse sleep quality. This study examined whether sleep onset latency complaint is associated with the 5-HTTLPR triallelic polymorphism in the SLC6A4 gene promoter and whether this polymorphism influences the relationship between sleep onset latency complaint and depressive symptoms in elderly people. A total of 1321 community-dwelling individuals aged 70-74 years were interviewed for sleep onset latency complaint and for sleep medication consumption. Participants' genomic DNA was typed for 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 polymorphisms. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale Short form and general medical comorbidity was assessed by the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale. The presence of a past history of depression was recorded. The S' allele of the 5-HTTLPR triallelic polymorphism was associated with sleep onset latency complaint. This association was maintained after adjusting for depressive symptoms, sex, age, history of depression and medical comorbidity. After stratification for 5-HTTLPR/rs25531, only in S'S' individuals high depressive symptoms were actually associated with sleep onset latency complaint. These data indicate that the low-expressing 5-HTTLPR triallelic polymorphism is an independent risk factor for sleep onset latency disturbance. Furthermore, the 5-HTTLPR genotype influences the association between depressive symptoms and sleep onset latency complaint. © 2014 European Sleep Research Society.

  3. 78 FR 44556 - Chesapeake Energy Marketing, Inc. v. Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-24

    ... Energy Marketing, Inc. v. Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on July... CFR 385.206, Chesapeake Energy Marketing, Inc. (CEMI or Complainant), filed a complaint against... assistance with any FERC Online service, please email [email protected] , or call (866) 208-3676...

  4. The relationship between complaints of night-time heartburn and sleep-related gastroesophageal reflux.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, W C; Goodrich, S; Estep, M E; Shepherd, K

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated whether the complaint of night-time heartburn (NHB) as opposed to daytime heartburn (DHB) is a reliable reflection of actual sleep-related reflux events. Three groups of individuals were studied: individuals with complaints of NHB at least twice per week (n = 24), individuals with complaints of DHB (n = 23), and normal participants without any complaints of regular heartburn during the day or night (n = 25). All three groups were studied on one occasion with combined pH monitoring and polysomnography, and subjective questionnaires about sleep disturbance and sleep quality were given to all participants. The NHB group had significantly more sleep-related reflux events compared with both DHB and control groups (P < 0.01). DHB subjects had significantly (P < 0.05) more sleep-related reflux events than normal controls. Total acid contact time (ACT) was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in the NHB group compared with both the DHB and control group. Sleep-related ACT was also significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in the NHB group compared with the other two groups, while upright (daytime) ACT was not significantly different. The NHB group was significantly (P < 0.05) worse regarding measures of both objective and subjective sleep quality. Subjects with exclusively DHB do have sleep-related reflux that is greater than normal controls. Subjects with NHB have significantly more sleep-related reflux, and both objective and subjective sleep abnormalities compared with normal controls. Complaints of NHB reflect sleep-related reflux events and may be indicative of a more clinically significant condition. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

  5. Consumers' Response to an On-Shelf Nutrition Labelling System in Supermarkets: Evidence to Inform Policy and Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobin, Erin; Bollinger, Bryan; Sacco, Jocelyn; Liebman, Eli; Vanderlee, Lana; Zuo, Fei; Rosella, Laura; L'abbe, Mary; Manson, Heather; Hammond, David

    2017-09-01

    Policy Points: On-shelf nutrition labelling systems in supermarkets, such as the Guiding Stars system, are intended to provide consumers with simple, standardized nutrition information to support more informed and healthier food choices. Policies that support the provision of simplified nutrition labelling systems may encourage consumers to make positive shifts in food-purchasing behaviors. The shifts in consumer food-purchasing patterns observed in our study after the introduction of the Guiding Stars system in supermarkets translated into measurable nutritional benefits, including more items purchased with slightly less trans fat and sugar and more fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. This study is one of the first to report the positive impact of an on-shelf nutrition labelling system on supermarket sales and revenues-key information that was specifically requested by the US National Academies, as such labelling interventions may be more sustainable if they lead to higher revenues. Providing a nutrition rating system on the front of food packages or on retail shelf tags has been proposed as a policy strategy for supporting healthier food choices. Guiding Stars is an on-shelf nutrition labelling system that scores foods in a supermarket based on nutritional quality; scores are then translated into ratings of 0 to 3 stars. It is consistent with evidence-informed recommendations for well-designed labels, except for not labelling 0-star products. The largest supermarket retailer in Canada rolled out the Guiding Stars system in supermarkets across Ontario, Canada. The aim of our study was to examine the extent to which consumers respond to an on-shelf nutrition labelling system in supermarkets to inform current and future nutrition labelling policies and practices. Capitalizing on a natural experiment, we conducted a quasi-experimental study across 3 supermarket banners (or "chains") in Ontario, one of which implemented the Guiding Stars system in 2012. We used aggregated

  6. Operational circular No. 9 – Principles and procedures governing complaints of harassment

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2011-01-01

    Operational Circular No. 9 entitled "Principles and Procedures Governing Complaints of Harassment", approved by the Director-General following discussion in the Standing Concertation Committee meeting on 21 March 2011, is available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department: https://cern.ch/hr-docs/opcirc/opcirc.asp Operational Circular No. 9 is applicable to any person working at or on behalf of CERN. It cancels and replaces Administrative Circular No. 32 entitled "Principles and Procedures Governing Complaints of Harassment” of February 2000. Department Head Office

  7. Socio-demographic predictors of sleep complaints in indigenous Siberians with a mixed economy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Hannah J; Klimova, Tatiana M; Knuston, Kristen L; Fedorova, Valentina I; Fedorov, Afanasy; Yegorovna, Baltakhinova M; Leonard, William R

    2015-08-01

    Socio-demographic indicators closely relate to sleep in industrialized populations. However we know very little about how such factors impact sleep in populations undergoing industrialization. Within populations transitioning to the global economy, the preliminary evidence has found an inconsistent relationship between socio-demographics and sleep complaints across countries and social strata. Surveys were conducted on a sample of rural Sakha (Yakut) adults (n = 168) during the autumn of 2103 to assess variation in socio-demographics and sleep complaints, including trouble sleeping and daytime sleepiness. Socio-demographic variables included age, gender, socioeconomic measures, and markers of traditional/market-based lifestyle. We tested whether the socio-demographic variables predicted sleep complaints using bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions. Trouble sleeping was reported by 18.5% of the participants and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) by 17.3%. Trouble sleeping was significantly predicted by older age, female gender, and mixing traditional and market-based lifestyles. EDS was not significantly predicted by any socio-demographic variable. These findings support the few large-scale studies that found inconsistent relationships between measures of socioeconomic status and sleep complaints in transitioning populations. Employing a mix of traditional and market-based lifestyles may leave Sakha in a space of vulnerability, leading to trouble sleeping. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gellad, Ziad F; Lyles, Kenneth W

    2007-06-01

    Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new guidelines on broadcast direct-to-consumer advertising in 1997, the prevalence of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs has increased exponentially. The impact on providers, patients, and the health care system is varied and dynamic, and the rapid changes in the last several years have markedly altered the health care landscape. To continue providing optimal medical care, physicians and other health care providers must be able to manage this influence on their practice, and a more thorough understanding of this phenomenon is an integral step toward this goal. This review will summarize the history of direct-to-consumer drug advertisements and the current regulations governing them. It will summarize the evidence concerning the impact of direct-to-consumer advertising on the public, providers, and the health care system, and conclude with observations regarding the future of direct-to-consumer advertising.

  9. 32 CFR 806b.4 - Privacy Act complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... be identified, the local Privacy Act officer will assume these duties. Issues that cannot be resolved... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Privacy Act complaints. 806b.4 Section 806b.4 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE ADMINISTRATION PRIVACY ACT...

  10. Evaluation of emergency medical text processor, a system for cleaning chief complaint text data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Travers, Debbie A; Haas, Stephanie W

    2004-11-01

    Emergency Medical Text Processor (EMT-P) version 1, a natural language processing system that cleans emergency department text (e.g., chst pn, chest pai), was developed to maximize extraction of standard terms (e.g., chest pain). The authors compared the number of standard terms extracted from raw chief complaint (CC) data with that for CC data cleaned with EMT-P and evaluated the accuracy of EMT-P. This cross-sectional observation study included CC text entries for all emergency department visits to three tertiary care centers in 2001. Terms were extracted from CC entries before and after cleaning with EMT-P. Descriptive statistics included number and percentage of all entries (tokens) and all unique entries (types) that matched a standard term from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). An expert panel rated the accuracy of the CC-UMLS term matches; inter-rater reliability was measured with kappa. The authors collected 203,509 CC entry tokens, of which 63,946 were unique entry types. For the raw data, 89,337 tokens (44%) and 5,081 types (8%) matched a standard term. After EMT-P cleaning, 168,050 tokens (83%) and 44,430 types (69%) matched a standard term. The expert panel reached consensus on 201 of the 222 CC-UMLS term matches reviewed (kappa=0.69-0.72). Ninety-six percent of the 201 matches were rated equivalent or related. Thirty-eight percent of the nonmatches were found to match UMLS concepts. EMT-P version 1 is relatively accurate, and cleaning with EMT-P improved the CC-UMLS term match rate over raw data. The authors identified areas for improvement in future EMT-P versions and issues to be resolved in developing a standard CC terminology.

  11. For What Reasons Do Patients File a Complaint? A Retrospective Study on Patient Rights Units’ Registries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Murat Civaner

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: In 2004, Patient Rights Units were established in all public hospitals in Turkey to allow patients to voice their complaints about services. Aims: To determine what violations are reflected into the complaint mechanism, the pattern over time, and patients’ expectations of the services. Study Design: Descriptive study. Methods: A retrospective study performed using the complaint database of the Istanbul Health Directorate, from 2005 to 2011. Results: The results indicate that people who are older than 40 years, women, and those with less than high school education are the most common patients in these units. A total of 218,186 complaints were filed. Each year, the number of complaints increased compared to the previous year, and nearly half of the applications were made in 2010 and 2011 (48.9%. The three most frequent complaints were “not benefiting from services in general” (35.4%, “not being treated in a respectable manner and in comfortable conditions” (17.8%, and “not being properly informed” (13.5%. Two-thirds of the overall applications were found in favour of the patients (63.3%, and but this rate has decreased over the years. Conclusion: Patients would like to be treated in a manner that respects their human dignity. Educating healthcare workers on communication skills might be a useful initiative. More importantly, health policies and the organisation of services should prioritise patient rights. It is only then would be possible to exercise patient rights in reality.

  12. For what reasons do patients file a complaint? A retrospective study on patient rights units' registries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Önal, Gülsüm; Civaner, M Murat

    2015-01-01

    In 2004, Patient Rights Units were established in all public hospitals in Turkey to allow patients to voice their complaints about services. To determine what violations are reflected into the complaint mechanism, the pattern over time, and patients' expectations of the services. Descriptive study. A retrospective study performed using the complaint database of the Istanbul Health Directorate, from 2005 to 2011. The results indicate that people who are older than 40 years, women, and those with less than high school education are the most common patients in these units. A total of 218,186 complaints were filed. Each year, the number of complaints increased compared to the previous year, and nearly half of the applications were made in 2010 and 2011 (48.9%). The three most frequent complaints were "not benefiting from services in general" (35.4%), "not being treated in a respectable manner and in comfortable conditions" (17.8%), and "not being properly informed" (13.5%). Two-thirds of the overall applications were found in favour of the patients (63.3%), and but this rate has decreased over the years. Patients would like to be treated in a manner that respects their human dignity. Educating healthcare workers on communication skills might be a useful initiative. More importantly, health policies and the organisation of services should prioritise patient rights. It is only then would be possible to exercise patient rights in reality.

  13. Consumer Issues and Consumer Protection in Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widdows, Richard; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Looks at themes of consumer interests in Asia and comments on the directions consumer policy is taking in that region. Outlines issues facing the region's consumers, describes evolving consumer protection mechanisms, and presents a model for promoting consumer interests in the region. (JOW)

  14. 77 FR 16561 - Certain Audiovisual Components and Products Containing the Same; Notice of Receipt of Complaint...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-21

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2884] Certain Audiovisual Components and Products Containing.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Audiovisual Components and Products... audiovisual components and products containing the same. The complaint names as respondents Funai Electric...

  15. 77 FR 16560 - Certain Audiovisual Components and Products Containing the Same; Notice of Receipt of Complaint...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-21

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2884] Certain Audiovisual Components and Products Containing.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Audiovisual Components and Products... audiovisual components and products containing the same. The complaint names as respondents Funai Electric...

  16. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR NEW PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS INDUSTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NINKO KOSTOVSKI

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In any contemporary business, decision makers are confronted with increasing amount of information, not necessarily incorporated properly into decision making process. Moreover, decision makers show several cognitive limitations and biases. Managerial decision support systems are intended to assist decision makers in taking advantage of available information. Research proved that that these systems could compensate for the relative weaknesses of the managers as decision makers. They prevent common biases of human decision-making and foster objective and reliable information. With number of variables that must be taken into consideration, internal and external, technological, financial and market related, the new product development and the specifics of that process in fast moving consumer goods industries is perfect for application of computerized decision support system. The results of implementation of such system based on Exsys Corvid in processed food industry are presented with review of overall impressions for the usefulness of the new software, provided by the managers involved in the process. They found that the system consistently offers realistic decisions, that the system is convenient for capturing the institutional knowledge of the process, but also that the system not always follows the standard procedure. They think that the system is user-friendly. However, the implemented system will be useful and consistently outperform expectations only if the company is ready to continuously upgrade the embedded tacit institutional knowledge and experience. However, doing so, the company should never neglect the consumers changing preferences as the most important environmental domain of information critical for new product development.

  17. 77 FR 69735 - Consumer Leasing (Regulation M)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-21

    ... Part 213 Advertising, Consumer leasing, Consumer protection, Federal Reserve System, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. 12 CFR Part 1013 Advertising, Consumer leasing, Reporting and recordkeeping... contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0...

  18. Complaint-adaptive power density optimization as a tool for HTP-guided steering in deep hyperthermia treatment of pelvic tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canters, R A M; Franckena, M; Zee, J van der; Rhoon, G C van

    2008-01-01

    For an efficient clinical use of HTP (hyperthermia treatment planning), optimization methods are needed. In this study, a complaint-adaptive PD (power density) optimization as a tool for HTP-guided steering in deep hyperthermia of pelvic tumors is developed and tested. PD distribution in patients is predicted using FE-models. Two goal functions, Opt1 and Opt2, are applied to optimize PD distributions. Optimization consists of three steps: initial optimization, adaptive optimization after a first complaint and increasing the weight of a region after recurring complaints. Opt1 initially considers only target PD whereas Opt2 also takes into account hot spots. After patient complaints though, both limit PD in a region. Opt1 and Opt2 are evaluated in a phantom test, using patient models and during hyperthermia treatment. The phantom test and a sensitivity study in ten patient models, show that HTP-guided steering is most effective in peripheral complaint regions. Clinical evaluation in two groups of five patients shows that time between complaints is longer using Opt2 (p = 0.007). However, this does not lead to significantly different temperatures (T50s of 40.3 (Opt1) versus 40.1 deg. C (Opt2) (p = 0.898)). HTP-guided steering is feasible in terms of PD reduction in complaint regions and in time consumption. Opt2 is preferable in future use, because of better complaint reduction and control.

  19. Plasma levels and symptom complaints in patients maintained on daily dosage of methadone hydrochloride.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horns, W H; Rado, M; Goldstein, A

    1975-06-01

    Plasma methadone levels, symptom complaints, and urine tests for illicit opiate use were followed weekly in 17 patients on a methadone maintenance program. There were very large differences between patients in the plasma level established at a given dosage, implying large differences in the rate of methadone metabolism. Despite virtually constant daily dosage, the plasma methadone levels fluctuated greatly from week to week and from day to day in individual patients. With rate exceptions there was no relationship between plasma methadone level and symptom complaints or between weekly chamges in plasma methadone level and changes in symptom complaints. Except possible to identify the ocassional patient with unusually low plasam methadone levels, the determination of methadone levels is not likely to be or practical value in methadone programs.

  20. Association Between Cognitive Complaints and Vulnerability to Environmental Distraction in Multiple Sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randolph, John J; Randolph, Jennifer S; Wishart, Heather A

    2017-02-01

    Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report cognitive dysfunction, although neuropsychological evaluation findings may not correlate with subjective concerns. One factor that may explain this lack of correspondence is the controlled testing environment, which differs from busier settings where cognitive lapses are noted to occur. This study used a novel environmental manipulation to determine whether individuals with MS who report cognitive dysfunction are more vulnerable to the effects of auditory distraction during neuropsychological testing. Twenty-four individuals with clinically definite MS or clinically isolated syndrome were administered a cognitive battery during two counterbalanced auditory conditions: quiet/standard condition, and distraction condition with random office background noise. Participants were divided into high versus low cognitive complaint groups using a median split analysis of Perceived Deficits Questionnaire responses. Participants with more cognitive complaints showed a decrement in performance on the oral Symbol Digit Modalities Test during the distraction condition while those with fewer cognitive complaints demonstrated stable performance across conditions. These findings remained significant after controlling for education, premorbid intellect, fatigue, and depressed mood. These results suggest that individuals with MS with more cognitive complaints are vulnerable to environmental distraction, particularly regarding processing speed. Incorporating random environmental noise or other distraction conditions during selected measures may enhance the ecological validity of neuropsychological evaluation results in MS. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Physical complaints in ageing persons with spinal muscular atrophy.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groot, I.J.M. de; Witte, L.P de

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: While life expectancy is improving for persons with spinal muscular atrophy, new physical complaints may arise. To investigate this, we studied persons with a long duration and severe course (high functional limitations) of the disease. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

  2. 77 FR 71585 - Brookfield Energy Marketing LP v. ISO New England Inc.; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-03

    ... Energy Marketing LP v. ISO New England Inc.; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on November 21, 2012...), Brookfield Energy Marketing LP (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against ISO New England Inc... notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service...

  3. 76 FR 45247 - Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company v. SFPP, L.P.; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-28

    ... Refining and Marketing Company v. SFPP, L.P.; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on July 20, 2011... Marketing Company (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against SFPP L.P. (SFPP or Respondent) alleging... with any FERC Online service, please e-mail [email protected] , or call (866) 208-3676 (toll...

  4. What makes men and women with musculoskeletal complaints decide they are too sick to work?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hooftman, W.E.; Westerman, M.J.; Beek, A.J. van der; Bongers, P.M.; Mechelen, W. van

    2008-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study was to determine what makes men and women with musculoskeletal complaints decide to call in sick for work. Methods: Qualitative, face-to-face interviews were used with employees (16 men and 14 women) who had called in sick due to a musculoskeletal complaint and

  5. 29 CFR 1981.103 - Filing of discrimination complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... constitute the violations. (c) Place of filing. The complaint should be filed with the OSHA Area Director... or she has been discriminated against by an employer in violation of the Act may file, or have filed..., but may be filed with any OSHA officer or employee. Addresses and telephone numbers for these...

  6. 29 CFR 1979.103 - Filing of discrimination complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... subcontractor of an air carrier in violation of the Act may file, or have filed by any person on the employee's... acts and omissions, with pertinent dates, which are believed to constitute the violations. (c) Place of filing. The complaint should be filed with the OSHA Area Director responsible for enforcement activities...

  7. 78 FR 2281 - Certain Robotic Toys and Components Thereof; Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-10

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No. 2930] Certain Robotic Toys and Components Thereof... Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Robotic Toys and Components Thereof, DN 2930... States after importation of certain robotic toys and components thereof. The complaint names as...

  8. MEDIA INFORMASI E-COMPLAINT KRIMINAL PADA DAERAH INDRAMAYU BERBASIS SMS GATEWAY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willy Permana Putra

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Pada saat masyarakat ingin mengadukan atau komplain tentang adanya tindak kriminalitas kepada pihak kepolisian sering mendapatkan kesulitan dikarenakan  untuk mendapatkan nomor kontak dari masing-masing polsek dari daerah yang sedang terjadi kriminal. Aplikasi media informasi e-complaint kriminal ini memudahkan untuk masyarakat khususnya diwilayah Indramayu untuk melakukan pengaduan dari setiap kriminal yang pada daerahnya masing-masing dengan cepat agar dari pihak kepolisian dapat memproses lebih lanjut dan dapat mempersempit jalur kriminalitas pada wilayah indramayu. Dengan menyediakan aplikasi ini masyarakat dapat mengadu kepada kepolisian kapanpun dan dimanapun. Sistem ini dikembangkan dengan menggunakan aplikasi gammu, PHP, dan database server MySQL. Pengujian sistem dilakukan diantaranya user melakukan sms dengan format pengaduan. Dari hasil pengujian sistem dimana pembangunan komponen-komponen pokok sebuah sistem. Dari sistem cukup mudah digunakan dan sudah memenuhi dari user requirement. Selain itu aplikasi ini dapat membantu masyarakat untuk mendapatkan informasi ataupun mengadukan kejadian kriminal dimanapun dan kapanpun secara real-time.Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa aplikasi media informasi e-complaint ini sangat membantu masyarakat dalam mendapatkan informasi dan pengaduan.Kata Kunci : media informasi e-complaint kriminal, Informasi, PengaduanPHP, MySQL, Gammu.

  9. 47 CFR 76.951 - Standard complaint form; other filing requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... phone number of the franchising authority that is filing the complaint; (2) The name, mailing address... contemporaneously via certified mail on the cable operator; (7) An indication that the complainant franchising...

  10. Justification and choice of hardware for automatic control system by technical means at the garage consumer cooperative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krasnykh V.Yu.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available the article describes the main system requirements of software of finished products for implementation of an automatic control system by technical means at the garage consumer cooperative.

  11. Predictive factors of subjective sleep quality and insomnia complaint in patients with stroke: implications for clinical practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PATRICIA C. DA ROCHA

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The complaints regarding sleep problems have not been well identified after a stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive factors of sleep quality and insomnia complaints in patients with stroke. A total of 70 subjects, 40 patients (57 ± 7 years and 30 healthy controls (52 ± 6 years assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI and the Sleep Habits Questionnaire took part in the study. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test, the Student's t-test and logistic regression analysis. On average, the patients showed poor sleep quality (patients: 6.3 ± 3.5; controls: 3.9 ± 2.2; p= 0.002 and insomnia complaint was the most prevalent (patients: 37.5%; controls: 6.7%; p= 0.007. The absence of insomnia complaint (OR= 0.120; 95%CI= 0.017-0.873; p= 0.036 and the decreased latency of sleep (OR= 0.120; 95%CI= 0.017-0.873; p= 0.036 were the protective factors of sleep quality. Female sex (OR= 11.098; 95%CI= 1.167-105.559; p= 0.036 and fragmented sleep (OR= 32.040; 95%CI= 3.236-317.261; p= 0.003 were the risk factors for insomnia complaint. We suggest that complaints of poor sleep quality and insomnia should be given priority assessment during clinical diagnosis of sleep disorders in stroke.

  12. 76 FR 45246 - Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company v. SFPP, L.P.; Notice of Complaint

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-28

    ... and Marketing Company v. SFPP, L.P.; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on July 20, 2011, pursuant...), Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company (Tesoro) filed a formal complaint against SFPP, L.P. (SFPP). Tesoro... notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service...

  13. Status limbo: analysis of nurse faculty member reports of administrator response to workplace bullying complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzurec, Laura Cox

    2013-01-01

    Increasing concern about bullying among adults in workplaces is notable internationally. Unlike blatant physical bullying, workplace bullying often involves bullies' dismissive, demeaning, and typically surreptitious, one-on-one communications with their intended victims. These communications challenge recognition when they are examined beyond the interpersonal margins of the bully-victim dyad. Thus, they tend to elude formal, administrative reproach, despite the negative, long-term outcomes they herald for workplace employees--those immediately involved as victims and those who are bystanders--and for employing organizations and the consumers they serve. This article offers a hermeneutic analysis of workplace bullying victims' narrative reports of administrator responses to their complaints of having been bullied at work. Analysis demonstrated respondent perceptions of the variability and unevenness of administrative responses to their reports and, more broadly, respondents' collective sense of administrative abandonment. That sense is characterized in this report as status limbo, a term employed by Facebook users to represent a state of perceived neglect and oblivion. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Perceived job demands relate to self-reported health complaints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelen, C.A.M.; Schreuder, K.J.; Koopmans, P.C.; Groothoff, J.W.

    Background Illness and illness behaviour are important problems in the Dutch workforce. Illness has been associated with job demands, with high demands relating to poorer health. It has not been reported whether subjective health complaints relate to job demands. Aims To investigate whether

  15. 78 FR 21149 - Certain Linear Actuators; Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-09

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No. 2949] Certain Linear Actuators; Notice of Receipt of... received a complaint entitled Certain Linear Actuators, DN 2949; the Commission is soliciting comments on... States after importation of certain linear actuators. The complaint names as respondents Changzhou Kaidi...

  16. Adolescents' psychological health complaints and the economic recession in late 2007: a multilevel study in 31 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfoertner, Timo-Kolja; Rathmann, Katharina; Elgar, Frank J; de Looze, Margaretha; Hofmann, Felix; Ottova-Jordan, Veronika; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Bosakova, Lucia; Currie, Candace; Richter, Matthias

    2014-12-01

    The recent economic recession, which began in 2007, has had a detrimental effect on the health of the adult population, but no study yet has investigated the impact of this downturn on adolescent health. This article uniquely examines the effect of the crisis on adolescents' psychological health complaints in a cross-national comparison. Data came from the World Health Organization collaborative 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children' study in 2005-06 and 2009-10. We measured change in psychological health complaints from before to during the recession in the context of changing adult and adolescent unemployment rates. Furthermore, we used logistic multilevel regression to model the impact of absolute unemployment in 2010 and its change rate between 2005-06 and 2009-10 on adolescents' psychological health complaints in 2010. Descriptive results showed that although youth and adult unemployment has increased during the economic crisis, rates of psychological health complaints among adolescents were unaffected in some countries and even decreased in others. Multilevel regression models support this finding and reveal that only youth unemployment in 2010 increased the likelihood of psychological health complaints, whereas its change rate in light of the recession as well as adult unemployment did not relate to levels of psychological health complaints. In contrast to recent findings, our study indicates that the negative shift of the recent recession on the employment market in several countries has not affected adolescents' psychological health complaints. Adolescents' well-being instead seems to be influenced by the current situation on the labour market that shapes their occupational outlook. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  17. Young Consumers and their Brand Love

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iivi Riivits-Arkonsuo

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Although consumers’ emotional attachments to brands have been measured and written about in several contexts, little is known about where a “love” type consumer-brand relationship is rooted and what meaning the consumer gives to such deep experience. The current study aims to extend the discussion of the brand experience dimensions and to form the brand love, focusing on the members of the youngest consumer segment. Based on the introspective written narratives using an international sample of young consumers, this qualitative study offers a holistic view of forming brand love. The findings underscore the relevance of a first encounter with a brand. Adapting the ecological systems theory, the authors identified three social systems from where the informants got impulses to reach their loved brands.

  18. Cerebral atrophy in elderly with subjective memory complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Walter M; Ferrarini, Luca; van der Flier, Wiesje M; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Bollen, Eduard L E M; Middelkoop, Huub A M; Milles, Julien R; van der Grond, Jeroen; van Buchem, Mark A

    2013-08-01

    To evaluate ventricular shape differences along the complete surface of the lateral and third ventricles of persons with subjective memory complaints (MC). We included 28 controls and 21 persons with MC. FLAIR, T2, and PD-weighted brain MRI scans were acquired at 1.5 Tesla, followed by semi-automated segmentation of the lateral and third ventricles, and local shape difference analysis based on growing and adaptive meshes. Ventricular meshes were used to highlight local areas with significant differences between controls and persons with MC, determined by permutation tests with a predefined threshold (P = 0.01). Compared with control subjects, relevant differences were found in the shape of the ventricular surface adjacent to the thalamus and corona radiata in persons with MC. Before correction for multiple comparisons, relevant differences were also found in the shape of the ventricular surface adjacent to the corpus callosum, hippocampus, and amydala. Our findings suggest the presence of localized structural brain differences in patients with subjective memory complaints in the thalamus and the corona radiata. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. The great recession, youth unemployment and inequalities in psychological health complaints in adolescents: a multilevel study in 31 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathmann, Katharina; Pförtner, Timo-Kolja; Hurrelmann, Klaus; Osorio, Ana M; Bosakova, Lucia; Elgar, Frank J; Richter, Matthias

    2016-09-01

    Little is known about the impact of recessions on young people's socioeconomic inequalities in health. This study investigates the impact of the economic recession in terms of youth unemployment on socioeconomic inequalities in psychological health complaints among adolescents across Europe and North America. Data from the WHO collaborative 'Health Behaviour in School-aged Children' (HBSC) study were collected in 2005/06 (N = 160,830) and 2009/10 (N = 166,590) in 31 European and North American countries. Logistic multilevel models were used to assess the contribution of youth unemployment in 2009/10 (enduring recession) and the change in youth unemployment (2005-2010) to adolescent psychological health complaints and socioeconomic inequalities in complaints in 2009/10. Youth unemployment during the recession is positively related to psychological health complaints, but not to inequalities in complaints. Changes in youth unemployment (2005-2010) were not associated with adolescents' psychological health complaints, whereas greater inequalities in complaints were found in countries with greater increases in youth unemployment. This study highlights the need to tackle the impact of increasing unemployment on adolescent health and health inequalities during economic recessions.

  20. Associations of psychosocial working conditions and working time characteristics with somatic complaints in German resident physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Nina; Degen, Christiane; Li, Jian; Loerbroks, Adrian; Müller, Andreas; Angerer, Peter

    2016-05-01

    Somatic complaints (SC) are highly prevalent in working populations and cause suffering and extensive health-care utilization. Adverse psychosocial working conditions as conceptualized in the Job Demand-Control-Support Model (JDC-S) and adverse working time characteristics (WTC) are potential risk factors. This combination is particularly common in hospital physicians. This study examines associations of JDC-S and WTC with SC in resident physicians from Germany. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 physicians at the end of residency training. SC were measured using the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24) containing the sub-categories exhaustion, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints. Data on working conditions were collected by a self-report method for work analysis in hospitals (TAA-KH-S) and by questions on WTC (i.e., working hours). Multivariable stepwise regression analyses were applied. Workload showed the most pronounced relationship with all sub-categories of SC except gastrointestinal complaints. Job autonomy was not significantly related to any SC sub-category. Social support at work was inversely associated with all SC sub-categories except for cardiovascular complaints. Free weekends were associated with reduced SC except for exhaustion. Shift work was related to an increased SC total score and musculoskeletal complaints. Working hours showed no association with SC. In resident physicians, high workload and shift work are associated with increased SC, while social support at work and free weekends are associated with decreased SC. These insights may inform the development of preventive measures to improve the health of this professional group. Prospective studies are needed though to corroborate our findings.

  1. The impact of subjective memory complaints on quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maki, Yohko; Yamaguchi, Tomoharu; Yamagami, Tetsuya; Murai, Tatsuhiko; Hachisuka, Kenji; Miyamae, Fumiko; Ito, Kae; Awata, Shuichi; Ura, Chiaki; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Yamaguchi, Haruyasu

    2014-09-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of memory complaints on quality of life (QOL) in elderly community dwellers with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants included 120 normal controls (NC) and 37 with MCI aged 65 and over. QOL was measured using the Japanese version of Satisfaction in Daily Life, and memory complaints were measured using a questionnaire consisting of four items. The relevance of QOL was evaluated with psychological factors of personality traits, sense of self-efficacy, depressive mood, self-evaluation of daily functioning, range of social activities (Life-Space Assessment), social network size, and cognitive functions including memory. The predictors of QOL were analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. QOL was not significantly different between the NC and MCI groups. In both groups, QOL was positively correlated with self-efficacy, daily functioning, social network size, Life-Space Assessment, and the personality traits of extraversion and agreeableness; QOL was negatively correlated with memory complaints, depressive mood, and the personality trait of neuroticism. In regression analysis, memory complaints were a negative predictor of QOL in the MCI group, but not in the NC group. The partial correlation coefficient between QOL and memory complaints was -0.623 (P negative predictor in both groups. Positive predictors were Life-Space Assessment in the NC group and sense of self-efficacy in the MCI group. Memory complaints exerted a negative impact on self-rated QOL in the MCI group, whereas a negative correlation was weak in the NC group. Memory training has been widely practised in individuals with MCI to prevent the development of dementia. However, such approaches inevitably identify their memory deficits and could aggravate their awareness of memory decline. Thus, it is critical to give sufficient consideration not to reduce QOL in the intervention for those with MCI. © 2014 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics

  2. Using Chief Complaint in Addition to Diagnosis Codes to Identify Falls in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Brian W; Smith, Maureen A; Repplinger, Michael D; Pulia, Michael S; Svenson, James E; Kim, Michael K; Shah, Manish N

    2017-09-01

    To compare incidence of falls in an emergency department (ED) cohort using a traditional International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code-based scheme and an expanded definition that included chief complaint information and to examine the clinical characteristics of visits "missed" in the ICD-9-based scheme. Retrospective electronic record review. Academic medical center ED. Individuals aged 65 and older seen in the ED between January 1, 2013, and September 30, 2015. Two fall definitions were applied (individually and together) to the cohort: an ICD-9-based definition and a chief complaint definition. Admission rates and 30-day mortality (per encounter) were measured for each definition. Twenty-three thousand eight hundred eighty older adult visits occurred during the study period. Using the most-inclusive definition (ICD-9 code or chief complaint indicating a fall), 4,363 visits (18%) were fall related. Of these visits, 3,506 (80%) met the ICD-9 definition for a fall-related visit, and 2,664 (61%) met the chief complaint definition. Of visits meeting the chief complaint definition, 857 (19.6%) were missed when applying the ICD-9 definition alone. Encounters missed using the ICD-9 definition were less likely to lead to an admission (42.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 39.7-46.3%) than those identified (54.4%, 95% CI = 52.7-56.0%). Identifying individuals in the ED who have fallen based on diagnosis codes underestimates the true burden of falls. Individuals missed according to the code-based definition were less likely to have been admitted than those who were captured. These findings call attention to the value of using chief complaint information to identify individuals who have fallen in the ED-for research, clinical care, or policy reasons. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

  3. Throwing the dice for the diagnosis of vaginal complaints?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwiertz, Andreas; Taras, David; Rusch, Kerstin; Rusch, Volker

    2006-02-17

    Vaginitis is among the most common conditions women are seeking medical care for. Although these infections can easily be treated, the relapse rate is high. This may be due to inadequate use of the diagnostic potential. We evaluated the misjudgement rate of the aetiology of vaginal complaints. A total of 220 vaginal samples from women with a vaginal complaint were obtained and analysed for numbers of total lactobacilli, H2O2-producing lactobacilli, total aerobic cell counts and total anaerobic cell counts including bifidobacteria, Bacteroides spp., Prevotella spp. Additionally, the presence of Atopobium vaginae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Candida spp. and Trichomonas vaginalis was evaluated by DNA-hybridisation using the PCR and Affirm VPIII Microbial Identification Test, respectively. The participating physicians diagnosed Bacterial vaginosis (BV) as origin of discomfort in 80 cases, candidiasis in 109 cases and mixed infections in 8 cases. However, a present BV, defined as lack of H2O2-lactobacilli, presence of marker organisms, such as G. vaginalis, Bacteroides spp. or Atopobium vaginae, and an elevated pH were identified in only 45 cases of the women examined. Candida spp. were detected in 46 cases. Interestingly, an elevated pH corresponded solely to the presence of Atopobium vaginae, which was detected in 11 cases. Errors in the diagnosis of BV and candida vulvovaginitis (CV) were high. Interestingly, the cases of misjudgement of CV (77%) were more numerous than that of BV (61%). The use of Amsel criteria or microscopy did not reduce the number of misinterpretations. The study reveals that the misdiagnosis of vaginal complaints is rather high.

  4. Complaints in long-term care facilities for older persons: why residents do not give 'free advice'.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bomhoff, M.; Friele, R.

    2017-01-01

    In health care policies, the right to complain is presented as a key patient right. Complaints are also seen as a potential vehicle for quality improvement. However, in long-term care facilities for older persons in the Netherlands, relatively few complaints are registered. An explorative

  5. Complaints in long-term care facilities for older persons : Why residents do not give 'free advice'

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bomhoff, Manja; Friele, R.D.

    2017-01-01

    In health care policies, the right to complain is presented as a key patient right. Complaints are also seen as a potential vehicle for quality improvement. However, in long-term care facilities for older persons in the Netherlands, relatively few complaints are registered. An explorative

  6. Modelling diffusion feedbacks between technology performance, cost and consumer behaviour for future energy-transport systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Martino; Brand, Christian; Banister, David

    2014-04-01

    Emerging technologies will have important impacts on sustainability objectives. Yet little is known about the explicit feedbacks between consumer behaviour and technological change, and the potential impact on mass market penetration. We use the UK as a case-study to explore the dynamic interactions between technology supply, performance, cost, and heterogeneous consumer behaviour and the resulting influence on long term market diffusion. Simulations of competing vehicle technologies indicate that petrol hybrids (HEVs) dominate the market over the long-term because they benefit from improved performance and are able to reach the steep part of the diffusion curve by 2025 while competing technologies remain in the early stages of growth and are easier to displace in the market. This is due to the cumulative build-up of stock and slow fleet turnover creating inertia in the technological system. Consequently, it will be difficult to displace incumbent technologies because of system inertia, cumulative growth in stock, long operational life, and consumer risk aversion to new unproven technologies. However, when accounting for both technological and behavioural change, simulations indicate that if investment can reach 30-40% per annum growth in supply, combined with steady technology improvements, and more sophisticated agent decision making such as accounting for full technology lifecycle cost and performance, full battery electric vehicles could displace the incumbent system by 2050.

  7. High levels of sound pressure: acoustic reflex thresholds and auditory complaints of workers with noise exposure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Scalli Mathias Duarte

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The clinical evaluation of subjects with occupational noise exposure has been difficult due to the discrepancy between auditory complaints and auditory test results. This study aimed to evaluate the contralateral acoustic reflex thresholds of workers exposed to high levels of noise, and to compare these results to the subjects' auditory complaints.METHODS: This clinical retrospective study evaluated 364 workers between 1998 and 2005; their contralateral acoustic reflexes were compared to auditory complaints, age, and noise exposure time by chi-squared, Fisher's, and Spearman's tests.RESULTS: The workers' age ranged from 18 to 50 years (mean = 39.6, and noise exposure time from one to 38 years (mean = 17.3. We found that 15.1% (55 of the workers had bilateral hearing loss, 38.5% (140 had bilateral tinnitus, 52.8% (192 had abnormal sensitivity to loud sounds, and 47.2% (172 had speech recognition impairment. The variables hearing loss, speech recognition impairment, tinnitus, age group, and noise exposure time did not show relationship with acoustic reflex thresholds; however, all complaints demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with Metz recruitment at 3000 and 4000 Hz bilaterally.CONCLUSION: There was no significance relationship between auditory complaints and acoustic reflexes.

  8. Development of a Time-Intensity Evaluation System for Consumers: Measuring Bitterness and Retronasal Aroma of Coffee Beverages in 106 Untrained Panelists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gotow, Naomi; Moritani, Ami; Hayakawa, Yoshinobu; Akutagawa, Akihito; Hashimoto, Hiroshi; Kobayakawa, Tatsu

    2015-06-01

    In order to develop products that are acceptable to consumers, it is necessary to incorporate consumers' intentions into products' characteristics. Therefore, investigation of consumers' perceptions of the taste or smell of common beverages provides information that should be useful in predicting market responses. In this study, we sought to develop a time-intensity evaluation system for consumer panels. Using our system, we performed time-intensity evaluation of flavor attributes (bitterness and retronasal aroma) that consumers perceived after swallowing a coffee beverage. Additionally, we developed quantitative evaluation methods for determining whether consumer panelists can properly perform time-intensity evaluation. In every trial, we fitted an exponential function to measured intensity data for bitterness and retronasal aroma. The correlation coefficients between measured time-intensity data and the fitted exponential curves were greater than 0.8 in about 90% of trials, indicating that we had successfully developed a time-intensity system for use with consumer panelists, even after just a single training trial using a nontrained consumer. We classified participants into two groups based on their consumption of canned coffee beverages. Significant difference was observed in only AUC of sensory modality (bitterness compared with retronasal aroma) among conventional TI parameters using two-way ANOVA. However, three-way ANOVA including a time course revealed significant difference between bitterness and retronasal aroma in the high-consumption group. Moreover, the high-consumption group more easily discriminated between bitterness and retronasal aroma than the low-consumption group. This finding implied that manufacturers should select consumer panelists who are suitable for their concepts of new products. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

  9. Tattoo complaints and complications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Serup, Jørgen; Carlsen, Katrina Hutton; Sepehri, Mitra

    2015-01-01

    Tattoos cause a broad range of clinical problems. Mild complaints, especially sensitivity to sun, are very common and seen in 1/5 of cases. Medical complications are dominated by allergy to tattoo pigment haptens or haptens generated in the skin, especially in red tattoos but also in blue and green...... tattoos. Symptoms are major and can be compared to cumbersome pruritic skin diseases. Tattoo allergies and local reactions show distinct clinical manifestations, with plaque-like, excessive hyperkeratotic, ulcero-necrotic, lymphopathic, neuro-sensory, and scar patterns. Reactions in black tattoos......) transferred by tattooing remain a significant risk needing active prevention. It is noteworthy that cancer arising in tattoos, in regional lymph nodes, and in other organs due to tattoo pigments and ingredients has not been detected or noted as a significant clinical problem hitherto, despite millions...

  10. AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION v ACN 117 372 915: SHOULD CONSUMER LAW REGULATE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONS IN A CORPORATISED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Jessica; Pyman, Ella; Faunce, Thomas

    2015-09-01

    In April 2015, North J of the Federal Court of Australia made a finding of unconscionable conduct against Advanced Medical Institute, a promoter and provider of erectile dysfunction treatment, in a case concerning unfair contract terms (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission vACN 117 372 915 Pty Ltd (in liq) (formerly Advanced Medical Institute Pty Ltd) [2015] FCA 368). The contract required a minimum 12-month commitment, with costs exceeding treatments available from general practitioners, and made refunds available only after all possible treatment plans were exhausted which included penile injections. This column analyses that case, particularly in respect to the consumer law standards of practice under which it was litigated. Those standards refer to patients as "consumers" yet North J made extensive reference to the Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia, a text which refers to "patients", as evidence of what constitutes appropriate professional conduct or practice for the health profession. This column considers whether legislative and judicial categorisation of patients (a class of people presumptively suffering, sick and vulnerable) as "consumers" undermines the formal and informal protections accorded to patients under normative systems of medical ethics such as those represented by the Code. The case, it is argued, also illuminates the contemporary tensions between the ethical, legal and human rights standards required of doctors in their treatment of patients and the commercial interests of businesses.

  11. 29 CFR 24.103 - Filing of retaliation complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... violations. (c) Place of Filing. The complaint should be filed with the OSHA Area Director responsible for... by an employer in violation of any of the statutes listed in § 24.100(a) may file, or have filed by... with any OSHA officer or employee. Addresses and telephone numbers for these officials are set forth in...

  12. 31 CFR 15.737-12 - Contents of complaint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Contents of complaint. 15.737-12 Section 15.737-12 Money and Finance: Treasury Office of the Secretary of the Treasury POST EMPLOYMENT... charges against him/her so that the respondent is able to prepare a defense. (b) Demand for answer. In the...

  13. ePedigree Traceability System for the Agricultural Food Supply Chain to Ensure Consumer Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umar Farooq

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Sustainability relies on the environmental, social and economical systems: the three pillars of sustainability. The social sustainability mostly advocates the people’s welfare, health, safety, and quality of life. In the agricultural food industry, the aspects of social sustainability, such as consumer health and safety have gained substantial attention due to the frequent cases of food-borne diseases. The food-borne diseases due to the food degradation, chemical contamination and adulteration of food products pose a serious threat to the consumer’s health, safety, and quality of life. To ensure the consumer’s health and safety, it is essential to develop an efficient system which can address these critical social issues in the food distribution networks. This research proposes an ePedigree (electronic pedigree traceability system based on the integration of RFID and sensor technology for real-time monitoring of the agricultural food to prevent the distribution of hazardous and adulterated food products. The different aspects regarding implementation of the proposed system in food chains are analyzed and a feasible integrated solution is proposed. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated and finally, a comprehensive analysis of the proposed ePedigree system’s impact on the social sustainability in terms of consumer health and safety is presented.

  14. 29 CFR 37.84 - What happens if CRC does not have jurisdiction over a complaint?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true What happens if CRC does not have jurisdiction over a complaint? 37.84 Section 37.84 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor IMPLEMENTATION OF THE... Procedures § 37.84 What happens if CRC does not have jurisdiction over a complaint? If CRC does not have...

  15. The collection and interpretation of domestic accident data. A discussion on some aspects of the British consumer safety system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, J R

    1979-06-01

    This article discusses the workings of a Consumer Safety System and identifies the problems of collecting and using domestic accident data. In the light of proposed changes in the civil law on product liability, particular consideration is given to the difficulties of providing evidence of consumer product involvement in domestic accidents. The paper is based on one read at the CBI Conference "Product Liability in Perspective", held at the Hilton Hotel, London, 30-31 March, 1977. The views expressed are those of the Institute for Consumer Ergonomics and are not necessarily those of the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection.

  16. 75 FR 52975 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-30

    ... and products interoperable with the same. The complaint names as respondents Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan; Sony Corporation of America of New York, NY; Sony Electronics Corporation of San Diego, CA; and... INFORMATION: The Commission has received a complaint filed on behalf of Chimei-Innolux Corporation, Chimei...

  17. Relationship and task conflict at work: interactive short-term effects on angry mood and somatic complaints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Laurenz L; Gross, Sven; Spector, Paul E; Semmer, Norbert K

    2013-04-01

    Our research examined short-term within-person effects of relationship and task conflict on angry mood and somatic complaints. We assumed that conflicts of both kinds would be prospectively related to both indicators of impaired well-being, that the effect of relationship conflict would be stronger than the effect of task conflict, and that the effect of relationship conflict would be stronger when task conflict is low than when it is high. We tested our hypotheses with a daily diary study with ratings made 3 times/day for 2 weeks, involving 131 participants. We found a prospective main effect of relationship conflict on angry mood, but not on somatic complaints. In contrast, controlling for relationship conflict, task conflict was unrelated to both angry mood and somatic complaints. Supporting our assumption, task conflict moderated the effect of relationship conflict. Relationship conflict had a prospective effect on angry mood and somatic complaints that lasted until the next day if, and only if, task conflict was low.

  18. Consumer demand system estimation and value added tax reforms in the Czech Republic

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Janský, Petr

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 64, č. 3 (2014), s. 246-273 ISSN 0015-1920 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TD010033 Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : consumer behavior * Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System * tax reforms Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.420, year: 2014 http://journal.fsv.cuni.cz/storage/1301_jansky.pdf

  19. Econometrics analysis of consumer behaviour: a linear expenditure system applied to energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giansante, C.; Ferrari, V.

    1996-12-01

    In economics literature the expenditure system specification is a well known subject. The problem is to define a coherent representation of consumer behaviour through functional forms easy to calculate. In this work it is used the Stone-Geary Linear Expenditure System and its multi-level decision process version. The Linear Expenditure system is characterized by an easy calculating estimation procedure, and its multi-level specification allows substitution and complementary relations between goods. Moreover, the utility function separability condition on which the Utility Tree Approach is based, justifies to use an estimation procedure in two or more steps. This allows to use an high degree of expenditure categories disaggregation, impossible to reach the Linear Expediture System. The analysis is applied to energy sectors

  20. A Consumer Health Information System to Assist Patients Select Quality Home Health Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Zikos

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Patients evaluate the quality of home health agencies (HHAs using the Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS survey. This paper describes a prototype community health information system to help patients select appropriate and quality HHAs, according to the location, proprietary status, type of service, and year of HHA establishment. Five HCAHPS indicators were selected: “summary rating”, “quality of care”, “professional care”, “communication”, and “recommend agency”. Independent t-test analysis showed that agencies offering Speech Pathology, Medical-Social, or Home Health Aide services, receive significantly worse HCAHPS ratings, while mean ratings vary significantly across different US states. Multiple comparisons with post hoc ANOVA revealed differences between and within HHAs of different proprietary status (p < 0.001: governmental HHAs receiving higher ratings than private HHAs. Finally, there was observed a relationship between all five quality rating variables and the HHA year of establishment (Pearson, p < 0.001. The older the agency is, the better the HCAPS summary ratings. Findings provided the knowledge to design of a consumer health information system, to provide rankings filtered according to user criteria, comparing the quality rankings of eligible HHAs. Users can also see how a specific agency is ranked against eligible HHAs. Ultimately, the system aims to support the patient community with contextually realistic comparisons in an effort to choose optimal HH service.