Medical utilization of kiosks in the delivery of patient education: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yvonne Chan, Yu-Feng; Nagurka, Roxanne; Bentley, Suzanne; Ordonez, Edgardo; Sproule, William

2014-01-01

The utilization of kiosks has previously been shown to be effective for collecting information, delivering educational modules, and providing access to health information. We discuss a review of current literature for the utilization of kiosks for the delivery of patient education. The criteria for inclusion in this literature review were: (1) study discusses the utilization of kiosks for patient health education; (2) study discusses the use of touch screens for patient health information; (3) published in English. Our review includes searches via MEDLINE databases and Google Scholar for the years 1996-2014. Overall, 167 articles were screened for final eligibility, and after discarding duplicates and non-eligible studies with abstract. Full-text review of 28 articles was included in the final analysis. The review of available literature demonstrates the effectiveness of touch screen kiosks to educate patients and to improve healthcare, both at a performance and cost advantage over other modes of patient education.

Evaluation of the Lewis and Clark travel and tourism information kiosk

Science.gov (United States)

2003-12-08

Interactive touch screen kiosks can be a useful access point for people seeking tourism information. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has successfully installed a network of traveler information kiosks under the Greater Yellowstone Regi...

Non use of health information kiosks examined in an information needs context.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Peter; Nicholas, David; Huntington, Paul

2003-06-01

Whilst great emphasis has rightly been placed on the increased availability and use of health information, little research has been undertaken into the non use of such material, particularly with regard to electronic sources. Computer transactional log data from health information touch screen kiosks, collected as part of an ongoing Department of Health-funded study being carried out by City University, showed that females in the 55-74 age group were particularly under-represented as users. To explore reasons for this, in-depth interviews were carried out with 13 non-kiosk-using, primary-care out-patients fitting this profile, at a surgery which had a kiosk that was being monitored. Subjects were interviewed at length about their information needs and information-seeking behaviour, to determine reasons (if any) they might have had for non-kiosk use. The study utilized an interview schedule and technique loosely based on the 'Sense-Making' methodology of Brenda Dervin (Talk Presented at the International Communication Association Annual Meeting, May 1983, Dallas, Texas, USA. Available from: http://communicationsbsohio-stateedu/sense-making/art/artdervin83html.). Findings elicited many factors accounting for non use of the system. The first and major source of information remained the doctor, with written or other sources only being consulted where recommended or provided. There was evidence that patients wanted little more than the minimum information or instructions required to deal with their condition. Many appeared unaware of the presence of the kiosk and others assumed either that it was not for patient use or that it would not serve their needs. The methodology proved itself, with certain caveats, to be an appropriate vehicle for this kind of exploratory work.

Use of an interactive, faith-based kiosk by congregants of four predominantly, African-American churches in a metropolitan area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott eDulchavksy

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Chronic diseases are prevalent in ethnic communities. Churches represent a potent resource for targeted health promotion. A Faith-Based Kiosk (FBK was developed as an informational tool and placed in four predominantly (>80% African-American churches. Congregants were surveyed to describe Kiosk use, kiosk-user characteristics, health status, and self-reported behavior changes attributed to the kiosk. We analyzed 1,573 questionnaires. Mean age of respondents was 46.4 years and >70% were women. Older congregations (mean age > 46.1 years had more reports of diabetes (p=0.002 and heart disease (p=0.01 than younger churches (mean age 40 years (p2 health conditions, adjusted Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval=1.43 (1.0-2.0, p=0.05. Male Kiosk-users preferred to select disease-specific content, aOR=1.87 (1.10-3.17, p=0.02, while females tended to select information about supportive community resources, aOR=0.49 (0.23-1.04, p=0.062. Knowledge of Kiosk-user characteristics and the health status of a congregation, provide an opportunity for targeted, church-based health promotion.

A Description of Advertisements for Alcohol on LinkNYC Kiosks in Manhattan, New York City: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Basch, Corey H; Ethan, Danna; LeBlanc, Michael; Basch, Charles E

2018-02-26

Excessive alcohol consumption compromises health and increases risk of mortality. Advertisements for alcohol in city environments have been shown to influence consumption. The aim of this pilot study was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol advertisements displayed on LinkNYC kiosks, a new communication channel that provides outdoor Wi-Fi access and advertising on streets within urban environments. Direct observations were conducted to document advertisements on a 20% random sample of the 500 LinkNYC kiosks in Manhattan, NYC. From May to September of 2017, each of the 100 selected kiosks was observed for a 10-min period to document advertisements for alcohol. In addition, differences in prevalence of alcohol advertisements were examined by the location of the kiosk based on NYC zip codes' median annual income. Of the 2025 advertisements observed, 5.09% (N = 103) were for an alcohol product (including duplicates). Such advertisements were observed on 17% of the kiosks. No health warnings or age warnings were presented in any of the alcohol advertisements. Compared with kiosks located in zip codes with lower median annual income, significantly more alcohol advertisements were displayed in zip codes with higher median annual income. This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of alcohol advertising on the LinkNYC Wi-Fi and telecommunication system, now ubiquitous on Manhattan's sidewalks. This study adds to the current literature that suggests New York City residents could benefit from health-promoting versus health-compromising advertising. The findings also highlight the potential of LinkNYC kiosk marketing to undermine health-related social marketing efforts by City government and other organizations.

Focusing the EarthScope for a broader audience: Advancing geoscience education with interactive kiosks

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Konter, B. R.; Solis, T.

2012-12-01

A primary objective of the EarthScope Education and Outreach program is to transform technical science into teachable products for a technologically thriving generation. One of the most challenging milestones of scientific research, however, is often the translation of a technical result into a clear teachable moment that is accessible to a broader audience. As 4D multimedia now dominate most aspects of our social environment, science "teaching" now also requires intervention of visualization technology and animation to portray research results in an inviting and stimulating manner. Following the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)'s lead in developing interactive Earth science kiosk multimedia (bundled in a free product called Active Earth), we have made a major effort to construct and install customized EarthScope-themed touch screen kiosks in local communities. These kiosks are helping to educate a broader audience about EarthScope's unique instrumentation and observations using interactive animations, games, and virtual field trips. We are also developing new kiosk content that reflect career stories showcasing the personal journeys of EarthScope scientists. To truly bring the interactive aspect of our EarthScope kiosk media into the classroom, we have collaborated with local teachers to develop a one-page EarthScope TerraMap activity worksheet that guides students through kiosk content. These activities are shaping a new pathway for how teachers teach and students learn about planet Earth and its fantastic EarthScope - one click (and touch) at a time.

Use of a computerized kiosk in an assessment of food safety knowledge of high school students and science teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Endres, J; Welch, T; Perseli, T

2001-01-01

A multimedia touch-screen kiosk was used to assess food safety knowledge and convey food safety principles to 93 high school science teachers and 165 students. The kiosk program based on the FightBAC messages informed users of correct responses and reasons for the response. Teachers correctly answered more questions than students; however, for the areas of hand washing, sources of foodborne illness, and handling of leftover foods, at least 40% of both students and teachers provided incorrect answers.

Probing and Occupying the Hot Dog-Kiosk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

. The hot dog-kiosk forms a vital place for everyday informal interaction and social coexistence between people. It has functions besides its practical use: through events in real-time and depositions over time it articulates relationships between familiar strangers and creates a sense of collective being...

KioskAR: An Augmented Reality Game as a New Business Model to Present Artworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoones A. Sekhavat

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the architecture of KioskAR, which is a pervasive game implemented using augmented reality (AR. This game introduces a new business model that makes it possible for players to present their artworks in virtual kiosks using augmented reality, while they are having fun playing the game. In addition to competition between the players in the game, this game requires social interaction between players to earn more points. A user study is conducted to evaluate the sense of presence and the usability of the application. The results of experiments show that KioskAR can achieve a high level of usability as well as sense of presence.

Three Years of Digital Consumer Health Information: A Longitudinal Study of the Touch Screen Health Kiosk.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, David; Huntington, Paul; Williams, Peter

2003-01-01

Examines the use, over three and a half years, of a sample of 20 touch-screen health kiosks in the United Kingdom. Identifies four patterns of use over time--declining, stable, increasing, and no trend--and discusses implications of these patterns. Thumbnail use graphs for the 20 kiosks are appended. (AEF)

Kiosk versus In-person Screening for Alcohol and Drug Use in the Emergency Department: Patient Preferences and Disclosure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hankin, Abigail

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Annually eight million emergency department (ED visits are attributable to alcohol use. Screening ED patients for at-risk alcohol and substance use is an integral component of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment programs, shown to be effective at reducing substance use. The objective is to evaluate ED patients’ acceptance of and willingness to disclose alcohol/substance use via a computer kiosk versus an in-person interview. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, survey-based study. Eligible participants included those who presented to walk-in triage, were English-speaking, ≥18 years, were clinically stable and able to consent. Patients had the opportunity to access the kiosk in the ED waiting room, and were approached for an in-person survey by a research assistant (9am-5pm weekdays. Both surveys used validated assessment tools to assess drug and alcohol use. Disclosure statistics and preferences were calculated using chi-square tests and McNemar’s test. Results: A total of 1,207 patients were screened: 229 in person only, 824 by kiosk, and 154 by both in person and kiosk. Single-modality participants were more likely to disclose hazardous drinking (p=0.003 and high-risk drug use (OR=22.3 [12.3-42.2]; p<0.0001 via kiosk. Participants who had participated in screening via both modalities were more likely to reveal high-risk drug use on the kiosk (p=0.003. When asked about screening preferences, 73.6% reported a preference for an in-person survey, which patients rated higher on privacy and comfort. Conclusion: ED patients were significantly more likely to disclose at-risk alcohol and substance use to a computer kiosk than an interviewer. Paradoxically patients stated a preference for in-person screening, despite reduced disclosure to a human screener. [West J Emerg Med. 2015;16(2:220–228.

Information from the Cultural Kiosk - Geneva Welcome Centre (UNOG)

CERN Multimedia

2010-01-01

The Geneva Welcome Centre has the pleasure to inform you that the Cultural Kiosk at the UNOG is now able, thanks to a new partnership with FNAC, to sell tickets for a number of additional cultural events, among others those of the Grand Théâtre de Genève.   To celebrate this new feature,   the Grand Théâtre de Genève   in association with the Geneva Welcome Centre and the magazine UN Special   has decided to make a special offer for its next performance,   Francesco Cavalli's " La Calisto "   which will be represented from 13 April to 28 April 2010.   This offer is meant for international civil servants, members of diplomatic missions as well as official delegates under presentation of their legitimation or accreditation card. The tickets at the reduced price can be bought at the Cultural Kiosk (door 6).   This opera, rarely performed, will...

Public-use blood pressure measurement: the kiosk quandary.

Science.gov (United States)

Alpert, Bruce S; Dart, Richard A; Sica, Domenic A

2014-10-01

It is important to note the opportunity that validated public-use kiosks offer the U.S. healthcare system in terms of ease of public access, reduced cost of screening/monitoring, and the opportunity to support coordinated care between physicians, pharmacists, and patients. It is equally important to recognize that all public-use BP kiosks are not equivalent. Members of the AAMI Sphygmomanometer Committee and other ‘‘concerned citizens’’ are working with FDA officials to try to improve both device validation and cuff range performance of these devices. In reality, regulatory changes will be slow to take effect, and for the foreseeable future, the burden of device accuracy assessment lies with the private sector and the public. There is a device currently available that has undergone full validation testing and offers a wide-range cuff validated for almost all US adult arms. We recognize the importance of innovation in out-of-office BP measurement. Therefore, in the interest of public health, we strongly urge those business professionals buying such devices, and those health professionals advising patients on their use, to become better informed and more discriminant in their device selection.

Developing a framework of service convenience in health care: An exploratory study for a primary care provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuzovic, Sven; Kuppelwieser, Volker

2016-01-01

From retail health clinics and online appointment scheduling to (mobile) kiosks that enable patient check-in and automate the collection of copays and open balances, convenience has become an important topic in the health care sector over the last few years. While service convenience has also gained much interest in academia, one common limitation is that authors have adopted a "goods-centered" perspective focusing primarily on retail settings. Results of this exploratory study reveal that health care service convenience encompasses seven different dimensions: decision, access, scheduling, registration and check-in, transaction, care delivery, and postconsultation convenience. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Method for transmittance measurements in sunglasses for a kiosk

Science.gov (United States)

Mello, Marcio M.; Figueiredo, M.; Konda, R. A.; Ventura, Liliane

2013-03-01

Light transmittance measurements through sunglasses lenses is one of the required tests of the Brazilian Standard NBR15111(2004). Its measurement establishes the category of the sample and determines the required ultraviolet, visible and infrared protection, as well as the attenuation coefficient for signal light recognition. However, these measurements are usually performed by spectrophotometers and educated users, who are acknowledged to manage the equipment, use the weighting functions (WF) and interpret the data. We propose an alternative method, which consists in having matching optics and electronics to obtain a close WF to be used in transmittance measurements, and create an accessible device, for public self-use, providing a simple way for measuring and educating the public about sunglasses protection. Measurements were made in 30 samples for UV test, performed for the 280 - 400nm range, where UVA and UVB light sources and two photodiode sensors with Erythema action response are assembled, and for traffic signal a visible light sensor was used with spectral human eye response and different LEDs. As for the visible test, the visible light sensor was used for different light sources: incandescent, fluorescent, and a set of LEDs, while the infrared test is performed by several LEDs that provide the 780 - 2000nm range, and an infrared sensor. For these tests, only the samples spectrum were used. The transmittances were within the deviation limit required by NBR15111. The results have led us to build a self service kiosk for public use providing the category, UV protection and IR protection of the sunglasses as well as the information regarding its use for driving.

Small Water Enterprise in Rural Rwanda: Business Development and Year-One Performance Evaluation of Nine Water Kiosks at Health Care Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Huttinger, Alexandra; Brunson, Laura; Moe, Christine L; Roha, Kristin; Ngirimpuhwe, Providence; Mfura, Leodomir; Kayigamba, Felix; Ciza, Philbert; Dreibelbis, Robert

2017-12-16

Small water enterprises (SWEs) have lower capital expenditures than centralized systems, offering decentralized solutions for rural markets. This study evaluated SWEs in rural Rwanda, where nine health care facilities (HCF) owned and operated water kiosks supplying water from onsite water treatment systems (WTS). SWEs were monitored for 12 months. Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (r s ) was used to evaluate correlations between demand for kiosk water and community characteristics, and between kiosk profit and factors influencing the cost model. On average, SWEs distributed 15,300 L/month. One SWE ran at a loss, four had profit margins of ≤10% and four had profit margins of 45-75%. Factors influencing SWE performance were intermittent water supply (87% of SWE closures were due to water shortage), consumer demand (demand was high where populations already used improved water sources (r s = 0.81, p = 0.02)), price sensitivity (demand was lower where SWEs had high prices (r s = -0.65, p = 0.08)), and production cost (water utility tariffs negatively impacted SWE profits (r s = -0.52, p Future research is needed to assess the extent to which kiosk revenue can support ongoing operational costs of WTS and kiosks both at HCF and in other contexts.

Small Water Enterprise in Rural Rwanda: Business Development and Year-One Performance Evaluation of Nine Water Kiosks at Health Care Facilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Huttinger

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Small water enterprises (SWEs have lower capital expenditures than centralized systems, offering decentralized solutions for rural markets. This study evaluated SWEs in rural Rwanda, where nine health care facilities (HCF owned and operated water kiosks supplying water from onsite water treatment systems (WTS. SWEs were monitored for 12 months. Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient (rs was used to evaluate correlations between demand for kiosk water and community characteristics, and between kiosk profit and factors influencing the cost model. On average, SWEs distributed 15,300 L/month. One SWE ran at a loss, four had profit margins of ≤10% and four had profit margins of 45–75%. Factors influencing SWE performance were intermittent water supply (87% of SWE closures were due to water shortage, consumer demand (demand was high where populations already used improved water sources (rs = 0.81, p = 0.02, price sensitivity (demand was lower where SWEs had high prices (rs = −0.65, p = 0.08, and production cost (water utility tariffs negatively impacted SWE profits (rs = −0.52, p < 0.01. Sustainability was more favorable in circumstances where recovery of capital expenditures was not expected, and the demand for treated water was sufficient to fund operational expenditures. Future research is needed to assess the extent to which kiosk revenue can support ongoing operational costs of WTS and kiosks both at HCF and in other contexts.

An Internet Resource for Self-Assessment of Mental Health and Health Behavior: Development and Implementation of the Self-Assessment Kiosk.

Science.gov (United States)

Maunder, Robert G; Hunter, Jonathan J

2018-05-16

Standardized measurement of physical and mental health is useful for identification of health problems. Personalized feedback of the results can influence health behavior, and treatment outcomes can be improved by monitoring feedback over time. However, few resources are available that are free for users, provide feedback from validated measurement instruments, and measure a wide range of health domains. This study aimed to develop an internet self-assessment resource that fills the identified gap and collects data to generate and test hypotheses about health, to test its feasibility, and to describe the characteristics of its users. The Self-Assessment Kiosk was built using validated health measurement instruments and implemented on a commercial internet survey platform. Data regarding usage and the characteristics of users were collected over 54 weeks. The rate of accrual of new users, popularity of measurement domains, frequency with which multiple domains were selected for measurement, and characteristics of users who chose particular questionnaires were assessed. Of the 1435 visits, 441 (30.73%) were visiting for the first time, completed at least 1 measure, indicated that their responses were truthful, and consented to research. Growth in the number of users over time was approximately linear. Users were skewed toward old age and higher income and education. Most (53.9%, 234/434) reported at least 1 medical condition. The median number of questionnaires completed was 5. Internal reliability of most measures was good (Cronbach alpha>.70), with lower reliability for some subscales of coping (self-distraction alpha=.35, venting alpha=.50, acceptance alpha=.51) and personality (agreeableness alpha=.46, openness alpha=.45). The popular questionnaires measured depression (61.0%, 269/441), anxiety (60.5%, 267/441), attachment insecurity (54.2%, 239/441), and coping (46.0%, 203/441). Demographic characteristics somewhat influenced choice of instruments, accounting

[Changes in food consumption pattern among Chilean school children after the implementation of a healthy kiosk].

Science.gov (United States)

Bustos, Nelly; Kain, Juliana; Leyton, Bárbara; Vio, Fernando

2011-09-01

In Chilean school there is a kiosk that sells a large number of high-calorie products. The aim of this study was to determine the barriers that children have for buying healthy food and evaluate changes in the pattern of food purchases during a school year at a school where a "Healthy Space" was created. We designed implemented and assessed changes in food purchases by developing a "Healthy Space" which included a kiosk that incorporated a range of healthy food at affordable prices. The staff in charge of the kiosk was trained and we generate communication and marketing strategies to promote the consumption of healthy food. A validated survey to determine food purchases was applied to 9-12 year-old children from both schools at baseline and follow up 8 months later. The total number of schoolchildren was 477 (291 from the intervention and 115 from the control school). There weren't significant differences in the amount of money available to buy food between children of both schools. There was a significant increase in the purchase of fruit, milk, yoghurt, soft drinks and light juices, dried seeds, healthy sandwiches and non-fat ice cream (p increase in the supply of affordable healthy food, including communication and marketing strategies, significantly increases the consumption of these products among school children.

Probing and Occupying the Hot Dog-Kiosk: Another Glance. Bypassing the Usual Hierarchies of Perception through Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lunde Nielsen, Espen

2015-01-01

. The hot dog-kiosk forms a vital place for everyday informal interaction and social coexistence between people. It has functions besides its practical use: through events in real-time and depositions over time it articulates relationships between familiar strangers and creates a sense of collective being...

Building Service Provider Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandl, Kristin; Jaura, Manya; Ørberg Jensen, Peter D.

2015-01-01

In this paper we study whether and how the interaction between clients and the service providers contributes to the development of capabilities in service provider firms. In situations where such a contribution occurs, we analyze how different types of activities in the production process...... process. We find that clients influence the development of human capital capabilities and management capabilities in reciprocally produced services. While in sequential produced services clients influence the development of organizational capital capabilities and management capital capabilities....... of the services, such as sequential or reciprocal task activities, influence the development of different types of capabilities. We study five cases of offshore-outsourced knowledge-intensive business services that are distinguished according to their reciprocal or sequential task activities in their production...

Food Safety Education Using an Interactive Multimedia Kiosk in a WIC Setting: Correlates of Client Satisfaction and Practical Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Trepka, Mary Jo; Newman, Frederick L.; Huffman, Fatma G.; Dixon, Zisca

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess acceptability of food safety education delivered by interactive multimedia (IMM) in a Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) clinic. Methods: Female clients or caregivers (n = 176) completed the food-handling survey; then an IMM food safety education program on a computer kiosk.…

Implementing Virtual Reality Technology as an Effective Web Based Kiosk: Darulaman's Teacher Training College Tour (Ipda Vr Tour)

Science.gov (United States)

Fadzil, Azman

2006-01-01

At present, the development of Virtual Reality (VR) technology is expanding due to the importance and needs to use the 3D elements and 360 degrees panorama in expressing a clearer picture to consumers in various fields such as education, military, medicine, entertainment and so on. The web based VR kiosk project in Darulaman's Teacher Training…

Ecosystem services provided by waterbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Andy J; Elmberg, Johan

2014-02-01

Ecosystem services are ecosystem processes that directly or indirectly benefit human well-being. There has been much recent literature identifying different services and the communities and species that provide them. This is a vital first step towards management and maintenance of these services. In this review, we specifically address the waterbirds, which play key functional roles in many aquatic ecosystems, including as predators, herbivores and vectors of seeds, invertebrates and nutrients, although these roles have often been overlooked. Waterbirds can maintain the diversity of other organisms, control pests, be effective bioindicators of ecological conditions, and act as sentinels of potential disease outbreaks. They also provide important provisioning (meat, feathers, eggs, etc.) and cultural services to both indigenous and westernized societies. We identify key gaps in the understanding of ecosystem services provided by waterbirds and areas for future research required to clarify their functional role in ecosystems and the services they provide. We consider how the economic value of these services could be calculated, giving some examples. Such valuation will provide powerful arguments for waterbird conservation. © 2013 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2013 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

The smart kiosk substation for Smart Grids; Die intelligente Ortsnetzstation fuer das Smart Grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Thomas [Schneider Electric Energy GmbH, Frankfurt (Germany); Vaupel, Steffen [Schneider Electric Energy GmbH, Kassel (Germany)

2012-07-01

The changes in the energy supply towards current and future needs call for new technologies and solutions resulting in the ''Smart Grid''. The smart kiosk substation describes an essential component for the additionally required optimization of the energy distribution networks - a complete functional unit of an economic and efficient compact substation, which successfully operates within the framework of a pilot project since the beginning of this year. In addition to an adjustable 630-kVA-local distribution transformer, control and signalling functions, to manage fault situations are included, allowing for the optimization of outage times. Measurement of network quality and an economic network protection complete the range of services. As is customary during the development of new products, high availability and free of maintenance (through utilization of standard components) whilst complying with current standards and regulations are being taken into account. Along with the demand for regenerative feed-ins to feed reactive power into the network as required, the regulating device allows for a much improved use of the voltage limits - in the low voltage grid as well. It is to be expected that the network expansion of the low voltage grid thus can be significantly optimized through these possibilities of regulation. (orig.)

Environmental and economic aspects of water kiosks: Case study of a medium-sized Italian town

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torretta, Vincenzo

2013-01-01

The consumption of bottled water in Italy began in the 1970s. Since then, this usage has grown considerably, also as a result of changes in habits. The environmental impact as a result of the water production chain is very significant; it would be considered, for example, the use of plastic bottles, the consumption of oil in the production of the bottles, the emission of air from the vehicles that transport the bottles, non-recycled plastic packaging, etc. In this study, considering the comparison between two situations, use of bottled water and use of water kiosk (WK), an environmental and economic impact evaluation has been done. The study considered the production of a WK in a town with 9000 inhabitants, which supplies controlled, still and sparkling water, with an organoleptic quality higher than tap water coming from the aqueduct. In particular, taking into consideration the environmental aspects, specific attention was paid both to CO 2 emissions and PET bottle waste reduction. The economic impact evaluation was carried out from the consumer’s point of view. In order to provide a supply service that was economically sustainable, a calculation was done with the aim of determining a specific fee for the supplied water. Moreover, a comparison has been made between quality parameters achieved with the analysis of water from aqueducts with the limits established in the Italian legislation and the parameters of several Italian water brands. The study has the aim at considering the opportunity to follow a different people’s habits, closer to the concept of sustainability, reducing the environmental charge related to the realization, transport and consumption of plastic water bottles without significant reduction of the quality of the service and with convenient and interesting economic implications. In fact the results of the study show that the alternative of WKs is more efficient in economic and environmental terms respect to the use of bottled water

Environmental and economic aspects of water kiosks: case study of a medium-sized Italian town.

Science.gov (United States)

Torretta, Vincenzo

2013-05-01

The consumption of bottled water in Italy began in the 1970s. Since then, this usage has grown considerably, also as a result of changes in habits. The environmental impact as a result of the water production chain is very significant; it would be considered, for example, the use of plastic bottles, the consumption of oil in the production of the bottles, the emission of air from the vehicles that transport the bottles, non-recycled plastic packaging, etc. In this study, considering the comparison between two situations, use of bottled water and use of water kiosk (WK), an environmental and economic impact evaluation has been done. The study considered the production of a WK in a town with 9000 inhabitants, which supplies controlled, still and sparkling water, with an organoleptic quality higher than tap water coming from the aqueduct. In particular, taking into consideration the environmental aspects, specific attention was paid both to CO2 emissions and PET bottle waste reduction. The economic impact evaluation was carried out from the consumer's point of view. In order to provide a supply service that was economically sustainable, a calculation was done with the aim of determining a specific fee for the supplied water. Moreover, a comparison has been made between quality parameters achieved with the analysis of water from aqueducts with the limits established in the Italian legislation and the parameters of several Italian water brands. The study has the aim at considering the opportunity to follow a different people's habits, closer to the concept of sustainability, reducing the environmental charge related to the realization, transport and consumption of plastic water bottles without significant reduction of the quality of the service and with convenient and interesting economic implications. In fact the results of the study show that the alternative of WKs is more efficient in economic and environmental terms respect to the use of bottled water. Copyright �

Environmental and economic aspects of water kiosks: Case study of a medium-sized Italian town

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torretta, Vincenzo, E-mail: vincenzo.torretta@uninsubria.it [Department of Science and High Technology, Insubria University of Varese, Via G.B. Vico, 46, I-21100 Varese (Italy)

2013-05-15

The consumption of bottled water in Italy began in the 1970s. Since then, this usage has grown considerably, also as a result of changes in habits. The environmental impact as a result of the water production chain is very significant; it would be considered, for example, the use of plastic bottles, the consumption of oil in the production of the bottles, the emission of air from the vehicles that transport the bottles, non-recycled plastic packaging, etc. In this study, considering the comparison between two situations, use of bottled water and use of water kiosk (WK), an environmental and economic impact evaluation has been done. The study considered the production of a WK in a town with 9000 inhabitants, which supplies controlled, still and sparkling water, with an organoleptic quality higher than tap water coming from the aqueduct. In particular, taking into consideration the environmental aspects, specific attention was paid both to CO{sub 2} emissions and PET bottle waste reduction. The economic impact evaluation was carried out from the consumer’s point of view. In order to provide a supply service that was economically sustainable, a calculation was done with the aim of determining a specific fee for the supplied water. Moreover, a comparison has been made between quality parameters achieved with the analysis of water from aqueducts with the limits established in the Italian legislation and the parameters of several Italian water brands. The study has the aim at considering the opportunity to follow a different people’s habits, closer to the concept of sustainability, reducing the environmental charge related to the realization, transport and consumption of plastic water bottles without significant reduction of the quality of the service and with convenient and interesting economic implications. In fact the results of the study show that the alternative of WKs is more efficient in economic and environmental terms respect to the use of bottled water.

Ecosystem services provided by bats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunz, Thomas H; Braun de Torrez, Elizabeth; Bauer, Dana; Lobova, Tatyana; Fleming, Theodore H

2011-03-01

Ecosystem services are the benefits obtained from the environment that increase human well-being. Economic valuation is conducted by measuring the human welfare gains or losses that result from changes in the provision of ecosystem services. Bats have long been postulated to play important roles in arthropod suppression, seed dispersal, and pollination; however, only recently have these ecosystem services begun to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we review the available literature on the ecological and economic impact of ecosystem services provided by bats. We describe dietary preferences, foraging behaviors, adaptations, and phylogenetic histories of insectivorous, frugivorous, and nectarivorous bats worldwide in the context of their respective ecosystem services. For each trophic ensemble, we discuss the consequences of these ecological interactions on both natural and agricultural systems. Throughout this review, we highlight the research needed to fully determine the ecosystem services in question. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of economic valuation of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, few studies estimating the economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats have been conducted to date; however, we outline a framework that could be used in future studies to more fully address this question. Consumptive goods provided by bats, such as food and guano, are often exchanged in markets where the market price indicates an economic value. Nonmarket valuation methods can be used to estimate the economic value of nonconsumptive services, including inputs to agricultural production and recreational activities. Information on the ecological and economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats can be used to inform decisions regarding where and when to protect or restore bat populations and associated habitats, as well as to improve public perception of bats. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Development of a Novel Food Waste Collection Kiosk and Waste-to-Energy Business Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Franchetti

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The U.S. generates more than 37 million metric tons of food waste each year, and over 95% of it is disposed of at U.S. landfills. This paper describes the development of a novel food waste collection kiosk and business model called “Greenbox” that will collect and store food waste from households and restaurants with incentives for user participation to spur food waste-to-energy production in a local community. Greenbox offers a low-cost collection point to divert food waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gases from decomposition, and aid in generating cleaner energy. A functional prototype was successfully developed by a team of engineering students and a business model was created as part of a senior design capstone course. Each Greenbox unit has the potential to reduce 275 metric tons of food waste per year, remove 1320 kg of greenhouse gases, and create 470,000 liters of methane gas while providing a payback period of 4.2 years and a rate of return of 14.9%.

Mobile Device Management horizons for CERN Managed iOS and Mac Self-Service

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; MUSZKOWSKI, Maciek; BIPPUS, Vincent Nicolas

2015-01-01

Overview of the MDM (Mobile Device Mamagement) market in the context of the CERN needs and a discussion of technical capabilities of a range of MDM products, followed by a presentation of two new functionalities implemented using an MDM: Self-service Kiosk for Mac and delegated-management solution for professional tablets.

Ancillary Services Provided from DER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, J.B.

2005-12-21

Distributed energy resources (DER) are quickly making their way to industry primarily as backup generation. They are effective at starting and then producing full-load power within a few seconds. The distribution system is aging and transmission system development has not kept up with the growth in load and generation. The nation's transmission system is stressed with heavy power flows over long distances, and many areas are experiencing problems in providing the power quality needed to satisfy customers. Thus, a new market for DER is beginning to emerge. DER can alleviate the burden on the distribution system by providing ancillary services while providing a cost adjustment for the DER owner. This report describes 10 types of ancillary services that distributed generation (DG) can provide to the distribution system. Of these 10 services the feasibility, control strategy, effectiveness, and cost benefits are all analyzed as in the context of a future utility-power market. In this market, services will be provided at a local level that will benefit the customer, the distribution utility, and the transmission company.

Logistic service providers and sustainable physical distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stef Weijers

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Logistic Service Providers main concern was to ensure reliability for a low price (Christopher, 2005. Dutch Logistic Service Providers still have these two aspects at the top of their list, but also have to take in a new aspect: sustainability. 88% Of the investigated Logistic Service Providers have included sustainability in the company's goals. These Logistic Service Providers have developed different strategies to achieve a higher level of sustainability. This paper presents the results of a study into what Logistic Service Providers say what they are doing, or intend to do, to improve sustainability for their transport services. In this way insight is given in the attitude of Dutch Logistic Service Providers towards sustainability and how they intend to translate this into business practise: internal solutions or new methods incorporating external partners. Methods: Various methods of the investigations were used, among which the analysis of the statements about the sustainabilityon the websites of various companies as well as the questionnaire per Internet. The research covered 50 largest logistics companies operating in the Netherlands and 60 companies that competed for the award "Lean and Green" advertised in the Netherlands. In addition, the Internet survey was answered by 41 companies that belong to the network of our university. Results: The investigation has shown that sustainability is handled by the logistics company as an integral part of the corporate strategy. In contrast, shippers depend in the choice of logistics services primarily on such classical aspects as the reliability or the price and the sustainability play a minor role. Conclusions: Trying to find methods to improve the sustainability, Dutch logistics service providers, in the first place, look for solutions that increase the efficiency and therefore the cost reduction potential. Solutions, which require the involvement of clients, were less often

28 CFR 92.8 - Providing recruitment services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... populations to a police department. The recruitment strategies employed may include: (a) A process for... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Providing recruitment services. 92.8... POLICING SERVICES (COPS) Police Recruitment Program Guidelines § 92.8 Providing recruitment services. The...

Low-Value Service Use in Provider Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Aaron L; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Landon, Bruce E; Chernew, Michael E; McWilliams, J Michael

2018-02-01

To assess whether provider organizations exhibit distinct profiles of low-value service provision. 2007-2011 Medicare fee-for-service claims and enrollment data. Use of 31 services that provide minimal clinical benefit was measured for 4,039,733 beneficiaries served by 3,137 provider organizations. Variation across organizations, persistence within organizations over time, and correlations in use of different types of low-value services within organizations were estimated via multilevel modeling, with adjustment for beneficiary sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Organizations provided 45.6 low-value services per 100 beneficiaries on average, with considerable variation across organizations (90th/10th percentile ratio, 1.78; 95 percent CI, 1.72-1.84), including substantial between-organization variation within hospital referral regions (90th/10th percentile ratio, 1.66; 95 percent CI, 1.60-1.71). Low-value service use within organizations was highly correlated over time (r, 0.98; 95 percent CI, 0.97-0.99) and positively correlated between 13 of 15 pairs of service categories (average r, 0.26; 95 percent CI, 0.24-0.28), with the greatest correlation between low-value imaging and low-value cardiovascular testing and procedures (r, 0.54). Use of low-value services in provider organizations exhibited substantial variation, high persistence, and modest consistency across service types. These findings are consistent with organizations shaping the practice patterns of affiliated physicians. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Provider of Services File

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The POS file consists of two data files, one for CLIA labs and one for 18 other provider types. The file names are CLIA and OTHER. If downloading the file, note it...

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Self Employment Media Service Providers among Tertiary ... role stereotype and common business practices on media self employment in ... Sex, Psycho-social Characteristics, self Employment, Providing Media Services.

Provider Customer Service Program - Performance Data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — CMS is continuously analyzing performance and quality of the Provider Customer Service Programs (PCSPs) of the contractors and will be identifying trends and making...

Examination of cultural competence in service providers in an early intervention programme for psychosis in Montreal, Quebec: Perspectives of service users and treatment providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkataraman, Shruthi; Jordan, Gerald; Pope, Megan A; Iyer, Srividya N

2018-06-01

To better understand cultural competence in early intervention for psychosis, we compared service users' and service providers' perceptions of the importance of providers being culturally competent and attentive to aspects of culture. At a Canadian early intervention programme, a validated scale was adapted to assess service user (N = 51) and provider (N = 30) perceptions of service providers' cultural competence and the importance accorded thereto. Analyses of variance revealed that the importance of service providers being culturally competent was rated highest by service providers, followed by visible minority service users, followed by white service users. Providers rated themselves as being more interested in knowing about service users' culture than service users perceived them to be. Service users accorded less import to service providers' cultural competence than providers themselves, owing possibly to varied socialization. A mismatch in users' and providers' views on providers' efforts to know their users' cultures may influence mental healthcare outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Medical service provider networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Mougeot, Michel; Naegelen, Florence

2018-05-17

In many countries, health insurers or health plans choose to contract either with any willing providers or with preferred providers. We compare these mechanisms when two medical services are imperfect substitutes in demand and are supplied by two different firms. In both cases, the reimbursement is higher when patients select the in-network provider(s). We show that these mechanisms yield lower prices, lower providers' and insurer's profits, and lower expense than in the uniform-reimbursement case. Whatever the degree of product differentiation, a not-for-profit insurer should prefer selective contracting and select a reimbursement such that the out-of-pocket expense is null. Although all providers join the network under any-willing-provider contracting in the absence of third-party payment, an asymmetric equilibrium may exist when this billing arrangement is implemented. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mitigating Provider Uncertainty in Service Provision Contracts

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Chris; van Moorsel, Aad

Uncertainty is an inherent property of open, distributed and multiparty systems. The viability of the mutually beneficial relationships which motivate these systems relies on rational decision-making by each constituent party under uncertainty. Service provision in distributed systems is one such relationship. Uncertainty is experienced by the service provider in his ability to deliver a service with selected quality level guarantees due to inherent non-determinism, such as load fluctuations and hardware failures. Statistical estimators utilized to model this non-determinism introduce additional uncertainty through sampling error. Inability of the provider to accurately model and analyze uncertainty in the quality level guarantees can result in the formation of sub-optimal service provision contracts. Emblematic consequences include loss of revenue, inefficient resource utilization and erosion of reputation and consumer trust. We propose a utility model for contract-based service provision to provide a systematic approach to optimal service provision contract formation under uncertainty. Performance prediction methods to enable the derivation of statistical estimators for quality level are introduced, with analysis of their resultant accuracy and cost.

Management systems for service providers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolokonya, Herbert Chiwalo

2015-02-01

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

Privately Provided Accommodation Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua Mugambwa

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Privately provided accommodation is a growing service in Uganda’s higher education sector due to education liberalization and demand for education. This research took a case study of Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development (NTISD to determine the relationship between privately provided accommodation service quality and customer satisfaction. Specifically, the objectives of the study were (a to find out the relationship between security and NTISD students’ satisfaction with privately provided accommodation, and (b to find out the hierarchical level of importance of NTISD student satisfaction of the three service quality dimensions (reliability, security, and tangibles with privately provided accommodation. Using quantitative and qualitative modes of data analysis and a sample of 300 students from 20 private hostels, this study established a strong positive significant relationship between security and satisfaction regarding privately provided accommodation. This implies that accommodation service providers should increase the quality of security so as to increase the satisfaction of students regarding privately provided accommodation. The study established the hierarchical order of importance from the most important service quality dimension, respectively, as follows: reliability, security, and tangibles. Therefore, private accommodation service managers should pay extra attention to the dimensions in the same order.

Customer assessment of long-term care pharmacy provider services.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Thomas R

2008-09-01

Assess performance of long-term care pharmacy providers on key services offered to nursing facilities. Cross-sectional; nursing facility team. Random phone survey of nursing facility team members. 485 nursing facility team members (practicing in nursing facilities, interacting with > or = 1 consultant pharmacist); 46 members excluded, unable to identify facility's pharmacy provider. Directors of nursing, medical directors, and administrators were asked to rate long-term care pharmacy provider performance of eight commonly offered pharmacy services. All groups evaluated pharmacy provider performance of these services using a five-point scale. Results are broken down by employer type. Average rating for eight pharmacy services was 3.64. Top two services: "Labeling medications accurately" ranked in top 1-2 services for all groups (combined rating of 3.97) and "Provides medication administration system" ranked in top 1-3 services for all groups (combined rating of 3.95). One service, "Provides educational inservices," ranked lowest for all groups (combined rating of 3.54). In general, when looking at the eight services in combination for all providers, all services were ranked between Good and Very Good (average score of 3.64). Therefore, while the pharmacy provider is performing above average for these services, there is room for improvement in all of these services. These results can be used as a benchmark. Detailed data results and sample surveys are available online at www.ascp.com/supplements. These surveys can be used by the pharmacy provider to solicit assessments from their own facilities on these services.

Role Coastumer Service PT. Bank Danamon Provide Service to Customers

OpenAIRE

", NURJANAH; Hardani, Ninda

2015-01-01

PT. Bank Danamon Pekanbaru is the bank engaged in banking goods and services that always seeks to prioritize the satisfaction of its customers. The employee on duty and deal directly with the customer in providing services commonly known as customer service that are required to have the ability to serve customers accurately and quickly and have good communication skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of customer service as a receptionist, Deskman, salesman, customer rela...

Engaging service providers in improving industry performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberth, R.

2012-01-01

Effective task leadership is the key to achieving results in the nuclear industry and in most other industries. One of the themes of this conference is to discuss how the nuclear industry can undertake Issue-Identification and Definition as a means of 'identifying what needs attention' and then 'defining what needs to be done to make that happen'. I will explore this theme from the perspective of the 'Service Provider' - which by the definition of this conference includes everyone not within an operating utility - meaning 'those involved in everything from inspection and repair to research and plant architecture' - basically the member companies of my association, OCI. Our members take the definition of the roles and responsibilities of the 'Service Provider' community very seriously. In the context of this discussion a key utility function is the early definition of requirements and expectations of Service Providers in supplying to these requirements. Let's explore for a moment the Service Provider role and perspective. Service Providers are by nature pro-active - they seek ways to engage with utilities (and tier one vendors) to solve problems and achieve good outcomes. They come to industry conferences like this one to learn about upcoming utility programs and supply opportunities and how they can improve performance. Service Providers particularly want to hear senior utility people comment on emerging issues even those at the very early identification stage. Some Clarification of Roles is in Order - as that is the focus of this conference: 'Issue-Identification and Definition'. 'Issue-Identification' is the utility's job - it is the utility's role to identify as early as possible 'what needs attention and what their needs and expectations are'. This takes place before service provider engagement. 'Issue-Definition' is more challenging. It means 'determining and prioritizing what needs to be done to deal with the situation at hand'. This typically involves

Employee motivation in Product-Service-System providers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreye, Melanie

2016-01-01

This research investigates how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors contribute to employee motivation in providers of Product-Service Systems (PSS). Employee motivation determines the quality of the delivered service and is thus an area of great importance for PSS providers. We present rich...... case-based data collected through semi-structured interviews, a survey and secondary sources. The analysis showed the particularly high importance of intrinsic and individual motivation factors such as the fulfilling nature of the work and skill development showing the ownership and pride service...... employees took in their work. Further, the organisation needs to set the context of high employee motivation by enabling flexibility and performance feedback. Our research contributes to the literature by providing a first empirical study of employee motivation in PSS providers and thus providing important...

Impact of CRM on the competitiveness level of ICT services in Croatian service providers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dražen Alerić

2007-07-01

Full Text Available This paper proves a higher competitiveness of ICT service providers who utilize CRM versus the providers who do not. The study of observed participating ICT service providers in Croatia proves that the value added of the services incorporating CRM is more competitive than the same services but without CRM. There is also stronger demand from clients for the services enriched with CRM. Increased service competitiveness generated by CRM utilization raises the company’s general competitiveness. A systematic application of CRM creates a long-lasting relationship between clients and providers and thus enables high-quality long-term term solutions to client demands. CRM represents the value added that raises the level of service competitiveness and makes the service provider unique and recognizable among numerous competitors. Consequently, the satisfaction of clients with the provider and their preference for the same provider result in higher client loyalty. A service company that incorporates CRM in its practices has a higher success rate in fulfilling its mission and attaining goals in accordance with the marketing philosophy.

Bringing the Net Effect to 700 million Rural Indians

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A Kiosk Owner/Operator · Kiosk: Bouquet of Services (besides telephony) · Slide 26 · E-government services at a Village · The Dream · Rural Micro-Enterprises are the Wealth Creators · Operations Project Summary & Plans · Technologies & people behind n-Logue · Technologies in Use · corDECT Wireless in Local Loop.

Conceptual Models of the Individual Public Service Provider

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lotte Bøgh; Pedersen, Lene Holm; Bhatti, Yosef

are used to gain insight on the motivation of public service providers; namely principal-agent theory, self-determination theory and public service motivation theory. We situate the theoretical discussions in the context of public service providers being transferred to private organizations......Individual public service providers’ motivation can be conceptualized as either extrinsic, autonomous or prosocial, and the question is how we can best theoretically understand this complexity without losing too much coherence and parsimony. Drawing on Allison’s approach (1969), three perspectives...... theoretical – to develop a coherent model of individual public service providers – but the empirical illustration also contributes to our understanding of motivation in the context of public sector outsourcing....

LIMITED RESTAURANT SERVICE: WHITSUNTIDE WEEKEND

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Details of the arrangements to ensure the provision of a restaurant service during the Whitsuntide weekend are given below. On all the days indicated, hot meals will be served from 11h30 to 14h00 and 18h00 to 19h30. DATE RESTAURANT No. Opening times Saturday, June 7 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 and 3 closed Sunday, June 8 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 and 3 closed Monday, June 9 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 and 3 closed SATELLITE CAFETERIAS (Bldgs. 30, 40, 54) and the KIOSK will be closed on 7, 8 and 9 June.

Providing Device Independence to Mobile Services

OpenAIRE

Nylander, Stina; Bylund, Markus

2002-01-01

People want user interfaces to services that are functional and well suited to the device they choose for access. To provide this, services must be able to offer device specific user interfaces for the wide range of devices available today. We propose to combine the two dominant approaches to platform independence, "Write Once, Run Every-where™" and "different version for each device", to create multiple device specific user interfaces for mobile services. This gives possibilities to minimize...

25 CFR 20.402 - When are protective services provided?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS Services to Children, Elderly, and Families § 20.402 When are protective services provided? Protective services are provided when children or adults: (a) Are deprived temporarily or permanently of needed supervision by responsible adults; (b) Are neglected, abused or exploited...

Prejudice and discrimination from mental health service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemec, Patricia B; Swarbrick, Margaret; Legere, Lyn

2015-06-01

This column describes the experience of prejudice and discrimination that some mental health service users encounter in their interactions with service providers and organizations. The intent of this column is to highlight potential action steps to address the negative beliefs and attitudes of service providers that contribute to prejudice and discrimination. This description draws from published material and the authors' experience. If the most effective approaches to reduce public prejudice and discrimination toward people diagnosed with a mental illness are education and contact, then those methods may be useful methods to help mental health service providers view and engage persons served from a strengths-based recovery and wellness orientation. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Acceptability of health information technology aimed at environmental health education in a prenatal clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosas, Lisa G; Trujillo, Celina; Camacho, Jose; Madrigal, Daniel; Bradman, Asa; Eskenazi, Brenda

2014-11-01

To describe the acceptability of an interactive computer kiosk that provides environmental health education to low-income Latina prenatal patients. A mixed-methods approach was used to assess the acceptability of the Prenatal Environmental Health Kiosk pregnant Latina women in Salinas, CA (n=152). The kiosk is a low literacy, interactive touch-screen computer program with an audio component and includes graphics and an interactive game. The majority had never used a kiosk before. Over 90% of women reported that they learned something new while using the kiosk. Prior to using the kiosk, 22% of women reported their preference of receiving health education from a kiosk over a pamphlet or video compared with 57% after using the kiosk (peducation; and (3) popularity of the interactive game. The Prenatal Environmental Health Kiosk is an innovative patient health education modality that was shown to be acceptable among a population of low-income Latino pregnant women in a prenatal care clinic. This pilot study demonstrated that a health education kiosk was an acceptable strategy for providing Latina prenatal patients with information on pertinent environmental exposures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactive Universal Design Kiosks: Explanations About Social Inclusion Features in Architectural Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Guimarães, Marcelo Pinto; Picceli, Angélica Fátima Baldin; Sabino, Paulo Roberto

2016-01-01

This paper details a set of self-supporting and illuminated panels that work together but independently in order to emphasize the explanation of building features and activities that are based on Universal Design guidelines. The exhibition is based on two structures that are arranged in semi-circles (A and B). They are integrated to form a carpeted path where the visitor will be gradually exposed to the concepts related to the principles of Universal Design. Following the sequence of three-dimensional objects and swivelling box elements that support the tactile information on the subject, it is expected that visitors become familiar with each of the principles being demonstrated. Operated by a control system consisting of keys with colour signage, textures and high relief, the panel on the control table allows the user to choose information about paired relationships between some of seven principles contained in printed images about the architectural design on the set of panels. The effectiveness of the composition can be verified by the time people remain enough to hear, see and touch the kiosks for all the information, or by successive visits users make to the setting.

Switching Service Providers: Reasons, Service Types, and Sequences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In Keaveney.s (1995) landmark study on the reasons for switching service providers, data were gathered using critical incident technique (CIT); here the original findings are tested using survey method. Keaveney.s typology of reasons for switching is supported across a range of categories but, in this new study, the reasons ...

Research on Logistics Service Providers Selection Based on AHP and VIKOR

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Lu

The logistics service providers supply a kind of service which is a service product, thus there is a plenty of uncertainty and fuzzy in selecting logistics service providers. AHP is first used to calculate the weights of logistics services providers evaluations and then VIKOR method developed for multi-criteria optimization determining a compromise solution is applied to select the logistics services providers. The latter method provides a maximum "group utility" for the "majority" and minimum of an individual regret for the "opponent". This decision making process of logistics services providers selection is verified to be scientific and feasible through the empirical research.

The state of the psychology health service provider workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalski, Daniel S; Kohout, Jessica L

2011-12-01

Numerous efforts to describe the health service provider or clinical workforce in psychology have been conducted during the past 30 years. The American Psychological Association (APA) has studied trends in the doctoral education pathway and the resultant effects on the broader psychology workforce. During this period, the creation and growth of the PsyD degree and the formalization of the predoctoral internship placement system (the APPIC Match) have been well noted, but efforts to gain a complete understanding of professional practice are lacking. Specifically, piecemeal research on the provider workforce has led to the study of specific subpopulations using varying approaches and definitions of those providing direct clinical service. Consequently, estimates of the supply and need for health service providers are distinctly divergent and generate protracted debate in organized psychology. The APA membership directory and the APA Doctorate Employment Surveys have traditionally been relied on for workforce analyses. Yet, these data have become characterized by limited generalizability in recent years because of declining survey response rates and the fact that APA member data may not be as representative of the entire psychology health service provider population as they were previously. The 2008 APA Survey of Psychology Health Service Providers targeted these limitations by including nonmember psychologists in the sampling frame. Results revealed emerging themes in the demographics, work settings, and delivery of health services of the psychology health service provider workforce. Future areas of research for APA and organized psychology to undertake in addressing need and demand are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Service Provider Revenue Dependence of Offered Number of Service Classes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Aćimović-Raspopović

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper possible applications of responsive pricing scheme and Stackelberg game for pricing telecommunication services with service provider as a leader and users acting as followers are analyzed. We have classified users according to an elasticity criterion into inelastic, partially elastic and elastic users. Their preferences are modelled through utility functions, which describe users’ sensitivity to changes in the quality of service and price. In the proposed algorithm a bandwidth management server is responsible for performing automatic optimal bandwidth allocation to each user’s session while maximizing its expected utility and the overall service provider’s revenue. The pricing algorithm is used for congestion control and more efficient network capacity utilization. We have analyzed different scenarios of the proposed usage-based pricing algorithm. Particularly, the influence of the number of service classes on price setting in terms of service provider’s revenue and total users’ utility maximization are discussed. The model is verified through numerous simulations performed by software that we have developed for that purpose.

VT Wireless Internet Service Providers 2006

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The VT Wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) dataset (WISP2006) includes polygons depicting the extent of Vermont's WISP broadband system as of...

VT Wireless Internet Service Providers 2007

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The VT Wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) dataset (WISP2007) includes polygons depicting the extent of Vermont's WISP broadband system as of...

28 CFR 549.72 - Services provided without fees.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... care; (f) Diagnosis or treatment of chronic infectious diseases; (g) Mental health care; or (h... Section 549.72 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT MEDICAL SERVICES Fees for Health Care Services § 549.72 Services provided without fees. We will not charge...

ACCOUNTING TREATMENTS USED FOR ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ŢOGOE GRETI DANIELA

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The theme of our research is the ways of keeping accounting entities that are the object of the provision of services in the accounting profession. This paper aims to achieve a parallel between the ways of organizing financial records - accounting provided by freelancers and companies with activity in the financial - accounting. The first step in our scientific research is to establish objectives chosen area of scientific knowledge. Our scientific approach seeks to explain through a thorough and detailed approach as different sides (conceptual and practical looking projections of accounting issues related to regulatory developments and practices in the field. This paper addresses various concepts, accounting treatments, and books and accounting documents used both freelancers in providing accounting services and legal persons authorized accounting profession. In terms of methodology and research perspective, the whole scientific approach combined with quantitative and qualitative research theoretical perspective (descriptive-conceptual with practice perspective (empirical analyzing the main contributions of various authors (Romanian and foreign to knowledge in the field. Following the survey believe that the amendments to the national legislation will support entities providing accounting services, by cutting red tape on Administrative Burdens, and consequently will increase profitability and increase service quality.

Evaluating the service quality of third-party logistics service providers using the analytic hierarchy process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soon-hoo So

2006-12-01

Full Text Available In this study we apply the analytic hierarchy process (AHP to evaluate the service quality of third-party logistics (3PL service providers. We first conceptualize five dimensions of 3PL service quality (i.e. tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. We then apply the AHP method to determine the relative weights of the five service quality dimensions and eventually select the best 3PL service provider. To implement this idea in practice, we conduct an empirical case study on four companies providing 3PL services in Korea. The results indicate that Responsiveness out of the five service quality dimensions is the most important factor in the perception of 3PL customers.

Data as a service a framework for providing reusable enterprise data services

CERN Document Server

Sarkar, Pushpak

2015-01-01

Data as a Service shows how organizations can leverage "data as a service" by providing real-life case studies on the various and innovative architectures and related patterns. Comprehensive approach to introducing data as a service in any organization. A re-usable and flexible SOA based architecture framework. Roadmap to introduce 'big data as a service' for potential clients. Presents a thorough description of each component in the DaaS reference architecture so readers can implement solutions.

Sexual health service providers' perceptions of transgender youth in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefkowitz, Ayla R F; Mannell, Jenevieve

2017-05-01

Transgender youth often face difficulties when accessing sexual health services. However, few studies investigate health service providers' perceptions of transgender youth, and fewer focus on sexual health. To fill this gap, our study draws on social representations theory to examine sexual health service providers' perceptions of transgender youth and how this influences the provision of health services for this marginalised population in England. A thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with service providers, conducted between March and June 2014, resulted in five main themes centred on: binary representations of transgender; transgender as homosexuality; uncertain bodies; unstable mental states; and too young to know. Of the service providers interviewed, many understood transgender within a male/female binary, and perceived being transgender to be synonymous with being gay. There was confusion among service providers regarding transgender youths' sexual organs, and most of those interviewed saw transgender youth as mentally unstable and confused. Finally, many service providers perceived that transgender youth are too young to know that they are transgender and make decisions about their body. Some of these representations were potentially stigmatising and many conflicted with transgender youths' representations of themselves. Training by transgender people is recommended to help address these misunderstandings. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Security measures effect over performance in service provider network

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-03-05

Mar 5, 2018 ... Abstract—network security is defined as a set of policies and actions taken by a ... These threats are linked with the following factors that are ... typically smaller than those in the service provider space. ... Service providers cannot manage to provide ... e the DB performance effect ... r the business needs [10].

Keeley's journey: from service user to service provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassinello, Keeley; Bramley, Sally

2012-01-01

This paper presents the vocational journey of a young British woman, Keeley, who changed her career aspirations to become a mental health worker following an episode of significant mental health difficulties. Keeley's story illustrates the application of the locally developed WORKS framework in conceptualising and supporting Keeley's vocational recovery. A narrative approach highlights the partnerships that developed between Keeley, the Occupational Therapist, Sally, and the User Support and Employment Service. The WORKS framework supported Keeley and Sally to collaboratively develop a successful employment pathway. Strategies, including attention to Keeley's view of her capabilities and aspirations, volunteer placements, support of peers, employer engagement and planning for sustainable employment, assisted Keeley to establish her chosen career. Keeley's journey highlights the leadership role that mental health services can assume by providing paid work for people with experience of mental health difficulties.

Quality of services and quality of life from service providers' perspectives: analysis with focus groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenaro, C; Vega, V; Flores, N; Cruz, M

2013-06-01

Concepts such as support, quality of life and quality of services are customary in services for people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of the different ways of conceiving, prioritising and implementing these concepts by service providers can help to drive changes to achieve better personal outcomes for this population. The current study aims to identify service providers' perceptions regarding the quality of life of their clients and the quality of services they provide. It also aims to identify similarities and differences of appraisals among professionals, and to identify associations between supports, quality of life and quality of services. Data were collected from 22 service providers who attended three focus groups (professionals, direct support staff, and managers) from whom 424 comments were analysed. Service providers were asked about the required support for users, the meaning of quality of life for those users, and about features that should characterise quality services. Thematic analysis was employed and transcripts of the sessions were coded according to the dimensions of models on supports, quality of life and quality of services. Chi-squared tests were utilised to test for potential differences among groups. Each professional group has its own priorities concerning required supports. Among the organisation different and potentially conflicting perceptions regarding the meaning of experiencing quality of life coexist. Concerning quality of services, only managers mentioned personal outcomes. Finally, institutionalisation has a negative impact on supports, quality of life and quality of services. It is necessary to move beyond a shared awareness of the negative impact of institutionalisation towards the transformation of services in search of personal quality outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Cost Calculation Model for Logistics Service Providers

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Zoltán Bokor

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The exact calculation of logistics costs has become a real challenge in logistics and supply chain management. It is essential to gain reliable and accurate costing information to attain efficient resource allocation within the logistics service provider companies. Traditional costing approaches, however, may not be sufficient to reach this aim in case of complex and heterogeneous logistics service structures. So this paper intends to explore the ways of improving the cost calculation regimes of logistics service providers and show how to adopt the multi-level full cost allocation technique in logistics practice. After determining the methodological framework, a sample cost calculation scheme is developed and tested by using estimated input data. Based on the theoretical findings and the experiences of the pilot project it can be concluded that the improved costing model contributes to making logistics costing more accurate and transparent. Moreover, the relations between costs and performances also become more visible, which enhances the effectiveness of logistics planning and controlling significantly

Early abortion services in the United States: a provider survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Janie; Clark, Kathryn Andersen; Gerhardt, Ann; Randall, Lynne; Dudley, Susan

2003-04-01

The objective of this study was to describe the availability of early surgical and medical abortion among members of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and to identify factors affecting the integration of early abortion services into current services. Telephone interviews were conducted with staff at 113 Planned Parenthood affiliates and independent abortion providers between February and April 2000, prior to FDA approval of mifepristone. Early abortion services were available at 59% of sites, and establishing services was less difficult than or about what was anticipated. Sites generally found it easier to begin offering early surgical abortion than early medical abortion. Physician participation was found to be critical to implementing early services. At sites where some but not all providers offered early abortion, variations in service availability resulted. Given the option of reconsidering early services, virtually all sites would make the same decision again. These data suggest that developing mentoring relationships between experienced early abortion providers/sites and those not offering early services, and training physicians and other staff, are likely to be effective approaches to expanding service availability.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2009-05-13

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moonen Bruno

2009-05-01

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

Improving Educational Outcomes by Providing Educational Services through Mobile Technology

OpenAIRE

Hosam Farouk El-Sofany

2013-01-01

The use of Computers, Networks, and Internet has successfully enabled educational institutions to provide their students and instructors with various online educational services. With the recent developments in M-learning and mobile technology, further possibilities are emerging to provide such services through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. By providing the educational services using wireless and mobile technologies, the educational institutions can potentially bring great co...

Homeless health needs: shelter and health service provider perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Hauff, Alicia J; Secor-Turner, Molly

2014-01-01

The effects of homelessness on health are well documented, although less is known about the challenges of health care delivery from the perspective of service providers. Using data from a larger health needs assessment, the purpose of this study was to describe homeless health care needs and barriers to access utilizing qualitative data collected from shelter staff (n = 10) and health service staff (n = 14). Shelter staff members described many unmet health needs and barriers to health care access, and discussed needs for other supportive services in the area. Health service providers also described multiple health and service needs, and the need for a recuperative care setting for this population. Although a variety of resources are currently available for homeless health service delivery, barriers to access and gaps in care still exist. Recommendations for program planning are discussed and examined in the context of contributing factors and health care reform.

Understanding how different recruitment strategies impact parent engagement with an iPad-based intervention to provide personalized information about adolescent vaccines.

Science.gov (United States)

Dempsey, Amanda F; Maertens, Julie; Beaty, Brenda L; O'Leary, Sean T

2015-05-01

Inadequate provider time for addressing parents' questions and concerns about adolescent vaccines is a barrier to vaccine utilization. We sought to determine how different recruitment strategies impact the degree of engagement with an intervention that provided this information via an iPad placed in a clinical setting. We provided to three pediatric practices in the Denver area the "Teen VaxScene" web site that generates individually customized information for parents about adolescent vaccines. Three recruitment strategies were assessed for their impact on parental use of the intervention as follows: passive recruitment using posters to advertise a "kiosk" version of the intervention; posters plus a $10 incentive for using the kiosk; and posters plus a $10 incentive plus decoupling the iPad from the kiosks to enable "roving." We assessed the engagement with the intervention at multiple levels including log in, consent, and completion of a baseline survey and viewing individually tailored web pages. Surveys were used to assess barriers to using the intervention. During the 14-month study period, 693 people had contact with the iPad, 199 consented, and 48 completed the survey to enable creation of tailored content; and 42 used the tailored site. Five times as many parents (n = 40) consented to participation during the 2 months when the intervention was "roving" than during the 10-month "passive" recruitment period. Engagement with the tailored material was low, with most users viewing only the "table of contents" pages. Utilizers and nonutilizers of the intervention had similar demographic characteristics. Enabling the iPad to "rove" in the clinic greatly increased the proportion of parents consenting to use the intervention. However, meaningful engagement with the material was low. Further research is needed to understand the most effective and time efficient ways to provide vaccine-related educational information to parents of adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Society

Improving Educational Outcomes by Providing Educational Services through Mobile Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hosam Farouk El-Sofany

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The use of Computers, Networks, and Internet has successfully enabled educational institutions to provide their students and instructors with various online educational services. With the recent developments in M-learning and mobile technology, further possibilities are emerging to provide such services through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. By providing the educational services using wireless and mobile technologies, the educational institutions can potentially bring great convenience to those off-campus students who do not always have time to find Internet enabled computers to get the important educational information from their academic institutions. With the mobile or M-educational services, both the students and the instructors can access the services anytime and anywhere they want. This paper discusses those M-educational services that can be moved to the mobile platform and then presents the system prototype and architecture that integrate these services into the mobile technology platform. The paper will conclude with a description of the formative evaluation of the system prototype.

Marketing in the business activity of logistics service providers

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Marcin Świtała

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Background: This article is a discussion on the role of marketing in the activity of logistics service providers. The strong competition and changing purchasing preferences should motivate the transport, forwarding and logistics sector managers to apply the marketing approach in practice. Methods: Results of direct research, conducted among a targeted group of 100 companies from the transport, forwarding and logistics sector, constitute the source basis. The sample group was divided into three categories of logistics providers: 2PL, 3PL and 4PL. The statistical analysis was based on three different non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square and V Kramer.  Results and conclusions:  Currently, marketing does not play a key role in the activity of logistics services providers. The prevailing opinion is that importance of marketing in the company is average. The respondents have assessed in a similar way their activity compared to the activities of the competition. However, it was found that with the increase of the level of specialization (2PL-4PL, the awareness of impact of marketing on the logistics services sector also increased. The logistics services providers, who offer a wide range of logistics services, asses their competitive position in a better light.  

47 CFR 10.240 - Notification to new subscribers of non-participation in CMAS.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... availability of this service and wireless emergency alert capable devices, please ask a sales representative... COMMERCIAL MOBILE ALERT SYSTEM Election to Participate in Commercial Mobile Alert System § 10.240... to provide Alert messages at the point-of-sale. (b) The point-of-sale includes stores, kiosks, third...

Effects of librarian-provided services in healthcare settings: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrier, Laure; Farrell, Ann; Ayala, A Patricia; Lightfoot, David; Kenny, Tim; Aaronson, Ellen; Allee, Nancy; Brigham, Tara; Connor, Elizabeth; Constantinescu, Teodora; Muellenbach, Joanne; Epstein, Helen-Ann Brown; Weiss, Ardis

2014-01-01

To assess the effects of librarian-provided services in healthcare settings on patient, healthcare provider, and researcher outcomes. Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to June 2013. Studies involving librarian-provided services for patients encountering the healthcare system, healthcare providers, or researchers were eligible for inclusion. All librarian-provided services in healthcare settings were considered as an intervention, including hospitals, primary care settings, or public health clinics. Twenty-five articles fulfilled our eligibility criteria, including 22 primary publications and three companion reports. The majority of studies (15/22 primary publications) examined librarians providing instruction in literature searching to healthcare trainees, and measured literature searching proficiency. Other studies analyzed librarian-provided literature searching services and instruction in question formulation as well as the impact of librarian-provided services on patient length of stay in hospital. No studies were found that investigated librarians providing direct services to researchers or patients in healthcare settings. Librarian-provided services directed to participants in training programs (eg, students, residents) improve skills in searching the literature to facilitate the integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making. Services provided to clinicians were shown to be effective in saving time for health professionals and providing relevant information for decision-making. Two studies indicated patient length of stay was reduced when clinicians requested literature searches related to a patient's case. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Customer satisfaction surveys: Methodological recommendations for financial service providers

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Đorđić Marko

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This methodological article investigates practical challenges that emerge when conducting customer satisfaction surveys (CSS for financial service providers such as banks, insurance or leasing companies, and so forth. It displays methodological recommendations in reference with: (a survey design, (b sampling, (c survey method, (d questionnaire design, and (e data acquisition. Article provides appropriate explanations that usage of: two-stage survey design, SRS method, large samples, and rigorous fieldwork preparation can enhance the overall quality of CSS in financial services. Proposed methodological recommendations can primarily be applied to the primary quantitative marketing research in retail financial services. However, majority of them can be successfully applied when conducting primary quantitative marketing research in corporate financial services as well. .

29 CFR 779.388 - Exemption provided for food or beverage service employees.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exemption provided for food or beverage service employees... Service Establishments Restaurants and Establishments Providing Food and Beverage Service § 779.388 Exemption provided for food or beverage service employees. (a) A special exemption is provided in section 13...

Determinants of farmers' choice for veterinary service providers in Nepal Mountains.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamichhane, Dirga Kumar; Shrestha, Sabina

2012-08-01

This study was aimed to analyze factors that affect farmers' choice for major actors of veterinary service providers in village areas of Kaski district of Nepal, with the objective of identifying choice-specific attributes which could be addressed for improving the penetration of professional veterinary services in village areas. The information was obtained from 125 farmers using a structured questionnaire. A proportional hazard model was used for data analysis because of its ability to accommodate the attributes of both the chooser and the choice simultaneously. The results showed that village animal health workers (VAHWs) were the most preferred service providers followed by veterinarians and mid-level technicians. The farmers' age and education level had a significant but inverse relationship with the probability of choosing any of the three service providers. From our study, we found that the main choice-specific attributes with a significant impact on the choice probability was the distance to the preferred service provider. Since there was a high preference for VAHW, this suggests the possibility of poorly trained service providers dominating veterinary service market in village areas of Kaski district. Hence, the efforts put forward in the legalization of VAHW system in Nepal should first address the constraints that obstruct the accessibility of professional veterinary service providers in village areas.

Identifying barriers and improving communication between cancer service providers and Aboriginal patients and their families: the perspective of service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Shaouli; Durey, Angela; Bessarab, Dawn; Aoun, Samar M; Thompson, Sandra C

2013-11-04

Aboriginal Australians experience poorer outcomes from cancer compared to the non-Aboriginal population. Some progress has been made in understanding Aboriginal Australians' perspectives about cancer and their experiences with cancer services. However, little is known of cancer service providers' (CSPs) thoughts and perceptions regarding Aboriginal patients and their experiences providing optimal cancer care to Aboriginal people. Communication between Aboriginal patients and non-Aboriginal health service providers has been identified as an impediment to good Aboriginal health outcomes. This paper reports on CSPs' views about the factors impairing communication and offers practical strategies for promoting effective communication with Aboriginal patients in Western Australia (WA). A qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 62 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal CSPs from across WA was conducted between March 2006-September 2007 and April-October 2011. CSPs were asked to share their experiences with Aboriginal patients and families experiencing cancer. Thematic analysis was carried out. Our analysis was primarily underpinned by the socio-ecological model, but concepts of Whiteness and privilege, and cultural security also guided our analysis. CSPs' lack of knowledge about the needs of Aboriginal people with cancer and Aboriginal patients' limited understanding of the Western medical system were identified as the two major impediments to communication. For effective patient-provider communication, attention is needed to language, communication style, knowledge and use of medical terminology and cross-cultural differences in the concept of time. Aboriginal marginalization within mainstream society and Aboriginal people's distrust of the health system were also key issues impacting on communication. Potential solutions to effective Aboriginal patient-provider communication included recruiting more Aboriginal staff, providing appropriate cultural training for CSPs

A Study on Librarian Service Providers' Awareness and Perceptions of Library Services for the Disabled

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Younghee Noh

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to improve library promotional marketing for the disabled by identifying requirements of public library disability services. This study aimed to investigate librarian service providers' awareness of library programs for the disabled in order to prepare a systematic plan for promoting such library services. Research methods used are a literature analysis and survey. First, the ratio of respondents with experience promoting activities and services for the disabled was less than 50%. Second, regarding methods for promoting library disability services, the respondents used library homepages, press releases, library user guides, library newsletters, and library pamphlets in that order. Third, when asked what kind of PR media the library disability service providers had experience with and how often they use it, library boards and banners were the most common response. Fourth, suggested improvements to the current design and content of PR materials included: clearer word choice (or greater understandability, more detailed descriptions, simpler layouts, and more interesting or eye-catching content in that order. Fifth, the library disability services which are in the most need of public relations were guide information for library disability services, Library and Information Service (DOI services and search services, using alternative materials and the library collection, and aiding the information search. Overall, when evaluating the promotion of disability services in Korea, the library's public relations for disabled services needs to improve because currently neither librarians nor the disabled community they are targeting has frequent or quality experience with it. Thus, the policy department for the library disability services must develop a variety of promotional strategies adjusted for each type of the disability and distribute PR materials to service providers individually, making sure to utilize effective PR

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

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Regina Raboin

2012-01-01

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

Opportunities for Pharmacists and Student Pharmacists to Provide Clinical Preventive Services

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Natalie A. DiPietro Mager

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmacists and student pharmacists can play an important role in providing clinical preventive services as specified by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF. The USPSTF guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services for the general population. The purpose of this paper is to provide information to pharmacists and student pharmacists developing and implementing preventive health care services. Examples of successful pharmacy-based programs are also provided. Pharmacists and student pharmacists can provide preventive health care interventions by conducting screenings, providing education, and making referrals. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received, employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties   Type: Idea Paper

25 CFR 171.305 - Will BIA provide leaching service to me?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Will BIA provide leaching service to me? 171.305 Section... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Water Use § 171.305 Will BIA provide leaching service to me? (a) We may provide you leaching service if: (1) You submit a written plan that documents how soil salinity limits your...

Commercial Building Loads Providing Ancillary Services in PJM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDonald, Jason; Kiliccote, Sila; Boch, Jim; Chen, Jonathan; Nawy, Robert

2014-06-27

The adoption of low carbon energy technologies such as variable renewable energy and electric vehicles, coupled with the efficacy of energy efficiency to reduce traditional base load has increased the uncertainty inherent in the net load shape. Handling this variability with slower, traditional resources leads to inefficient system dispatch, and in some cases may compromise reliability. Grid operators are looking to future energy technologies, such as automated demand response (DR), to provide capacity-based reliability services as the need for these services increase. While DR resources are expected to have the flexibility characteristics operators are looking for, demonstrations are necessary to build confidence in their capabilities. Additionally, building owners are uncertain of the monetary value and operational burden of providing these services. To address this, the present study demonstrates the ability of demand response resources providing two ancillary services in the PJM territory, synchronous reserve and regulation, using an OpenADR 2.0b signaling architecture. The loads under control include HVAC and lighting at a big box retail store and variable frequency fan loads. The study examines performance characteristics of the resource: the speed of response, communications latencies in the architecture, and accuracy of response. It also examines the frequency and duration of events and the value in the marketplace which can be used to examine if the opportunity is sufficient to entice building owners to participate.

The financial value of services provided by a rural community health fair.

Science.gov (United States)

Dulin, Mary Katherine; Olive, Kenneth E; Florence, Joseph A; Sliger, Carolyn

2006-11-01

There has been little discussion in the literature regarding the financial value of the services provided to the participants in health fairs. This article examines the financial value of preventive services provided through a community health fair in an economically depressed area of southwest Virginia. Current Procedural Terminology codes were assigned to the services provided in order to estimate costs participants might incur for such services. An average 50-year-old man would have paid up to $320 to obtain commonly recommended preventive services available free at the fair. An average 50-year-old woman would have paid up to $495. Overall, over $58,000 in services were provided through the health fair. This community health fair provided preventive services that many participants otherwise might have found to be cost-prohibitive.

Techno-Economic Analysis of BEV Service Providers Offering Battery Swapping Services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neubauer, J. S.; Pesaran, A.

2013-01-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but high upfront costs, battery-limited vehicle range, and concern over high battery replacement costs may discourage potential buyers. A subscription model in which a service provider owns the battery and supplies access to battery swapping infrastructure could reduce upfront and replacement costs for batteries with a predictable monthly fee, while expanding BEV range. Assessing the costs and benefits of such a proposal are complicated by many factors, including customer drive patterns, the amount of required infrastructure, battery life, etc. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has applied its Battery Ownership Model to compare the economics and utility of BEV battery swapping service plan options to more traditional direct ownership options. Our evaluation process followed four steps: (1) identifying drive patterns best suited to battery swapping service plans, (2) modeling service usage statistics for the selected drive patterns, (3) calculating the cost-of-service plan options, and (4) evaluating the economics of individual drivers under realistically priced service plans. A service plan option can be more cost-effective than direct ownership for drivers who wish to operate a BEV as their primary vehicle where alternative options for travel beyond the single-charge range are expensive, and a full-coverage-yet-cost-effective regional infrastructure network can be deployed. However, when assumed cost of gasoline, tax structure, and absence of purchase incentives are factored in, our calculations show the service plan BEV is rarely more cost-effective than direct ownership of a conventional vehicle.

Maternity Care Services Provided by Family Physicians in Rural Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Richard A

The purpose of this study was to describe how many rural family physicians (FPs) and other types of providers currently provide maternity care services, and the requirements to obtain privileges. Chief executive officers of rural hospitals were purposively sampled in 15 geographically diverse states with significant rural areas in 2013 to 2014. Questions were asked about the provision of maternity care services, the physicians who perform them, and qualifications required to obtain maternity care privileges. Analysis used descriptive statistics, with comparisons between the states, community rurality, and hospital size. The overall response rate was 51.2% (437/854). Among all identified hospitals, 44.9% provided maternity care services, which varied considerably by state (range, 17-83%; P maternity care, a mean of 271 babies were delivered per year, 27% by cesarean delivery. A mean of 7.0 FPs had privileges in these hospitals, of which 2.8 provided maternity care and 1.8 performed cesarean deliveries. The percentage of FPs who provide maternity care (mean, 48%; range, 10-69%; P maternity care who are FPs (mean, 63%; range, 10-88%; P maternity care services in US rural hospitals, including cesarean deliveries. Some family medicine residencies should continue to train their residents to provide these services to keep replenishing this valuable workforce. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Preliminary construction of a service provider--informed domestic violence research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Christine E; Welch, Metoka L

2010-12-01

This article presents the results of a statewide survey of domestic violence (DV) service providers that focused on the needs, background characteristics, and opinions of service providers related to research. The survey included an examination of service providers' motivation for working in the field, research background and training, and perceptions of research as well as the topics they believe are important for researchers to study, the resources they consult to learn about DV, and their suggestions to help researchers learn more about the nature of their work. The results are integrated into a preliminary agenda for future DV research that accounts for the needs and insight of service providers.

Framing the future: sme logistics service providers and scenario planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stef Weijers; Reinder Pieters; Allan Woodburn; Hans-Heinrich Glöckner

2013-01-01

In recent years, the transport industry has encountered numerous challenges. It experienced strong growth, but also many uncertainties. In many cases, logistics service providers were forced to change their strategy. So, the question for logistics service providers arises “how to deal best with

More than a device: today's medical technology companies provide value through service.

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Fred

2003-01-01

When physicians implant cardiac rhythm management devices, they establish a long-term relationship with those devices and with the manufacturers of those devices. The therapeutic value that each device will provide to its patient is enhanced throughout the life of the device by the services that the manufacturer provides. Services are provided prior to, during and long after implantation. Services include physician and allied health professional training, quality assurance programs, therapy outreach initiatives, on site technical support during device implantation and follow-up, technical service expertise and customer service support. The costs of these services are substantial. When assessed on a per device basis, the service costs may actually exceed the costs of manufacture. Further, the costs of these services are rising. Over the past five years, the number of implanted cardiac rhythm management devices has doubled. Industry field forces have tripled in size. Clearly, industry is dedicated to providing service as a critical element in achieving excellent patient outcomes.

The Net Neutrality Debate: Analysis of economic implications of net neutrality on internet service providers, content providers and internet users

OpenAIRE

Møinichen, Jørgen

2014-01-01

This thesis studies the economic implications of a transition from a neutral to a non-neutral network. A mathematical model with an end to end ecosystem is developed, which includes a backbone internet service provider that provides connectivity for the content providers. The model also includes internet users that pay an access internet service provider for connectivity to interact with the content providers, advertisers that pay the content providers, and access internet service providers t...

Factors influencing business of mobile telecommunication service providers in Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ha Thanh Hai

2018-05-01

Full Text Available According to the Ministry of Information and Communications in Vietnam, as of November 2015, the number of mobile subscribers is over 120 million ones, accounting for over 86% of the total number of telephone subscribers. With a total population of over 92 million Vietnam citizens, a stable national economy and a large populations of young consumers in the country, mobile communication industries still have a huge potentials for future development. Telecommunication service providers in Vietnam are facing fierce competition. Subscribers are expecting OTT (Over the Top applications, good quality service and handset subsidy. This study investigated whether legal frameworks, OTT applications, quality of service and handset subsidy are important components of mobile telecommunication service in Vietnam. This study used quantitative method to distribute surveys to mobile subscribers. Findings found that all four factors significantly influence mobile business in Vietnam. Thus, telecommunication service providers in Vietnam must continuously innovate to enhance operational competitiveness, improve business efficiency, expand business scale, and improve its position in the market in order to ensure sustainable development. Moreover, Vietnamese government needs to develop a legal framework to help mobile telecommunication service providers enhance the common interests and benefits of the entire society.

Evaluation of poison information services provided by a new poison information center.

Science.gov (United States)

Churi, Shobha; Abraham, Lovin; Ramesh, M; Narahari, M G

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the nature and quality of services provided by poison information center established at a tertiary-care teaching hospital, Mysore. This was a prospective observational study. The poison information center was officially established in September 2010 and began its functioning thereafter. The center is equipped with required resources and facility (e.g., text books, Poisindex, Drugdex, toll free telephone service, internet and online services) to provide poison information services. The poison information services provided by the center were recorded in documentation forms. The documentation form consists of numerous sections to collect information on: (a) Type of population (children, adult, elderly or pregnant) (b) poisoning agents (c) route of exposure (d) type of poisoning (intentional, accidental or environmental) (e) demographic details of patient (age, gender and bodyweight) (f) enquirer details (background, place of call and mode of request) (g) category and purpose of query and (h) details of provided service (information provided, mode of provision, time taken to provide information and references consulted). The nature and quality of poison information services provided was assessed using a quality assessment checklist developed in accordance with DSE/World Health Organization guidelines. Chi-Square test (χ(2)). A total of 419 queries were received by the center. A majority (n = 333; 79.5%) of the queries were asked by the doctors to provide optimal care (n = 400; 95.5%). Most of the queries were received during ward rounds (n = 201; 48.0%), followed by direct access (n = 147; 35.1%). The poison information services were predominantly provided through verbal communication (n = 352; 84.0%). Upon receipt of queries, the required service was provided immediately (n = 103; 24.6%) or within 10-20 min (n = 296; 70.6%). The queries were mainly related to intentional poisoning (n = 258; 64.5%), followed by accidental poisoning

Cloud Service Provider Methods for Managing Insider Threats: Analysis Phase 1

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-145 (NIST SP 800-145) defines three types of cloud services : Software as a Service ( SaaS ...among these three models. NIST SP 800-145 describes the three service models as follows: SaaS —The capability provided to the consumer is to use the...Cloud Service Provider Methods for Managing Insider Threats: Analysis Phase I Greg Porter November 2013 TECHNICAL NOTE CMU/SEI-2013-TN-020

Operational Remote Sensing Services in North Eastern Region of India for Natural Resources Management, Early Warning for Disaster Risk Reduction and Dissemination of Information and Services

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, P. L. N.; Sarma, K. K.; Barman, D.; Handique, B. K.; Chutia, D.; Kundu, S. S.; Das, R. Kr.; Chakraborty, K.; Das, R.; Goswami, J.; Das, P.; Devi, H. S.; Nongkynrih, J. M.; Bhusan, K.; Singh, M. S.; Singh, P. S.; Saikhom, V.; Goswami, C.; Pebam, R.; Borgohain, A.; Gogoi, R. B.; Singh, N. R.; Bharali, A.; Sarma, D.; Lyngdoh, R. B.; Mandal, P. P.; Chabukdhara, M.

2016-06-01

North Eastern Region (NER) of India comprising of eight states considered to be most unique and one of the most challenging regions to govern due to its unique physiographic condition, rich biodiversity, disaster prone and diverse socio-economic characteristics. Operational Remote Sensing services increased manifolds in the region with the establishment of North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in the year 2000. Since inception, NESAC has been providing remote sensing services in generating inventory, planning and developmental activities, and management of natural resources, disasters and dissemination of information and services through geo-web services for NER. The operational remote sensing services provided by NESAC can be broadly divided into three categories viz. natural resource planning and developmental services, disaster risk reduction and early warning services and information dissemination through geo-portal services. As a apart of natural resources planning and developmental services NESAC supports the state forest departments in preparing the forest working plans by providing geospatial inputs covering entire NER, identifying the suitable culturable wastelands for cultivation of silkworm food plants, mapping of natural resources such as land use/land cover, wastelands, land degradation etc. on temporal basis. In the area of disaster risk reduction, NESAC has initiated operational services for early warning and post disaster assessment inputs for flood early warning system (FLEWS) using satellite remote sensing, numerical weather prediction, hydrological modeling etc.; forest fire alert system with actionable attribute information; Japanese Encephalitis Early Warning System (JEWS) based on mosquito vector abundance, pig population and historical disease intensity and agriculture drought monitoring for the region. The large volumes of geo-spatial databases generated as part of operational services are made available to the administrators and

Quality of Services and Quality of Life from Service Providers' Perspectives: Analysis with Focus Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Jenaro, C.; Vega, V.; Flores, N.; Cruz, M.

2013-01-01

Background: Concepts such as support, quality of life and quality of services are customary in services for people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of the different ways of conceiving, prioritising and implementing these concepts by service providers can help to drive changes to achieve better personal outcomes for this…

System and Method for Providing a Climate Data Persistence Service

Science.gov (United States)

Schnase, John L. (Inventor); Ripley, III, William David (Inventor); Duffy, Daniel Q. (Inventor); Thompson, John H. (Inventor); Strong, Savannah L. (Inventor); McInerney, Mark (Inventor); Sinno, Scott (Inventor); Tamkin, Glenn S. (Inventor); Nadeau, Denis (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A system, method and computer-readable storage devices for providing a climate data persistence service. A system configured to provide the service can include a climate data server that performs data and metadata storage and management functions for climate data objects, a compute-storage platform that provides the resources needed to support a climate data server, provisioning software that allows climate data server instances to be deployed as virtual climate data servers in a cloud computing environment, and a service interface, wherein persistence service capabilities are invoked by software applications running on a client device. The climate data objects can be in various formats, such as International Organization for Standards (ISO) Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model Submission Information Packages, Archive Information Packages, and Dissemination Information Packages. The climate data server can enable scalable, federated storage, management, discovery, and access, and can be tailored for particular use cases.

Identifying barriers and improving communication between cancer service providers and Aboriginal patients and their families: the perspective of service providers

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Aboriginal Australians experience poorer outcomes from cancer compared to the non-Aboriginal population. Some progress has been made in understanding Aboriginal Australians’ perspectives about cancer and their experiences with cancer services. However, little is known of cancer service providers’ (CSPs) thoughts and perceptions regarding Aboriginal patients and their experiences providing optimal cancer care to Aboriginal people. Communication between Aboriginal patients and non-Aboriginal health service providers has been identified as an impediment to good Aboriginal health outcomes. This paper reports on CSPs’ views about the factors impairing communication and offers practical strategies for promoting effective communication with Aboriginal patients in Western Australia (WA). Methods A qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 62 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal CSPs from across WA was conducted between March 2006 - September 2007 and April-October 2011. CSPs were asked to share their experiences with Aboriginal patients and families experiencing cancer. Thematic analysis was carried out. Our analysis was primarily underpinned by the socio-ecological model, but concepts of Whiteness and privilege, and cultural security also guided our analysis. Results CSPs’ lack of knowledge about the needs of Aboriginal people with cancer and Aboriginal patients’ limited understanding of the Western medical system were identified as the two major impediments to communication. For effective patient–provider communication, attention is needed to language, communication style, knowledge and use of medical terminology and cross-cultural differences in the concept of time. Aboriginal marginalization within mainstream society and Aboriginal people’s distrust of the health system were also key issues impacting on communication. Potential solutions to effective Aboriginal patient-provider communication included recruiting more Aboriginal staff

Fourth-year dental students' perceived barriers to providing tobacco intervention services.

Science.gov (United States)

Pendharkar, Bhagyashree; Levy, Steven M; McQuistan, Michelle R; Qian, Fang; Squier, Christopher A; Slach, Nancy A; Aquilino, Mary L

2010-10-01

In order to facilitate effective tobacco cessation services within dental school clinics, it is necessary to understand the perceived barriers encountered by dental students while providing these services. The aim of this study was to identify which factors fourth-year dental students perceive to be associated with barriers to providing tobacco intervention services. A written survey was developed and completed by incoming fourth-year dental students (a convenience sample of seventy students) at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 2008. The survey assessed the perceived barriers to providing tobacco intervention services and related factors. Descriptive, bivariate, and linear regression analyses were conducted. The response rate was 97 percent. The most frequently reported barriers were patients' resistance to tobacco intervention services (96 percent), inadequate time available for tobacco intervention services (96 percent), and forgetting to give tobacco intervention advice (91 percent). The following variables were significantly (p<0.05) related to greater perceived barriers in providing tobacco intervention services: lower "adequacy of tobacco intervention curriculum coverage of specific topics covered over the previous three years" and greater "perceived importance of incorporating objective structured clinical examination teaching method for learning tobacco intervention." Students probably could benefit from additional didactic training, but most important may be enhanced clinical experiences and faculty reinforcement to facilitate effective practical student learning and adaptation for future delivery of intervention services in private practice settings.

Transforming Health Care Service Delivery and Provider Selection

OpenAIRE

Reiner, Bruce I.

2011-01-01

Commoditization pressures in medicine have risked transforming service provider selection from “survival of the fittest” to “survival of the cheapest.” Quality- and safety-oriented mandates by the Institute of Medicine have led to the creation of a number of data-driven quality-centric initiatives including Pay for Performance and Evidence-Based Medicine. A synergistic approach to creating quantitative accountability in medical service delivery is through the creation of consumer-oriented per...

Mapping ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats in the European North Atlantic Ocean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibon eGalparsoro

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Mapping and assessing the ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats are a highly valuable source of information for understanding their current and potential benefits to society. The main objective of this investigation is to assess and map the ecosystem services provided by benthic habitats of the European North Atlantic Ocean, in the context of Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES programme, the European Biodiversity Strategy and the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. In total, 62 habitats have been analysed in relation to 12 ecosystem services over 1.7 million km2. Results indicated that more than 90% of the mapped area provides biodiversity maintenance and food provision services; meanwhile grounds providing reproduction and nursery services are limited to half of the mapped area. Benthic habitats generally provide more services closer to shore than offshore and in shallower waters. This gradient is likely to be explained by difficult access (i.e. distance and depth and lack of scientific knowledge for most of the services provided by distant benthic habitats. This research has provided a first assessment of the benthic ecosystem services at Atlantic European scale, with the provision of ecosystem services maps and their general spatial distribution patterns. Related to the objectives of this research, the conclusions are: (i benthic habitats provide a diverse set of ecosystem services, being the food provision and biodiversity maintenance services the ones that are more extensively represented. In addition, other regulating and cultural services are provided in a more limited area; and (ii the ecosystem services assessment categories are significantly related to the distance to the coast and with depth (higher near the coast and in shallow waters.

Mental Health Service Providers: College Student Perceptions of Helper Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Ashley M.; Wantz, Richard A.; Firmin, Michael W; Poindexter, Dawn C.; Pujara, Amita L.

2014-01-01

Undergraduate perceptions of the overall effectiveness of six types of mental health service providers (MHSPs) were obtained with a survey. Although many mental health services are available to consumers in the United States, research has indicated that these services are underutilized. Perceptions have been linked to therapeutic outcomes and may…

Efficient Job Provisioning for a Cloud Service Provider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Dharmvir

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cloud Computing is a very fast emerging technology as every enterprise is moving fast towards this system. Cloud Computing is known as a provider of dynamic services. It optimizes a very large, scalable and virtualized resource. So lots of industries have joined this bandwagon nowadays. One of the major research issues is to maintain good Quality of Service (QoS of a Cloud Service Provider (CSP. The QoS encompasses different parameters, like, smart job allocation strategy, efficient load balancing, response time optimization, reduction in wastage of bandwidth, accountability of the overall system, etc. The efficient allocation strategy of the independent computational jobs among different Virtual Machines (VM in a Data center (DC is a distinguishable challenge in the Cloud Computing domain and finding out an optimal job allocation strategy guided by a good scheduling heuristic for such an environment is a mape-k loop problem. So different heuristic approaches may be used for better result and in this result we paper we implement worst fit in mape-k and evaluated the results.

Personal Perspectives on Providing Services to Foster Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Kenyon L.

2018-01-01

Utilizing an academic capital framework and student perspectives, this chapter provides insight into the ways that programs and services can help students develop the skills needed to succeed in college.

Experiences of patients and service providers with out-patient rehabilitation services in a rehabilitation centre in the Western Cape Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Kumurenzi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Rehabilitation is important for persons with disabilities as it contributes to their sense of autonomy, self-worth and social participation, and improves their quality of life. Improving the quality of rehabilitation services requires the dialogue of patients’ perceptions with those of service providers, in order to recommend informed reform. Objective: The objective was to explore the experiences of persons with physical disabilities and service providers, regarding the multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services provided at a community-based out-patient rehabilitation centre. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory study design was used to collect the data. A focus group was conducted with conveniently selected persons with physical disabilities. Three in-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected key informants. All ethical considerations were adhered to during the implementation of the study. Results: Patients and service providers had different experiences regarding accessibility to rehabilitation services, and similar experiences with patient education and intensity of rehabilitation. Although the patients experienced that the service providers had sufficient knowledge and skills to manage them, services providers expressed that they lacked certain skills. Conclusions: The experiences expressed highlighted the need to improve rehabilitation services in terms of increasing the capacity of service providers and providing transport services for persons with disabilities.

Web-Based Self-Service Systems for Managed IT Support: Service Provider Perspectives of Stakeholder-Based Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Vanessa A.; Lichtenstein, Sharman; Smith, Ross

This chapter explores the provision of after-sales information technology (IT) support services using Web-based self-service systems (WSSs) in a business-to-business (B2B) context. A recent study conducted at six large multi-national IT support organisations revealed a number of critical success factors (CSFs) and stakeholder-based issues. To better identify and understand these important enablers and barriers, we explain how WSSs should be considered within a complex network of service providers, business partners and customer firms. The CSFs and stakeholder-based issues are discussed. The chapter highlights that for more successful service provision using WSSs, IT service providers should collaborate more effectively with enterprise customers and business partners and should better integrate their WSSs.

Federated query services provided by the Seamless SAR Archive project

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, S.; Bryson, G.; Buechler, B.; Meertens, C. M.; Crosby, C. J.; Fielding, E. J.; Nicoll, J.; Youn, C.; Baru, C.

2013-12-01

The NASA Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth System Science (ACCESS) seamless synthetic aperture radar (SAR) archive (SSARA) project is a 2-year collaboration between UNAVCO, the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and OpenTopography at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) to design and implement a seamless distributed access system for SAR data and derived data products (i.e. interferograms). A major milestone for the first year of the SSARA project was a unified application programming interface (API) for SAR data search and results at ASF and UNAVCO (WInSAR and EarthScope data archives) through the use of simple web services. A federated query service was developed using the unified APIs, providing users a single search interface for both archives (http://www.unavco.org/ws/brokered/ssara/sar/search). A command line client that utilizes this new service is provided as an open source utility for the community on GitHub (https://github.com/bakerunavco/SSARA). Further API development and enhancements added more InSAR specific keywords and quality control parameters (Doppler centroid, faraday rotation, InSAR stack size, and perpendicular baselines). To facilitate InSAR processing, the federated query service incorporated URLs for DEM (from OpenTopography) and tropospheric corrections (from the JPL OSCAR service) in addition to the URLs for SAR data. This federated query service will provide relevant QC metadata for selecting pairs of SAR data for InSAR processing and all the URLs necessary for interferogram generation. Interest from the international community has prompted an effort to incorporate other SAR data archives (the ESA Virtual Archive 4 and the DLR TerraSAR-X_SSC Geohazard Supersites and Natural Laboratories collections) into the federated query service which provide data for researchers outside the US and North America.

Consumer-providers of care for adult clients of statutory mental health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitt, Veronica; Lowe, Dianne; Hill, Sophie; Prictor, Megan; Hetrick, Sarah E; Ryan, Rebecca; Berends, Lynda

2013-03-28

In mental health services, the past several decades has seen a slow but steady trend towards employment of past or present consumers of the service to work alongside mental health professionals in providing services. However the effects of this employment on clients (service recipients) and services has remained unclear.We conducted a systematic review of randomised trials assessing the effects of employing consumers of mental health services as providers of statutory mental health services to clients. In this review this role is called 'consumer-provider' and the term 'statutory mental health services' refers to public services, those required by statute or law, or public services involving statutory duties. The consumer-provider's role can encompass peer support, coaching, advocacy, case management or outreach, crisis worker or assertive community treatment worker, or providing social support programmes. To assess the effects of employing current or past adult consumers of mental health services as providers of statutory mental health services. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 3), MEDLINE (OvidSP) (1950 to March 2012), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1988 to March 2012), PsycINFO (OvidSP) (1806 to March 2012), CINAHL (EBSCOhost) (1981 to March 2009), Current Contents (OvidSP) (1993 to March 2012), and reference lists of relevant articles. Randomised controlled trials of current or past consumers of mental health services employed as providers ('consumer-providers') in statutory mental health services, comparing either: 1) consumers versus professionals employed to do the same role within a mental health service, or 2) mental health services with and without consumer-providers as an adjunct to the service. Two review authors independently selected studies and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We conducted analyses using a random-effects model, pooling studies that measured

Telecommunications: Issues in Providing Cable and Satellite Television Services

Science.gov (United States)

2002-10-01

This report provides information on (1) whether the availability of cable modem Internet access service appears to be affecting the competitiveness of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) companies in the provision of video services, (2) whether cable prices and DBS penetration rates appear to be affected in areas where the DBS companies offer local broadcast channels, and (3) whether the two individual DBS companies are technologically capable of expanding local broadcast channel services into all 210 television markets in the United States.

Quality evaluation in health care services based on customer-provider relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Eiriz, Vasco; Figueiredo, José António

2005-01-01

To develop a framework for evaluating the quality of Portuguese health care organisations based on the relationship between customers and providers, to define key variables related to the quality of health care services based on a review of the available literature, and to establish a conceptual framework in order to test the framework and variables empirically. Systematic review of the literature. Health care services quality should not be evaluated exclusively by customers. Given the complexity, ambiguity and heterogeneity of health care services, the authors develop a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers (patients, their relatives and citizens) and providers (managers, doctors, other technical staff and non-technical staff), and considering four quality items (customer service orientation, financial performance, logistical functionality and level of staff competence). This article identifies important changes in the Portuguese health care industry, such as the ownership of health care providers. At the same time, customers are changing their attitudes towards health care, becoming much more concerned and demanding of health services. These changes are forcing Portuguese private and public health care organisations to develop more marketing-oriented services. This article recognises the importance of quality evaluation of health care services as a means of increasing customer satisfaction and organisational efficiency, and develops a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers and providers.

Providing Music Notation Services over Internet

OpenAIRE

Solomon , Mike; Fober , Dominique; Orlarey , Yann; Letz , Stéphane

2014-01-01

International audience; The GUIDO project gathers a textual format for music representation, a rendering engine operating on this format, and a library providing a high level support for all the services related to the GUIDO format and it's graphic rendering. The project includes now an HTTP server that allows users to access the musical-score-related functions in the API of the GUIDOEngine library via uniform resource identifiers (URIs). This article resumes the core tenants of the REST arch...

Techno-Economic Analysis of BEV Service Providers Offering Battery Swapping Services: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neubauer, J.; Pesaran, A.

2013-03-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but high upfront costs, battery-limited vehicle range, and concern over high battery replacement costs may discourage potential buyers. A subscription model in which a service provider owns the battery and supplies access to battery swapping infrastructure could reduce upfront and replacement costs for batteries with a predictable monthly fee, while expanding BEV range. Assessing the costs and benefits of such a proposal are complicated by many factors, including customer drive patterns, the amount of required infrastructure, battery life, etc. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has applied its Battery Ownership Model to compare the economics and utility of BEV battery swapping service plan options to more traditional direct ownership options. Our evaluation process followed four steps: (1) identifying drive patterns best suited to battery swapping service plans, (2) modeling service usage statistics for the selected drive patterns, (3) calculating the cost-of-service plan options, and (4) evaluating the economics of individual drivers under realistically priced service plans. A service plan option can be more cost-effective than direct ownership for drivers who wish to operate a BEV as their primary vehicle where alternative options for travel beyond the single-charge range are expensive, and a full-coverage-yet-cost-effective regional infrastructure network can be deployed. However, when assumed cost of gasoline, tax structure, and absence of purchase incentives are factored in, our calculations show the service plan BEV is rarely more cost-effective than direct ownership of a conventional vehicle.

A nationwide pharmacy chain responds to the opioid epidemic.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafer, Emily; Bergeron, Nyahne; Smith-Ray, Renae; Robson, Chester; O'Koren, Rachel

To describe the 3-pronged approach taken by a large national retail pharmacy chain to address the opioid epidemic and associated overdoses. Large national retail pharmacy chain with more than 8200 stores in 50 states. Eight million customer interactions daily through in-store and digital settings. This is a company with a long history of responding to public health crises. Initiated 3 programs to respond to the opioid crisis: 1) provide safe medication disposal kiosks; 2) expand national access to naloxone; and 3) provide education on the risk and avoidance of opioid overdose. Used the RE-AIM framework to evaluate and enhance the quality, speed, and public health impact of the interventions. Not applicable. Early results are safe medication disposal kiosks in more than 43 states, naloxone-dispensing program in 33 states, and patient and support system education using the Opioid Overdose Toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The availability of safe drug-disposal kiosks, naloxone dispensing at pharmacies, and patient education are key prevention initiatives to address the opioid epidemic and reduce the increasing national burden of opioid overdose. Early results are quantitatively and qualitatively promising. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Delivering Service Quality in Alcohol Treatment: A Qualitative Comparison of Public and Private Treatment Centres by Service Users and Service Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Resnick, Sheilagh M.; Griffiths, Mark D.

2012-01-01

In the UK, quality of care has now been placed at the centre of the National Health Service (NHS) modernisation programme. To date, there has been little research on the service quality delivery of alcohol treatment services from the perspective of both the service user and service provider. Therefore, this qualitative study explored the…

76 FR 42567 - Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-19

...] Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services AGENCY: Federal... international telecommunications traffic for which the burdens on U.S. international service providers outweigh... international reporting requirements for U.S. providers of international telecommunications services. In the...

The Marketing-Finance Interface Towards Financial Services: with Special Reference to New Services Provided by Futures Exchanges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pennings, J.M.E.; Wetzels, M.G.M.; Meulenberg, M.T.G.

1999-01-01

The financial services industry is one of the fastest growing service industries. The financial services industry includes financial derivatives markets such as options and futures markets. In order to ensure survival, firms providing financial services show a rapid product innovation. However, for

Potential For Plug-In Electric Vehicles To Provide Grid Support Services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dias, F. G.; Luo, Y.; Mohanpurkar, M.; Hovsapian, R.; Scoffield, D.

2017-04-01

Since the modern-day introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), scientists have proposed leveraging PEV battery packs as distributed energy resources for the electric grid. PEV charging can be controlled not only to provide energy for transportation but also to provide grid services and to facilitate the integration of renewable energy generation. With renewable generation increasing at an unprecedented rate, most of which is non-dispatchable and intermittent, the concept of using PEVs as controllable loads is appealing to electric utilities. This additional functionality could also provide value to PEV owners and drive PEV adoption. It has been widely proposed that PEVs can provide valuable grid services, such as load shifting to provide voltage regulation. The objective this work is to address the degree to which PEVs can provide grid services and mutually benefit the electric utilities, PEV owners, and auto manufacturers.

Use of GIS to identify optimal settings for cancer prevention and control in African American communities

Science.gov (United States)

Alcaraz, Kassandra I.; Kreuter, Matthew W.; Bryan, Rebecca P.

2009-01-01

Objective Rarely have Geographic Information Systems (GIS) been used to inform community-based outreach and intervention planning. This study sought to identify community settings most likely to reach individuals from geographically localized areas. Method An observational study conducted in an urban city in Missouri during 2003–2007 placed computerized breast cancer education kiosks in seven types of community settings: beauty salons, churches, health fairs, neighborhood health centers, Laundromats, public libraries and social service agencies. We used GIS to measure distance between kiosk users’ (n=7,297) home ZIP codes and the location where they used the kiosk. Mean distances were compared across settings. Results Mean distance between individuals’ home ZIP codes and the location where they used the kiosk varied significantly (pLaundromats (2.3 miles) and public libraries (2.8 miles) and greatest among kiosk users at health fairs (7.6 miles). Conclusion Some community settings are more likely than others to reach highly localized populations. A better understanding of how and where to reach specific populations can complement the progress already being made in identifying populations at increased disease risk. PMID:19422844

Motivation and reward systems in service provision: exploring motivators for people providing engineering services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreye, Melanie; Nandrup-Bus, Troels

2015-01-01

It is becoming a distinctive feature for manufacturing firms to compete strategically through service provision. In relation to reward systems the aim of this thesis is to investigate what motivates employees of servitized manufacturing firms when providing engineering services and why. Through...... quantitative and qualitative data collection with an international company within the European healthcare sector, the findings show that key motivating factors were to “delight” the customer and being able to take responsibility and accountability for ones work. Service employees were found to feel proud...

Agent-based self-service technology adoption model for air-travelers: Exploring best operational practices

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Keiichi; Kurahashi, Setsuya

2018-02-01

The continuous development of the service economy and an aging society with fewer children is expected to lead to a shortage of workers in the near future. In addition, the growth of the service economy would require service providers to meet various service requirements. In this regard, self-service technology (SST) is a promising alternative to securing labor in both developed and emerging countries. SST is expected to coordinate the controllable productive properties in order to optimize resources and minimize consumer stress. As services are characterized by simultaneity and inseparability, a smoother operation in cooperation with the consumer is required to provide a certain level of service. This study focuses on passenger handling in an airport departure lobby with the objective of optimizing multiple service resources comprising interpersonal service staff and self-service kiosks. Our aim is to elucidate the passenger decision- making mechanism of choosing either interpersonal service or self-service as the check-in option, and to apply it to analyze several scenarios to determine the best practice. The experimental space is studied and an agent-based model is proposed to analyze the operational efficiency via a simulation. We expand on a previous SST adoption model, which is enhanced by introducing the concept of individual traits. We focus on the decision-making of individuals who are neutral toward the service option, by tracking the actual activity of passengers and mapping their behavior into the model. A new method of validation that follows a different approach is proposed to ensure that this model approximates real-world situations. A scenario analysis is then carried out with the aim of exploring the best operational practice to minimize the stress experienced by the air travelers and to meet the business needs of the airline managers at the airport. We collected actual data from the Departure Control System of an airline to map the real-world data

Agent-Based Self-Service Technology Adoption Model for Air-Travelers: Exploring Best Operational Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keiichi Ueda

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The continuous development of the service economy and an aging society with fewer children is expected to lead to a shortage of workers in the near future. In addition, the growth of the service economy would require service providers to meet various service requirements. In this regard, self-service technology (SST is a promising alternative to securing labor in both developed and emerging countries. SST is expected to coordinate the controllable productive properties in order to optimize resources and minimize consumer stress. As services are characterized by simultaneity and inseparability, a smoother operation in cooperation with the consumer is required to provide a certain level of service. This study focuses on passenger handling in an airport departure lobby with the objective of optimizing multiple service resources comprising interpersonal service staff and self-service kiosks. Our aim is to elucidate the passenger decision-making mechanism of choosing either interpersonal service or self-service as the check-in option, and to apply it to analyze several scenarios to determine the best practice. The experimental space is studied and an agent-based model is proposed to analyze the operational efficiency via a simulation. We expand on a previous SST adoption model, which is enhanced by introducing the concept of individual traits. We focus on the decision-making of individuals who are neutral toward the service option, by tracking the actual activity of passengers and mapping their behavior into the model. A new method of validation that follows a different approach is proposed to ensure that this model approximates real-world situations. A scenario analysis is then carried out with the aim of exploring the best operational practice to minimize the stress experienced by the air travelers and to meet the business needs of the airline managers at the airport. We collected actual data from the Departure Control System of an airline to map

A changing landscape: mapping provider organisations for community nursing services in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Spilsbury, Karen; Pender, Sue

2015-01-01

To scope the provision of community nursing services in England after implementation of the Transforming Community Services Programme. Over the past decade, significant UK policy initiatives have shaped the structure, organisation and responsibilities of community nursing services. Understanding these organisational changes is important in the context of organisations seeking to deliver 'care closer to home'. A systematic mapping exercise to scope and categorise community nursing service organisation provider models. There are 102 provider organisations representing a range of organisational models. Two-thirds of these organisations have structurally integrated with another NHS Trust. Smaller numbers reorganised to form community trusts or community interest companies. Only a few services have been tendered to an accredited willing provider while a small number have yet to establish their new service model. Local discretion appears to have dominated the choice of organisational form. National policies have driven the reorganisation of community nursing services and we have been able to describe, for the first time, these 'transformed' structures and organisations. Providing detail of these 'new' models of service provision, and where these have been introduced, is new information for nurse managers, policy makers and organisational leaders, as well as researchers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

42 CFR 54a.8 - Right to services from an alternative provider.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT SERVICES § 54a.8 Right to services from an alternative provider. (a... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Right to services from an alternative provider. 54a... date of such objection, such program beneficiary shall have rights to notice, referral, and alternative...

Strategic information systems planning for health service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, D D

1992-01-01

There is significant opportunity for health service providers to gain competitive advantage through the innovative use of strategic information systems. This analysis presents some key strategic information systems issues that will enable managers to identify opportunities within their organizations.

Service-provider and utility task-leadership integration. Paper D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagshaw, S.; Van Tassell, D.

2011-01-01

As nuclear power utilities strive to stream-line their organizations, while improving outage and refurbishment project performance, the necessity for effective relationships and interaction between utility and service-providers becomes paramount. Successful integration of Service-Provider into the Utility's environment is achievable and has been demonstrated. Early and extensive engagement in front-end planning, single-point-of-continuity, and the use of integrated execution teams, are some of the critical elements for ensuring success. The paper discusses Task-Leadership Integration at the three levels of; utility executive level 'need-statement'; a 'why is this important' discussion; and as a 'thoughtful tutorial' on its features and practice. (author)

Neonicotinoid pesticide exposure impairs crop pollination services provided by bumblebees

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, Dara A.; Garratt, Michael P. D.; Wickens, Jennifer B.; Wickens, Victoria J.; Potts, Simon G.; Raine, Nigel E.

2015-12-01

Recent concern over global pollinator declines has led to considerable research on the effects of pesticides on bees. Although pesticides are typically not encountered at lethal levels in the field, there is growing evidence indicating that exposure to field-realistic levels can have sublethal effects on bees, affecting their foraging behaviour, homing ability and reproductive success. Bees are essential for the pollination of a wide variety of crops and the majority of wild flowering plants, but until now research on pesticide effects has been limited to direct effects on bees themselves and not on the pollination services they provide. Here we show the first evidence to our knowledge that pesticide exposure can reduce the pollination services bumblebees deliver to apples, a crop of global economic importance. Bumblebee colonies exposed to a neonicotinoid pesticide provided lower visitation rates to apple trees and collected pollen less often. Most importantly, these pesticide-exposed colonies produced apples containing fewer seeds, demonstrating a reduced delivery of pollination services. Our results also indicate that reduced pollination service delivery is not due to pesticide-induced changes in individual bee behaviour, but most likely due to effects at the colony level. These findings show that pesticide exposure can impair the ability of bees to provide pollination services, with important implications for both the sustained delivery of stable crop yields and the functioning of natural ecosystems.

Mental Health Service Delivery Systems and Perceived Qualifications of Mental Health Service Providers in School Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Decia Nicole

2009-01-01

Latest research on the mental health status of children indicates that schools are key providers of mental health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). The push for school mental health services has only increased as stakeholders have begun to recognize the significance of sound mental health as an essential part of…

Talking about Sexuality and Intimacy with Women Spousal Caregivers: Perspectives of Service Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brotman, Shari; Drummond, Jennifer; Silverman, Marjorie; Sussman, Tamara; Orzeck, Pam; Barylak, Lucy; Wallach, Isabelle; Billette, Veronique

2016-11-20

This article reports the findings of an exploratory study examining service provider perceptions and experiences of addressing sexuality and intimacy with women spousal caregivers. The caregiver-provider encounter is examined, and challenges faced by service providers in addressing sexuality are considered. Themes identified include ambivalence and discomfort, personal and institutional barriers, meanings attributed to sexuality and intimacy, and lack of opportunities to discuss experiences. Strategies to overcome silence and invisibility on the part of service providers in the health and social services system are considered. © 2016 National Association of Social Workers.

Serving some and serving all: how providers navigate the challenges of providing racially targeted health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Amy

2017-10-01

Racially targeted healthcare provides racial minorities with culturally and linguistically appropriate health services. This mandate, however, can conflict with the professional obligation of healthcare providers to serve patients based on their health needs. The dilemma between serving a particular population and serving all is heightened when the patients seeking care are racially diverse. This study examines how providers in a multi-racial context decide whom to include or exclude from health programs. This study draws on 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork at an Asian-specific HIV organization. Fieldwork included participant observation of HIV support groups, community outreach programs, and substance abuse recovery groups, as well as interviews with providers and clients. Providers managed the dilemma in different ways. While some programs in the organization focused on an Asian clientele, others de-emphasized race and served a predominantly Latino and African American clientele. Organizational structures shaped whether services were delivered according to racial categories. When funders examined client documents, providers prioritized finding Asian clients so that their documents reflected program goals to serve the Asian population. In contrast, when funders used qualitative methods, providers could construct an image of a program that targets Asians during evaluations while they included other racial minorities in their everyday practice. Program services were organized more broadly by health needs. Even within racially targeted programs, the meaning of race fluctuates and is contested. Patients' health needs cross cut racial boundaries, and in some circumstances, the boundaries of inclusion can expand beyond specific racial categories to include racial minorities and underserved populations more generally.

Third Angle of RSBY: Service Providers' Perspective to RSBY-operational Issues in Gujarat.

Science.gov (United States)

Trivedi, Mayur; Saxena, Deepak B

2013-04-01

Government of India in 2008, launched its flagship health insurance scheme for the poor. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) combines cutting edge technology with an unusual reliance on incentives to provide inpatient insurance coverage. The scheme allows for cashless hospitalization services at any of the empaneled hospitals. Stakeholders in RSBY include members of the community, Insurance Company and the service provider. The study manuscript is an attempt to get an insight to understand the bottle necks in faced by the service providers with an overall goal to understand issues in complete roll out of RSBY and its successful implementation across country. It was conducted to undertake the stakeholder analysis and understand the service providers' perspective to RSBY. The present study was conducted in the Patan district of Gujarat state. Qualitative tool mainly in-depth interview of service providers of RSBY in Patan district of Gujarat state was utilized for the data collection. Service providers opined an ineffective IEC around the utility of the RSBY service in the community. In spite of the claim that scheme relies heavily on technology to ensure paperless cashless services, on field, it was observed in the present study that the claim settlements are done through physical documents. The service providers had a perceived threat of being suspended from the list/de-empanelment of the provider by the insurance company. There is an urgent need for improved and effective IEC for the service and possibilities of an arrangement for to settle the case of grievances around suspensions ao that genuine hospitals can have fair deal as well. There definitely remains a greater and more serious role of government, which ranges from ownership to larger issue of governance.

Improving palliative care outcomes for Aboriginal Australians: service providers' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Shaouli; Bessarab, Dawn; van Schaik, Katherine D; Aoun, Samar M; Thompson, Sandra C

2013-07-23

Aboriginal Australians have a lower rate of utilisation of palliative care services than the general population. This study aimed to explore care providers' experiences and concerns in providing palliative care for Aboriginal people, and to identify opportunities for overcoming gaps in understanding between them and their Aboriginal patients and families. In-depth, qualitative interviews with urban, rural and remote palliative care providers were undertaken in inpatient and community settings in Western Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers with QSR NVivo 10 software used to help manage data. Data analysis was informed by multiple theoretical standpoints, including the social ecological model, critical cultural theories and the 'cultural security' framework. Thematic analysis was carried out that identified patterns within data. Fifteen palliative care providers were interviewed. Overall they reported lack of understanding of Aboriginal culture and being uncertain of the needs and priorities of Aboriginal people during end-of-life care. According to several participants, very few Aboriginal people had an understanding of palliative care. Managing issues such as anger, denial, the need for non-medical support due to socioeconomic disadvantage, and dealing with crises and conflicts over funeral arrangements were reported as some of the tensions between Aboriginal patients and families and the service providers. Early referral to palliative care is important in demonstrating and maintaining a caring therapeutic relationship. Paramount to meeting the needs for Aboriginal patients was access to appropriate information and logistical, psychological and emotional support. These were often seen as essential but additional to standard palliative care services. The broader context of Aboriginal history and historical distrust of mainstream services was seen to impinge on Aboriginal people's willingness and

Young People's Preferences for Family Planning Service Providers in Rural Malawi: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Michaels-Igbokwe

Full Text Available To quantify the impact of service provider characteristics on young people's choice of family planning (FP service provider in rural Malawi in order to identify strategies for increasing access and uptake of FP among youth.A discrete choice experiment was developed to assess the relative impact of service characteristics on preferences for FP service providers among young people (aged 15-24. Four alternative providers were included (government facility, private facility, outreach and community based distribution of FP and described by six attributes (the distance between participants' home and the service delivery point, frequency of service delivery, waiting time at the facility, service providers' attitude, availability of FP commodities and price. A random parameters logit model was used to estimate preferences for service providers and the likely uptake of services following the expansion of outreach and community based distribution (CBDA services. In the choice experiment young people were twice as likely to choose a friendly provider (government service odds ratio [OR] = 2.45, p<0.01; private service OR = 1.99, p<0.01; CBDA OR = 1.88, p<0.01 and more than two to three times more likely to choose a provider with an adequate supply of FP commodities (government service OR = 2.48, p<0.01; private service OR = 2.33, p<0.01; CBDA = 3.85, p<0.01. Uptake of community based services was greater than facility based services across a variety of simulated service scenarios indicating that such services may be an effective means of expanding access for youth in rural areas and an important tool for increasing service uptake among youth.Ensuring that services are acceptable to young people may require additional training for service providers in order to ensure that all providers are friendly and non-judgemental when dealing with younger clients and to ensure that supplies are consistently available.

CE: Original Research: Primary Care Providers and Screening for Military Service and PTSD.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohler, Kristin Michelle; Sankey-Deemer, Cydnee

2017-11-01

: Background: Most veterans have the option of receiving their health care from the Veterans Health Administration or through primary care providers in the private sector. However, there is some evidence that fewer than half of community-based, private sector primary care and mental health providers screen their patients for military service, particularly in rural areas, leaving these veterans less likely to be screened for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other military service-related conditions. To determine whether primary care providers in the private sector are screening patients for military service and subsequent PTSD. We designed and piloted a survey to determine whether primary care providers in a rural Pennsylvania region routinely screen for military service and service-related PTSD. We distributed the survey to a convenience sample of more than 250 primary care providers in central and western Pennsylvania through the U.S. Postal Service, via Facebook, and via work e-mails for those who worked in a local health system. Among 50 eligible respondents, only four (8%) said they screen all their patients for military service, and 20 (40%) reported screening none; only two respondents (4%) screened all their patients who have served in the military for PTSD, and 30 (60%) screened none. Veterans who rely on private sector providers may not receive evidence-based care for military service-related health problems, including PTSD. To improve care for these patients, providers in the private sector should be educated on why all patients should be screened for military service, how to conduct such screening properly, and veterans' general health concerns.

Collaborative service innovation : A study on the collaboration between designers and service providers in dervice disigne projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berit Kari Godfroij

2011-01-01

Designers move more and more in the direction of Service Design, in which frequently a participatory or co-design approach is used to involve service providers in the design process. The designerprovider relationship in such Service Design processes differs in four aspects from

Service-provider and utility task-leadership integration. Paper D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagshaw, S.; Van Tassell, D. [AP Services, Inc., Freeport, PA (United States)

2011-07-01

As nuclear power utilities strive to stream-line their organizations, while improving outage and refurbishment project performance, the necessity for effective relationships and interaction between utility and service-providers becomes paramount. Successful integration of Service-Provider into the Utility's environment is achievable and has been demonstrated. Early and extensive engagement in front-end planning, single-point-of-continuity, and the use of integrated execution teams, are some of the critical elements for ensuring success. The paper discusses Task-Leadership Integration at the three levels of; utility executive level 'need-statement'; a 'why is this important' discussion; and as a 'thoughtful tutorial' on its features and practice. (author)

Consumer health information technology in an adult public health primary care clinic: a heart health education feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleason-Comstock, Julie A; Streater, Alicia; Jen, Kai-Lin Catherine; Artinian, Nancy T; Timmins, Jessica; Baker, Suzanne; Joshua, Bosede; Paranjpe, Aniruddha

2013-12-01

To explore the feasibility and short term outcomes of using an interactive kiosk integrated into office flow to deliver health information in a primary care clinic. Fifty-one adults with BMI ≥25 were randomly assigned to use a kiosk with attached devices to receive a six-week healthy eating/weight monitoring (intervention) or general health/BP monitoring (attention-control) program. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 8 weeks (post) and three month follow-up. Participants completed an average of 2.73 weekly sessions, with transportation and time given as limiting factors. They found the kiosk easy to use (97%), liked the touchscreen (94%), and would use the kiosk again (81%). Although there were no differences between groups, the 27 completing all assessments showed reduced weight (p=.02), and decreased systolic (p=.01) and diastolic BP (pinformation and self-monitoring. Multi-session educational content can provide beneficial short-term outcomes in overweight adults. A kiosk with attached peripherals in a clinic setting is a viable adjunct to provider education, particularly in medically underserved areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

OPERATIONAL REMOTE SENSING SERVICES IN NORTH EASTERN REGION OF INDIA FOR NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, EARLY WARNING FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. L. N. Raju

2016-06-01

Full Text Available North Eastern Region (NER of India comprising of eight states considered to be most unique and one of the most challenging regions to govern due to its unique physiographic condition, rich biodiversity, disaster prone and diverse socio-economic characteristics. Operational Remote Sensing services increased manifolds in the region with the establishment of North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC in the year 2000. Since inception, NESAC has been providing remote sensing services in generating inventory, planning and developmental activities, and management of natural resources, disasters and dissemination of information and services through geo-web services for NER. The operational remote sensing services provided by NESAC can be broadly divided into three categories viz. natural resource planning and developmental services, disaster risk reduction and early warning services and information dissemination through geo-portal services. As a apart of natural resources planning and developmental services NESAC supports the state forest departments in preparing the forest working plans by providing geospatial inputs covering entire NER, identifying the suitable culturable wastelands for cultivation of silkworm food plants, mapping of natural resources such as land use/land cover, wastelands, land degradation etc. on temporal basis. In the area of disaster risk reduction, NESAC has initiated operational services for early warning and post disaster assessment inputs for flood early warning system (FLEWS using satellite remote sensing, numerical weather prediction, hydrological modeling etc.; forest fire alert system with actionable attribute information; Japanese Encephalitis Early Warning System (JEWS based on mosquito vector abundance, pig population and historical disease intensity and agriculture drought monitoring for the region. The large volumes of geo-spatial databases generated as part of operational services are made available to the

The Third National Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Showcase Conference: Advancing Telehealth Partnerships.

Science.gov (United States)

Alverson, Dale C; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Erps, Kristine A; Rowe, Nancy S; Weinstein, Ronald S

2018-05-31

As telemedicine and telehealth services are experiencing increasing rates of adoption, industry leaders and healthcare service providers are becoming increasingly focused on human resource issues encountered in the delivery of a broad range of telehealth services. To create a forum for the discussion of many interrelated elements of telehealth service industry, a national conference entitled "Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Showcase" (SPS) Conference was established in 2014, and repeated in 2016 and 2017, in Arizona. These SPS Conferences include thought leaders, telehealth service providers, government administrators, and academicians from leading programs addressing service provider workforce issues. This report summarizes the content of SPS 2017 conference, held in Phoenix, AZ, October 2-3, 2017. The topics covered at SPS 2017 include using telehealth services as a strategic asset; development of appropriate effective partnerships; direct-to-consumer initiatives; important reimbursement, legislative, and regulatory issues (i.e., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS] approaches, financial models, and return on investment [ROI]); marketing; evaluation and applied metrics; remote monitoring and sensors; integration with electronic health records; and overall lessons learned. The content of SPS 2017 is summarized in the body of this report. The SPS 2017 program evaluators included attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. The knowledge attendees gained at SPS 2017 was characterized, by all three groups, as forward-looking and practical. SPS 2017 succeeded in identifying, and focusing on, solutions for issues, challenges, and barriers impacting the rapidly expanding telehealth service segment of the healthcare industry. The growing interest in this annual SPS Conference series apparently reflects, in part, the program committee's successes in identifying practical issues and their potential solutions.

Motivation and reward systems in service provision: exploring motivators for people providing engineering services

OpenAIRE

Kreye, Melanie; Nandrup-Bus, Troels

2015-01-01

It is becoming a distinctive feature for manufacturing firms to compete strategically through service provision. In relation to reward systems the aim of this thesis is to investigate what motivates employees of servitized manufacturing firms when providing engineering services and why. Through quantitative and qualitative data collection with an international company within the European healthcare sector, the findings show that key motivating factors were to “delight” the customer and being ...

Information sharing for effective IT incident resolving in IT service provider networks: A financial service case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlietland, J.; Vliet, J.C.

2015-01-01

Information technology (IT)-enabled financial services are typically delivered by a network of interdependent IT service providers. Such networks need information to resolve IT incidents in their delivered IT services. The objective of this research is to identify the set of information that needs

The marketing-finance interface towards financial services with special reference to the new services provided by futures exchanges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pennings, J.M.E.; Wetzels, M.G.M.; Meulenberg, M.T.G.

1999-01-01

The financial services industry is one of the fastest growing service industries. The financial services industry includes financial derivatives markets such as options and futures markets. In order to ensure survival, firms providing financial services show a rapid product innovation. However, for

Opportunities and Challenges for Water and Wastewater Industries to Provide Exchangeable Services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sparn, Bethany [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hunsberger, Randolph [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-11-13

Water and wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems use significant amounts of energy, around 2 - 4% of the total electricity used in the US, and their energy use is projected to increase as populations increase and regulations become more stringent. Water and wastewater systems have largely been disconnected from the electric utilities' efforts to improve energy efficiency and provide energy efficiency and provide grid services, likely because their core mission is to provide clean water and treated wastewater. Energy efficiency has slowly crept into the water and wastewater industry as the economic benefit has become more apparent, but there is still potential for significant improvement. Some of the larger, more progressive water utilities are starting to consider providing grid services; however, it remains a foreign concept to many. This report explores intrinsic mechanisms by which the water and wastewater industries can provide exchangeable services, the benefit to the parties involved, and the barriers to implementation. It also highlights relevant case studies and next steps. Although opportunities for increasing process efficiencies are certainly available, this report focuses on the exchangeable services that water and wastewater loads can provide to help maintain grid reliability, keep overall costs down, and increase the penetration of distributed renewables on the electric grid. These services have potential to provide water utilities additional value streams, using existing equipment with modest or negligible upgrade cost.

Long-term development of nuclear maintenance service provider in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Androjna, A.; Racic, Z.; Balazic, D.

2004-01-01

In recent years, most utilities have been facing a challenge of optimizing maintenance costs, while maintaining or improving equipment reliability. As the equipment ages and maintenance skills within the plant staff may decline due to a generation exchange, the challenge becomes even stronger. Consequently, many plants are looking for possible solutions through partnering with maintenance service providers. The fact that there is only one nuclear power plant in Slovenia hinders the development of local maintenance contractors to some extent. Additionally, they have to face everincreasing technical and organizational requirements while a longer fuel cycle and shorter outage durations result in a narrower annual scope of outage activities. In such circumstances, it may be very difficult for local maintenance service providers to retain and improve skills and qualifications in the long run. Even more so, since they also face the need to rejuvenate their staff and the interest of subcontractors to participate diminishes. The paper presents a case on long-term development issues as experienced by NUMIP, the leading Slovenian nuclear maintenance service provider. Above all, we would like to contribute to a better understanding of efficient local maintenance support. NUMIP's future strategic options are explored in light of possible partnering relationship with the nuclear power plant, based on trust, win-win attitude and continuous improvement. Long-term benefits of the proposed partnering are indicated for both parties, the nuclear power plant and the local maintenance service provider. (author)

Assessing Capacity for Providing Culturally Competent Services to LGBT Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Portz, Jennifer Dickman; Retrum, Jessica H.; Wright, Leslie A.; Boggs, Jennifer M.; Wilkins, Shari; Grimm, Cathy; Gilchrist, Kay; Gozansky, Wendolyn S.

2014-01-01

This qualitative, interview-based study assessed the cultural competence of health and social service providers to meet the needs of LGBT older adults in an urban neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, known to have a large LGBT community. Only 4 of the agencies were categorized as “high competency” while 12 were felt to be “seeking improvement” and 8 were considered “not aware.” These results indicate significant gaps in cultural competency for the majority of service providers. Social workers are well-suited to lead efforts directed at improving service provision and care competencies for the older LGBT community. PMID:24798180

Loads Providing Ancillary Services: Review of International Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, Grayson; Goldman, Charles; Kintner-Meyer, Michael

2007-05-01

In this study, we examine the arrangements for and experiences of end-use loads providing ancillary services (AS) in five electricity markets: Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), the Nordic market, and the ERCOT and PJM markets in the United States. Our objective in undertaking this review of international experience was to identify specific approaches or market designs that have enabled customer loads to effectively deliver various ancillary services (AS) products. We hope that this report will contribute to the ongoing discussion in the U.S. and elsewhere regarding what institutional and technical developments are needed to ensure that customer loads can meaningfully participate in all wholesale electricity markets.

Evaluación de la exposición al monóxido de carbono en vendedores de quioscos. Valencia, Venezuela Evaluation of exposure to carbon monoxide among kiosk vendors in Valencia, Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maritza Rojas

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Objetivos. Estudiar la intensidad de la exposición al monóxido de carbono (CO, los factores contribuyentes a esta exposición y sus potenciales efectos sobre la salud en vendedores de quioscos ubicados en una avenida de alta densidad de tránsito en Valencia, Venezuela. Métodos. Se midió la concentración de CO en el aire (CO-aire en 16 quioscos y se determinó la concentración sanguínea de carboxihemoglobina (COHb-S en los individuos que trabajaban en esos quioscos y en un grupo de control formado por docentes, estudiantes y obreros de la Universidad Simón Rodríguez, ubicada en una zona montañosa, apartada, sin contaminación ambiental aparente. Resultados. En el grupo expuesto no se encontró correlación entre las concentraciones de COHb-S y de CO-aire. La COHb-S media del grupo expuesto (2,9% fue significativamente superior a la del grupo de control (1,6% y a la concentración permisible según el método analítico empleado (Objective. To study the level of exposure to carbon monoxide (CO, factors contributing to this exposure, and the exposure's potential effects on the health of vendors who have kiosks located on an avenue with heavy vehicular traffic in the city of Valencia, Venezuela. Methods. We measured the concentration of CO in the air (CO-air in 16 kiosks in Valencia and also determined the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb in the blood of 20 individuals who worked in those kiosks. We also determined the COHb concentrations in a control group made up of 23 professors, students, and workers from Simón Rodríguez University, which is in a town some 120 km from Valencia, in a remote mountainous area without noticeable pollution. Results. In seven of the Valencia kiosks (43.7% the permissible CO-air limits were exceeded. Among the vendors experimental group there was no correlation between the concentrations of CO-air and of COHb. The COHb average for the experimental group (2.9% was significantly higher than that of

A qualitative description of service providers' experiences of ethical issues in HIV care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabone, Motshedisi B; Mogobe, Keitshokile Dintle; Matshediso, Ellah; Shaibu, Sheila; Ntsayagae, Esther I; Corless, Inge B; Cuca, Yvette P; Holzemer, William L; Dawson-Rose, Carol; Baez, Solymar S Soliz; Rivero-Mendz, Marta; Webel, Allison R; Eller, Lucille Sanzero; Reid, Paula; Johnson, Mallory O; Kemppainen, Jeanne; Reyes, Darcel; Nokes, Kathleen; Wantland, Dean; Nicholas, Patrice K; Lingren, Teri; Portillo, Carmen J; Sefcik, Elizabeth; Long-Middleton, Ellen

2018-01-01

Managing HIV treatment is a complex multi-dimensional task because of a combination of factors such as stigma and discrimination of some populations who frequently get infected with HIV. In addition, patient-provider encounters have become increasingly multicultural, making effective communication and provision of ethically sound care a challenge. This article explores ethical issues that health service providers in the United States and Botswana encountered in their interaction with patients in HIV care. A descriptive qualitative design was used to collect data from health service providers and patients using focused group discussions. This article is based on responses from health service providers only. Participants and context: This article is based on 11 focused group discussions with a total sample of 71 service providers in seven US sites and one Botswana site. Ethical considerations: Ethical review boards at all the study sites reviewed the study protocol and approved it. Ethical review boards of the study's coordinating centers, Rutgers University and the University of California at San Francisco, also approved it. The study participants provided a written informed consent to participate. HIV service providers encountered ethical challenges in all the four Beauchamp and Childress' biomedical ethics of respect for patients' autonomy, beneficence, justice, and nonmaleficence. The finding that HIV service providers encounter ethical challenges in their interaction with patients is supported by prior studies. The ethical challenges are particularly prominent in multicultural care and resource-constrained care environments. Provision of HIV care is fraught with ethical challenges that tend to pose different issues depending on a given care environment. It is important that strong partnerships are developed among key stakeholders in HIV care. In addition, health service providers need to be provided with resources so they can provide quality and ethically sound

ACCOUNTING TREATMENTS USED FOR ACCOUNTING SERVICES PROVIDERS

OpenAIRE

ŢOGOE GRETI DANIELA; AVRAM MARIOARA; AVRAM COSTIN DANIEL

2014-01-01

The theme of our research is the ways of keeping accounting entities that are the object of the provision of services in the accounting profession. This paper aims to achieve a parallel between the ways of organizing financial records - accounting provided by freelancers and companies with activity in the financial - accounting. The first step in our scientific research is to establish objectives chosen area of scientific knowledge. Our scientific approach seeks to explain thr...

Medicaid Personal Care Services for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: What Assistance Is Provided? When Is Assistance Provided?

Science.gov (United States)

Elliot, Timothy R.; Patnaik, Ashweeta; Naiser, Emily; Fournier, Constance J.; McMaughan, Darcy K.; Dyer, James A.; Phillips, Charles D.

2014-01-01

We report on the nature and timing of services provided to children with an intellectual disability (ID) identified by a new comprehensive assessment and care planning tool used to evaluate children's needs for Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) in Texas. The new assessment procedure resulted from a legal settlement with the advocacy community.…

FIRST TIME ONLINE LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie HUNTE

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The number of online continuous education and training initiatives continues to increase in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS and by extension, the number of adult learners who are unfamiliar with the peculiarities of the online teaching and learning environment. The extent to which these learners can derive maximum benefit from these initiatives depends on the rate at which they can adapt to the new circumstances and, as a result, function effectively in this type of teaching and learning environment. To this end, while supporting learners is recognized as a critical success factor little has been explored or documented specific to the Caribbean-SIDS context. The purpose of this study therefore was to describe the support services provided first time online learners in the context of Caribbean-SIDS and examine what if any benefit learners derived from them through their perceptions of these services. The findings reveal that participants’ overall perception of the support services was high. They also reveal that although participants’ awareness of ongoing support services was variable, their rating of the need for and importance of this type of support was also high. The findings suggest that providing support for first time online learners in the context of Caribbean SIDS positively impacts their performance in the online teaching and learning environment.

The Restaurant as Hybrid: Lean Manufacturer and Service Provider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Muller

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Uniquely positioned as both consumer service providers and tangible finished goods manufacturers, restaurants sell at retail an inventory that is fabricated from raw materials at the site of consumption. This article illustrates how restaurant managers have historically used the fundamentals of just-in-time and lean manufacturing production, often without understanding the power for efficiency and profit each brings. The goal is to encourage restaurateurs to seek a better understanding of where these principles interface with service management theory.

Public service providers and users in the information society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernt Krohn Solvang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The issue to be discussed in this article is to what extent does ICT create new challenges for the relationship between public service providers and users? It is important to recognize the concept of social capital because the concept is vital to the understanding of access to the information society and efficient functioning of government in its service to citizens. In this way we see social capital as a mediating “institution” between public authorities and the citizens (users.

Humanistic Wellness Services for Community Mental Health Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Carney, Jolynn V.

2007-01-01

The author examines the unique ability of mental health providers to offer humanistic services in a highly competitive atmosphere by using a wellness approach. J. E. Myers and T. J. Sweeney's (2005) 5 second-order factors are offered as a conceptual model. Therapeutic techniques and humanizing benefits for individuals, families, and communities…

Wooing patients with technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Michael

2013-04-01

Technologies that can give healthcare organizations a marketing advantage with patients include: Registration kiosks that request payment automatically, in a more comfortable environment for both patients and registration staff. Emails that enable patients to schedule initial visits and follow-up care. Secure online messaging platforms that enable patients to obtain timely answers to questions they have for their providers both before and after receiving services.

Value-Added Electricity Services: New Roles for Utilities and Third-Party Providers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blansfield, J. [Inst. for Electric Innovations, Washington, DC (United States); Wood, L. [Inst. for Electric Innovations, Washington, DC (United States); Katofsky, R. [Advanced Energy Economy, Washington, DC (United States); Stafford, B. [Advanced Energy Economy, Washington, DC (United States); Waggoner, D. [Advanced Energy Economy, Washington, DC (United States); Schwartz, L. C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-10-30

New energy generation, storage, delivery, and end-use technologies support a broad range of value-added electricity services for retail electricity customers. Sophisticated energy management services, distributed generation coupled with storage, and electric vehicle charging are just a few examples of emerging offerings. Who should provide value-added services — utilities or third parties, or both, and under what conditions? What policy and regulatory changes may be needed to promote competition and innovation, to account for utility costs to enable these services, and to protect consumers? The report approaches the issues from three perspectives: utilities, third-party service providers, and consumers: -Jonathan Blansfield and Lisa Wood, Institute for Electric Innovation -Ryan Katofsky, Benjamin Stafford and Danny Waggoner, Advanced Energy Economy -National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates

Collaboration with Community Mental Health Service Providers: A Necessity in Contemporary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Villarreal, Victor; Castro-Villarreal, Felicia

2016-01-01

Schools have played an increasingly central role in providing mental health services to youth, but there are limitations to the services that are available through school-based mental health professionals. Thus, collaboration with non-school-based community mental health providers is oftentimes necessary. As collaboration can address limitations…

47 CFR 64.707 - Public dissemination of information by providers of operator services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Public dissemination of information by providers of operator services. 64.707 Section 64.707 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... § 64.707 Public dissemination of information by providers of operator services. Providers of operator...

An Empirical Investigation of Factors Determining the Consumers’ Choice of Mobile Service Providers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikas Gautam

2011-12-01

Full Text Available After the implementation of government policies on globalization and liberalization, the consumers have become more critical about the selection of service providers. Consumers are now very much aware of the alternatives available in relation to services and the provider organizations. Expectations of consumers are rising and the provider organizations should be aware of these expectations. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors responsible for helping the consumers to choose mobile telecommunication service provider among the competitors in the market. The primary statistical techniques used in the study are Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling. The data was collected with the help of structured questionnaire consisting of different questions related to demographics, service quality, product quality and availability, promotion and price in order to study perceptions of consumers. In order to examine these above mentioned variables and to derive meaningful conclusions, use of structural equation modelling was imperative. AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure version 16.0 was employed in the research to test the underlying hypotheses of the study. Results showed that the paths are significantly related to the casual processes. Price was found to be the most important factor followed by product quality and availability, service quality, and promotion in determining perceptions of customers towards mobile telecommunication services. It is expected that the findings of the study may provide meaningful insights to the service providers and contribute in improving their strategies and marketing operations.

Exploring Service-led Growth Trajectories for Analytical Equipment Providers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raja, Jawwad; Frandsen, Thomas; Mouritsen, Jan

2016-01-01

This paper examines the dilemmas encountered by advanced analytical equipment providers in developing service-led growth strategies to expand their business in pursuit of more attractive revenue models. It does so by adopting a case based research approach. The findings detail the capabilities...... and solutions-in different contexts, with a view to expanding markets and developing solution based business models, are discussed. It is argued that analytical equipment providers encounter dilemmas as managing these different trajectories implies different needs in terms of the technological sophistication...... of equipment required. This does not necessarily imply that one context is less complex than the other, but rather suggests that the role of integration is qualitatively different and that the relationship between product and service varies when developing solutions in these different arenas....

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of private sector immunization service providers in Gujarat, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagan, José E; Gaonkar, Narayan; Doshi, Vikas; Patni, Anas; Vyas, Shailee; Mazumdar, Vihang; Kosambiya, J K; Gupta, Satish; Watkins, Margaret

2018-01-02

India is responsible for 30% of the annual global cohort of unvaccinated children worldwide. Private practitioners provide an estimated 21% of vaccinations in urban centers of India, and are important partners in achieving high vaccination coverage. We used an in-person questionnaire and on-site observation to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of private immunization service providers regarding delivery of immunization services in the urban settings of Surat and Baroda, in Gujarat, India. We constructed a comprehensive sampling frame of all private physician providers of immunization services in Surat and Baroda cities, by consulting vaccine distributors, local branches of physician associations, and published lists of private medical practitioners. All providers were contacted and asked to participate in the study if they provided immunization services. Data were collected using an in-person structured questionnaire and directly observing practices; one provider in each practice setting was interviewed. The response rate was 82% (121/147) in Surat, and 91% (137/151) in Baroda. Of 258 participants 195 (76%) were pediatricians, and 63 (24%) were general practitioners. Practices that were potential missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) included not strictly following vaccination schedules if there were concerns about ability to pay (45% of practitioners), and not administering more than two injections in the same visit (60%). Only 22% of respondents used a vaccination register to record vaccine doses, and 31% reported vaccine doses administered to the government. Of 237 randomly selected vaccine vials, 18% had expired vaccine vial monitors. Quality of immunization services in Gujarat can be strengthened by providing training and support to private immunization service providers to reduce MOVs and improve quality and safety; other more context specific strategies that should be evaluated may involve giving feedback to providers on quality of services

Application of 'Process management' methodology in providing financial services of PE 'Post Serbia'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kujačić Momčilo D.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes application of the methodology 'Process management', in providing of financial services at the post office counter hall. An overview of the methodology is given, as one of the most commonly used qualitative methodology, whereby Process management's technics are described , those can better meet user needs and market demands, as well as to find more effectively way to resist current competition in the postal service market. One of the main problem that pointed out is a long waiting time in the counter hall during providing financial services, which leads to the formation of queue lines, and thus to customer dissatisfaction. According that, paper points steps that should be taken during provide of financial services in a postal network unit for providing services to customers by optimizing user time waiting in line and increasing the satisfaction of all participants in that process.

Email medication counseling services provided by Finnish community pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohjanoksa-Mäntylä, Marika K; Kulovaara, Heidi; Bell, J Simon; Enäkoski, Marianne; Airaksinen, Marja S

2008-12-01

The importance of email as a mode of communication between medication users and pharmacists is likely to increase. However, little is known about the email medication counseling practices of community pharmacies. To determine the prevalence of email medication counseling services in Finland and to assess the accuracy and comprehensiveness of responses by pharmacies providing the opportunity for email medication counseling to inquiries related to use of antidepressants. An inventory was made of all Finnish community pharmacies that provided the opportunity for email medication counseling. Data related to the accuracy and comprehensiveness of responses were collected, using a virtual pseudo-customer method with 3 scenarios related to common concerns of patients on antidepressants. Two inquiries were emailed to each pharmacy that provided the opportunity for email medication counseling in January and February 2005. The responses were content analyzed by 2 researchers, using a prestructured scoring system. Almost one-third (30%, n = 182) of Finnish community pharmacies maintained a working Web site, and 94% of those provided the opportunity for email medication counseling. An online "ask-the-pharmacist" service was offered by 13% (n = 23) of the pharmacies with a Web site. Pharmacies responded to 54% of the email inquiries sent by the virtual pseudo-customers. The response rate and the content score ratio between mean and maximum scores varied among the scenarios. The content score ratio was highest for the scenarios concerning the adverse effects of fluoxetine (0.53, n = 55) and interactions with mirtazapine (0.52, n = 63) and lowest for the scenario related to sexual dysfunction and weight gain associated with citalopram (0.38, n = 52). Community pharmacies are potential providers of email medication counseling services. However, more attention should be directed to responding to consumer inquiries and to the content of these responses.

Achieving Community Membership through Community Rehabilitation Provider Services: Are We There Yet?

Science.gov (United States)

Metzel, Deborah S.; Boeltzig, Heike; Butterworth, John; Sulewski, Jennifer Sullivan; Gilmore, Dana Scott

2007-01-01

Findings from an analysis of the characteristics and services of community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) in the early years of the 21st century are presented. Services provided by CRPs can be categorized along two dimensions: purpose (work, nonwork) and setting (facility-based, community). The number of individuals with disabilities present…

New joints: Private providers and rising demand in the English National Health Service

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Elaine; Stoye, George

2015-01-01

Reforms to public services have extended consumer choice by allowing for the entry of private providers. The aim is to generate competitive pressure to improve quality when consumers choose between providers. However, for many services new entrants could also affect whether a consumer demands the service at all. We explore this issue by considering how demand for elective surgery responds following the entry of private providers into the market for publicly funded health care in England. For ...

'That would have been beneficial': LGBTQ education for home-care service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, Andrea; MacDonnell, Judith A

2015-05-01

This paper reports qualitative findings from a pilot study that explored the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) education needs of home-care service providers working in one large, urban Canadian city. The pilot study builds upon research that has documented barriers to health services for diversely situated LGBTQ people, which function to limit access to good-quality healthcare. LGBTQ activists, organisations and allies have underscored the need for health provider education related to the unique health and service experiences of sexual and gender minority communities. However, the home-care sector is generally overlooked in this important body of research literature. We used purposeful convenience sampling to conduct four focus groups and two individual interviews with a total of 15 professionally diverse home-care service providers. Data collection was carried out from January 2011 to July 2012 and data were analysed using grounded theory methods towards the identification of the overarching theme, 'provider education' and it had two sub-themes: (i) experiences of LGBTQ education; and (ii) recommendations for LGBTQ education. The study findings raise important questions about limited and uneven access to adequate LGBTQ education for home-care service providers, suggest important policy implications for the education and health sectors, and point to the need for anti-oppression principles in the development of education initiatives. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Under what conditions are provided services in Czech municipalities?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markéta Fantová Šumpíková

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The goal of our paper is to present a set of analytical data connected with local services and their delivery arrangements, focusing on contracting out. Brief theoretical part of this paper shortly highlights theoretical issues of local service delivery and new alternative service delivery arrangements. Analytical part provides selected data on forms of delivery and the ways of selection of an external supplier, including comparisons with similar research data from Slovakia. This study uses a positive approach to investigate the research issue. The study analyzes the original collected survey data from own research project No. 402/05/2644 supported by Czech Scientific Foundation. A survey was conducted for each of selected local service to collect data on the structure of forms of delivery of service; the decision-making processes, concerning the selection of the delivery form; and in case of external delivery, the way/system selecting the external supplier and some other selected aspects of the contracting-out. The delivery of local services by external supplier or municipal firm is frequent solution. However, the selection of supplier is realized in many cases without any competition, via the direct award, resulting in non-transparency and bringing inefficiency risks. The final part of our paper summarizes the outcomes and formulates recommendations.

TIME-BASED COMPETITION IN THE SUPPLY-CHAIN: THE ROLE OF THE LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judit OLÁH

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Among the service industries, the analysis logistics as an academic field which has a great influence on firms’ creation of value and competitiveness, and within this the analysis of firms providing logistics services (3PLP, has become more relevant than in previous years. Among the expectations of logistics service providers, and among the sources of competitive advantage, are timeliness and flexibility, which can only be handled and measured together, because of the integration of services. At the same time, when supply chains (not corporations compete with each other, we must create the opportunity to manage chains beyond company boundaries. Our aim is to investigate the time-related problems of supply chains (and sections and logistics service providers, and their consequences and solutions. We have found that the development of time factors which appear and can be measured in the realization of logistics services contributes to the competitiveness of a logistics service company. The performance provided by companies that are integrated into the supply chain’s member companies and operate as flexible logistics service providers can have a significant impact on the (full operation and efficiency of the supply chain.

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.

The Societe de Services Decentralises (SDD), a Franco-Dutch energy project designed to provide local energy services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, B.; Courillon, M.; Goedmakers, A-M.; Darne, D.

1998-01-01

The Societe de Services Decentralises (SDD) is a joint pilot project of the EDF from France and NUON from the Netherlands, designed to test the feasibility of providing electricity to the rural regions of developing countries. The concept of the SDD emerged from the 1995 Marrakech conference on rural electrification. The project is presently being tested in Mali where 80,000 people, living in 20 villages of the cotton region are being provided with basic electric services. Power is generated by small village generating stations or by solar stations. Service is limited to a few electrical lights per customer. Marketing, financing and human resource aspects are also discussed

42 CFR 51.46 - Disclosing information obtained from a provider of mental health services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... mental health services. 51.46 Section 51.46 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... a provider of mental health services. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if a... of mental health services, it may not disclose information from such records to the individual who is...

Farmers' willingness to provide ecosystem services and effects of their spatial distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broch, Stine Wamberg; Strange, Niels; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl

2013-01-01

The supply of ecosystem goods and services is spatially heterogeneous and the provision of such goods and services is also influenced by landowners' willingness to provide. This is particularly the case in countries such as Denmark where many properties are privately owned. However, little...... attention has previously been given to the relationship between farmers' willingness to provide a good or service and the spatial heterogeneity associated with their demand. In this study farmers' willingness to participate in afforestation contracts are investigated using a choice experiment of various...

Handling of the demilitarized zone using service providers in SAP

Science.gov (United States)

Iovan, A.; Robu, R.

2016-02-01

External collaboration needs to allow data access from the Internet. In a trusted Internet collaboration scenario where the external user works on the same data like the internal user direct access to the data in the Intranet is required. The paper presents a solution to get access to certain data in the Enterprise Resource Planning system, having the User Interface on a system in the Demilitarized Zone and the database on a system which is located in the trusted area. Using the Service Provider Interface framework, connections between separate systems can be created in different areas of the network. The paper demonstrates how to connect the two systems, one in the Demilitarized Zone and one in the trusted area, using SAP ERP 6.0 with Enhancement Package 7. In order to use the Service Provider Interface SAP Business Suite Foundation component must be installed in both systems. The advantage of using the Service Provider Interface framework is that the external user works on the same data like the internal user (and not on copies). This assures data consistency and less overhead for backup and security systems.

Exploring Service Providers' Perspectives in Improving Childhood Obesity Prevention among CALD Communities in Victoria, Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheila Cyril

Full Text Available Childhood obesity rates have been increasing disproportionately among disadvantaged communities including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD migrant groups in Australia due to their poor participation in the available obesity prevention initiatives. We sought to explore service providers' perceptions of the key factors influencing the participation of CALD communities in the existing obesity prevention services and the service requirements needed to improve CALD communities' participation in these services.We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions involving fifty-nine service providers from a range of services, who are involved in the health and wellbeing of children from CALD groups living in four socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Victoria, Australia.Thematic analysis of the data showed three major themes including community-level barriers to CALD engagement in childhood obesity prevention services; service-level barriers to the delivery of these services; and proposed changes to current childhood obesity prevention approaches. Integrating obesity prevention messages within existing programs, better coordination between prevention and treatment services and the establishment of a childhood obesity surveillance system, were some of the important changes suggested by service providers.This study has found that low CALD health literacy, lack of knowledge of cultural barriers among service providers and co-existing deficiencies in the structure and delivery of obesity prevention services negatively impacted the participation of CALD communities in obesity prevention services. Cultural competency training of service providers would improve their understanding of the cultural influences of childhood obesity and incorporate them into the design and development of obesity prevention initiatives. Service providers need to be educated on the pre-migratory health service experiences and health conditions of CALD

Exploring Service Providers' Perspectives in Improving Childhood Obesity Prevention among CALD Communities in Victoria, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cyril, Sheila; Green, Julie; Nicholson, Jan M; Agho, Kingsley; Renzaho, Andre M N

2016-01-01

Childhood obesity rates have been increasing disproportionately among disadvantaged communities including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant groups in Australia due to their poor participation in the available obesity prevention initiatives. We sought to explore service providers' perceptions of the key factors influencing the participation of CALD communities in the existing obesity prevention services and the service requirements needed to improve CALD communities' participation in these services. We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions involving fifty-nine service providers from a range of services, who are involved in the health and wellbeing of children from CALD groups living in four socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Victoria, Australia. Thematic analysis of the data showed three major themes including community-level barriers to CALD engagement in childhood obesity prevention services; service-level barriers to the delivery of these services; and proposed changes to current childhood obesity prevention approaches. Integrating obesity prevention messages within existing programs, better coordination between prevention and treatment services and the establishment of a childhood obesity surveillance system, were some of the important changes suggested by service providers. This study has found that low CALD health literacy, lack of knowledge of cultural barriers among service providers and co-existing deficiencies in the structure and delivery of obesity prevention services negatively impacted the participation of CALD communities in obesity prevention services. Cultural competency training of service providers would improve their understanding of the cultural influences of childhood obesity and incorporate them into the design and development of obesity prevention initiatives. Service providers need to be educated on the pre-migratory health service experiences and health conditions of CALD communities to ensure

Health Worker Opinion/Perception of Health Services provided to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nancy Kamau

VDH Industrial Hygiene CC.PO. Box ... conducted to establish relations of mining activities to human health at Selebi. Phikwe is called for. .... Table 1: Demographic data of health service providers and patients in the study area. Medical ...

34 CFR 643.4 - What services may a project provide?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... as cultural events, academic programs, and other sites or activities not usually available to disadvantaged youth. (h) Workshops and counseling for parents of students served. (i) Mentoring programs... provide? A Talent Search project may provide the following services: (a) Academic advice and assistance in...

External Service Providers to the National Security Technology Incubator: Formalization of Relationships

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2008-04-30

This report documents the formalization of relationships with external service providers in the development of the National Security Technology Incubator (NSTI). The technology incubator is being developed as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), funded by a Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) grant. This report summarizes the process in developing and formalizing relationships with those service providers and includes a sample letter of cooperation executed with each provider.

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.

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

Patients' Evaluations of Gynecologic Services Provided by Nurse Practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagener, J. Mark; Carter, Glenna

1978-01-01

The development, operating principles, and users' evaluations of a broad based gynecologic program emphasizing effective birth control on a university campus are discussed. A major feature explored is the use of nurse practitioners as the primary service providers. (JMF)

Value-added strategy models to provide quality services in senior health business.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ya-Ting; Lin, Neng-Pai; Su, Shyi; Chen, Ya-Mei; Chang, Yao-Mao; Handa, Yujiro; Khan, Hafsah Arshed Ali; Elsa Hsu, Yi-Hsin

2017-06-20

The rapid population aging is now a global issue. The increase in the elderly population will impact the health care industry and health enterprises; various senior needs will promote the growth of the senior health industry. Most senior health studies are focused on the demand side and scarcely on supply. Our study selected quality enterprises focused on aging health and analyzed different strategies to provide excellent quality services to senior health enterprises. We selected 33 quality senior health enterprises in Taiwan and investigated their excellent quality services strategies by face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews with CEO and managers of each enterprise in 2013. A total of 33 senior health enterprises in Taiwan. Overall, 65 CEOs and managers of 33 enterprises were interviewed individually. None. Core values and vision, organization structure, quality services provided, strategies for quality services. This study's results indicated four type of value-added strategy models adopted by senior enterprises to offer quality services: (i) residential care and co-residence model, (ii) home care and living in place model, (iii) community e-business experience model and (iv) virtual and physical portable device model. The common part in these four strategy models is that the services provided are elderly centered. These models offer virtual and physical integrations, and also offer total solutions for the elderly and their caregivers. Through investigation of successful strategy models for providing quality services to seniors, we identified opportunities to develop innovative service models and successful characteristics, also policy implications were summarized. The observations from this study will serve as a primary evidenced base for enterprises developing their senior market and, also for promoting the value co-creation possibility through dialogue between customers and those that deliver service. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford

Ancillary services provided by PV power plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio PIERNO

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy sources are widely utilized in distributed generation systems, and, recently, they are also considered for providing ancillary services. The paper is focused on PV plants, a survey of the most interesting papers published in the literature in the last decade is reported and the main characteristics of the technical proposals, with their advantages and limits, are evidenced. The results are schematically shown in a table that immediately gives the opportunity to be aware of what was already done, representing a reference tool.

Macintosh support is provided at the level of the Service Desk

CERN Multimedia

2011-01-01

Since September 2010 the Apple laptops & desktops with Mac OS are recognized and supported at CERN by the IT department. Therefore, the “Macintosh support” procedure now follows the same ITIL*) schema as for all IT services, i.e.: All CERN users must address any request for support on Macintosh PCs to the Service Desk. The Service Desk will move on questions or problems they cannot solve to “IT 2nd level” support people, provided by the “computing support” contract managed by IT department. Mac OS being officially supported by the IT department, a 3rd level support is provided by CERN IT staff; they may give specialized expert assistance, within the scope described at the ITUM-2 presentation, for all incidents or requests which can be neither resolved nor fulfilled by the Service Desk (1st level) and the 2nd level support people. Therefore, users who have problems related to Mac OS should simply fill-in the appropriate form from th...

Targeted Evolution of Embedded Librarian Services: Providing Mobile Reference and Instruction Services Using iPads.

Science.gov (United States)

Stellrecht, Elizabeth; Chiarella, Deborah

2015-01-01

The University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library provides reference and instructional services to support research, curricular, and clinical programs of the University at Buffalo. With funding from an NN/LM MAR Technology Improvement Award, the University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library (UBHSL) purchased iPads to develop embedded reference and educational services. Usage statistics were collected over a ten-month period to measure the frequency of iPad use for mobile services. While this experiment demonstrates that the iPad can be used to meet the library user's needs outside of the physical library space, this article will also offer advice for others who are considering implementing their own program.

42 CFR 54.8 - Right to services from an alternative provider.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Right to services from an alternative provider. 54... CHARITABLE CHOICE REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO STATES RECEIVING SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT BLOCK GRANTS AND/OR PROJECTS FOR ASSISTANCE IN TRANSITION FROM HOMELESSNESS GRANTS § 54.8 Right to services...

Application of Ethics for Providing Telemedicine Services and Information Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Langarizadeh, Mostafa; Moghbeli, Fatemeh; Aliabadi, Ali

2017-10-01

Advanced technology has increased the use of telemedicine and Information Technology (IT) in treating or rehabilitating diseases. An increased use of technology increases the importance of the ethical issues involved. The need for keeping patients' information confidential and secure, controlling a number of therapists' inefficiency as well as raising the quality of healthcare services necessitates adequate heed to ethical issues in telemedicine provision. The goal of this review is gathering all articles that are published through 5 years until now (2012-2017) for detecting ethical issues for providing telemedicine services and Information technology. The reason of this time is improvement of telemedicine and technology through these years. This article is important for clinical practice and also to world, because of knowing ethical issues in telemedicine and technology are always important factors for physician and health providers. the required data in this research were derived from published electronic sources and credible academic articles published in such databases as PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct. The following key words were searched for in separation and combination: tele-health, telemedicine, ethical issues in telemedicine. A total of 503 articles were found. After excluding the duplicates (n= 93), the titles and abstracts of 410 articles were skimmed according to the inclusion criteria. Finally, 64 articles remained. They were reviewed in full text and 36 articles were excluded. At the end, 28 articles were chosen which met our eligibility criteria and were included in this study. Ethics has been of a great significance in IT and telemedicine especially the Internet since there are more chances provided for accessing information. It is, however, accompanied by a threat to patients' personal information. Therefore, suggestions are made to investigate ethics in technology, to offer standards and guidelines to therapists. Due to the advancement in

THIRD PARTY LOGISTIC SERVICE PROVIDER SELECTION USING FUZZY AHP AND TOPSIS METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golam Kabir

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The use of third party logistic(3PL services providers is increasing globally to accomplish the strategic objectives. In the increasingly competitive environment, logistics strategic management requires systematic and structured approach to have cutting edge over the rival. Logistics service provider selection is a complex multi-criteria decision making process; in which, decision makers have to deals with the optimization of conflicting objectives such as quality, cost, and delivery time. In this paper, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP approach based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS method has been proposed for evaluating and selecting an appropriate logistics service provider, where the ratings of each alternative and importance weight of each criterion are expressed in triangular fuzzy numbers.

System and Method for Providing a Climate Data Analytic Services Application Programming Interface Distribution Package

Science.gov (United States)

Schnase, John L. (Inventor); Duffy, Daniel Q. (Inventor); Tamkin, Glenn S. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A system, method and computer-readable storage devices for providing a climate data analytic services application programming interface distribution package. The example system can provide various components. The system provides a climate data analytic services application programming interface library that enables software applications running on a client device to invoke the capabilities of a climate data analytic service. The system provides a command-line interface that provides a means of interacting with a climate data analytic service by issuing commands directly to the system's server interface. The system provides sample programs that call on the capabilities of the application programming interface library and can be used as templates for the construction of new client applications. The system can also provide test utilities, build utilities, service integration utilities, and documentation.

New graduates’ perceptions of preparedness to provide speech-language therapy services in general and dysphagia services in particular

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Alannah; Choto, Fadziso; Gotlieb, Jessica; Robertson, Rebecca; Morris, Gabriella; Stockley, Nicola; Mauff, Katya

2015-01-01

Background Upon graduation, newly qualified speech-language therapists are expected to provide services independently. This study describes new graduates’ perceptions of their preparedness to provide services across the scope of the profession and explores associations between perceptions of dysphagia theory and clinical learning curricula with preparedness for adult and paediatric dysphagia service delivery. Methods New graduates of six South African universities were recruited to participate in a survey by completing an electronic questionnaire exploring their perceptions of the dysphagia curricula and their preparedness to practise across the scope of the profession of speech-language therapy. Results Eighty graduates participated in the study yielding a response rate of 63.49%. Participants perceived themselves to be well prepared in some areas (e.g. child language: 100%; articulation and phonology: 97.26%), but less prepared in other areas (e.g. adult dysphagia: 50.70%; paediatric dysarthria: 46.58%; paediatric dysphagia: 38.36%) and most unprepared to provide services requiring sign language (23.61%) and African languages (20.55%). There was a significant relationship between perceptions of adequate theory and clinical learning opportunities with assessment and management of dysphagia and perceptions of preparedness to provide dysphagia services. Conclusion There is a need for review of existing curricula and consideration of developing a standard speech-language therapy curriculum across universities, particularly in service provision to a multilingual population, and in both the theory and clinical learning of the assessment and management of adult and paediatric dysphagia, to better equip graduates for practice. PMID:26304217

Industrial Demand Management Providing Ancillary Services to the Distribution Grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahnama, Samira; Green, Torben; Lyhne, Casper

2017-01-01

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

Provider of Services File

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The POS file contains data on characteristics of hospitals and other types of healthcare facilities, including the name and address of the facility and the type of...

Exploring Service Providers' Perspectives in Improving Childhood Obesity Prevention among CALD Communities in Victoria, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Cyril, Sheila; Green, Julie; Nicholson, Jan M.; Agho, Kingsley; Renzaho, Andre M. N.

2016-01-01

Background Childhood obesity rates have been increasing disproportionately among disadvantaged communities including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant groups in Australia due to their poor participation in the available obesity prevention initiatives. We sought to explore service providers’ perceptions of the key factors influencing the participation of CALD communities in the existing obesity prevention services and the service requirements needed to improve CALD communities’ participation in these services. Methods We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions involving fifty-nine service providers from a range of services, who are involved in the health and wellbeing of children from CALD groups living in four socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Victoria, Australia. Results Thematic analysis of the data showed three major themes including community-level barriers to CALD engagement in childhood obesity prevention services; service-level barriers to the delivery of these services; and proposed changes to current childhood obesity prevention approaches. Integrating obesity prevention messages within existing programs, better coordination between prevention and treatment services and the establishment of a childhood obesity surveillance system, were some of the important changes suggested by service providers. Conclusion This study has found that low CALD health literacy, lack of knowledge of cultural barriers among service providers and co-existing deficiencies in the structure and delivery of obesity prevention services negatively impacted the participation of CALD communities in obesity prevention services. Cultural competency training of service providers would improve their understanding of the cultural influences of childhood obesity and incorporate them into the design and development of obesity prevention initiatives. Service providers need to be educated on the pre-migratory health service experiences and health

Costs of providing tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services in Viet Nam.

Science.gov (United States)

Minh, H V; Mai, V Q; Nhung, N V; Hoi, L V; Giang, K B; Chung, L H; Kien, V D; Duyen, N T; Ngoc, N B; Anh, T T; Phuong, T B; Ngan, T T; Khanh, P H

2017-09-01

To estimate the cost of providing tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment packages at different levels of health facilities in Viet Nam. This was a retrospective costing study from the providers' perspective using a standard costing approach. We included typical services for TB diagnosis and treatment based on standard protocols. The least expensive TB service was the 6-month isoniazid preventive therapy regimen for latent tuberculous infection provided by district health centres (US$7.20-14.30, accounting for 0.3-0.7% of Viet Nam's per capita gross domestic product [GDP] of US$2052.30 in 2014). The cost of diagnosing and treating a patient with drug-susceptible TB (the most common type of TB) ranged between US$51.20 and US$180.70, and represented 2.5-8.8% of Viet Nam's per capita GDP in 2014. The most expensive TB service was the diagnosis and treatment of a multidrug-resistant TB case (US$1568.20-2391.20), accounting for 76.4-116.5% of Viet Nam's per capita GDP in 2014). The cost of TB diagnosis and treatment services in Viet Nam varied according to level of health facility, type of TB, different costing options, and different staff cost scenarios.

The demand for ambulatory mental health services from specialty providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Horgan, C M

1986-01-01

A two-part model is used to examine the demand for ambulatory mental health services in the specialty sector. In the first equation, the probability of having a mental health visit is estimated. In the second part of the model, variations in levels of use expressed in terms of visits and expenditures are examined in turn, with each of these equations conditional on positive utilization of mental health services. In the second part of the model, users are additionally grouped into those with and without out-of-pocket payment for services. This specification accounts for special characteristics regarding the utilization of ambulatory mental health services: (1) a large part of the population does not use these services; (2) of those who use services, the distribution of use is highly skewed; and (3) a large number of users have zero out-of-pocket expenditures. Cost-sharing does indeed matter in the demand for ambulatory mental health services from specialty providers; however, the decision to use mental health services is affected by the level of cost-sharing to a lesser degree than is the decision regarding the level of use of services. The results also show that price is only one of several important factors in determining the demand for services. The lack of significance of family income and of being female is notable. Evidence is presented for the existence of bandwagon effects. The importance of Medicaid in the probability of use equations is noted. PMID:3721874

76 FR 61761 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-05

... locations to grocery or drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, and self-service kiosks. By... and to the Office of Management and Budget for their evaluation. The Postal Service does not expect this amended notice to have any adverse effect on individual privacy rights. The Postal Service...

14 CFR 204.4 - Carriers proposing to provide essential air service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Carriers proposing to provide essential air... (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) ECONOMIC REGULATIONS DATA TO SUPPORT FITNESS DETERMINATIONS Filing Requirements § 204.4 Carriers proposing to provide essential air service. Applicants proposing to provide essential air...

ASMATRA: Rankin g ASs Providing Transit Service to Malware Hosters

OpenAIRE

Wagner , Cynthia; François , Jérôme; State , Radu; Dulaunoy , Alexandre; Engel , Thomas; Massen , Gilles

2013-01-01

International audience; The Internet has grown into an enormous network offering a variety of services, which are spread over a multitude of domains. BGP-routing and Autonomous Systems (AS) are the key components for maintaining high connectivity in the Internet. Unfortunately, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating ASs do not only host normal users and content, but also malicious content used by attackers for spreading malware, hosting phishing web-sites or performing any kind of fraudu...

A Global Meta-Analysis of the Value of Ecosystem Services Provided by Lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynaud, Arnaud; Lanzanova, Denis

2017-07-01

This study presents the first meta-analysis on the economic value of ecosystem services delivered by lakes. A worldwide data set of 699 observations drawn from 133 studies combines information reported in primary studies with geospatial data. The meta-analysis explores antagonisms and synergies between ecosystem services. This is the first meta-analysis to incorporate simultaneously external geospatial data and ecosystem service interactions. We first show that it is possible to reliably predict the value of ecosystem services provided by lakes based on their physical and geographic characteristics. Second, we demonstrate that interactions between ecosystem services appear to be significant for explaining lake ecosystem service values. Third, we provide an estimation of the average value of ecosystem services provided by lakes: between 106 and 140 USD$2010 per respondent per year for non-hedonic price studies and between 169 and 403 USD$2010 per property per year for hedonic price studies.

Relationship Between Green Logistics Tendency and Logistics Performance: A Comparative Case Study on Logistics Service Providers

OpenAIRE

Ayşenur DOĞRU; Cemile SOLAK FIŞKIN

2016-01-01

Increasing concerns related to environmental side effects of the logistics services and competition between the logistics service providers are two pressuring factors on logistics service providers. This study seeks to explore the relation between green logistics tendency and logistic performance from the perspective of logistics service providers. In order to reach this aim, two logistics service providers are investigated by comparative case study method. Findings showed the effects of g...

Liability of German suppliers and service providers for foreign projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raetzke, Christian

2017-01-01

Main topic is the question of the extent to which German plant constructors, suppliers, engineering consultants, experts or operators expose themselves to liability for the delivery of their products and services abroad. In principle, in almost all nuclear power countries, liability is channelled to the operator; suppliers and service providers are exempted from liability. However, there are conceivable cases in which this principle does not apply. This can occur, for example, if a major accident is assumed to have an impact on neighbouring countries of the country of destination; here, depending on the applicable law, the German supplier or service provider could be ordered to pay for damages. The risk of liability remaining in this way can be reduced if necessary by means of an exemption clause in the supply contract. The regulation of the operator's recourse to the contractor, insofar as the latter is responsible for the accident, and the - controversial -question of to what extent damage to the plant itself gives rise to claims for damages by the operator against the contractor are also discussed.

Enhanced primary mental healthcare for Indigenous Australians: service implementation strategies and perspectives of providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Reifels, Lennart; Nicholas, Angela; Fletcher, Justine; Bassilios, Bridget; King, Kylie; Ewen, Shaun; Pirkis, Jane

2018-01-01

Improving access to culturally appropriate mental healthcare has been recognised as a key strategy to address the often greater burden of mental health issues experienced by Indigenous populations. We present data from the evaluation of a national attempt at improving access to culturally appropriate mental healthcare for Indigenous Australians through a mainstream primary mental healthcare program, the Access to Allied Psychological Services program, whilst specifically focusing on the implementation strategies and perspectives of service providers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 service providers (primary care agency staff, referrers, and mental health professionals) that were analysed thematically and descriptively. Agency-level implementation strategies to enhance service access and cultural appropriateness included: the conduct of local service needs assessments; Indigenous stakeholder consultation and partnership development; establishment of clinical governance frameworks; workforce recruitment, clinical/cultural training and supervision; stakeholder and referrer education; and service co-location at Indigenous health organisations. Dedicated provider-level strategies to ensure the cultural appropriateness of services were primarily aimed at the context and process of delivery (involving, flexible referral pathways, suitable locations, adaptation of client engagement and service feedback processes) and, to a lesser extent, the nature and content of interventions (provision of culturally adapted therapy). This study offers insights into key factors underpinning the successful national service implementation approach. Study findings highlight that concerted national attempts to enhance mainstream primary mental healthcare for Indigenous people are critically dependent on effective local agency- and provider-level strategies to optimise the integration, adaptation and broader utility of these services within local Indigenous community and

Enhancing Customer Loyalty towards Corporate Social Responsibility of Thai Mobile Service Providers

OpenAIRE

Wichai Onlaor; Siriluck Rotchanakitumnuai

2010-01-01

The aim of this research is to develop the understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from consumers- perspective toward Thai mobile service providers. Based on the survey from 400 mobile customers, the result shows that four dimensions of CSR of Thai mobile service providers consist of economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibility. These four CSR factors have positive impacts on enhancing customer satisfaction except one item of economic respon...

Fee-for-service, Capitation and Health Provider Choice with Private Contracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boone, J.

2014-01-01

Contracts between health insurers and providers are private; i.e. not public. By modelling this explicitly, we find the following. Insurers with bigger provider networks,pay higher fee-for-service rates to providers. This makes it more likely that a patient is treated and hence health care costs

Influence of Organizational Culture on Service Provider Selection

OpenAIRE

Yılmaz, Mehmet; Yılmaz Börekçi, Dilek; Örnek, Ali

2017-01-01

Although Third Party Logistics Service Provider (3PL) selection literature mentions organizational culture’s role in the development as well as in the maintenance of 3PL arrangements, there is a paucity of attempts to underline the significance of organizational culture’s influence on the formation and management of 3PL relationships. In this study, the influence of different organizational cultural orientations in uncertainty avoidance, future orientation, performance orientation and paterna...

Public health care providers and market competition: the case of Finnish occupational health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Kankaanpää, Eila; Linnosmaa, Ismo; Valtonen, Hannu

2011-02-01

As reforms in publicly funded health systems rely heavily on competition, it is important to know if and how public providers react to competition. In many European countries, it is empirically difficult to study public providers in different markets, but in Finnish occupational health services, both public and private for-profit and non-profit providers co-exist. We studied possible differences in public providers' performance (price, intensity of services, service mix-curative medical services/prevention, productivity and revenues) according to the competitiveness of the market. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) collected data on clients, services and personnel for 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2004 from occupational health services (OHS) providers. Employers defray the costs of OHS and apply for reimbursement from the Social Insurance Institution (SII). The SII data was merged with FIOH's questionnaire. The unbalanced panel consisted of about 230 public providers, totalling 1,164 observations. Local markets were constructed from several municipalities based on commuting practices and regional collaboration. Competitiveness of the market was measured by the number of providers and by the Herfindahl index. The effect of competition was studied by ordinary least square regression analysis and panel models. The more competitive the environment was for a public provider the higher were intensity, productivity and the share of medical care. Fixed panel models showed that these differences were not due to differences and changes in the competitiveness of the market. Instead, in more competitive markets public providers had higher unit prices and higher revenues.

The effect of pharmacist-provided non-dispensing services on patient outcomes, health service utilisation and costs in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pande, Sami; Hiller, Janet E; Nkansah, Nancy; Bero, Lisa

2013-02-28

The role of pharmacists has expanded beyond dispensing and packaging over the past two decades, and now includes ensuring rational use of drugs, improving clinical outcomes and promoting health status by working with the public and other healthcare professionals. To examine the effect of pharmacist-provided non-dispensing services on patient outcomes, health service utilisation and costs in low- and middle-income countries. Studies were identified by electronically searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (February 2010), MEDLINE (1949 to February 2010), Scopus (1960 to March 2010) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 to January 2010) databases. An update of this review is currently ongoing. The search was re-run September 2012 and the potentially relevant studies are awaiting classification. Randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series analyses comparing 1. pharmacist-provided non-dispensing services targeted at patients versus (a) the same services provided by other healthcare professionals, (b) the same services provided by untrained health workers, and (c) usual care; and 2. pharmacist-provided non-dispensing services targeted at healthcare professionals versus (a) the same services provided by other healthcare professionals, (b) the same services provided by untrained health workers, and (c) usual care in low- and middle-income countries. The research sites must have been located in low or middle income countries according to World Bank Group 2009 at the time of the study, regardless of the location or the origin of the researchers. Two authors independently reviewed studies for inclusion in the review. Two review authors independently extracted data for each study. Risk of bias of the included studies was also assessed independently by two authors. Twelve studies comparing pharmacist-provided services versus usual

Evaluating Common Privacy Vulnerabilities in Internet Service Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Kotzanikolaou, Panayiotis; Maniatis, Sotirios; Nikolouzou, Eugenia; Stathopoulos, Vassilios

Privacy in electronic communications receives increased attention in both research and industry forums, stemming from both the users' needs and from legal and regulatory requirements in national or international context. Privacy in internet-based communications heavily relies on the level of security of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), as well as on the security awareness of the end users. This paper discusses the role of the ISP in the privacy of the communications. Based on real security audits performed in national-wide ISPs, we illustrate privacy-specific threats and vulnerabilities that many providers fail to address when implementing their security policies. We subsequently provide and discuss specific security measures that the ISPs can implement, in order to fine-tune their security policies in the context of privacy protection.

Providing web-based mental health services to at-risk women.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipman, Ellen L; Kenny, Meghan; Marziali, Elsa

2011-08-19

We examined the feasibility of providing web-based mental health services, including synchronous internet video conferencing of an evidence-based support/education group, to at-risk women, specifically poor lone mothers. The objectives of this study were to: (i) adapt a face-to-face support/education group intervention to a web-based format for lone mothers, and (ii) evaluate lone mothers' response to web-based services, including an online video conferencing group intervention program. Participating mothers were recruited through advertisements. To adapt the face-to-face intervention to a web-based format, we evaluated participant motivation through focus group/key informant interviews (n = 7), adapted the intervention training manual for a web-based environment and provided a computer training manual. To evaluate response to web-based services, we provided the intervention to two groups of lone mothers (n = 15). Pre-post quantitative evaluation of mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting was done. Post intervention follow up interviews explored responses to the group and to using technology to access a health service. Participants received $20 per occasion of data collection. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysis was used to code and interpret the data. Adherence to the intervention protocol was evaluated. Mothers participating in this project experienced multiple difficulties, including financial and mood problems. We adapted the intervention training manual for use in a web-based group environment and ensured adherence to the intervention protocol based on viewing videoconferencing group sessions and discussion with the leaders. Participant responses to the group intervention included decreased isolation, and increased knowledge and confidence in themselves and their parenting; the responses closely matched those of mothers who obtained same service in face-to-face groups. Pre-and post-group quantitative evaluations did not show

Preparedness of NGO Health Service Providers in Bangladesh about Distance Based Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AKM ALAMGIR

2006-07-01

Full Text Available This cross-sectional survey was conducted countrywide from 15 January to 01 March 2004 to explore the potentials of health care service providers (physicians, nurses, paramedics etc. for using distance-based learning materials. Face-to-face in-depth interview was taken from 99 randomly selected direct service providers, 45 midlevel clinic mangers/physicians and 06 administrators or policy planners. Quasi-open questionnaire was developed for three different levels. Pre-trained interviewer team assisted data collection at field level. Total procedure was stringently monitored for completeness and consistency to ensure quality data. SPSS software was used to process and analyze both univariate and multivariate multiple responses. Identified need for training areas were- STD/HIV, tuberculosis updates, family planning, treatment of locally endemic diseases, behavioral change communication & marketing and quality management system for managers. About 76.7% clinic managers and 89.1% service providers had primary information about distance-based learning in spite showed interest. About 51.5% desired monthly, 20.6% biweekly and 26.8% wanted bimonthly circulation of the distance-based study materials. About 35.1% expected print materials with regular facilitators while 58.8% demanded stand-by facilitators. The study suggested wide acceptance of distance-based learning methods as supplementary to the continuing medical education among the countrywide health service providers.

CSRQ Center Report on Education Service Providers: Educator's Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (NJ3), 2008

2008-01-01

Education service providers (ESPs), or education management organizations, are for-profit or non-profit organizations that contract with new or existing public, charter, or private schools to help them implement comprehensive reforms. Which of these ESPs have evidence that they help children in elementary and secondary school of positive effects…

The State of the Psychology Health Service Provider Workforce

Science.gov (United States)

Michalski, Daniel S.; Kohout, Jessica L.

2011-01-01

Numerous efforts to describe the health service provider or clinical workforce in psychology have been conducted during the past 30 years. The American Psychological Association (APA) has studied trends in the doctoral education pathway and the resultant effects on the broader psychology workforce. During this period, the creation and growth of…

Logistics Service Provider Selection through an Integrated Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision Making Approach

OpenAIRE

Gülşen Akman; Kasım Baynal

2014-01-01

Nowadays, the demand of third-party logistics provider becomes an increasingly important issue for companies to improve their customer service and to decrease logistics costs. This paper presents an integrated fuzzy approach for the evaluation and selection of 3rd party logistics service providers. This method consists of two techniques: (1) use fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to identify weights of evaluation criteria; (2) apply fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal so...

Unchained from the chain: supply management from a logistics service provider perspective

OpenAIRE

Huemer, Lars

2012-01-01

This is the author’s final, accepted and refereed manuscript to the article The last few years have seen increasing recognition of the work of logistics service providers, as well as the significance of functioning supply relationships. This paper proposes an alternative view of supply management that builds on the observation that traditional supply chain management focuses on logistics clients rather than the service providers themselves. The paper utilizes the 4 Resource Interaction too...

Service providers' perception of affective influences on decision-making about treatments for chronic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cary A

2004-01-07

Service providers working with people who have complex health problems like chronic pain are considered at particular risk from the heavy emotional content of these interactions (frustration, guilt, hostility). For the good of service users and in the interests of healthcare workers' own health it is important for them to employ reflective practice acknowledging these issues. Service providers are inculcated to negate the affective domain of their practice despite the growing awareness that wellbeing can no longer be envisioned as a linear (cause and effect) process divorced from socio-cultural influences and attendant values and beliefs. The aim of this report is to examine to what degree service users (SU) and service providers (SP) believe their decisions about treatment importance are influenced by self-image and emotion. These results are extrapolated from a larger study based on a postal questionnaire that went to members of the Pain Society (UK Chapter of IASP) and service users belonging to chronic pain support groups in the North-West of England. The question of interest in this report asked participants to identify their level of agreement with statements about how four themes influence their decision-making about whether a treatment is important. The themes (coherence, purposiveness, self-image and affect) arise from Chapman's model of consciousness and pain. Only 20.5% of service providers rated the influence of self-image (what someone like me would think) as 3 (mostly) or 4 (completely). Service provider rating for the influence of affect (how this treatment makes me feel) were similarly low with only 19.4% of respondents selecting a rating of 3 or 4. In marked contrast, 73.3% of the service users selected self-image and 92.9% selected affect as a strong influence. Service providers felt that affect and self-image had little influence on their decision-making. However, there is growing evidence in the literature to suggest that it is not possible, nor

An exploration of clinical interventions provided by pharmacists within a complex asthma service.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemay, Kate S; Saini, Bandana; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Smith, Lorraine; Stewart, Kay; Emmerton, Lynne; Burton, Deborah L; Krass, Ines; Armour, Carol L

2015-01-01

Pharmacists in Australia are accessible health care professionals, and their provision of clinical pharmacy interventions in a range of areas has been proven to improve patient outcomes. Individual clinical pharmacy interventions in the area of asthma management have been very successful. An understanding of the nature of these interventions will inform future pharmacy services. What we do not know is when pharmacists provide a complex asthma service, what elements of that service (interventions) they choose to deliver. To explore the scope and frequency of asthma-related clinical interventions provided by pharmacists to patients in an evidence-based complex asthma service. Pharmacists from 4 states/territories of Australia were trained in asthma management. People with asthma had 3 or 4 visits to the pharmacy. Guided by a structured patient file, the pharmacist assessed the patient's asthma and management and provided interventions where and when considered appropriate, based on their clinical decision making skills. The interventions were recorded in a checklist in the patient file. They were then analysed descriptively and thematically. Pharmacists provided 22,909 clinical pharmacy interventions over the service to 570 patients (398 of whom completed the service). The most frequently delivered interventions were in the themes 'Education on asthma', 'Addressing trigger factors', 'Medications - safe and effective use' and 'Explore patient perspectives'. The patients had a high and ongoing need for interventions. Pharmacists selected interventions based on their assessment of perceived need then revisited and reinforced these interventions. Pharmacists identified a number of areas in which patients required interventions to assist with their asthma management. Many of these were perceived to require continuing reinforcement over the duration of the service. Pharmacists were able to use their clinical judgement to assess patients and provide clinical pharmacy

An exploration of clinical interventions provided by pharmacists within a complex asthma service

Science.gov (United States)

Lemay, Kate S.; Saini, Bandana; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Smith, Lorraine; Stewart, Kay; Emmerton, Lynne; Burton, Deborah L.; Krass, Ines; Armour, Carol L.

2014-01-01

Background: Pharmacists in Australia are accessible health care professionals, and their provision of clinical pharmacy interventions in a range of areas has been proven to improve patient outcomes. Individual clinical pharmacy interventions in the area of asthma management have been very successful. An understanding of the nature of these interventions will inform future pharmacy services. What we do not know is when pharmacists provide a complex asthma service, what elements of that service (interventions) they choose to deliver. Objective: To explore the scope and frequency of asthma-related clinical interventions provided by pharmacists to patients in an evidence-based complex asthma service. Methods: Pharmacists from 4 states/territories of Australia were trained in asthma management. People with asthma had 3 or 4 visits to the pharmacy. Guided by a structured patient file, the pharmacist assessed the patient’s asthma and management and provided interventions where and when considered appropriate, based on their clinical decision making skills. The interventions were recorded in a checklist in the patient file. They were then analysed descriptively and thematically. Results: Pharmacists provided 22,909 clinical pharmacy interventions over the service to 570 patients (398 of whom completed the service). The most frequently delivered interventions were in the themes ’Education on asthma’, ’Addressing trigger factors’, ’Medications - safe and effective use’ and ’Explore patient perspectives’. The patients had a high and ongoing need for interventions. Pharmacists selected interventions based on their assessment of perceived need then revisited and reinforced these interventions. Conclusion: Pharmacists identified a number of areas in which patients required interventions to assist with their asthma management. Many of these were perceived to require continuing reinforcement over the duration of the service. Pharmacists were able to use their

An exploration of clinical interventions provided by pharmacists within a complex asthma service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LeMay KS

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Pharmacists in Australia are accessible health care professionals, and their provision of clinical pharmacy interventions in a range of areas has been proven to improve patient outcomes. Individual clinical pharmacy interventions in the area of asthma management have been very successful. An understanding of the nature of these interventions will inform future pharmacy services. What we do not know is when pharmacists provide a complex asthma service, what elements of that service (interventions they choose to deliver. Objective: To explore the scope and frequency of asthma-related clinical interventions provided by pharmacists to patients in an evidence-based complex asthma service. Methods: Pharmacists from 4 states/territories of Australia were trained in asthma management. People with asthma had 3 or 4 visits to the pharmacy. Guided by a structured patient file, the pharmacist assessed the patient’s asthma and management and provided interventions where and when considered appropriate, based on their clinical decision making skills. The interventions were recorded in a checklist in the patient file. They were then analysed descriptively and thematically. Results: Pharmacists provided 22,909 clinical pharmacy interventions over the service to 570 patients (398 of whom completed the service. The most frequently delivered interventions were in the themes ‘Education on asthma’, ‘Addressing trigger factors’, ‘Medications – safe and effective use’ and ‘Explore patient perspectives’. The patients had a high and ongoing need for interventions. Pharmacists selected interventions based on their assessment of perceived need then revisited and reinforced these interventions. Conclusion: Pharmacists identified a number of areas in which patients required interventions to assist with their asthma management. Many of these were perceived to require continuing reinforcement over the duration of the service. Pharmacists were

An Analysis of Personal Technology Use by Service Members and Military Behavioral Health Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards-Stewart, Amanda; Smolenski, Derek J; Reger, Greg M; Bush, Nigel; Workman, Don E

2016-07-01

Personal technology use is ubiquitous in the United States today and technology, in general, continues to change the face of health care. However, little is known about the personal technology use of military service members and the behavioral health care providers that treat them. This study reports the technology use of 1,101 active duty service members and 45 behavioral health care providers at a large military installation. Participants reported Internet usage; ownership of smartphones, tablets, and e-readers; usage of mobile applications (apps); and basic demographic information. Compared with providers, service members reported higher rates of smartphone ownership, were more likely to own Android smartphones than iPhones, and spent more time gaming. Both groups spent a comparable amount of time using social media. With the exception of gaming, however, differences between service members and providers were not statistically significant when demographics were matched and controlled. Among service members, younger respondents (18-34) were statistically more likely than older respondents (35-58) to own smartphones, spend time gaming, and engage in social media. Our findings can help inform provider's technology-based education and intervention of their patients and guide the development of new technologies to support the psychological health of service members. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Measuring the quality of provided services for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Heidari Jamebozorgi, Majid; Salesi, Mahmood; Ravangard, Ramin

2014-09-01

The healthcare organizations need to develop and implement quality improvement plans for their survival and success. Measuring quality in the healthcare competitive environment is an undeniable necessity for these organizations and will lead to improved patient satisfaction. This study aimed to measure the quality of provided services for patients with chronic kidney disease in Kerman in 2014. This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was performed from 23 January 2014 to 14 February 2014 in four hemodialysis centers in Kerman. All of the patients on chronic hemodialysis (n = 195) who were referred to these four centers were selected and studied using census method. The required data were collected using the SERVQUAL questionnaire, consisting of two parts: questions related to the patients' demographic characteristics, and 28 items to measure the patients' expectations and perceptions of the five dimensions of service quality, including tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 through some statistical tests, including independent-samples t test, one-way ANOVA, and paired-samples t test. The results showed that the means of patients' expectations were more than their perceptions of the quality of provided services in all dimensions, which indicated that there were gaps in all dimensions. The highest and lowest means of negative gaps were related to empathy (-0.52 ± 0.48) and tangibility (-0.29 ± 0.51). In addition, among the studied patients' demographic characteristics and the five dimensions of service quality, only the difference between the patients' income levels and the gap in assurance were statistically significant (P expectations of patients on hemodialysis were more than their perceptions of provided services. The healthcare providers and employees should pay more attention to the patients' opinions and comments and use their feedback to solve the workplace problems and

Initial development of the recovery-oriented services assessment: A collaboration with peer-provider consultants.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodge, Amy C; Kuhn, Wendy; Earley, Juli; Stevens Manser, Stacey

2018-06-01

The Recovery Self-Assessment (RSA) is a reliable and valid tool used to measure recovery-oriented services. Recent studies, however, suggest that the length and reading level of the RSA makes its routine use in service settings difficult. Recognizing the importance of including people with lived experience of a mental health challenge in research processes and the need to enhance the utility of tools that measure recovery-oriented services, this paper describes an innovative researcher-peer provider consultant multistep process used to revise the provider version of the RSA to create a new instrument-the Recovery-Oriented Services Assessment (ROSA). The authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with principal axis factoring extraction and direct oblimin rotation to evaluate the underlying structure of the provider RSA using data from mental health employees (n = 323). To triangulate the findings of the EFA, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from peer provider consultants (n = 9) on the importance of and language of RSA items. EFA results indicated that a 1-factor solution provided the best fit and explained 48% of the total variance. Consultants triangulated EFA results and recommended the addition of 2 items and language revisions. These results were used to develop the ROSA-a 15-item instrument measuring recovery-oriented services with accessible language. Two versions of the ROSA were developed: a staff version and a people-in-services version. The ROSA may provide organizations with a more accessible way to measure the extent to which their services are recovery oriented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Ecosystem function and services provided by the deep sea

Science.gov (United States)

Thurber, A. R.; Sweetman, A. K.; Narayanaswamy, B. E.; Jones, D. O. B.; Ingels, J.; Hansman, R. L.

2014-07-01

The deep sea is often viewed as a vast, dark, remote, and inhospitable environment, yet the deep ocean and seafloor are crucial to our lives through the services that they provide. Our understanding of how the deep sea functions remains limited, but when treated synoptically, a diversity of supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services becomes apparent. The biological pump transports carbon from the atmosphere into deep-ocean water masses that are separated over prolonged periods, reducing the impact of anthropogenic carbon release. Microbial oxidation of methane keeps another potent greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere while trapping carbon in authigenic carbonates. Nutrient regeneration by all faunal size classes provides the elements necessary for fueling surface productivity and fisheries, and microbial processes detoxify a diversity of compounds. Each of these processes occur on a very small scale, yet considering the vast area over which they occur they become important for the global functioning of the ocean. The deep sea also provides a wealth of resources, including fish stocks, enormous bioprospecting potential, and elements and energy reserves that are currently being extracted and will be increasingly important in the near future. Society benefits from the intrigue and mystery, the strange life forms, and the great unknown that has acted as a muse for inspiration and imagination since near the beginning of civilization. While many functions occur on the scale of microns to meters and timescales up to years, the derived services that result are only useful after centuries of integrated activity. This vast dark habitat, which covers the majority of the globe, harbors processes that directly impact humans in a variety of ways; however, the same traits that differentiate it from terrestrial or shallow marine systems also result in a greater need for integrated spatial and temporal understanding as it experiences increased use by society. In

Contingency management: perspectives of Australian service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Jacqui; Ritter, Alison

2007-03-01

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

Mental Health Providers: Credentials, Services Offered and What to Expect

Science.gov (United States)

... and specific services they offer Treatment approaches and philosophy Which insurance providers they work with Office hours, ... trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. © 1998-2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and ...

Providing written language services in the schools: the time is now.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallon, Karen A; Katz, Lauren A

2011-01-01

The current study was conducted to investigate the provision of written language services by school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Specifically, the study examined SLPs' knowledge, attitudes, and collaborative practices in the area of written language services as well as the variables that impact provision of these services. Public school-based SLPs from across the country were solicited for participation in an online, Web-based survey. Data from 645 full-time SLPs from 49 states were evaluated using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Many school-based SLPs reported not providing any services in the area of written language to students with written language weaknesses. Knowledge, attitudes, and collaborative practices were mixed. A logistic regression revealed three variables likely to predict high levels of service provision in the area of written language. Data from the current study revealed that many struggling readers and writers on school-based SLPs' caseloads are not receiving services from their SLPs. Implications for SLPs' preservice preparation, continuing education, and doctoral preparation are discussed.

78 FR 22520 - Privacy Act of 1974: New System of Records

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

...), verification of the data in the system, disabling an offender from reporting through the kiosk self-service... reporting requirement through the use of a self-service technology. This system has been in operation since... under supervision who pose a very low level of risk to the community to use the self-service technology...

Valuing environmental services provided by local stormwater management

Science.gov (United States)

Brent, Daniel A.; Gangadharan, Lata; Lassiter, Allison; Leroux, Anke; Raschky, Paul A.

2017-06-01

The management of stormwater runoff via distributed green infrastructures delivers a number of environmental services that go beyond the reduction of flood risk, which has been the focus of conventional stormwater systems. Not all of these services may be equally valued by the public, however. This paper estimates households' willingness to pay (WTP) for improvements in water security, stream health, recreational and amenity values, as well as reduction in flood risk and urban heat island effect. We use data from nearly 1000 personal interviews with residential homeowners in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Our results suggest that the WTP for the highest levels of all environmental services is A799 per household per year. WTP is mainly driven by residents valuing improvements in local stream health, exemptions in water restrictions, the prevention of flash flooding, and decreased peak urban temperatures respectively at A297, A244, A104 and A$65 per year. We further conduct a benefit transfer analysis and find that the WTP and compensating surplus are not significantly different between the study areas. Our findings provide additional support that stormwater management via green infrastructures have large nonmarket benefits and that, under certain conditions, benefit values can be transferred to different locations.

Superorganism resilience: Eusociality and susceptibility of ecosystem service providing insects to stressors

Science.gov (United States)

Insects provide crucial ecosystem services for human food security and maintenance of biodiversity. Therefore, major declines in wild species combined with losses of managed bees have raised concern over the sustainability of their ecosystem services. Recent data suggest that honey bees appear to be...

Ecosystem services provided by pacific NW Estuaries: State of knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Coastal regions in the United States are rapidly developing areas, with increasing urbanization and growing populations. Estuarine and nearshore coastal marine waters provide valuable ecosystem services to resident and transient human communities. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW)...

Supercomputing Centers and Electricity Service Providers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Patki, Tapasya; Bates, Natalie; Ghatikar, Girish

2016-01-01

from a detailed, quantitative survey-based analysis and compare the perspectives of the European grid and SCs to the ones of the United States (US). We then show that contrary to the expectation, SCs in the US are more open toward cooperating and developing demand-management strategies with their ESPs......Supercomputing Centers (SCs) have high and variable power demands, which increase the challenges of the Electricity Service Providers (ESPs) with regards to efficient electricity distribution and reliable grid operation. High penetration of renewable energy generation further exacerbates...... this problem. In order to develop a symbiotic relationship between the SCs and their ESPs and to support effective power management at all levels, it is critical to understand and analyze how the existing relationships were formed and how these are expected to evolve. In this paper, we first present results...

Evaluation of the Quality of Health Service Providers: The Iranian People Perspective 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Asefzadeh, Saeed; Gholami, Soheyla; Rajaee, Roya; Najafi, Marziye; Alijanzadeh, Mehran

2016-03-01

Quality is the center of attention in all service providing organizations that are effective in promoting satisfaction of patients who are referred to medical centers. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of health service providers in a case study of Qazvin, Iran, in 2014. This descriptive study was conducted on 1,002 people who were residents of Qazvin Province (Iran) in 2014. The people were selected randomly from the population of the study area. The main variables studied were education, perceptions, expectations, and gaps in service quality. The data collection tool was the standard Servequal questionnaire. To determine the reliability of the research tool, we used Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and the test-retest method. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and the ANOVA test. The mean age of people included in the study was 32 ± 9.9 years, and the average waiting time to receive services was 73 ± 47 minutes. Hospitals and doctors' offices had the highest quality gap of -1.420 ± 0.82 and -1.01 ± 0.75, respectively. The service quality gaps in medical centers, health providers of rural area, and health providers of urban area were -0.883 ± 0.67, -0.882 ± 0.83, and -0.804 ± 0.62, respectively. There was a significant relationship between peoples' perceptions and expectations concerning the quality of health services and their educational levels. The higher gaps in quality in hospitals and in doctors' offices require more attention. Managers and policy makers should consider developing and implementing plans to reduce these gaps in quality and to promote better health services in these two sectors.

Constraints and prospects for contraceptive service provision to young people in Uganda: providers' perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tumwesigye Nazarius M

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Unintended pregnancies lead to unsafe abortions, which are a leading cause of preventable maternal mortality among young women in Uganda. There is a discrepancy between the desire to prevent pregnancy and actual contraceptive use. Health care providers' perspectives on factors influencing contraceptive use and service provision to young people aged 15-24 in two rural districts in Uganda were explored. Methods Semi-structured questionnaires were used for face- to-face interviews with 102 providers of contraceptive service at public, private not-for-profit, and private for-profit health facilities in two rural districts in Uganda. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of data. Results Providers identified service delivery, provider-focused, structural, and client-specific factors that influence contraceptive use among young people. Contraceptive use and provision to young people were constrained by sporadic contraceptive stocks, poor service organization, and the limited number of trained personnel, high costs, and unfriendly service. Most providers were not competent enough to provide long-acting methods. There were significant differences in providers' self-rated competence by facility type; private for-profit providers' competence was limited for most contraceptives. Providers had misconceptions about contraceptives, they had negative attitudes towards the provision of contraceptives to young people, and they imposed non-evidence-based age restrictions and consent requirements. Thus, most providers were not prepared or were hesitant to give young people contraceptives. Short-acting methods were, however, considered acceptable for young married women and those with children. Conclusion Provider, client, and health system factors restricted contraceptive provision and use for young people. Their contraceptive use prospects are dependent on provider behavior and health system improvements.

Architecture of a Framework for Providing Information Services for Public Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabino Padrón

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents OnRoute, a framework for developing and running ubiquitous software that provides information services to passengers of public transportation, including payment systems and on-route guidance services. To achieve a high level of interoperability, accessibility and context awareness, OnRoute uses the ubiquitous computing paradigm. To guarantee the quality of the software produced, the reliable software principles used in critical contexts, such as automotive systems, are also considered by the framework. The main components of its architecture (run-time, system services, software components and development discipline and how they are deployed in the transportation network (stations and vehicles are described in this paper. Finally, to illustrate the use of OnRoute, the development of a guidance service for travellers is explained.

VOLTTRON-Based System for Providing Ancillary Services with Residential Building Loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Xin

2016-07-01

Ancillary services entail controlled modulation of building equipment to maintain a stable balance of generation and load in the power system. Ancillary services include frequency regulation and contingency reserves, whose acting time ranges from several seconds to several minutes. Many pilot studies have been implemented to use industrial loads to provide ancillary services, and some have explored services from commercial building loads or electric vehicle charging loads. Residential loads, such as space conditioning and water heating, represent a largely untapped resource for providing ancillary services. The residential building sector accounts for a significant fraction of the total electricity use in the United States. Many loads in residential buildings are flexible and could potentially be curtailed or shifted at the request of the grid. However, there are many barriers that prevent residential loads being widely used for ancillary services. One of the major technical barriers is the lack of communication capabilities between end-use devices and the grid. End-use devices need to be able to receive the automatic generation control (AGC) signal from the grid operator and supply certain types of telemetry to verify response. With the advance of consumer electronics, communication-enabled, or 'connected,' residential equipment has emerged to overcome the communication barrier. However, these end-use devices have introduced a new interoperability challenge due to the existence of numerous standards and communication protocols among different end devices. In this paper, we present a VOLTTRON-based system that overcomes these technical challenges and provides ancillary services with residential loads. VOLTTRON is an open-source control and sensing platform for building energy management, facilitating interoperability solutions for end devices. We have developed drivers to communicate and control different types of end devices through standard

Family-centred services in the Netherlands : validating a self-report measure for paediatric service providers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siebes, RC; Ketelaar, M; Wijnroks, L; van Schie, PE; Nijhuis, Bianca J G; Vermeer, A; Gorter, JW

Objective: To validate the Dutch translation of the Canadian Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers questionnaire (MPOC-SP) for use in paediatric rehabilitation settings in the Netherlands. Design: The construct validity, content validity, face validity, and reliability of the Dutch

Providing web-based mental health services to at-risk women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenny Meghan

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We examined the feasibility of providing web-based mental health services, including synchronous internet video conferencing of an evidence-based support/education group, to at-risk women, specifically poor lone mothers. The objectives of this study were to: (i adapt a face-to-face support/education group intervention to a web-based format for lone mothers, and (ii evaluate lone mothers' response to web-based services, including an online video conferencing group intervention program. Methods Participating mothers were recruited through advertisements. To adapt the face-to-face intervention to a web-based format, we evaluated participant motivation through focus group/key informant interviews (n = 7, adapted the intervention training manual for a web-based environment and provided a computer training manual. To evaluate response to web-based services, we provided the intervention to two groups of lone mothers (n = 15. Pre-post quantitative evaluation of mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting was done. Post intervention follow up interviews explored responses to the group and to using technology to access a health service. Participants received $20 per occasion of data collection. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysis was used to code and interpret the data. Adherence to the intervention protocol was evaluated. Results Mothers participating in this project experienced multiple difficulties, including financial and mood problems. We adapted the intervention training manual for use in a web-based group environment and ensured adherence to the intervention protocol based on viewing videoconferencing group sessions and discussion with the leaders. Participant responses to the group intervention included decreased isolation, and increased knowledge and confidence in themselves and their parenting; the responses closely matched those of mothers who obtained same service in face-to-face groups. Pre-and post

76 FR 71920 - Payment for Home Health Services and Hospice Care by Non-VA Providers

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-21

... concerning the billing methodology for non-VA providers of home health services and hospice care. The proposed rulemaking would include home health services and hospice care under the VA regulation governing... to ``RIN 2900-AN98--Payment for home health and services and hospice care by non-VA providers...

Providers of antenatal care services in Ghana: evidence from Ghana demographic and health surveys 1988-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickson, Kwamena Sekyi; Darteh, Eugene Kofuor Maafo; Kumi-Kyereme, Akwasi

2017-03-14

Antenatal care is one of the three most essential care - antenatal, delivery and post-natal, given to women during pregnancy and has the potential to contribute towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.1- reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 and target 3.8 - achieve universal health coverage. The main objective is to examine the contribution of the various providers of antenatal care services in Ghana from 1988 to 2014. The study uses data from all the six rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Binary logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between background characteristics of respondents and providers of antenatal care services. The results show that majority of antenatal care services were provided by nurses over the period under review. The proportion of women who received antenatal care services from nurses improved over the period from 55% in 1988 to 89.5% in 2014. Moreover, there was a decline in antenatal care services provided by traditional birth attendants and women who did not receive antenatal care services from any service provider over the years under review. It was observed that women from rural areas were more likely to utilise antenatal care services provided by traditional birth attendants, whilst those from urban areas were more likely to utilise antenatal care from doctors and nurses. To further improve access to and utilisation of antenatal care services provided by nurses and doctors it is recommended that the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health should put in place systems aimed at improving on the quality of care given such as regular training workshops for health personnel and assessment of patient's satisfaction with services provided. Also, they should encourage women in rural areas especially those from the savannah zone to utilise antenatal care services from skilled providers through social and behaviour

42 CFR 403.764 - Basis and purpose of religious nonmedical health care institutions providing home service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... care institutions providing home service. 403.764 Section 403.764 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... Basis and purpose of religious nonmedical health care institutions providing home service. (a) Basis... and 1878 of the Act regarding Medicare payment for items and services provided in the home setting...

Using 340B drug discounts to provide a financially sustainable medication discharge service.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Timothy; Williams, Carla; Vranek, Kathryn; Mattingly, T Joseph

2018-03-27

The 340B Drug Pricing Program was intended to stretch federal resources by providing significant discounts to covered entities providing care to underserved populations. Program implementation and evidence of expanding services to higher income patients has brought more scrutiny and calls for elimination of the program. While additional review and reform may be warranted, profitability from 340B discounts enables covered entities to provide additional services that may not be feasible in absence of the program. This case report demonstrates one institution's use of 340B discounts to financially justify providing bedside medication delivery services for patients at the time of discharge from an inpatient admission. A simple financial model was developed using hospital data and inputs from available literature to estimate gross profit and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) with and without 340B discounts. Without the 340B drug price discounts, the service would operate at a financial loss, and further investigation must be done to determine whether other clinical or economic benefits would warrant discharge medication delivery at the institution. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Provider-Initiated Late Preterm Births in Brazil: Differences between Public and Private Health Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Maria do Carmo; Esteves-Pereira, Ana Paula; Nakamura-Pereira, Marcos; Torres, Jacqueline Alves; Domingues, Rosa Maria Soares Madeira; Dias, Marcos Augusto Bastos; Moreira, Maria Elizabeth; Theme-Filha, Mariza; da Gama, Silvana Granado Nogueira

2016-01-01

A large proportion of the rise in prematurity worldwide is owing to late preterm births, which may be due to the expansion of obstetric interventions, especially pre-labour caesarean section. Late preterm births pose similar risks to overall prematurity, making this trend a concern. In this study, we describe factors associated with provider-initiated late preterm birth and verify differences in provider-initiated late preterm birth rates between public and private health services according to obstetric risk. This is a sub-analysis of a national population-based survey of postpartum women entitled "Birth in Brazil", performed between 2011 and 2012. We included 23,472 singleton live births. We performed non-conditional multiple logistic regressions assessing associated factors and analysing differences between public and private health services. Provider-initiated births accounted for 38% of late preterm births; 32% in public health services and 61% in private health services. They were associated with previous preterm birth(s) and maternal pathologies for women receiving both public and private services and with maternal age ≥35 years for women receiving public services. Women receiving private health services had higher rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth (rate of 4.8%) when compared to the ones receiving public services (rate of 2.4%), regardless of obstetric risk-adjusted OR of 2.3 (CI 1.5-3.6) for women of low obstetric risk and adjusted OR of 1.6 (CI 1.1-2.3) for women of high obstetric risk. The high rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth suggests a considerable potential for reduction, as such prematurity can be avoided, especially in women of low obstetric risk. To promote healthy births, we advise introducing policies with incentives for the adoption of new models of birth care.

Provider-Initiated Late Preterm Births in Brazil: Differences between Public and Private Health Services.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Carmo Leal

Full Text Available A large proportion of the rise in prematurity worldwide is owing to late preterm births, which may be due to the expansion of obstetric interventions, especially pre-labour caesarean section. Late preterm births pose similar risks to overall prematurity, making this trend a concern. In this study, we describe factors associated with provider-initiated late preterm birth and verify differences in provider-initiated late preterm birth rates between public and private health services according to obstetric risk.This is a sub-analysis of a national population-based survey of postpartum women entitled "Birth in Brazil", performed between 2011 and 2012. We included 23,472 singleton live births. We performed non-conditional multiple logistic regressions assessing associated factors and analysing differences between public and private health services.Provider-initiated births accounted for 38% of late preterm births; 32% in public health services and 61% in private health services. They were associated with previous preterm birth(s and maternal pathologies for women receiving both public and private services and with maternal age ≥35 years for women receiving public services. Women receiving private health services had higher rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth (rate of 4.8% when compared to the ones receiving public services (rate of 2.4%, regardless of obstetric risk-adjusted OR of 2.3 (CI 1.5-3.6 for women of low obstetric risk and adjusted OR of 1.6 (CI 1.1-2.3 for women of high obstetric risk.The high rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth suggests a considerable potential for reduction, as such prematurity can be avoided, especially in women of low obstetric risk. To promote healthy births, we advise introducing policies with incentives for the adoption of new models of birth care.

Factors influencing the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lygnugaryte-Griksiene, Aidana; Leskauskas, Darius; Jasinskas, Nedas; Masiukiene, Agne

2017-01-01

Lithuania currently has the highest suicide rate in Europe and the fifth highest worldwide. To identify the factors that influence the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services (EMS) providers (doctors, nurses, paramedics). Two hundred and sixty-eight EMS providers participated in the research. The EMS providers were surveyed both prior to their training in suicide intervention and six months later. The questionnaire used for the survey assessed their socio-demographic characteristics, suicide intervention skills, attitudes towards suicide prevention, general mental health, strategies for coping with stress, and likelihood of burnout. Better suicide intervention skills were more prevalent among EMS providers with a higher level of education, heavier workload, more positive attitudes towards suicide prevention, better methods of coping with stress, and those of a younger age. Six months after the non-continuous training in suicide intervention, the providers' ability to assess suicide risk factors had improved, although there was no change in their suicide intervention skills. In order to improve the suicide intervention skills of EMS providers, particular attention should be paid to attitudes towards suicide prevention, skills for coping with stress, and continuous training in suicide intervention. EMS: Emergency medical services; SIRI: Suicide intervention response inventory.

Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, P.; Cotrufo, M. F.; Rumpel, C.; Paustian, K.; Kuikman, P. J.; Elliott, J. A.; McDowell, R.; Griffiths, R. I.; Asakawa, S.; Bustamante, M.; House, J. I.; Sobocká, J.; Harper, R.; Pan, G.; West, P. C.; Gerber, J. S.; Clark, J. M.; Adhya, T.; Scholes, R. J.; Scholes, M. C.

2015-06-01

Soils play a pivotal role in major global biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nutrient and water), while hosting the largest diversity of organisms on land. Because of this, soils deliver fundamental ecosystem services, and management to change a soil process in support of one ecosystem service can either provide co-benefits to other services or can result in trade-offs. In this critical review, we report the state-of-the-art understanding concerning the biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity in soil, and relate these to the provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services which they underpin. We then outline key knowledge gaps and research challenges, before providing recommendations for management activities to support the continued delivery of ecosystem services from soils. We conclude that although there are knowledge gaps that require further research, enough is known to start improving soils globally. The main challenge is in finding ways to share knowledge with soil managers and policy-makers, so that best-practice management can be implemented. A key element of this knowledge sharing must be in raising awareness of the multiple ecosystem services underpinned by soils, and the natural capital they provide. The International Year of Soils in 2015 presents the perfect opportunity to begin a step-change in how we harness scientific knowledge to bring about more sustainable use of soils for a secure global society.

Interventions to provide culturally-appropriate maternity care services: factors affecting implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Eleri; Lattof, Samantha R; Coast, Ernestina

2017-08-31

The World Health Organization recently made a recommendation supporting 'culturally-appropriate' maternity care services to improve maternal and newborn health. This recommendation results, in part, from a systematic review we conducted, which showed that interventions to provide culturally-appropriate maternity care have largely improved women's use of skilled maternity care. Factors relating to the implementation of these interventions can have implications for their success. This paper examines stakeholders' perspectives and experiences of these interventions, and facilitators and barriers to implementation; and concludes with how they relate to the effects of the interventions on care-seeking outcomes. We based our analysis on 15 papers included in the systematic review. To extract, collate and organise data on the context and conditions from each paper, we adapted the SURE (Supporting the Use of Research Evidence) framework that lists categories of factors that could influence implementation. We considered information from the background and discussion sections of papers included in the systematic review, as well as cost data and qualitative data when included. Women's and other stakeholders' perspectives on the interventions were generally positive. Four key themes emerged in our analysis of facilitators and barriers to implementation. Firstly, interventions must consider broader economic, geographical and social factors that affect ethnic minority groups' access to services, alongside providing culturally-appropriate care. Secondly, community participation is important in understanding problems with existing services and potential solutions from the community perspective, and in the development and implementation of interventions. Thirdly, respectful, person-centred care should be at the core of these interventions. Finally, cohesiveness is essential between the culturally-appropriate service and other health care providers encountered by women and their

Residential immersive life skills programs for youth with disabilities: service providers' perceptions of change processes.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Gillian; McPherson, Amy; Kingsnorth, Shauna; Stewart, Debra; Glencross-Eimantas, Tanya; Jones-Galley, Kimberlea; Morrison, Andrea; Isihi, Ana Maria; Gorter, Jan Willem

2015-05-01

Residential immersive life skills (RILS) programs are designed to equip youth with physical disabilities with the foundational life skills required to assume adult roles. The objective was to determine RILS service providers' perceptions of the active ingredients of the intervention change process. Thirty-seven service providers from various disciplines completed measures to assess expertise status and participated in qualitative interviews. Qualitative themes were derived, and similarities and differences in themes were identified for blinded groups of novices, intermediates, and experts. The three main themes, reflecting change processes, were: (a) creating a supportive program atmosphere with multiple opportunities for learning, (b) using strategies to support, encourage, and engage youth, and (c) intentionally fostering youth experiences of skill development, social interaction, and pride in accomplishment. In contrast to the novices, experts displayed a more holistic perspective and paid attention to higher-order issues such as providing opportunities and enabling youth. The findings indicate how RILS service providers work to create a program atmosphere and employ strategies to intentionally foster particular youth experiences. The findings explicate service providers' theories of practice, the intentional design of RILS program environments to bring about client change, and the value of service provider expertise. Implications for Rehabilitation Service providers of youth independence-oriented life skills programs can intentionally create a learning-oriented and supportive program atmosphere by using non-directive, coaching/guiding, and engagement strategies Youth experiences of skill development, shared experience with others, and pride in accomplishment can be cultivated by providing a range of learning opportunities, including choice making, problem-solving, and skill mastery Compared to more novice service providers, experts discussed managing the

[Willingness of potential service suppliers to provide cancer screening in urban China].

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, A Y; Shi, J F; Qiu, W Q; Dong, P; Sun, Z X; Huang, H Y; Sun, X J; Liu, G X; Wang, D B; Bai, Y N; Liao, X Z; Ren, J S; Guo, L W; Lan, L; Zhou, Q; Zhou, J Y; Yang, L; Wang, J L; Qin, M F; Zhang, Y Z; Song, B B; Xing, X J; Zhu, L; Mai, L; Du, L B; Liu, Y Q; Lou, P A; Cai, B; Sun, X H; Wu, S L; Qi, X; Zhang, K; He, J; Dai, M

2018-02-10

Objective: Based on the investment for potential suppliers of cancer screening services, we assessed the reasons that affecting their participation motivation related to the long-term sustainability of cancer screening in China. Methods: Hospitals that had never been involved in any national level cancer screening project were selected by using the convenient sampling method within the 16 project cities of Cancer Screening Program in Urban China (CanSPUC) with 1 or 2 hospitals for each city. All the managers from the institutional/department level and professional staff working and providing screening services in these hospitals, were interviewed by paper-based questionnaire. SAS 9.4 was used for logical verification and data analysis. Results: A total of 31 hospitals (18 hospitals at the third level and, 13 hospitals at the second level) and 2 201 staff (508 hospital and clinic unit managers, 1 693 professional staff) completed the interview. All the hospitals guaranteed their potential capacity in service providing. 92.5% hospital managers showed strong willingness in providing cancer screening services, while 68.3% of them declared that the project fund-raising function was the responsibility of the government. For professional staff, their prospect gains from providing screening service would include development on professional skills (72.4%) and material rewards (46.8%). Their main worries would include extra work for CanSPUC might interfere their routine work (42.1%) plus inadequate compensation (41.8%). Medians of the prospect compensation for extra work ran between 20 to 90 Chinese Yuan per screening item respectively. For all the screening items, workers from the third-level hospitals expected their compensation to be twice as much of those working at the second level hospitals. Conclusion: Professional capacity building and feasible material incentive seemed to be the two key factors that influenced the sustainability and development of the programs.

Measuring Prefered Services from Cloud Computing Providers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018, 10(5S), 207-212. 207. Measuring Prefered Services from ... Published online: 22 March 2018 .... and then introduces a general service selection and ranking model with QoS ..... To facilitate add, remove, and prioritize services in election.

Patient and referring health care provider satisfaction with a physiotherapy spinal triage assessment service.

Science.gov (United States)

Bath, Brenna; Janzen, Bonnie

2012-01-01

To evaluate participant and referring care provider satisfaction associated with a spinal triage assessment service delivered by physiotherapists in collaboration with orthopedic surgeons. People with low back-related complaints were recruited from those referred to a spinal triage assessment program delivered by physiotherapists. Measures of patient and provider satisfaction were completed at approximately 4 weeks after the assessment. The satisfaction surveys were analyzed quantitatively with descriptive statistics and qualitatively with an inductive thematic approach of open and axial coding. A total of 108/115 participants completed the posttest satisfaction survey. Sixty-six percent of participants were "very satisfied" with the service and 55% were "very satisfied" with the recommendations that were made. Only 18% of referring care providers completed the satisfaction survey and 90.5% of those were "very satisfied" with the recommendations. Sixty-one participants and 14 care providers provided comments which revealed a diverse range of themes which were coded into positive (ie, understanding the problem, communication, customer service, efficiency, and management direction), negative (ie, lack of detail, time to follow-up, cost) and neutral related to the triage service, and an "other" category unrelated to the service (ie, chronic symptoms, comorbidities, and limited access to health care.) The quantitative results of the participant survey demonstrated very high levels of satisfaction with the service and slightly less satisfaction with the recommendations that were made. Satisfaction of referring care providers with the recommendations and report was also high, but given the low response rate, these results should be interpreted with caution. Qualitative analysis of participant and provider comments revealed a diverse range of themes. These other issues may be important contextual factors that have the potential to impact patient relevant outcomes.

Improved Collaborative Transport Planning at Dutch Logistics Service Provider Fritom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijs, Paul; Lopez Alvarez, Jose Alejandro; Veenstra, Marjolein; Roodbergen, Kees Jan

2016-01-01

We study the collaborative transport planning for two autonomous business units of Fritom, a Dutch logistics service provider. This difficult planning problem does not fit any existing type of vehicle routing problem proposed in the academic literature; therefore, we define a new problem class, the

Principles of customer service provider management; Prinzipien der Steuerung von Kundenservice-Dienstleistern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiebe, Christian; Jung, Viktor; Liebrecht, Lutz [Managementberatung Corporate Transformation Group (CTG), Berlin (Germany)

2011-01-15

In response to the unbundling regime imposed by the Federal Network Agency many power supply companies have hived off or outsourced their customer service operations. In doing so have parted with an important interface with their customers and market partners and placed it in the hands of independent companies. Efficient and effective management of these customer service providers is therefore of strategic importance for power supply companies and a major contributor to cost effective customer service and high customer satisfaction.

Appraisement and benchmarking of third-party logistic service provider by exploration of risk-based approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitin Kumar Sahu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the present era, Reverse Logistics Support has monitored as a momentous realm, where stuffs are transferred from point of consumption to origin. The companies who provide the logistic equipments, i.e. Truck, Joseph Cyril Bomford, and Shipment, etc. to its partner’s firms called Third-Party Logistics (3PL service provider. Today, the feasible 3PL service provider evaluation-opt problem is yet an amorous dilemma. The appraisement and benchmarking of logistics service providers in extent of index; allied risk-based indices and their interrelated metrics; outlooked as a great tool for each international firm, in order that firm could obtain their core goals. The novelty of manuscript is that here, a hairy-based approach has been integrated and then implemented upon a novel developed multi hierarchical third-party logistics (3PL service providers appraisement index in purpose to umpire the 3PL provider for their strong and ill’s core indices. Moreover, the overall score (Si system has also been carried out for benchmarking the 3PL provider companies, where s1 has been found as the best 3PL service provider. The developed approach enabled the manager of firms to make the verdict towards the best inclusive evaluation process of 3PL performance appraisement and benchmarking. A numerical illustration has also been provided to validate the verdict support system.

A Customer’s Possibilities to Increase the Performance of a Service Provider by Adding Value and Deepening the Partnership in Facility Management Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sillanpää Elina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Reliable and good suppliers are an important competitive advantage for a customer and that is why the development of suppliers, improvement of performance and enhancement of customership are also in the interest of the customer. The purpose of this study is to clarify a customer’s possibilities to increase the performance of a service provider and to develop the service process in FM services and thus help to improve partnership development. This research is a qualitative research. The research complements the existing generic model of supplier development towards partnership development by customer and clarifies the special features that facility management services bring to this model. The data has been gathered from interviews of customers and service providers in the facility management service sector. The result is a model of customers’ possibilities to develop the performance of service providers from the viewpoint of value addition and relationship development and in that way ensure added value to the customer and the development of a long-term relationship. The results can be beneficial to customers when they develop the cooperation between the customer and the service provider toward being more strategic and more partnership focused.

Service provider perceptions of telerehabilitation as an additional service delivery option within an Australian neurosurgical and orthopaedic physiotherapy screening clinic: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cottrell, Michelle A; Hill, Anne J; O'Leary, Shaun P; Raymer, Maree E; Russell, Trevor G

2017-12-01

The Neurosurgical & Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Screening Clinic and Multidisciplinary Service (N/OPSC&MDS) originated as a complementary, non-surgical pathway for patients referred to public neurosurgical and orthopaedic specialist services. Patient access to the N/OPSC&MDS could potentially be improved with the implementation of telerehabilitation as an additional method of service delivery. To evaluate service provider's views on (1) current barriers to patients' accessing N/OPSC & MD services, and (2) the implementation of telerehabilitation within the N/OPSC&MDS. Qualitative descriptive study design. Healthcare providers (n = 26) were recruited from six N/OPSC&MD services located throughout Queensland, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore service providers' views with respect to existing barriers to patients accessing the N/OPSC&MDS, and if telerehabilitation could be feasibly adopted to address current barriers. Template analysis resulted in six themes: (1) barriers to some patients' accessing current N/OPSC&MD services are complex & multifaceted; (2) telerehabilitation could improve patient access to appropriate management for their musculoskeletal condition; (3) telerehabilitation may have limitations when compared to face-to-face healthcare; (4) the delivery of telerehabilitation needs to be flexible; (5) perceived barriers, and (6) facilitators to the successful implementation of telerehabilitation within the N/OPSC&MDS. This study represents a critical step in determining the readiness of service providers for the implementation of telerehabilitation within the N/OPSC&MDS. Although cautious, service providers are overall accepting of the implementation of telerehabilitation, acknowledging that it could eliminate several current barriers, subsequently achieving more equitable access to the service. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Obesity among health service providers in Nigeria: danger to long ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Obesity is a global epidemic. There are rising rates of obesity and its associated disorders, especially in developing countries, including among Health Service Providers (HSPs). Obesity is associated with early retirement, increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, obesity has the potential of reducing long-term ...

Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, P.; Cotrufo, M. F.; Rumpel, C.; Paustian, K.; Kuikman, P. J.; Elliott, J. A.; McDowell, R.; Griffiths, R. I.; Asakawa, S.; Bustamante, M.; House, J. I.; Sobocká, J.; Harper, R.; Pan, G.; West, P. C.; Gerber, J. S.; Clark, J. M.; Adhya, T.; Scholes, R. J.; Scholes, M. C.

2015-11-01

Soils play a pivotal role in major global biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nutrient, and water), while hosting the largest diversity of organisms on land. Because of this, soils deliver fundamental ecosystem services, and management to change a soil process in support of one ecosystem service can either provide co-benefits to other services or result in trade-offs. In this critical review, we report the state-of-the-art understanding concerning the biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity in soil, and relate these to the provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services which they underpin. We then outline key knowledge gaps and research challenges, before providing recommendations for management activities to support the continued delivery of ecosystem services from soils. We conclude that, although soils are complex, there are still knowledge gaps, and fundamental research is still needed to better understand the relationships between different facets of soils and the array of ecosystem services they underpin, enough is known to implement best practices now. There is a tendency among soil scientists to dwell on the complexity and knowledge gaps rather than to focus on what we do know and how this knowledge can be put to use to improve the delivery of ecosystem services. A significant challenge is to find effective ways to share knowledge with soil managers and policy makers so that best management can be implemented. A key element of this knowledge exchange must be to raise awareness of the ecosystems services underpinned by soils and thus the natural capital they provide. We know enough to start moving in the right direction while we conduct research to fill in our knowledge gaps. The lasting legacy of the International Year of Soils in 2015 should be for soil scientists to work together with policy makers and land managers to put soils at the centre of environmental policy making and land management decisions.

The struggle to address woman battering in Slovakia: stories from service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Susan L; Wasileski, Gabriela

2015-06-01

Following the fall of communism, Slovakia found itself in a challenging position: to openly acknowledge the existence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its disproportionate effect on women and children without an infrastructure to address victim safety, and provide resources and legal help. With collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the government responded by developing shelters and introducing legislation that criminalized IPV and created social services for victims. To assess implementation efforts, we conducted in-depth interviews with governmental officials and NGO personnel who provide services for battered women. We focus on the operation and efficacy of shelters to discover what services are most needed for battered women, the criminal justice system's response to IPV, and what long-range goals will facilitate more permanent solutions to the social problem of violence against women in Slovakia. © The Author(s) 2015.

50 CFR 260.97 - Conditions for providing fishery products inspection service at official establishments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... processed foods and/or components thereof; (10) Furnish and provide laundry service, as required by NMFS... inspection service at official establishments. 260.97 Section 260.97 Wildlife and Fisheries NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PROCESSED FISHERY...

75 FR 81832 - Technical Service Provider Assistance

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-29

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Natural Resources Conservation Service 7 CFR Part 652 Technical Service... as of Jan. 1, 2010, on page 565, in Sec. 652.2, the first definition for ``Technical service'' is removed. [FR Doc. 2010-32945 Filed 12-28-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 1505-01-D ...

Subcontracting in electronics : from contract manufacturers to providers of electronic manufacturing services (EMS)

OpenAIRE

Liemt van, Gijsbert

2007-01-01

Discusses how the top contract manufacturers in the electronics industry try to become providers of electronic manufacturing services by deepening and broadening the rage of services that they offer and by diversifying into markets other than computing and telecommunications.

Key components of a service model providing early childhood support for women attending opioid treatment clinics: an Australian state health service review.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Susan R; Schmied, Virginia; Nicholls, Daniel; Dahlen, Hannah

2012-09-01

To report the findings of a service review--specifically the strategy to provide early childhood services 'on site' at opioid treatment clinics to address access difficulties. Child and family health nurses are skilled in the assessment and support of families during early childhood. However, women with a history of substance abuse are often cautious when engaging with universal and other health services, with the result that the infant may miss recommended developmental screening and early referral to improve health outcomes. In 2006, an internal review was undertaken of the integration of early childhood and parenting services at opioid treatment clinics in a large Area Health Service of New South Wales, Australia. A qualitative study design, using semi-structured interview questions was used. Data were collected via six focus groups (4-15 participants in each group) and individual interview of child and family health nurses, nurse unit managers and clinical staff (n=58). Three key components of a model for providing early childhood support in collaboration with opioid treatment services were identified. First, the importance of building a trusting relationship between the woman and the child and family health nurses, second, maintaining continuity of care and a multidisciplinary/multiagency approach, and finally the importance of staff education, support and professional development. The provision of early childhood and parenting services on site, as part of a multidisciplinary 'one stop shop' approach to service delivery was a clear recommendation of the review. Reduction of access difficulties to specialised early childhood support is of benefit to clients, community health services attempting to provide a service to this difficult to reach population and to drug and alcohol services seeking to provide a high level of holistic care for clients. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Providing Survivable Real-Time Communication Service for Distributed Mission Critical Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Zhao, Wei; Bettati, Riccardo; Vaidya, Nitin

2005-01-01

This document is the final report for Providing Survivable Real-Time Communication Service for Distributed Mission Critical Systems, a Texas A AND M project funded through the DARPA Fault Tolerant Networks Program...

HIV Testing and HIV/AIDS Treatment Services in Rural Counties in 10 Southern States: Service Provider Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton, Madeline; Anthony, Monique-Nicole; Vila, Christie; McLellan-Lemal, Eleanor; Weidle, Paul J.

2010-01-01

Context: Forty percent of AIDS cases are reported in the southern United States, the region with the largest proportion of HIV/AIDS cases from rural areas. Data are limited regarding provider perspectives of the accessibility and availability of HIV testing and treatment services in southern rural counties. Purpose: We surveyed providers in the…

Interrelationships of risks faced by third party logistics service providers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Govindan, Kannan; Chaudhuri, Atanu

2016-01-01

insights. Results show that arms-length relationship between the customer and the 3PLs has strong influence on other risks and there is a need for collaborative relationships between 3PLs and its customers. Moreover, analysis indicates that the 3PLs need to improve internal processes related to quality......This paper analyses the interrelationships between risks faced by third party logistics service providers (3PLs) in relation to one of its customers using DEMATEL. Novel analysis of both within and between risk categories and generation of threshold value to prioritize risks generate useful...... management, flexibility of its operations and also geographical coverage of their services....

Factors influencing the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services providers

OpenAIRE

Lygnugaryte-Griksiene, Aidana; Leskauskas, Darius; Jasinskas, Nedas; Masiukiene, Agne

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Lithuania currently has the highest suicide rate in Europe and the fifth highest worldwide. Aims: To identify the factors that influence the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services (EMS) providers (doctors, nurses, paramedics). Method: Two hundred and sixty-eight EMS providers participated in the research. The EMS providers were surveyed both prior to their training in suicide intervention and six months later. The questionnaire used for the survey asses...

Collaborative business processes for enhancing partnerships among software services providers

Science.gov (United States)

Heil Cancian, Maiara; Rabelo, Ricardo; Gresse von Wangenheim, Christiane

2015-08-01

Software services have represented a powerful view to support the realisation of the service-oriented architecture (SOA) paradigm. Using open standards and facilitating systems projects, they have increasingly been used as a corporate architectural approach to create interoperable services-based software solutions that can more easily be reused and shared across disparate applications. In the context of software companies, most of them are small firms having enormous difficulties to keep competitive. One strategy to enhance their sustainability is to enlarge partnerships among them at a more valuable level by jointly offering (web) services-based solutions. However, their culture of collaboration is low, and partnerships are usually done with the same companies and sporadically. This article presents an approach to support a more intense collaboration among software companies to attend business opportunities in a more agile way, joining capacities and capabilities which they would not have if they worked alone. This requires, however, some preparedness. From the perspective of business processes, they should understand how to carry out a collaboration more properly. This is essentially what this article is about. It presents a comprehensive list of collaborative business processes and base practices that can also act as a guide for service providers' managers to implement and manage the collaboration along its lifecycle. Processes have been validated and results are discussed.

The demand attributes of assurance services providers and the role of independent accountants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knechel, W.R.; Wallage, P.; Eilifsen, A.; van Praag, B.

2006-01-01

This study reports on desirable attributes of assurance services providers for assurance services based on responses from a sample of Dutch senior accounting and financial officers. In general, overall expertise and objectivity are perceived as the most important attributes for selecting an

GSM Marketing Service Providers Operations and Customers Satisfaction in Nigeria: An Empirical Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adebisi Sunday Abayomi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This study has been carried out on the GSM arm of the Nigerian Telecomunication sectorto primarily investigate the level of satisfaction that the subscribers of GSM service providers haveenjoyed in the seven years of operations in Nigeria. In testing this empirically, MTN, GLOBACOMand ZAIN were selected as case studies. 600 questionnaires were administered on the subscribers ofthese GSM service providers in the Six States of the South-Western Nigeria using the purposivesampling technique. In analyzing the collated data, three hypotheses were tested with the use ofPercentages, T-test, F-test, [at 95% confidence limit], Cross-tabulation [using the ‘Eta’ Directionalmeasure] and statistical charts. The results from the SPSS 16 output rejected the Null hypotheses.This further indicated that, the various factors that determined the level of subscribers’ satisfactionwere statistically significant. The study therefore concluded that, subscribers in Nigeria aredissatisfied with the services of their service providers hence, the need for the regulatory body; NCCto ensure that subscribers interests are protected. The study then suggested that,, the GSM serviceproviders should reposition themselves to give adequate value to subscribers money incommensuration with their own gains from the Nigeria Telecommunications market.

LIMITED RESTAURANT SERVICE: ASCENSION AND WHITSUNTIDE WEEKENDS

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Details of the arrangements to ensure the provision of a restaurant service during the Ascension and Whitsuntide weekends are given below. On all the days indicated, hot meals will be served from 11h30 to 14h00 and 18h00 to 19h30. DATERESTAURANT No.Opening times ASCENSION Thursday, May 29 1 2 08h00 - 21h00 3 Friday, May 30 1 2 07h00 - 21h00 3 07h00 - 18h00 Saturday, May 31 1 2 09h00 - 20h00 3 Sunday, June 1st 1 2 09h00 - 20h00 3 WHITSUNTIDE Saturday, June 7 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 3 Sunday, June 8 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 3 Monday, June 9 1 08h00 - 21h00 2 3 SATELLITE CAFETERIAS (Bldgs. 30, 40, 54) will open at the usual hours on Friday 30 May only. The KIOSK will open from 8:00 to 17:00 hrs on Friday 30 May.

Patient and referring health care provider satisfaction with a physiotherapy spinal triage assessment service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bath B

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Brenna Bath1, Bonnie Janzen21School of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 2Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaPurpose: To evaluate participant and referring care provider satisfaction associated with a spinal triage assessment service delivered by physiotherapists in collaboration with orthopedic surgeons.Methods: People with low back-related complaints were recruited from those referred to a spinal triage assessment program delivered by physiotherapists. Measures of patient and provider satisfaction were completed at approximately 4 weeks after the assessment. The satisfaction surveys were analyzed quantitatively with descriptive statistics and qualitatively with an inductive thematic approach of open and axial coding.Results: A total of 108/115 participants completed the posttest satisfaction survey. Sixty-six percent of participants were “very satisfied” with the service and 55% were “very satisfied” with the recommendations that were made. Only 18% of referring care providers completed the satisfaction survey and 90.5% of those were “very satisfied” with the recommendations. Sixty-one participants and 14 care providers provided comments which revealed a diverse range of themes which were coded into positive (ie, understanding the problem, communication, customer service, efficiency, and management direction, negative (ie, lack of detail, time to follow-up, cost and neutral related to the triage service, and an “other” category unrelated to the service (ie, chronic symptoms, comorbidities, and limited access to health care.Conclusion: The quantitative results of the participant survey demonstrated very high levels of satisfaction with the service and slightly less satisfaction with the recommendations that were made. Satisfaction of referring care providers with the recommendations and report was also high, but given

Perspectives of displaced Syrian women and service providers on fertility behaviour and available services in West Bekaa, Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabakian-Khasholian, Tamar; Mourtada, Rima; Bashour, Hyam; Kak, Faysal El; Zurayk, Huda

2017-10-01

Prior to the conflict, Syria had relatively high fertility rates. In 2010, it had the sixth highest total fertility rate in the Arab World, but it witnessed a fertility decline before the conflict in 2011. Displacement during conflict influences fertility behaviour, and meeting the contraceptive needs of displaced populations is complex. This study explored the perspectives of women and service providers about fertility behaviour of and service provision to Syrian refugee women in Bekaa, Lebanon. We used qualitative methodology to conduct 12 focus group discussions with Syrian refugee women grouped in different age categories and 13 in-depth interviews with care providers from the same region. Our findings indicate that the displacement of Syrians to Lebanon had implications on the fertility behaviour of the participants. Women brought their beliefs about preferred family size and norms about decision-making into an environment where they were exposed to both aid and hardship. The unaffordability of contraceptives in the Lebanese privatised health system compared to their free provision in Syria limited access to family planning services. Efforts are needed to maintain health resources and monitor health needs of the refugee population in order to improve access and use of services.

The benefits of Outsourcing facility services when selecting right service provider for a hotel:Case Kämp Group Oy

OpenAIRE

Paudyal, Manoj; Acharya, Saroj

2015-01-01

This research paper examines about the outsourcing of facility services in the Kämp group of hotels. The scope of the study includes Facility Management, outsourcing facilities services, and the selection process of the service providers for a hotel. The research was carried at the hotels of Kämp group Oy in the Metropolitan Area of Helsinki. Facility management includes wide ranges of non-core functions such as Property management, real estates, design and technology. Activities such as secu...

Market competition, ownership, payment systems and the performance of health care providers - a panel study among Finnish occupational health services providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kankaanpää, Eila; Linnosmaa, Ismo; Valtonen, Hannu

2013-10-01

Many health care reforms rely on competition although health care differs in many respects from the assumptions of perfect competition. Finnish occupational health services provide an opportunity to study empirically competition, ownership and payment systems and the performance of providers. In these markets employers (purchasers) choose the provider and prices are market determined. The price regulation of public providers was abolished in 1995. We had data on providers from 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2004. The unbalanced panel consisted of 1145 providers and 4059 observations. Our results show that in more competitive markets providers in general offered a higher share of medical care compared to preventive services. The association between unit prices and revenues and market environment varied according to the provider type. For-profit providers had lower prices and revenues in markets with numerous providers. The public providers in more competitive regions were more sensitive to react to the abolishment of their price regulation by raising their prices. Employer governed providers had weaker association between unit prices or revenues and competition. The market share of for-profit providers was negatively associated with productivity, which was the only sign of market spillovers we found in our study.

Medicare Provider Data - Hospice Providers

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Hospice Utilization and Payment Public Use File provides information on services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by hospice providers. The Hospice PUF...

Horizontal cooperations between logistics service providers:motives, structure, performance

OpenAIRE

Schmoltzi, Christina; Wallenburg, Carl Marcus

2011-01-01

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. Purpose – This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the motives, structure and performance attributes of horizontal cooperations between logistics service provi...

Nuclear data services provided by the IAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwerer, O.; Oblozinsky, P.

2001-01-01

This paper summarizes the various nuclear data types, libraries and services available free of charge from the IAEA Nuclear Data Section. The databases are collected, maintained and made available within the framework of an international nuclear data center's network. Particular emphasis is given to online services via the Internet. The URL address of the IAEA Nuclear Services is http://www-nds.iaea.or.at. (author)

Understanding Postpartum Healthcare Services and Exploring the Challenges and Motivations of Maternal Health Service Providers in the Philippines: a Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Tadashi; Suplido, Sherri Ann; Llave, Cecilia; Tuliao, Maria Teresa R; Tanaka, Yuko; Matsuo, Hiroya

2015-06-01

Given the shortage of medical professionals in the Philippines, Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) may play a role in providing postpartum healthcare services. However, as there are no reports regarding BHW activities in postpartum healthcare, we conducted this study to understand postpartum healthcare services and to explore the challenges and motivations of maternal health service providers. Focus group interview (FGI) of 13 participants was conducted as qualitative research methodology at Muntinlupa City. The results were analyzed according to the interview guide. The proceedings of the FGI were transcribed verbatim, and researchers read and coded the transcripts. The codes were then used to construct categories. Four important activities were highlighted among 11 analysis codes. These activities were "Assessment of postpartum women's conditions," "Recommendation to visit a health facility," "Measurement of blood-pressure and vitamin intake," and "Providing postpartum health information." Among five analysis codes, we identified three challenges that BHWs face, which were "No current information regarding postpartum care," "Some postpartum women do not want to receive healthcare services from BHW," and "Too many assigned postpartum women." Among five analysis codes, we identified two reasons for continuing BHW activities, which were "Hospitality to help postpartum women and their family in the community" and "Performance of mission in providing BHW services." This study is the first to evaluate BHW activities in postpartum healthcare services. Our results indicate that BHWs play a potentially important role in evaluating postpartum women's physical and mental conditions through home-visiting services. However, several difficulties adversely affected their activities, and these must be addressed to maximize the contributions of BHWs to the postpartum healthcare system.

Building capacity in social service agencies to employ peer providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Lauren B; Mandiberg, James M; Akabas, Sheila H

2010-01-01

While there is evidence that peer providers are valuable to service delivery teams, the agencies where they work face difficulties in fulfilling the potential of including peers on staff effectively. The purpose of this article is to report findings of a pilot test of a workplace strategy that promoted inclusion of peer providers at social service agencies by building organizational capacity to support people with mental health conditions in peer provider roles. The strategy included training, goal setting and ongoing consultation. Seventy-one peer, non-peer and supervisory staff participated from 6 agencies over a one year period. Goal attainment scaling and data from in-depth interviews about perceptions of differences in the ways in which staff are supported, administered prior to and after the consultation period, were used to assess strategy impact. Most frequently staff set goals to respond to role conflict or a lack of support. Staff that met or exceeded their goals utilized the formal structure of consultation to improve communication among themselves, had leadership that sanctioned changes and felt that their participation was of value to the organization and contributed to their individual development. Strategy participation promoted inclusion by initiating changes to policies and practices that devalued the peer provider role, increased skill sets, and formalized lines of communication for sharing information and understanding related to peer providers. Findings demonstrate that a strategy of training, goal setting and consultation can positively affect perceptions of inclusion, and promote implementation of practices associated with inclusive workplaces.

Analysis of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services in community pharmacies over 7 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Mitchell J; Frank, Jessica; Wehring, Heidi; Newland, Brand; VonMuenster, Shannon; Kumbera, Patty; Halterman, Tom; Perry, Paul J

2009-01-01

Although community pharmacists have historically been paid primarily for drug distribution and dispensing services, medication therapy management (MTM) services evolved in the 1990s as a means for pharmacists and other providers to assist physicians and patients in managing clinical, service, and cost outcomes of drug therapy. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA 2003) and the subsequent implementation of Medicare Part D in January 2006 for the more than 20 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D benefit formalized MTM services for a subset of high-cost patients. Although Medicare Part D has provided a new opportunity for defining the value of pharmacist-provided MTM services in the health care system, few publications exist which quantify changes in the provision of pharmacist-provided MTM services over time. To (a) describe the changes over a 7-year period in the primary types of MTM services provided by community pharmacies that have contracted with drug plan sponsors through an MTM administrative services company, and (b) quantify potential MTM-related cost savings based on pharmacists' self-assessments of the likely effects of their interventions on health care utilization. Medication therapy management claims from a multistate MTM administrative services company were analyzed over the 7-year period from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2006. Data extracted from each MTM claim included patient demographics (e.g., age and gender), the drug and type that triggered the intervention (e.g., drug therapeutic class and therapy type as either acute, intermittent, or chronic), and specific information about the service provided (e.g., Reason, Action, Result, and Estimated Cost Avoidance [ECA]). ECA values are derived from average national health care utilization costs, which are applied to pharmacist self-assessment of the "reasonable and foreseeable" outcome of the intervention. ECA values are updated

Comparing consumer-directed and agency models for providing supportive services at home.

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, A E; Matthias, R; Franke, T M

2000-04-01

To examine the service experiences and outcomes of low-income Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities under two different models for organizing home-based personal assistance services: agency-directed and consumer-directed. A survey of a random sample of 1,095 clients, age 18 and over, who receive services in California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program funded primarily by Medicaid. Other data were obtained from the California Management and Payrolling System (CMIPS). The sample was stratified by service model (agency-directed or consumer-directed), client age (over or under age 65), and severity. Data were collected on client demographics, condition/functional status, and supportive service experience. Outcome measures were developed in three areas: safety, unmet need, and service satisfaction. Factor analysis was used to reduce multiple outcome measures to nine dimensions. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of service model on each outcome dimension, taking into account the client-provider relationship, client demographics, and case mix. Recipients of IHSS services as of mid-1996 were interviewed by telephone. The survey was conducted in late 1996 and early 1997. On various outcomes, recipients in the consumer-directed model report more positive outcomes than those in the agency model, or they report no difference. Statistically significant differences emerge on recipient safety, unmet needs, and service satisfaction. A family member present as a paid provider is also associated with more positive reported outcomes within the consumer-directed model, but model differences persist even when this is taken into account. Although both models have strengths and weaknesses, from a recipient perspective the consumer-directed model is associated with more positive outcomes. Although health professionals have expressed concerns about the capacity of consumer direction to assure quality, particularly with respect to safety, meeting unmet

BANANAS: providing child care services to a multi-ethnic community.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Catherine M; Schwartz, Sara L; Austin, Michael J

2011-01-01

BANANAS, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that has provided child care resource and referral services for over 35 years. BANANAS emerged as a grassroots effort initiated by a group of female volunteers who sought to build a network of women with children who needed childcare. As the organization developed, its leaders recognized and responded to additional needs, including resource and information sharing, workshops and classes, and political advocacy. Beginning as a collective, BANANAS has grown into a multifaceted service delivery and advocacy nonprofit operating with an annual budget of $12 million. This history of the agency reflects the development of a unique community-based effort, its challenges and rewards, and the multiple successes that this pioneering nonprofit has experienced.

An exploration of clinical interventions provided by pharmacists within a complex asthma service

OpenAIRE

Lemay, Kate S.; Saini, Bandana; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Smith, Lorraine; Stewart, Kay; Emmerton, Lynne; Burton, Deborah L.; Krass, Ines; Armour, Carol L.

2015-01-01

Background: Pharmacists in Australia are accessible health care professionals, and their provision of clinical pharmacy interventions in a range of areas has been proven to improve patient outcomes. Individual clinical pharmacy interventions in the area of asthma management have been very successful. An understanding of the nature of these interventions will inform future pharmacy services. What we do not know is when pharmacists provide a complex asthma service, what elements of that service...

The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope boats--providing a dental service on the Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Shona M C

2013-01-01

The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope Project is a medical and dental programme providing healthcare to communities along the Amazon River in Peru. Volunteers from the UK and other countries work alongside Peruvian staff employed by their partner organization, Union Biblica del Peru, to provide a health service from a boat which serves communities on several tributaries who otherwise would have no other access to care. The dental programme involves a basic restorative and extraction service, with scope to develop a preventive programme. Dentists'and DCPs' skills are transferable globally: this article illustrates how one volunteer dental project is working to provide relevant and sustainable dental health care in the Amazon jungle.

IPTV technology for the wireless Internet service provider (WISP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitchell Vásquez Bermúdez

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article describes the implementation of the IPTV technology through an open source system for the wireless Internet service provider (WISP in the Cerecita site, located in the province of Guayas, Ecuador. The feasibility of implementing the IPTV technology is given through the use of the Emby Server application, in addition to the use of an operating system such as CentOS 7, which are open source and have the necessary requirements for the creation of this service. The analysis of data tra c generated on the WISP network, which will establish the advantages and disadvantages generated by the transmission of this technology, created to VOD multimedia content server that allows the video signal to be sent to users Finally, a feasibility study was carried out to analyze the advantages and disadvantages that exist in the implementation of this IPTV technology.

34 CFR 647.4 - What activities and services may a project provide?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... PROGRAM General § 647.4 What activities and services may a project provide? A McNair project may provide... activities designed to prepare participants for doctoral study. (d) Tutoring. (e) Academic counseling. (f... programs. (g) Mentoring programs involving faculty members or students at institutions of higher education...

A Service-Oriented Approach for Dynamic Chaining of Virtual Network Functions over Multi-Provider Software-Defined Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Martini

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Emerging technologies such as Software-Defined Networks (SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV promise to address cost reduction and flexibility in network operation while enabling innovative network service delivery models. However, operational network service delivery solutions still need to be developed that actually exploit these technologies, especially at the multi-provider level. Indeed, the implementation of network functions as software running over a virtualized infrastructure and provisioned on a service basis let one envisage an ecosystem of network services that are dynamically and flexibly assembled by orchestrating Virtual Network Functions even across different provider domains, thereby coping with changeable user and service requirements and context conditions. In this paper we propose an approach that adopts Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA technology-agnostic architectural guidelines in the design of a solution for orchestrating and dynamically chaining Virtual Network Functions. We discuss how SOA, NFV, and SDN may complement each other in realizing dynamic network function chaining through service composition specification, service selection, service delivery, and placement tasks. Then, we describe the architecture of a SOA-inspired NFV orchestrator, which leverages SDN-based network control capabilities to address an effective delivery of elastic chains of Virtual Network Functions. Preliminary results of prototype implementation and testing activities are also presented. The benefits for Network Service Providers are also described that derive from the adaptive network service provisioning in a multi-provider environment through the orchestration of computing and networking services to provide end users with an enhanced service experience.

31 CFR 539.306 - Goods, technology, or services produced or provided by a designated foreign person.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Goods, technology, or services..., technology, or services produced or provided by a designated foreign person. With respect to the prohibitions in §§ 539.201 and 539.202, the term goods, technology, or services produced or provided by a...

The impact of the business cycle on service providers : Insights from international tourism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dekimpe, Marnik; Peers, Yuri; van Heerde, H.J.

For service providers, it is essential to understand how their business is affected by the macroeconomy. This is especially pressing for the tourism sector, the world’s largest export service, because the number of incoming visitors is likely to be strongly determined by the business cycles in the

Landscapes‘ Capacities to Provide Ecosystem Services – a Concept for Land-Cover Based Assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Burkhard

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Landscapes differ in their capacities to provide ecosystem goods and services, which are the benefits humans obtain from nature. Structures and functions of ecosystems needed to sustain the provision of ecosystem services are altered by various human activities. In this paper, a concept for the assessment of multiple ecosystem services is proposed as a basis for discussion and further development of a respective evaluation instrument. Using quantitative and qualitative assessment data in combination with land cover and land use information originated from remote sensing and GIS, impacts of human activities can be evaluated. The results reveal typical patterns of different ecosystems‘ capacities to provide ecosystem services. The proposed approach thus delivers useful integrative information for environmental management and landscape planning, aiming at a sustainable use of services provided by nature. The research concept and methodological framework presented here for discussion have initially been applied in different case studies and shall be developed further to provide a useful tool for the quantification and spatial modelling of multiple ecosystem services in different landscapes. An exemplary application of the approach dealing with food provision in the Halle-Leipzig region in Germany is presented. It shows typical patterns of ecosystem service distribution around urban areas. As the approach is new and still rather general, there is great potential for improvement, especially with regard to a data-based quantification of the numerous hypotheses, which were formulated as base for the assessment. Moreover, the integration of more detailed landscape information on different scales will be needed in future in order to take the heterogeneous distribution of landscape properties and values into account. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to foster critical discussions on the methodological development presented here.

A Global Remote Laboratory Experimentation Network and the Experiment Service Provider Business Model and Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tor Ivar Eikaas

2003-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents results from the IST KAII Trial project ReLAX - Remote LAboratory eXperimentation trial (IST 1999-20827, and contributes with a framework for a global remote laboratory experimentation network supported by a new business model. The paper presents this new Experiment Service Provider business model that aims at bringing physical experimentation back into the learning arena, where remotely operable laboratory experiments used in advanced education and training schemes are made available to a global education and training market in industry and academia. The business model is based on an approach where individual experiment owners offer remote access to their high-quality laboratory facilities to users around the world. The usage can be for research, education, on-the-job training etc. The access to these facilities is offered via an independent operating company - the Experiment Service Provider. The Experiment Service Provider offers eCommerce services like booking, access control, invoicing, dispute resolution, quality control, customer evaluation services and a unified Lab Portal.

Sustainable Water Infrastructure Asset Management: A Gap Analysis of Customer and Service Provider Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjong Han

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The ultimate goal of urban water infrastructure asset management may be sustainable water supply with satisfaction for customers. In this work, we attempted to evaluate the gaps between the perspectives of customers and service providers in Korea’s water infrastructure asset management. To evaluate the customers’ perspective, a hierarchical questionnaire survey was conducted to estimate the weights of influence for six customer values and their attributes on Korean water utility management. To evaluate the service providers’ perspective, an AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process analysis was performed to estimate the weights of influence for the customer values and their PIs (performance indicators. The gap analysis results show that customers place higher value on customer service satisfaction (emotion and information than do the service providers (managers, whereas the managers place more value on affordability than do the customers. The findings from this work imply that improving customer service is effective in satisfying the desirable water LOS (level of service for customers. Recommendations have also been provided for administrators and engineers to develop integrated decision-making systems that can reflect customer needs regarding the improvement of their water infrastructure asset management. The findings from this work may be helpful for the Korean government and water supply utilities in improving the sustainability of their water infrastructure asset management.

The Efficiency and Productivity Analysis of Large Logistics Providers Services in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Gyun Park

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the fierce competition at the global logistics markets, Korean logistics providers were deemed more vulnerable than global logistics providers in terms of the quality and price competitiveness. To strengthen their competitiveness, logistics providers in Korea have focused on delivering integrated logistics services. In this regard, the Korean government has enacted the “Integrated Logistics Industry Certification Act” in 2006 to assist integrated logistics providers to offer logistics services based on their specialization and differentiation. It has been several years since the system was implemented, and the evaluation of the system implementation was necessary. Hence, in our study, we attempt to examine the efficiency and productivity of fourteen certified Korean logistics providers employing the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis method with a five-year panel data since the inception of the Act. Through our static and dynamic analyses, We found that Pantos Logistics and HYUNDAI Glovis are running their businesses at the highest level of efficiency and Hanjin Transportation was the most stable company in their logistics operation.

Utilization of services provided by village based ethnic minority midwives in mountainous villages of Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doan DTT

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Doan Thi Thuy Duong,1 Bui Thi Thu Ha,1 Le Minh Thi,1 Duong Minh Duc,1 Luu Thi Hong,2 Tuan Anh Dinh,2 Tolib Mirzoev3 1Department of Reproductive Health, Hanoi School of Public Health, 2Department of Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Hanoi, Vietnam; 3Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Introduction: Since 2011, the Vietnam’s Ministry of Health implemented the ethnic minority midwives (EMMs scheme in order to increase the utilization of maternal health services by women from ethnic minorities and those living in hard-to-reach mountainous areas. This paper analyzes the utilization of antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care provided by EMMs and reports the key determinants of utilization of EMM services as perceived by service users. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered in 2015 to all mothers (n=320 who gave birth to a live-born during a 1-year period in 31 villages which had EMM in two provinces, Dien Bien and Kon Tum. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the association between all potential factors and the use of services provided by EMMs. Results: We found that EMMs provided more antenatal care and postnatal care as compared with delivery services, which corresponded to their job descriptions. The results also showed that utilization of antenatal care provided by EMMs was lower than that of postnatal care. The proportion of those who never heard about EMM was high (24%. Among the mothers who knew about EMM services, 33.4% had antenatal checkups, 20.1% were attended during home deliveries, and 57.3% had postnatal visits by an EMM. Key factors that determined the use of EMM services included knowledge of the location of EMM’s house, being aware about EMMs by health workers, trust in services provided by EMMs, and perception that many others mothers in a village also knew about EMM services. Conclusion

Evaluation of Effective Factors on e-Loyalty in Organizations Providing Electronic Services using Fuzzy AHP Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

fatemeh mohammadi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In today's business world, proper identification of customer’s requirements and a quick response to these requirements is a key to commercial success. Increasing customer loyalty affects the profitability and organizations can ensure their long-term interests by means of planning. In today's competitive world, the services provided by the competing company have to be more similar to each other and can be hard to surprise customers within completely new service in the long term, because the newest services are quickly imitated by competitors and marketed. Hence investment in customer loyalty is an effective and profitable investment for companies. One criticism that has entered into the e-service is customer loyalty. In order to study the causes of e-loyalty for organization providing e-services, this research identified the factors affecting customer loyalty in e-services and with questionnaire prepared and by using fuzzy hierarchical decision-making process acquires the weight of each factor and ultimately rank them. The results show that the quality of service provided to e-services customers is the most important factor in creating e-loyalty.

Hand Washing Practices Among Emergency Medical Services Providers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua Bucher

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hand hygiene is an important component of infection control efforts. Our primary and secondary goals were to determine the reported rates of hand washing and stethoscope cleaning in emergency medical services (EMS workers, respectively. Methods: We designed a survey about hand hygiene practices. The survey was distributed to various national EMS organizations through e-mail. Descriptive statistics were calculated for survey items (responses on a Likert scale and subpopulations of survey respondents to identify relationships between variables. We used analysis of variance to test differences in means between the subgroups. Results: There were 1,494 responses. Overall, reported hand hygiene practices were poor among pre-hospital providers in all clinical situations. Women reported that they washed their hands more frequently than men overall, although the differences were unlikely to be clinically significant. Hygiene after invasive procedures was reported to be poor. The presence of available hand sanitizer in the ambulance did not improve reported hygiene rates but improved reported rates of cleaning the stethoscope (absolute difference 0.4, p=0.0003. Providers who brought their own sanitizer were more likely to clean their hands. Conclusion: Reported hand hygiene is poor amongst pre-hospital providers. There is a need for future intervention to improve reported performance in pre-hospital provider hand washing.

Hand Washing Practices Among Emergency Medical Services Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bucher, Joshua; Donovan, Colleen; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela; McCoy, Jonathan

2015-09-01

Hand hygiene is an important component of infection control efforts. Our primary and secondary goals were to determine the reported rates of hand washing and stethoscope cleaning in emergency medical services (EMS) workers, respectively. We designed a survey about hand hygiene practices. The survey was distributed to various national EMS organizations through e-mail. Descriptive statistics were calculated for survey items (responses on a Likert scale) and subpopulations of survey respondents to identify relationships between variables. We used analysis of variance to test differences in means between the subgroups. There were 1,494 responses. Overall, reported hand hygiene practices were poor among pre-hospital providers in all clinical situations. Women reported that they washed their hands more frequently than men overall, although the differences were unlikely to be clinically significant. Hygiene after invasive procedures was reported to be poor. The presence of available hand sanitizer in the ambulance did not improve reported hygiene rates but improved reported rates of cleaning the stethoscope (absolute difference 0.4, p=0.0003). Providers who brought their own sanitizer were more likely to clean their hands. Reported hand hygiene is poor amongst pre-hospital providers. There is a need for future intervention to improve reported performance in pre-hospital provider hand washing.

A Model for the Growth of Network Service Providers

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

Service Provider O-D Origin-Destination POP Point of Presence UCG Unilateral Connection Game xiv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK xv EXECUTIVE...xvi We make use of the Abilene dataset as input to the network provisioning model and assume that the NSP is new to the market and is building an...has to decide on the connections to build and the markets to serve in order to maximize its profits. The NSP makes these decisions based on the market

The Spies We Trust: Third Party Service Providers and Law Enforcement Surveillance

Science.gov (United States)

Soghoian, Christopher

2012-01-01

Telecommunications carriers and service providers now play an essential role in facilitating modern surveillance by law enforcement agencies. The police merely select the individuals to be monitored, while the actual surveillance is performed by third parties: often the same email providers, search engines and telephone companies to whom consumers…

A Community Pediatric Prevention Partnership: Linking Schools, Providers, and Tertiary Care Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrior, Kim Crickmore; Engelke, Martha Keehner; Collins, Catherine Shoup; Cox, Carol Gordon

2000-01-01

Describes a partnership among a hospital, a university, private providers, and a local school system and health department to provide school health services. Noteworthy aspects of the project include the organizational structure and funding, implementation of a case management model, and a focus on documenting outcomes. The program has…

Participant and service provider perceptions of an outpatient rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Poncet, Frédérique; Pradat-Diehl, Pascale; Lamontagne, Marie-Eve; Alifax, Anne; Fradelizi, Pascaline; Barette, Maude; Swaine, Bonnie

2017-09-01

A holistic, intensive and interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) was developed at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, France (5 days/week for 7 weeks). This program, recently demonstrated effective, aimed to optimize the ability of people with ABI to perform activities and improve their participation by using individual and group interventions involving ecologically valid activities inside (e.g., in the gym and kitchen) and outside the hospital. However, the perception of the quality of the program by participants and service providers has not yet been reported. This study had 3 objectives: (1) report the perception of participants (adults with ABI) in terms of service quality of the program, (2) report the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) of the program as perceived by service providers, and (3) triangulate findings to draw conclusions about the program's quality and provide recommendations for quality improvement. We used a mixed-methods design with a validated questionnaire (Perception of Quality of Rehabilitation Services [PQRS-Montreal]) and interviews (structured around a SWOT analysis) involving program participants and service providers. We included 33 program participants (mean age 43.6 years) and 12 service providers (mean years with program 7.6 years). In general, study participants showed a convergence of opinion about the high quality of the program, particularly regarding the team and its participant-focused approach. Specific aspects of the program were viewed more negatively by both participants and service providers (i.e., addressing sexuality, family involvement and return to work/volunteer work/school). Participant and service provider perceptions of the rehabilitation program under study were generally positive. A reliable and valid questionnaire and interviews helped identify aspects of the program that worked well and those that could be targeted for future quality

Contracting with private providers for primary care services: evidence from urban China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Eggleston, Karen; Yu, Zhenjie; Zhang, Qiong

2013-01-17

Controversy surrounds the role of the private sector in health service delivery, including primary care and population health services. China's recent health reforms call for non-discrimination against private providers and emphasize strengthening primary care, but formal contracting-out initiatives remain few, and the associated empirical evidence is very limited. This paper presents a case study of contracting with private providers for urban primary and preventive health services in Shandong Province, China. The case study draws on three primary sources of data: administrative records; a household survey of over 1600 community residents in Weifang and City Y; and a provider survey of over 1000 staff at community health stations (CHS) in both Weifang and City Y. We supplement the quantitative data with one-on-one, in-depth interviews with key informants, including local officials in charge of public health and government finance.We find significant differences in patient mix: Residents in the communities served by private community health stations are of lower socioeconomic status (more likely to be uninsured and to report poor health), compared to residents in communities served by a government-owned CHS. Analysis of a household survey of 1013 residents shows that they are more willing to do a routine health exam at their neighborhood CHS if they are of low socioeconomic status (as measured either by education or income). Government and private community health stations in Weifang did not statistically differ in their performance on contracted dimensions, after controlling for size and other CHS characteristics. In contrast, the comparison City Y had lower performance and a large gap between public and private providers. We discuss why these patterns arose and what policymakers and residents considered to be the main issues and concerns regarding primary care services.

Contracting with private providers for primary care services: evidence from urban China

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Controversy surrounds the role of the private sector in health service delivery, including primary care and population health services. China’s recent health reforms call for non-discrimination against private providers and emphasize strengthening primary care, but formal contracting-out initiatives remain few, and the associated empirical evidence is very limited. This paper presents a case study of contracting with private providers for urban primary and preventive health services in Shandong Province, China. The case study draws on three primary sources of data: administrative records; a household survey of over 1600 community residents in Weifang and City Y; and a provider survey of over 1000 staff at community health stations (CHS) in both Weifang and City Y. We supplement the quantitative data with one-on-one, in-depth interviews with key informants, including local officials in charge of public health and government finance. We find significant differences in patient mix: Residents in the communities served by private community health stations are of lower socioeconomic status (more likely to be uninsured and to report poor health), compared to residents in communities served by a government-owned CHS. Analysis of a household survey of 1013 residents shows that they are more willing to do a routine health exam at their neighborhood CHS if they are of low socioeconomic status (as measured either by education or income). Government and private community health stations in Weifang did not statistically differ in their performance on contracted dimensions, after controlling for size and other CHS characteristics. In contrast, the comparison City Y had lower performance and a large gap between public and private providers. We discuss why these patterns arose and what policymakers and residents considered to be the main issues and concerns regarding primary care services. PMID:23327666

Dutch Logistics Service Providers and Sustainable Physical Distribution: Searching for Focus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieters, R.; Glöckner, H.H.; Omta, S.W.F.; Weijers, S.

2012-01-01

As environmental concerns becoming increasingly important to logistics service providers, the question arises as to how they can achieve sustainable physical distribution practices while surviving the severe competition in freight transport. This issue is further complicated by the pressures from

Dutch Logistics Service Providers and Sustainable Physical Distribution: Searching for Focus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieters, R.; Glöckner, H.H.; Omta, S.W.F.; Weijers, S.

2013-01-01

As environmental concerns becoming increasingly important to logistics service providers, the question arises as to how they can achieve sustainable physical distribution practices while surviving the severe competition in freight transport. This issue is further complicated by the pressures from

Safe Harbor for Service Providers Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yeh, Brian; Jeweler, Robin

2004-01-01

.... Title II of the DMCA amended chapter 5 of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 501 et seq., and created a new 512 to limit the liability of service providers for claims of copyright infringement relating to materials on-line...

experiences from Muheza district, Tanzania

African Journals Online (AJOL)

planning services using community structures that includes home visiting by trained ... made to determine the number of respondents required to obtain 462 ... Better off: Own milling machine or shop or kiosk or buying and selling crops or ...

Home Visit Services Provided for Elderly Dwellers in Isfahan Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zamane Vafaei

2015-06-01

Conclusion: As the home visit services might be effective for providing health care for the aged people and increasing their quality of life, policymaking to spread these services seems to be crucial especially for Iran.

What to provide and how to provide it? : - a study on small companies' demand for audit and alternative services

OpenAIRE

Franzén, Liza

2010-01-01

The 1st of July 2010 is the statutory audit going to be abolished in Sweden. After the abolition 96 % of the limited companies do not have to conduct an audit.  This research will therefore study the small companies’ demand for audit and alternative services, and how the services shall be provided to best align with the clients’ demands. This study will be conducted with a positivistic perception of knowledge, since the aim is to explain what factors that affect the companies’ demand. With st...

Service provider perceptions of transitioning from audio to video capability in a telehealth system: a qualitative evaluation

OpenAIRE

Clay-Williams, Robyn; Baysari, Melissa; Taylor, Natalie; Zalitis, Dianne; Georgiou, Andrew; Robinson, Maureen; Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Westbrook, Johanna

2017-01-01

Background Telephone consultation and triage services are increasingly being used to deliver health advice. Availability of high speed internet services in remote areas allows healthcare providers to move from telephone to video telehealth services. Current approaches for assessing video services have limitations. This study aimed to identify the challenges for service providers associated with transitioning from audio to video technology. Methods Using a mixed-method, qualitative approach, w...

New consumer services provided by smart metering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daminov Ildar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the issues of smart metering market and considers different services provided by smart metering from consumer point of view. Firstly, smart metering deployment challenges emerging and conventional tariffs, which modify a consumer behavior and thus, the entire electric energy market can be optimized since the customer is motivated to consume less energy. Secondly, the authors illustrate changes in electricity quality, which have an impact on consumer relations with utility. Additionally, two main indices of grid resilience – SAIDI and SAIFI – are exemplified to reveal the improvement potential of smart metering implementation in certain regions of Russia that also influence the consumer. Finally, in-home display and privacy problem directly reflect the consumer’s behavior, thus the private life rights should not be violated as they are guaranteed by law.

Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout of North Korean Refugees Service Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeunhee Joyce

2017-03-01

The current study investigated the burnout and secondary traumatic stress of service providers for North Korean (NK) refugees based on the conceptual framework of theJob Demands-Resources (JD-R) model of workplace burnout. A cross-sectional self-administered survey was conducted with a national sample consisting of all 63 organizations in direct services to North Korean refugees. Of the estimated total number of 230 service providers comprising of social workers, psychotherapists, job counselors and paraprofessional counselors, 179 completed the survey, a 77.8% return rate. While job resources such as personal commitment to work and organizational support indicated inverse relations to burnout, job demands such as workload, work environment and secondary traumatic stress (STS) showed a positive relationship to worker burnout. The STS were present in more than half of the respondents (51.3%), of which 20.7% of them indicating a severe level of STS. The STS proved to be the most significant risk to worker burnout as it showed strong relations to all three dimensions of burnout. Structural issues of chronic work overload and poor work environment need to be addressed to reduce staff burnout. STS is a serious occupational hazard in working with North Korean refugees.

Providing Services to Virtual Patrons.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulshof, Robert

1999-01-01

Discusses the types of services libraries need to support patrons who access the library via the Internet or e-mail. Highlights include issues in technical support; establishing policies and procedures; tools for technical support, including hardware and software; impacts of technical support on staff; and future possibilities. (LRW)

Evaluating ecosystem services provided by non-native species: an experimental test in California grasslands.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Claudia; Hallett, Lauren M; Harpole, W Stanley; Suding, Katharine N

2014-01-01

The concept of ecosystem services--the benefits that nature provides to human's society--has gained increasing attention over the past decade. Increasing global abiotic and biotic change, including species invasions, is threatening the secure delivery of these ecosystem services. Efficient evaluation methods of ecosystem services are urgently needed to improve our ability to determine management strategies and restoration goals in face of these new emerging ecosystems. Considering a range of multiple ecosystem functions may be a useful way to determine such strategies. We tested this framework experimentally in California grasslands, where large shifts in species composition have occurred since the late 1700's. We compared a suite of ecosystem functions within one historic native and two non-native species assemblages under different grazing intensities to address how different species assemblages vary in provisioning, regulatory and supporting ecosystem services. Forage production was reduced in one non-native assemblage (medusahead). Cultural ecosystem services, such as native species diversity, were inherently lower in both non-native assemblages, whereas most other services were maintained across grazing intensities. All systems provided similar ecosystem services under the highest grazing intensity treatment, which simulated unsustainable grazing intensity. We suggest that applying a more comprehensive ecosystem framework that considers multiple ecosystem services to evaluate new emerging ecosystems is a valuable tool to determine management goals and how to intervene in a changing ecosystem.

17 CFR 248.13 - Exception to opt out requirements for service providers and joint marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... include marketing of your own products or services or marketing of financial products or services offered... requirements for service providers and joint marketing. 248.13 Section 248.13 Commodity and Securities... Consumer Financial Information and Safeguarding Personal Information Exceptions § 248.13 Exception to opt...

Evaluation of Small-Scale Providers of Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Peru

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2007-01-01

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), administered by the World Bank, helps countries find sustainable solutions to ensure efficient delivery of the quality water supply and sanitation services the population demands. The WSP is carrying out a systematic analysis in several countries to identify the role of small-scale providers (SSP) of water and sanitation services to poor populations ...

Service-Learning Linking Family Child Care Providers, Community Partners, and Preservice Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, Pamela W.; Parker, Tameka S.

2016-01-01

This article describes the implementation of a service-learning project, which was infused into a child development course. The project linked family child care providers, their licensing agency, and 39 preservice teachers in a joint effort to develop a parent handbook to be used by the providers in their child care businesses and to support…

THE USE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES OF THE KNUKIM SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY FOR INFORMATION SERVICES PROVIDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

В. В. Степко

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The article highlights information resources of the scientific library of the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts and characterizes its use in the system of providing librarian and informational services for users. It is proved that the important information resource of the library is website, which provides additional opportunities for users, forming a positive image of the library in the virtual space. The site contains information on various directions of the library’s activities, librarian services, projects and media products. One of the main tasks of the library is formation and presentation on the website of the electronic catalog as a multifunctional bibliographic resource, which is the basis for informational services and the basic information product of the library. The creation of an electronic library continues as the essential element of providing qualitative and effective services to users. The article discusses the functioning of the “Virtual Help” service as an effective form of working with remote users. The authors also consider such an actual direction of the library’s activity as the presentation of the scientific and creative heritage of the university with help of “12 + books of the year” project. The aim of the project is to inform about new editions of university’s teachers published this year and presented in the library fund. The implementation of the patriotic innovation and educational project “Treasures of the Nation”, whose purpose is to study and popularize the elements of the intangible cultural heritage ofUkraine, is analyzed. The booktrails and flash presentations are considered as a means of presenting books prepared by the library staff. The preparation of longreed, a new format for submitting information on the Internet, is also considered. Thanks to the use of Tilda Publishing and ThingLink services, innovative products were created: a complex multimedia story that combined photos

20 CFR 669.680 - What activities and services may be provided under the MSFW youth program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... under the MSFW youth program? 669.680 Section 669.680 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING... provide activities and services to MSFW youth that include: (1) Intensive services and training services... interpersonal skills development; (3) Community service projects; (4) Small business development technical...

Integrating inventory control and capacity management at a maintenance service provider

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buyukkaramikli, N.C.; Ooijen, van H.P.G.; Bertrand, J.W.M.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we study the capacity flexibility problem of a maintenance service provider, who is running a repair shop and is responsible for the availability of numerous specialized systems which contain a critical component that is prone to failure. Upon a critical component failure, the

Penerapan Model Multidimensional Scaling dalam Pemetaan Brand Positioning Internet Service Provider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robertus Tang Herman

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In this high-tech era, there have been tremendous advances in tech-based products and services. Internet is one of them that have widened the world’s eyes to a new borderless marketplace. High competition among internet service providers has pushed companies to create competitive advantage and brilliant marketing strategies. They undertake positioning mapping to describe product or service’s positioning amongst many competitors. The right positioning strategy becomes a powerful weapon to win in the battle. This research is designed to create positioning mapping based on perceptual mapping. The researcher uses Multidimensional Scaling and image mapping to achieve this research goal. Sampling is using non-probability sampling in Jakarta. Based on non-attribute approach, the research findings show that there is similarity between two different brands. Thus, both brands are competing against one another. On the other hand, CBN and Netzap provider reflect some differences to others. And some brands require some improvements in terms of network reliability.

Driving While Impaired (DWI) Intervention Service Provider Orientations: The Scales of the DWI Therapeutic Educator Inventory (DTEI)

Science.gov (United States)

DeMuro, Scott; Wanberg, Kenneth; Anderson, Rachel

2011-01-01

The therapeutic educator who provides services to driving while impaired (DWI) offenders is a unique professional hybrid, combining education and therapeutic service delivery. In an effort to understand and address this service provider, a 69-item DWI Therapeutic Educator Inventory (DTEI) was constructed. Using principal components and common…

An assessment of market and policy barriers for demand response providing ancillary services in U.S. electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cappers, Peter; MacDonald, Jason; Goldman, Charles; Ma, Ookie

2013-01-01

An impact of increased variable renewable generation is the need for balancing authorities to procure more ancillary services. While demand response resources are technically capable of providing these services, current experience across the U.S. illustrates they are relatively minor players in most regions. Accessing demand response resources for ancillary services may require a number of changes to policies and common practices at multiple levels. Regional reliability councils must first define ancillary services such that demand response resources may provide them. Once the opportunity exists, balancing authorities define and promulgate rules that set the infrastructure investments and performance attributes of a resource wishing to provide such services. These rules also dictate expected revenue streams which reveal the cost effectiveness of these resources. The regulatory compact between utility and state regulators, along with other statutes and decisions by state policymakers, may impact the interest of demand response program providers to pursue these resources as ancillary service providers. This paper identifies within these broad categories specific market and policy barriers to demand response providing ancillary services in different wholesale and retail environments, with emphasis on smaller customers who must be aggregated through a program provider to meet minimum size requirements for wholesale transactions. - Highlights: • We identify barriers keeping demand response from providing ancillary services. • Institutional, financial and program provider business model barriers exist. • Product definitions and rules do not always accommodate demand response well. • Expected revenues are uncertain and may not exceed required investments costs. • Regulatory compact and state statutes limit opportunities for program providers

Collaboration between employers and occupational health service providers: a systematic review of key characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Halonen, Jaana I; Atkins, Salla; Hakulinen, Hanna; Pesonen, Sanna; Uitti, Jukka

2017-01-05

Employees are major contributors to economic development, and occupational health services (OHS) can have an important role in supporting their health. Key to this is collaboration between employers and OHS. We reviewed the evidence regarding the characteristics of good collaboration between employers and OHS providers that is essential to construct more effective collaboration and services. A systematic review of the factors of good collaboration between employers and OHS providers was conducted. We searched five databases between January 2000 and March 2016 and back referenced included articles. Two reviewers evaluated 639 titles, 63 abstracts and 20 full articles, and agreed that six articles, all on qualitative studies, met the predetermined relevance and publication criteria and were included. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes and nine subthemes related to good collaboration were identified. The first theme included time, space and contract requirements for effective collaboration with three subthemes (i.e., key characteristics): flexible OHS/flexible contracts including tailor-made services accounting for the needs of the employer, geographical proximity of the stakeholders allowing easy access to services, and long-term contracts as collaboration develops over time. The second theme was related to characteristics of the dialogue in effective collaboration that consisted of shared goals, reciprocity, frequent contact and trust. According to the third theme the definition of roles of the stakeholders was important; OHS providers should have competence and knowledge about the workplace, become strategic partners with the employers as well as provide quality services. Although literature regarding collaboration between the employers and OHS providers was limited, we identified several key factors that contribute to effective collaboration. This information is useful in

Collaboration between employers and occupational health service providers: a systematic review of key characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaana I. Halonen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Employees are major contributors to economic development, and occupational health services (OHS can have an important role in supporting their health. Key to this is collaboration between employers and OHS. We reviewed the evidence regarding the characteristics of good collaboration between employers and OHS providers that is essential to construct more effective collaboration and services. Methods A systematic review of the factors of good collaboration between employers and OHS providers was conducted. We searched five databases between January 2000 and March 2016 and back referenced included articles. Two reviewers evaluated 639 titles, 63 abstracts and 20 full articles, and agreed that six articles, all on qualitative studies, met the predetermined relevance and publication criteria and were included. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three themes and nine subthemes related to good collaboration were identified. The first theme included time, space and contract requirements for effective collaboration with three subthemes (i.e., key characteristics: flexible OHS/flexible contracts including tailor-made services accounting for the needs of the employer, geographical proximity of the stakeholders allowing easy access to services, and long-term contracts as collaboration develops over time. The second theme was related to characteristics of the dialogue in effective collaboration that consisted of shared goals, reciprocity, frequent contact and trust. According to the third theme the definition of roles of the stakeholders was important; OHS providers should have competence and knowledge about the workplace, become strategic partners with the employers as well as provide quality services. Conclusion Although literature regarding collaboration between the employers and OHS providers was limited, we identified several key factors that contribute

Services to OP-TI : ASE, CV & EL : are we providing the required services for TI in the LHC era?

CERN Document Server

Sollander, P

2008-01-01

The technical infrastructure operation, AB/OP/TI, has always been inter-dependent with the TS equipment groups, even since the operators moved from the TCR to the CCC and the AB department. The TI operation team gives a service to the TS department, taking calls from users, monitoring TS equipment through the alarm system and taking an action which may be a combination of work orders, piquet calls and on-site interventions. The TS department in return provides a certain number of services to the Technical Infrastructure operation; the Technical Infrastructure Monitoring (TIM) control system is provided by TS and so are the maintenance management system D7i and the documentation system EDMS. TS equipment groups also supply information concerning planned and on-going work and follow up the work orders created by TI. This paper will describe the services exchanged between TI operation and TS, show the benefits of the collaboration and suggest some improvements.

Family planning providers' perspectives on family planning service delivery in Ibadan and Kaduna, Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebert, Luciana Estelle; Schwandt, Hilary Megan; Boulay, Marc; Skinner, Joanna

2013-01-01

In Nigeria, fertility continues to be high and contraceptive prevalence remains low. This study was conducted in order to understand the perceptions of, experiences with and challenges of delivering family planning services in two urban areas of Nigeria from the perspectives of family planning service providers. A qualitative study using 59 in-depth interviews was conducted among family planning providers working in hospitals, primary health centres, clinics, pharmacies and patent medicine vendors in Ibadan and Kaduna, Nigeria. Providers support a mix of individuals and organisations involved in family planning provision, including the government of Nigeria. The Nigerian government's role can take a variety of forms, including providing promotional materials for family planning facilities as well as facilitating training and educational opportunities for providers, since many providers lack basic training in family planning provision. Providers often describe their motivation to provide in terms of the health benefits offered by family planning methods. Few providers engage in any marketing of their services and many providers exclude youth and unmarried individuals from their services. The family planning provider community supports a diverse network of providers, but needs further training and support in order to improve the quality of care and market their services. Adolescents, unmarried individuals and women seeking post-abortion care are vulnerable populations that providers need to be better educated about and trained in how to serve. The perspectives of providers should be considered when designing family planning interventions in urban areas of Nigeria.

Contraception services for incarcerated women: a national survey of correctional health providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sufrin, Carolyn B; Creinin, Mitchell D; Chang, Judy C

2009-12-01

Incarcerated women have had limited access to health care prior to their arrest. Although their incarceration presents an opportunity to provide them with health care, their reproductive health needs have been overlooked. We performed a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of 950 correctional health providers who are members of the Academy of Correctional Health Providers. A total of 405 surveys (43%) were returned, and 286 (30%) were eligible for analysis. Most ineligible surveys were from clinicians at male-only facilities. Of eligible respondents, 70% reported some degree of contraception counseling for women at their facilities. Only 11% provided routine counseling prior to release. Seventy percent said that their institution had no formal policy on contraception. Thirty-eight percent of clinicians provided birth control methods at their facilities. Although the most frequently counseled and prescribed method was oral contraceptive pills, only 50% of providers rated their oral contraceptive counseling ability as good or very good. Contraception counseling was associated with working at a juvenile facility, and with screening for sexually transmitted infections. Contraception does not appear to be integrated into the routine delivery of clinical services to incarcerated women. Because the correctional health care system can provide important clinical and public health interventions to traditionally marginalized populations, services for incarcerated women should include access to contraception.

7 CFR 1466.11 - Technical services provided by qualified personnel not affiliated with USDA.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... not affiliated with USDA. 1466.11 Section 1466.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1466.11 Technical services provided by qualified personnel not affiliated with USDA. (a) NRCS may use the services of qualified TSPs...

Practical Theology and providing service: The service through love ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

known sight in society. Despite the larger picture of inadequate service, there are those who serve their fellow humans and society every day. The Mamas Africa utilising the minimum resources available, are examples of people who make a ...

Application of microgrids in providing ancillary services to the utility grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majzoobi, Alireza; Khodaei, Amin

2017-01-01

A microgrid optimal scheduling model is developed in this paper to demonstrate microgrid's capability in offering ancillary services to the utility grid. The application of localized ancillary services is of significant importance to grid operators as the growing proliferation of distributed renewable energy resources, mainly solar generation, is causing major technical challenges in supply-load balance. The proposed microgrid optimal scheduling model coordinates the microgrid net load with the aggregated consumers/prosumers net load in its connected distribution feeder to capture both inter-hour and intra-hour net load variations. In particular, net load variations for three various time resolutions are considered, including hourly ramping, 10-min based load following, and 1-min based frequency regulation. Numerical simulations on a test distribution feeder with one microgrid and several consumers/prosumers indicate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the viability of the microgrid application in supporting grid operation. - Highlights: • Microgrid optimal scheduling for providing ancillary services to the utility grid. • Local management and mitigation of distribution net load variations. • Offering various support services: ramping, load following, frequency regulation. • Proven effectiveness and accuracy in capturing net load variations.

Analysis Of Provided Service Quality In Flowers And Living Plants Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Poliaková, Adela

2015-06-01

This paper analyses quality of the living flowers and plants transportation. A part of this paper compares the demands for a particular transport mode and a practical demonstration of these transport modes within a specific transport mode. The paper presents a survey of quality of services provided by individual transport modes.

Churn Forecasting Model for South African Pre-Paid Service Providers

OpenAIRE

Olusola Gbenga Olufemi; Trudie Strydom

2018-01-01

Telecommunication companies globally confront with rising problems of customer agitations. Inadequacy of telecoms’ rendered services, delivered products and many other causes, result to the difficult moments telecoms face. These problems have further degenerated to customers leaving from one network provider to the other, in quest for improved satisfaction. Churn is the term used to describe this customers’ resultant movement, due to agitation caused by inadequate operations. The Republic of ...

13 CFR 107.900 - Management fees for services provided to a Small Business by Licensee or its Associate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Management fees for services... Licensees Management Services and Fees § 107.900 Management fees for services provided to a Small Business... apply to management services that you or your Associate provide to a Small Business that you do not...

A family-specific use of the Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers (MPOC-SP).

Science.gov (United States)

Siebes, R C; Nijhuis, B J G; Boonstra, A M; Ketelaar, M; Wijnroks, L; Reinders-Messelink, H A; Postema, K; Vermeer, A

2008-03-01

To examine the validity and utility of the Dutch Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers (MPOC-SP) as a family-specific measure. A validation study. Five paediatric rehabilitation settings in the Netherlands. The MPOC-SP was utilized in a general (reflecting on services provided for all clients and clients' families) and family-specific way (filled out in reference to a particular child and his or her family). Professionals providing rehabilitation and educational services to children with cerebral palsy. For construct validity, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients (r ) between the scales were calculated. The ability of service providers to discriminate between general and family-specific ratings was examined by exploration of absolute difference scores. One hundred and sixteen service professionals filled out 240 family-specific MPOC-SPs. In addition, a subgroup of 81 professionals filled out a general MPOC-SP. For each professional, family-specific and general scores were paired, resulting in 151 general-family-specific MPOC-SP pairs. The construct validity analyses confirmed the scale structure: 21 items (77.8%) loaded highest in the original MPOC-SP factors, and all items correlated best and significantly with their own scale score (r 0.565 to 0.897; PService providers were able to discriminate between general and family-specific MPOC-SP item ratings. The family-specific MPOC-SP is a valid measure that can be used for individual evaluation of family-centred services and can be the impetus for family-related quality improvement.

New graduates’ perceptions of preparedness to provide speech-language therapy services in general and dysphagia services in particular

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shajila Singh

2015-06-01

Methods: New graduates of six South African universities were recruited to participate in a survey by completing an electronic questionnaire exploring their perceptions of the dysphagia curricula and their preparedness to practise across the scope of the profession of speechlanguage therapy. Results: Eighty graduates participated in the study yielding a response rate of 63.49%. Participants perceived themselves to be well prepared in some areas (e.g. child language: 100%; articulation and phonology: 97.26%, but less prepared in other areas (e.g. adult dysphagia: 50.70%; paediatric dysarthria: 46.58%; paediatric dysphagia: 38.36% and most unprepared to provide services requiring sign language (23.61% and African languages (20.55%. There was a significant relationship between perceptions of adequate theory and clinical learning opportunities with assessment and management of dysphagia and perceptions of preparedness to provide dysphagia services. Conclusion: There is a need for review of existing curricula and consideration of developing a standard speech-language therapy curriculum across universities, particularly in service provision to a multilingual population, and in both the theory and clinical learning of the assessment and management of adult and paediatric dysphagia, to better equip graduates for practice.

School Lunch Consumption among 3 Food Service Providers in New Orleans

Science.gov (United States)

Canterberry, Melanie; Francois, Samantha; van Hattum, Taslim; Rudov, Lindsey; Carton, Thomas W.

2018-01-01

Background: Louisiana has one of the highest rates of overweight and obese children in the United States. The Healthy School Food Collaborative (HSFC) was created to allow New Orleans's schools to select their own healthy school Food Service Provider (FSP) with requirements for higher nutritional standards than traditional options. The goal of…

The role of non-governmental organizations in providing curative health services in North Darfur State, Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagub, Abdallah I A; Mtshali, Khondlo

2015-09-01

Conflict in North Darfur state, Western Sudan started in 2003, and the delivering of curative health services was becoming a greater challenge for the country's limited resources. NGOs have played an important role in providing curative health services. To examine the role that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have played in providing curative health services, as well as to identify the difficulties and challenges that affect NGOs in delivering curative health services. Secondary data was collected from different sources, including government offices and medical organizations in Sudan and in North Darfur state. Primary data was obtained through interviews with government and NGOs representatives. The interviews were conducted with (1) expatriates working for international NGOs (N=15) (2) health professionals and administrators working in health sector (N= 45) in the period from November 2010 to January 2011. The government in North Darfur state spent 70% of its financial budget on security, while it spent it less than 1% on providing health services. The international NGOs have been providing 70% of curative health services to the State's population by contributing 52.9% of the health budget and 1 390 health personnel. Since 2003 NGOs have provided technical assistance to the health staff. As a result, more than fifty nurses have been trained to provide care and treatment, more than twenty-three doctors have been trained in laboratory equipment operation, and approximately six senior doctors and hospital directors have received management training. NGOs have been managing and supporting 89 public health facilities, and established 24 health centres in IDP camps, and 20 health centres across all the districts in North Darfur state. The NGOs have played an important role in providing curative health services and in establishing good health facilities, but a future problem is how the government will run these health facilities after a peaceful settlement has been

Perspectives on Same-Sex Sexualities and Self-Harm amongst Service Providers and Teachers in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Denise

2014-01-01

This study investigates the perspectives of service providers working with Chinese lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people in Hong Kong secondary schools and maps the relationships between same-sex sexualities, religion, education and self-harm. Sixteen service providers, including secondary school teachers, social workers based on and off…

Changing access to mental health care and social support when people living with HIV/AIDS become service providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Alan Tai-Wai; Wales, Joshua; Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing; Owino, Maureen; Perreault, Yvette; Miao, Andrew; Maseko, Precious; Guiang, Charlie

2015-01-01

As people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) achieve more stable health, many have taken on active peer support and professional roles within AIDS service organizations. Although the increased engagement has been associated with many improved health outcomes, emerging program and research evidence have identified new challenges associated with such transition. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative interpretive study that explored the effect of this role transition on PHA service providers' access to mental health support and self care. A total of 27 PHA service providers of diverse ethno-racial backgrounds took part in the study. Results show that while role transition often improves access to financial and health-care benefits, it also leads to new stress from workload demands, emotional triggers from client's narratives, feeling of burnout from over-immersion in HIV at both personal and professional levels, and diminished self care. Barriers to seeking support included: concerns regarding confidentiality; self-imposed and enacted stigma associated with accessing mental health services; and boundary issues resulting from changes in relationships with peers and other service providers. Evolving support mechanisms included: new formal and informal peer support networks amongst colleagues or other PHA service providers to address both personal and professional challenges, and having access to professional support offered through the workplace. The findings suggest the need for increased organizational recognition of HIV support work as a form of emotional labor that places complex demands on PHA service providers. Increased access to employer-provided mental health services, supportive workplace policies, and adequate job-specific training will contribute to reduced work-related stress. Community level strategies that support expansion of social networks amongst PHA service providers would reduce isolation. Systemic policies to increase access to insurance

Cloud infrastructure for providing tools as a service: quality attributes and potential solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chauhan, Muhammad Aufeef; Ali Babar, Muhammad

2012-01-01

Cloud computing is being increasingly adopted in various domains for providing on-demand infrastructure and Software as a service (SaaS) by leveraging the utility computing model and virtualization technologies. One of the domains, where cloud computing is expected to gain huge traction is Global...... Software Development (GSD) that has emerged as a popular software development model. Despite several promised benefits, GSD is characterized by not only technical issues but also the complexities associated with its processes. One of the key challenges of GSD is to provide appropriate tools more...... efficiently and cost-effectively. Moreover, variations in tools available/used by different GSD team members can also pose challenges. We assert that providing Tools as a Service (TaaS) to GSD teams through a cloud-based infrastructure can be a promising solution to address the tools related challenges in GSD...

Comparing medical and dental providers of oral health services on early dental caries experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranz, Ashley M; Rozier, R Gary; Preisser, John S; Stearns, Sally C; Weinberger, Morris; Lee, Jessica Y

2014-07-01

Most state Medicaid programs reimburse nondental primary care providers (PCPs) for providing preventive oral health services to young children. We examined the association between who (PCP, dentist, or both) provides these services to Medicaid enrollees before age 3 years and oral health at age 5 years. We linked North Carolina Medicaid claims (1999-2006) to oral health surveillance data (2005-2006). Regression models estimated oral health status (number of decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth) and untreated disease (proportion of untreated decayed teeth), with adjustment for relevant characteristics and by using inverse-probability-of-treatment weights to address confounding. We analyzed data for 5235 children with 2 or more oral health visits from a PCP, dentist, or both. Children with multiple PCP or dentist visits had a similar number of overall mean decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth in kindergarten, whereas children with only PCP visits had a higher proportion of untreated decayed teeth. The setting and provider type did not influence the effectiveness of preventive oral health services on children's overall oral health. However, children having only PCP visits may encounter barriers to obtaining dental treatment.

Performance of the measures of processes of care for adults and service providers in rehabilitation settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bamm, Elena L; Rosenbaum, Peter; Wilkins, Seanne; Stratford, Paul

2015-01-01

In recent years, client-centered care has been embraced as a new philosophy of care by many organizations around the world. Clinicians and researchers have identified the need for valid and reliable outcome measures that are easy to use to evaluate success of implementation of new concepts. The current study was developed to complete adaptation and field testing of the companion patient-reported measures of processes of care for adults (MPOC-A) and the service provider self-reflection measure of processes of care for service providers working with adult clients (MPOC-SP(A)). A validation study. In-patient rehabilitation facilities. MPOC-A and measure of processes of care for service providers working with adult clients (MPOC-SP(A)). Three hundred and eighty-four health care providers, 61 patients, and 16 family members completed the questionnaires. Good to excellent internal consistency (0.71-0.88 for health care professionals, 0.82-0.90 for patients, and 0.87-0.94 for family members), as well as moderate to good correlations between domains (0.40-0.78 for health care professionals and 0.52-0.84 for clients) supported internal reliability of the tools. Exploratory factor analysis of the MPOC-SP(A) responses supported the multidimensionality of the questionnaire. MPOC-A and MPOC-SP(A) are valid and reliable tools to assess patient and service-provider accounts, respectively, of the extent to which they experience, or are able to provide, client-centered service. Research should now be undertaken to explore in more detail the relationships between client experience and provider reports of their own behavior.

25 CFR 36.82 - May behavioral health professional(s) provide services during the academic school day?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) provide services during the academic school day? Behavioral health professional(s) must average at least... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false May behavioral health professional(s) provide services during the academic school day? 36.82 Section 36.82 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE...

Procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance among mobile phone service providers in Kenya

OpenAIRE

Emily Adhiambo Okonjo; Peterson Obara Magutu; Richard Bitange Nyaoga

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance among mobile phone service providers in Kenya. The study specifically set out to establish the extent to which mobile phone service providers have implemented procurement risk management practices and to determine the relationship between procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance. The study adopted a descriptive study design by collecting ...

Developing Indicators of Service Quality Provided for Cardiovascular Patients Hospitalized in Cardiac Care Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saber Azami-Aghdash

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are among the most prevalent chronic diseases leading to high degrees of mortality and morbidity worldwide and in Iran. The aim of the current study was to determine and develop appropriate indicators for evaluating provided service quality for cardiovascular patients admitted to Cardiac Care Units (CCU in Iran. Methods: In order to determine the indicators for evaluating provided service quality, a four-stage process including reviewing systematic review articles in premier bibliographic databases, interview, performing two rounds of Delphi technique, and holding experts panel by attendance of experts in different fields was adopted. Finally, after recognizing relevant indicators in resources, these indicators were finalized during various stages using ideas of 27 experts in different fields. Results: Among 2800 found articles in the text reviewing phase, 21 articles, which had completely mentioned relevant indicators, were studied and 48 related indicators were extracted. After two interviews with a cardiologist and an epidemiologist, 32 items of the indicators were omitted and replaced by 27 indicators coping with the conditions of Iranian hospitals. Finally, 43 indicators were added into the Delphi phase and after 2 rounds of Delphi with 18 specialists, 7 cases were excluded due to their low scores of applicability. In the experts’ panel stage, 6 items were also omitted and 10 new indicators were developed to replace them. Eventually, 40 indicators were finalized. Conclusion: In this study, some proper indicators for evaluating provided service quality for CCU admissions in Iran were determined. Considering the informative richness of these indicators, they can be used by managers, policy makers, health service providers, and also insurance agencies in order to improve the quality of services, decisions, and policies.

Impact of prenatal care provider on the use of ancillary health services during pregnancy

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Recent declines in the provision of prenatal care by family physicians and the integration of midwives into the Canadian health care system have led to a shift in the pattern of prenatal care provision; however it is unknown if this also impacts use of other health services during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the impact of the type of prenatal care provider on the self-reported use of ancillary services during pregnancy. Methods Data for this study was obtained from the All Our Babies study, a community-based prospective cohort study of women’s experiences during pregnancy and the post-partum period. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to assess the association between type of prenatal care provider and use of ancillary health services in pregnancy. Results During pregnancy, 85.8% of women reported accessing ancillary health services. Compared to women who received prenatal care from a family physician, women who saw a midwife were less likely to call a nurse telephone advice line (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.18-0.50) and visit the emergency department (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24-0.89), but were more likely receive chiropractic care (OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 2.49-6.67). Women who received their prenatal care from an obstetrician were more likely to visit a walk-in clinic (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.11-2.05) than those who were cared for by a family physician. Conclusions Prenatal care is a complex entity and referral pathways between care providers and services are not always clear. This can lead to the provision of fragmented care and create opportunities for errors and loss of information. All types of care providers have a role in addressing the full range of health needs that pregnant women experience. PMID:23497179

Key Factors of Quality in the Sector of Tourism Services Providers: Case Study: Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Vajčnerová

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper summarizes main results of partial research aimed at detection of the key factors affecting quality in the sector of tourism services providers, namely tour operators and travel agencies. A primary questionnaire survey was conducted; the researched factors were distributed in the context of service quality dimensions (Grönroos model; the dimensions were tested in relation to sex, age and education of the respondents (ANOVA; Brown-Forsythe test. Assurance was identified as the most important dimension. The output of the study is determining the significance of individual quality factors from the perspective of a potential customer when selecting a service provider.

Using provider performance incentives to increase HIV testing and counseling services in Rwanda.

Science.gov (United States)

de Walque, Damien; Gertler, Paul J; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio; Kwan, Ada; Vermeersch, Christel; de Dieu Bizimana, Jean; Binagwaho, Agnès; Condo, Jeanine

2015-03-01

Paying for performance provides financial rewards to medical care providers for improvements in performance measured by utilization and quality of care indicators. In 2006, Rwanda began a pay for performance scheme to improve health services delivery, including HIV/AIDS services. Using a prospective quasi-experimental design, this study examines the scheme's impact on individual and couples HIV testing. We find a positive impact of pay for performance on HIV testing among married individuals (10.2 percentage points increase). Paying for performance also increased testing by both partners by 14.7 percentage point among discordant couples in which only one of the partners is an AIDS patient. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Service Providers' Perceptions of and Responses to Bullying of Individuals with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Erin E.; Nickerson, Amanda B.; Werth, Jilynn M.; Allen, Kathleen P.

2017-01-01

A sample of 124 service providers (e.g. mental health professionals, educators, administrators) completed a survey about bullying of individuals with disabilities and the use and perceived effectiveness of resources and strategies to address bullying. Providing support and performing an action in response to bullying were reported to be used more…

Providing quality reference services at a special library

OpenAIRE

Semertzaki, Eva

2006-01-01

The paper deals with the traditional vs. modern reference service and with the reference interview and its value. It analyzes new channels of communication: the virtual reference service. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face vs. virtual reference and touches issues of user education, information literacy, user satisfaction and evaluation of reference services. Finally, it highlights the competencies of the reference librarian.

Procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance among mobile phone service providers in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Adhiambo Okonjo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance among mobile phone service providers in Kenya. The study specifically set out to establish the extent to which mobile phone service providers have implemented procurement risk management practices and to determine the relationship between procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance. The study adopted a descriptive study design by collecting data from the four (4 mobile telecommunication companies in Kenya using a self-administered questionnaire. Means, standard deviation, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data collected. The study established that most of the mobile phone service providers in Kenya had implemented procurement risk management practices. It was also clear that there was a very significant relationship between procurement risk management practices and supply chain performance.

Informal Adult Learning and Emotion Work of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants

Science.gov (United States)

Brigham, Susan M.; Baillie Abidi, Catherine; Tastsoglou, Evangelia; Lange, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Like the immigrant clients they serve, service providers have been overlooked in adult education literature, yet their roles are crucial for addressing the serious concerns of refugees and refugee claimants who flee their home countries hoping to find safe refuge in another country.

[Job satisfaction and work impact among providers of a mental health service].

Science.gov (United States)

Rebouças, Denise; Legay, Letícia Fortes; Abelha, Lúcia

2007-04-01

To assess job satisfaction and work impact among providers of a mental health service and their potential association with sociodemographic and job-related variables. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 321 employees of a long-stay mental health service in Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. The following instruments were applied: the WHO Mental Health Services Satisfaction and Work Impact scales, and a questionnaire on sociodemographic and job features. Variable associations were analysed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square tests and multiple linear regression. The mean score of satisfaction was 3.29 (SD=0.64) and the mean score for work impact was 1.77 (SD=0.62). Of all respondents, 61.8% reported a moderate level of satisfaction. Job satisfaction was positively associated with increasing age, lower schooling, being a non-governmental organization employee, developing non-patient-related activities, being involved in an innovative project. The highest levels of work impact were observed among civil servants, young people and females. Most features associated to the lowest levels of job satisfaction were associated to the highest levels of work impact. Despite the moderate level of satisfaction among providers, there is an evident need for policy changes, mainly those related to increasing availability of supplies and human resources and building restoration.

Opinion On Drug Information Services Provided In A Multi- Specialty Teaching Hospital

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Vijayakumar TM, Poovi G & Dhanaraju MD

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the various drug information queriesreceived, and to access the drug information services providedby the pharmacy practice department.Method: Drug information queries received during wardrounds, direct communication, telephone or internet etc. weredocumented in the drug information request anddocumentation forms prepared by the department over theperiod of January 2010 to June 2010. Various parameters likestatus of enquirer, their specialty, mode of receipt of query,purpose of query, type of query etc. were consider forevaluation.Results: Out of 208 queries received, major 56 (26.9% frommale medical ward. Maximum [82 (39.4 %] queries were fromthe physicians. 73 (35.0 % of the queries were about therecent advances and the updating of the information, It wasfound that mostly the mode of request was during wardrounds 85 (40.9%. Most of the queries [126 (60.6%] wereanswered by written or printout format. Majority of thequeries [195 (93.8 %] were answered directly to theenquirers through direct access. Most of the queries wereanswered through books in the department [86 (41.3 %].Conclusion: Results of the external auditing revealed thatrequestors were generally satisfied with the service provided.The drug information services provided by clinical pharmacistsat the hospital were found to be useful and beneficial to thehealthcare professionals and patients.

Identification, definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: implications for the ecosystem approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, N J; Austen, M C; Atkins, J P; Burdon, D; Degraer, S; Dentinho, T P; Derous, S; Holm, P; Horton, T; van Ierland, E; Marboe, A H; Starkey, D J; Townsend, M; Zarzycki, T

2007-03-01

This paper identifies and defines ecosystem goods and services provided by marine biodiversity. Case studies have been used to provide an insight into the practical issues associated with the assessment of marine ecosystem goods and services at specific locations. The aim of this research was to validate the definitions of goods and services, and to identify knowledge gaps and likely difficulties of quantifying the goods and services. A validated theoretical framework for the assessment of goods and services is detailed, and examples of the goods and services at a variety of case study areas are documented. These results will enable future assessments of marine ecosystem goods and services. It is concluded that the utilisation of this goods and services approach has the capacity to play a fundamental role in the Ecosystem Approach, by enabling the pressures and demands of society, the economy and the environment to be integrated into environmental management.

41 CFR 302-12.101 - May we enter into a contract with a relocation services company for the company to provide...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... contract with a relocation services company for the company to provide relocation services? 302-12.101... the company to provide relocation services? Yes, you may enter into a contract with a relocation services company for the company to provide relocation services. ...

41 CFR 102-76.20 - What issues must Federal agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services? 102-76.20 Section 102-76.20... What issues must Federal agencies consider in providing site planning and landscape design services? In providing site planning and design services, Federal agencies must— (a) Make the site planning and landscape...

Reliability constrained decision model for energy service provider incorporating demand response programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahboubi-Moghaddam, Esmaeil; Nayeripour, Majid; Aghaei, Jamshid

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The operation of Energy Service Providers (ESPs) in electricity markets is modeled. • Demand response as the cost-effective solution is used for energy service provider. • The market price uncertainty is modeled using the robust optimization technique. • The reliability of the distribution network is embedded into the framework. • The simulation results demonstrate the benefits of robust framework for ESPs. - Abstract: Demand response (DR) programs are becoming a critical concept for the efficiency of current electric power industries. Therefore, its various capabilities and barriers have to be investigated. In this paper, an effective decision model is presented for the strategic behavior of energy service providers (ESPs) to demonstrate how to participate in the day-ahead electricity market and how to allocate demand in the smart distribution network. Since market price affects DR and vice versa, a new two-step sequential framework is proposed, in which unit commitment problem (UC) is solved to forecast the expected locational marginal prices (LMPs), and successively DR program is applied to optimize the total cost of providing energy for the distribution network customers. This total cost includes the cost of purchased power from the market and distributed generation (DG) units, incentive cost paid to the customers, and compensation cost of power interruptions. To obtain compensation cost, the reliability evaluation of the distribution network is embedded into the framework using some innovative constraints. Furthermore, to consider the unexpected behaviors of the other market participants, the LMP prices are modeled as the uncertainty parameters using the robust optimization technique, which is more practical compared to the conventional stochastic approach. The simulation results demonstrate the significant benefits of the presented framework for the strategic performance of ESPs.

Assessment of the quality of service provided by a national regulatory institution

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Adetunji, O.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Government institutions need to assess how well they meet the needs of their customers, and what their customers think about the quality of the services they provide. This is aligned with the Batho Pele principle of the South African government. The SERVQUAL scale, augmented with a qualitative survey, was used to determine how the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC is perceived by its clients, which key factors drive such perceptions, and whether the perceptions are consistent across the different client groups of this regulatory institution. The complementary role of qualitative data in illuminating issues driving quantitative results is highlighted. Service quality scores are computed for the NHBRC. The convergence of opinions of different customer groups was studied using correlation analysis. The significance of service quality perception gaps was tested using the multivariate analysis of variance, and the reliability of the SERVQUAL scale was examined using exploratory factor analysis. It was observed that by improving the feedback mechanism of the NHBRC, their clients customer service quality perceptions could be enhanced.

Application Service Providers (ASP Adoption in Core and Non-Core Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aman Y.M. Chan

2009-10-01

Full Text Available With the further improvement in internet bandwidth, connection stability and data transmission security, a new wave of Application Service Providers (ASP is on his way. The recent booming on some models such as Software Application as Service (SaaS and On-Demand in 2008, has led to emergence of ASP model in core business functions. The traditional IS outsourcing covers the non-core business functions that are not critical to business performance and competitive advantages. Comparing with traditional IS outsourcing, ASP is a new phenomenon that can be considered as an emerging innovation as it covers both core and non-core business functions. Most of the executives do not comprehend the difference and similarity between traditional IS outsourcing and ASP mode. Hence, we propose to conduct a research so as to identify the determinants (cost benefit, gap in IS capability complementing the company's strategic goal, and trust to ASP's service and security level and moderating factors (management's attitude in ownership & control, and company aggressiveness of ASP adoption decision in both core and non-core business functions.

“From technologists to business developers” - the evolution of ICT4Dev practitioners in South(ern) Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Veldsman, A

2006-05-01

Full Text Available ) Develop (“B” Activities) Impl. /Industr. (“C” Activities) Po lic y St ra te gy Op er at io ns SMME Support 1994-1999 Distr. MPCCs 2002-2004 SMME Tools 1998-2002 SMME SPs 2001-2003 Kiosk Franchise 1995/6 Local MPCCs 2005-2014MPCC... and information concerning service delivery as well as buying and usage patterns at “the bottom of the pyramid”. The Figure 6 provides an overview of such a community of practitioners. Figure 6: Community of Practitioners 8. Conclusions It is therefore...

Loads Providing Ancillary Services: Review of InternationalExperience-- Technical Appendix: Market Descriptions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grayson Heffner, Charles Goldman, Kintner-Meyer, M; Kirby, Brendan

2007-05-01

In this study, we examine the arrangements for andexperiences of end-use loads providing ancillary services (AS) in fiveelectricity markets: Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), the Nordicmarket, and the ERCOT and PJM markets in the United States. Our objectivein undertaking this review of international experience was to identifyspecific approaches or market designs that have enabled customer loads toeffectively deliver various ancillary services (AS) products. We hopethat this report will contribute to the ongoing discussion in the U.S.and elsewhere regarding what institutional and technical developments areneeded to ensure that customer loads can meaningfully participate in allwholesale electricity markets.

Unidata's Vision for Providing Comprehensive and End-to-end Data Services

Science.gov (United States)

Ramamurthy, M. K.

2009-05-01

This paper presents Unidata's vision for providing comprehensive, well-integrated, and end-to-end data services for the geosciences. These include an array of functions for collecting, finding, and accessing data; data management tools for generating, cataloging, and exchanging metadata; and submitting or publishing, sharing, analyzing, visualizing, and integrating data. When this vision is realized, users no matter where they are or how they are connected to the Internetwill be able to find and access a plethora of geosciences data and use Unidata-provided tools and services both productively and creatively in their research and education. What that vision means for the Unidata community is elucidated by drawing a simple analogy. Most of users are familiar with Amazon and eBay e-commerce sites and content sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr. On the eBay marketplace, people can sell practically anything at any time and buyers can share their experience of purchasing a product or the reputation of a seller. Likewise, at Amazon, thousands of merchants sell their goods and millions of customers not only buy those goods, but provide a review or opinion of the products they buy and share their experiences as purchasers. Similarly, YouTube and Flickr are sites tailored to video- and photo-sharing, respectively, where users can upload their own content and share it with millions of other users, including family and friends. What all these sites, together with social-networking applications like MySpace and Facebook, have enabled is a sense of a virtual community in which users can search and browse products or content, comment and rate those products from anywhere, at any time, and via any Internet- enabled device like an iPhone, laptop, or a desktop computer. In essence, these enterprises have fundamentally altered people's buying modes and behavior toward purchases. Unidata believes that similar approaches, appropriately tailored to meet the needs of the scientific

Network performance and fault analytics for LTE wireless service providers

CERN Document Server

Kakadia, Deepak; Gilgur, Alexander

2017-01-01

 This book is intended to describe how to leverage emerging technologies big data analytics and SDN, to address challenges specific to LTE and IP network performance and fault management data in order to more efficiently manage and operate an LTE wireless networks. The proposed integrated solutions permit the LTE network service provider to operate entire integrated network, from RAN to Core , from UE to application service, as one unified system and correspondingly collect and align disparate key metrics and data, using an integrated and holistic approach to network analysis. The LTE wireless network performance and fault involves the network performance and management of network elements in EUTRAN, EPC and IP transport components, not only as individual components, but also as nuances of inter-working of these components. The key metrics for EUTRAN include radio access network accessibility, retainability, integrity, availability and mobility. The key metrics for EPC include MME accessibility, mobility and...

Qualitative Study of correspondence between Patient Perception of Service Advertisement and Service Provided from Traditional Health Facilities

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Lusi Kristiana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available background: Attractive adses of traditional health services often promises such as certainty of healing, treatment without side effect, experience personnel, exclusive recipes, and testimony of patients who recovered. Ads that this unsubstantiated allegedly played a role in the tendency of people turn to traditional medicine. The aim of the study is to describe the perception of patients about the correspondence between the advertisement and the services provided qualitatively. Methods: The study was conducted in Surabaya for 5 months in 2012. Informants were selected purposively. results: The result shows that most of the information about traditional health services obtained from either advertisement local and national television. Health complaints predominanly degenerative diseases, and most have been treated to modern medicine but because they do not heal, switch to traditional medicine. conclusion: Informants judge ad featuring attractive because advanced equipment, herbal remedies as well as testimonials of patients who have recovered. Much of the promise of the ads is not evident when patients seek treatment, so they seek other traditional treatments. Most of them are less satisfied, but there is a fraction that satisfied because being cured. Traditional health services responsiveness associated with the non-medical aspects assessed either by informants. recomendation:Competent authorities should enforce and socialize media literacy to encourage community.

A qualitative exploration of psychosocial specialists' experiences of providing support in UK burn care services.

Science.gov (United States)

Guest, Ella; Griffiths, Catrin; Harcourt, Diana

2018-01-01

A burn can have a significant and long-lasting psychosocial impact on a patient and their family. The National Burn Care Standards (2013) recommend psychosocial support should be available in all UK burn services; however, little is known about how it is provided. The current study aimed to explore experiences of psychosocial specialists working in UK burn care, with a focus on the challenges they experience in their role. Semi-structured telephone interviews with eight psychosocial specialists (two psychotherapists and six clinical psychologists) who worked within UK burn care explored their experiences of providing support to patients and their families. Thematic analysis revealed two main themes: burn service-related experiences and challenges reflected health professionals having little time and resources to support all patients; reduced patient attendance due to them living large distances from service; psychosocial appointments being prioritised below wound-related treatments; and difficulties detecting patient needs with current outcome measures. Therapy-related experiences and challenges outlined the sociocultural and familial factors affecting engagement with support, difficulties treating patients with pre-existing mental health conditions within the burn service and individual differences in the stage at which patients are amenable to support. Findings provide an insight into the experiences of psychosocial specialists working in UK burn care and suggest a number of ways in which psychosocial provision in the NHS burn service could be developed.

Parents' Experiences and Perceptions when Classifying their Children with Cerebral Palsy: Recommendations for Service Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Scime, Natalie V; Bartlett, Doreen J; Brunton, Laura K; Palisano, Robert J

2017-08-01

This study investigated the experiences and perceptions of parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) when classifying their children using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). The second aim was to collate parents' recommendations for service providers on how to interact and communicate with families. A purposive sample of seven parents participating in the On Track study was recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted orally and were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded openly. A descriptive interpretive approach within a pragmatic perspective was used during analysis. Seven themes encompassing parents' experiences and perspectives reflect a process of increased understanding when classifying their children, with perceptions of utility evident throughout this process. Six recommendations for service providers emerged, including making the child a priority and being a dependable resource. Knowledge of parents' experiences when using the GMFCS, MACS, and CFCS can provide useful insight for service providers collaborating with parents to classify function in children with CP. Using the recommendations from these parents can facilitate family-provider collaboration for goal setting and intervention planning.

Ecosystem services provided by a complex coastal region: challenges of classification and mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Lisa P.; Sousa, Ana I.; Alves, Fátima L.; Lillebø, Ana I.

2016-03-01

A variety of ecosystem services classification systems and mapping approaches are available in the scientific and technical literature, which needs to be selected and adapted when applied to complex territories (e.g. in the interface between water and land, estuary and sea). This paper provides a framework for addressing ecosystem services in complex coastal regions. The roadmap comprises the definition of the exact geographic boundaries of the study area; the use of CICES (Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services) for ecosystem services identification and classification; and the definition of qualitative indicators that will serve as basis to map the ecosystem services. Due to its complexity, the Ria de Aveiro coastal region was selected as case study, presenting an opportunity to explore the application of such approaches at a regional scale. The main challenges of implementing the proposed roadmap, together with its advantages are discussed in this research. The results highlight the importance of considering both the connectivity of natural systems and the complexity of the governance framework; the flexibility and robustness, but also the challenges when applying CICES at regional scale; and the challenges regarding ecosystem services mapping.

Ecosystem services provided by a complex coastal region: challenges of classification and mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Lisa P; Sousa, Ana I; Alves, Fátima L; Lillebø, Ana I

2016-03-11

A variety of ecosystem services classification systems and mapping approaches are available in the scientific and technical literature, which needs to be selected and adapted when applied to complex territories (e.g. in the interface between water and land, estuary and sea). This paper provides a framework for addressing ecosystem services in complex coastal regions. The roadmap comprises the definition of the exact geographic boundaries of the study area; the use of CICES (Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services) for ecosystem services identification and classification; and the definition of qualitative indicators that will serve as basis to map the ecosystem services. Due to its complexity, the Ria de Aveiro coastal region was selected as case study, presenting an opportunity to explore the application of such approaches at a regional scale. The main challenges of implementing the proposed roadmap, together with its advantages are discussed in this research. The results highlight the importance of considering both the connectivity of natural systems and the complexity of the governance framework; the flexibility and robustness, but also the challenges when applying CICES at regional scale; and the challenges regarding ecosystem services mapping.

Challenges Addressing Unmet Need for Contraception: Voices of Family Planning Service Providers in Rural Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Baraka, Jitihada; Rusibamayila, Asinath; Kalolella, Admirabilis; Baynes, Colin

2015-12-01

Provider perspectives have been overlooked in efforts to address the challenges of unmet need for family planning (FP). This qualitative study was undertaken in Tanzania, using 22 key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions. The research documents perceptions of healthcare managers and providers in a rural district on the barriers to meeting latent demand for contraception. Social-ecological theory is used to interpret the findings, illustrating how service capability is determined by the social, structural and organizational environment. Providers' efforts to address unmet need for FP services are constrained by unstable reproductive preferences, low educational attainment, and misconceptions about contraceptive side effects. Societal and organizational factors--such as gender dynamics, economic conditions, religious and cultural norms, and supply chain bottlenecks, respectively--also contribute to an adverse environment for meeting needs for care. Challenges that healthcare providers face interact and produce an effect which hinders efforts to address unmet need. Interventions to address this are not sufficient unless the supply of services is combined with systems strengthening and social engagement strategies in a way that reflects the multi-layered, social institutional problems.

Goods and services provided by native plants in desert ecosystems: Examples from the northwestern coastal desert of Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laila M. Bidak

2015-01-01

Full Text Available About one third of the earth’s land surface is covered by deserts that have low and variable rainfall, nutrient-poor soils, and little vegetation cover. Here, we focus on the goods and services offered by desert ecosystems using the northwestern coastal desert of Egypt extending from Burg El-Arab to El-Salloum as an example. We conducted field surveys and collected other data to identify the goods services and provided by native plant species. A total of 322 native plant species were compiled. The direct services provided by these native plants included sources of food, medicine, and energy; indirect vegetation services included promotion of biodiversity, water storage, and soil fertility. The plant diversity in this ecosystem provided economic service benefits, such as sources of fodder, fuel-wood, and traditional medicinal plants. Changes in land use and recent ill-managed human activities may influence the availability of these services and strongly impact biodiversity and habitat availability. Although deserts are fragile and support low levels of productivity, they provide a variety of goods and services whose continuing availability is contingent upon the adoption of rational land management practices.

Challenges for Ecosystem Services Provided by Coral Reefs In the Face of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, R. K.; Elliff, C. I.

2014-12-01

Coral reefs provide many ecosystem services of which coastal populations are especially dependent upon, both in cases of extreme events and in daily life. However, adaptation to climate change is still relatively unknown territory regarding the ecosystem services provided by coastal environments, such as coral reefs. Management strategies usually consider climate change as a distant issue and rarely include ecosystem services in decision-making. Coral reefs are among the most vulnerable environments to climate change, considering the impact that increased ocean temperature and acidity have on the organisms that compose this ecosystem. If no actions are taken, the most likely scenario to occur will be of extreme decline in the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs. Loss of biodiversity due to the pressures of ocean warming and acidification will lead to increased price of seafood products, negative impact on food security, and ecological imbalances. Also, sea-level rise and fragile structures due to carbonate dissolution will increase vulnerability to storms, which can lead to shoreline erosion and ultimately threaten coastal communities. Both these conditions will undoubtedly affect recreation and tourism, which are often the most important use values in the case of coral reef systems. Adaptation strategies to climate change must take on an ecosystem-based approach with continuous monitoring programs, so that multiple ecosystem services are considered and not only retrospective trends are analyzed. Brazilian coral reefs have been monitored on a regular basis since 2000 and, considering that these marginal coral reefs of the eastern Atlantic are naturally under stressful conditions (e.g. high sedimentation rates), inshore reefs of Brazil, such as those in Tinharé-Boipeba, have shown lower vitality rates due to greater impacts from the proximity to the coastal area (e.g. pollution, overfishing, sediment run-off). This chronic negative impact must be addressed

Providing animal health services to the poor in Northern Ghana: rethinking the role of community animal health workers?

Science.gov (United States)

Mockshell, Jonathan; Ilukor, John; Birner, Regina

2014-02-01

The Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) system has been promoted as an alternative solution to providing animal health services in marginal areas. Yet, access to quality animal health services still remains a fundamental problem for livestock dependent communities. This paper uses the concepts of accessibility, affordability, and transaction costs to examine the perceptions of livestock keepers about the various animal health service providers. The empirical analysis is based on a survey of 120 livestock-keeping households in the Tolon-Kumbungu and Savelugu-Nanton districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. A multinomial logit model was used to determine the factors that influence households' choice of alternative animal health service providers. The results show that the government para-vets are the most preferred type of animal health service providers while CAHWs are the least preferred. Reasons for this observation include high transaction costs and low performance resulting from limited training. In areas with few or no government para-vets, farmers have resorted to self-treatment or to selling sick animals for consumption, which has undesirable health implications. These practices also result in significant financial losses for farmers. This paper finds that the CAHWs' system is insufficient for providing quality animal health services to the rural poor in marginal areas. Therefore, market-smart alternative solutions requiring strong public sector engagement to support livestock farmers in marginal areas and setting minimum training standards for animal health service providers merit policy consideration.